Christmas in Bethlehem

Christmas in Bethlehem was fantastic. Christmas Eve, there were loads of people in Manger Square, and there was entertainment, mostly in Spanish. There were Christmas Carols, and lots of calls to end the occupation. Christmas Day, I got to actually go into the Church of the Nativity, which was awesome. We hung around downtown for a while, then headed back to the farm for mulled wine and warmth and new friends, and then Christmas dinner of lamb and potatoes and veggies and deliciousness. I slept outside, because this inn was full. It was so authentic. I had such a good holiday. For the rest of the weekend, I went to Jerusalem. I went to Kol Ha'Neshema, the "reform" synagogue in Israel for Friday night services. I was disappointed. I was hoping it would be like services at home, but it wasn't. I miss CBSRZ. Saturday, I went down to the Western Wall to pray on my own for a while, because I didn't think going back to Kol HaNeshema would make me feel good, and I didn't have the proper attire to attempt any of the orthodox synagogues around. Saturday night in Jerusalem was, as usual, exciting. I love seeing the people come out at night after it being so quiet all Shabbat. It's like watching the city wake up, literally.
Now I'm back on the Kibbutz, safe and sound. Ghadeer is still back in Ramallah. She's waiting to see if the violence calms down before she attempts to cross the checkpoint. Tensions are high. I'm waiting to see what happens.
I'll post pictures of myself from this weekend that other people took, but in the meantime, you can see all the pictures I took by clicking here: Lizz's Album!