Day #1/2 Recaps: ‘Cats Arrive in Israel; Visit Historical Sites
Aug 12, 2023 | Men's Basketball
The traveling party arrived on August 10 and made their way to Jerusalem
Shabbot Shalom! (means "Good Shabbat" in Hebrew and a common saying on Friday and Saturday in Israel)
JERUSALEM, Israel – Members of the Kansas State men's basketball team and their traveling party reached the first leg of their historic 10-day trip to Israel and Abu Dhabi on Thursday morning (August 10) with their arrival to first Tel Aviv then Jerusalem.
The party reached Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv around 10 a.m. local time after a near 12-hour transatlantic flight that included a brief stop in Atlanta. On a picturesque day, they made the near 1 hour journey to the first stop of their tour – Jerusalem – which is the holy city for three of the world's major religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The 3,000-year old historic walled city in the Judean Mountains has now expanded to include much of the surrounding hills.
Thursday, August 10: Visit to the Old City, including the Western Wall
After reaching their hotel to freshen up, the group began their tour with a 3-hour visit to Jerusalem's Old City. They entered through Jaffa Gate, one of eight gates surrounding the Old City fortress wall and the traditional entrance from the western part of the New City. From there, they encountered the first of five sections of the Old City, which includes the Christian Quarter, the Armenian Quarter, the Muslim Quarter, the Jewish Quarter and the Temple Mount.
Weaving through the shops of the various quarters, the party made their way to the Western Wall, which is one of the holiest sites in all of Judaism. Also known as the "Wailing Wall," by outsiders for the sounds of the Jewish people mourning the loss of their temple, it is the remnant of the retaining wall built by King Herod more than 2,000 years ago that encloses and supports the Temple Mount.
After purifying their hands and covering their heads, several group members were able to make their way to the Western Wall, where they could touch and silently pray and/or place a prayer in the cracks of the wall.
The traveling party did not climb the Temple Mount, which is the site of the original temple and now includes the Dome of the Rock (one of the photographed places in the world and seen here) and Al Aqsa Mosque.
Upon leaving the Western Wall, the party took the path of the Via Dolorosa (or Way of the Cross) through the Muslim and Christian Quarters to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Way of the Cross is the path that pilgrims believe Jesus took to the site of the Crucifixion. The church was built over the site of the cave, where Jesus was buried before he was resurrected, by Constantine in 328 A.D. and later rebuilt by the Crusaders in the 12th century. The group was able to enter the church, where they could view and touch the place Jesus was laid after the Crucifixion (Stone of Unction) then see the outside of the cave, which is enclosed by an early 19th century marble tomb edifice.
The party returned to their hotel, and after enjoying some rest, they ended their first day at the Culinary Workshop near the hotel, where they feasted on many local flavors, including hummus, a mixture of salads, mushroom risotto, polenta, sea bass and steak plus a trio of desserts.
Friday, August 11: Visit to Yad Vashem, City of David
The Wildcats began their first full day in Jerusalem with an important but solemn visit to Yad Vashem Memorial and Holocaust Museum, which after the Western Wall is the most visited site in Israel. The museum, which overlooks the edge of Jerusalem, was created to memorize the 6 million Jewish lives who were killed by the Nazis before and during World War II. Led by an excellent tour guide Albert or Albie (the son of Holocaust survivors), the visit included the Holocaust Museum, the Hall of Remembrance, the Hall of Names and a memorial to the Children of the Holocaust.
After lunch at Yad Vashem, the traveling party broke into different groups to tour the City of David, which is the original settlement of Jerusalem near the Gihon Spring. They were allowed to visit active archeological sites of the 3,000-year-old palace of King David, including the remnants of an indoor toilet, the Pool of Siloam, which was built in 701 B.C. and hid Jerusalem's water supply, and the 2,000-year-old road that pilgrims would take from the pool to the Temple.
The team had their first practice of the trip on Friday afternoon at the YMCA down from the hotel.
The traveling party, along with those from the University of Arizona, experienced a true Shabbat Dinner at the hotel with their sponsored host Daniel Posner, the Founder and Chairman of Athletes of Israel. In their efforts to combat antisemitism and racism, Athletes For Israel brings athletes to Israel so they can experience the Holy Land and develop a connection with its history, culture, innovation and people.
For more information on the organization and its mission, visit athletesforisrael.org.
Prior to the dinner, the group heard the amazing life story of Tamir Goodman, a native of Baltimore who is the first Orthodox Jew to play college basketball. As an orthodox Jew, Goodman could not play from sundown on Friday night to sundown on Saturday night. He played professionally in Israel before having his career cut short due to injury and becoming a successful businessman.
For more information on Goodman, who will be the subject of an upcoming book and movie, visit tamirgoodman.com.
A recap of weekend activities will be posted on Monday (August 14). The group visited Bethlehem on Saturday morning (August 12) capped off by an authentic Palestinian lunch at the home of their host Kamal. They will head to the Dead Sea on Sunday morning (August 13) before departing for Tel Aviv.
The team's first game is Tuesday (August 15) against the Israeli Select Team.
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on K-State men's basketball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Threads, Instagram and Facebook.
JERUSALEM, Israel – Members of the Kansas State men's basketball team and their traveling party reached the first leg of their historic 10-day trip to Israel and Abu Dhabi on Thursday morning (August 10) with their arrival to first Tel Aviv then Jerusalem.
The party reached Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv around 10 a.m. local time after a near 12-hour transatlantic flight that included a brief stop in Atlanta. On a picturesque day, they made the near 1 hour journey to the first stop of their tour – Jerusalem – which is the holy city for three of the world's major religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The 3,000-year old historic walled city in the Judean Mountains has now expanded to include much of the surrounding hills.
Thursday, August 10: Visit to the Old City, including the Western Wall
After reaching their hotel to freshen up, the group began their tour with a 3-hour visit to Jerusalem's Old City. They entered through Jaffa Gate, one of eight gates surrounding the Old City fortress wall and the traditional entrance from the western part of the New City. From there, they encountered the first of five sections of the Old City, which includes the Christian Quarter, the Armenian Quarter, the Muslim Quarter, the Jewish Quarter and the Temple Mount.
Weaving through the shops of the various quarters, the party made their way to the Western Wall, which is one of the holiest sites in all of Judaism. Also known as the "Wailing Wall," by outsiders for the sounds of the Jewish people mourning the loss of their temple, it is the remnant of the retaining wall built by King Herod more than 2,000 years ago that encloses and supports the Temple Mount.
After purifying their hands and covering their heads, several group members were able to make their way to the Western Wall, where they could touch and silently pray and/or place a prayer in the cracks of the wall.
The traveling party did not climb the Temple Mount, which is the site of the original temple and now includes the Dome of the Rock (one of the photographed places in the world and seen here) and Al Aqsa Mosque.
Upon leaving the Western Wall, the party took the path of the Via Dolorosa (or Way of the Cross) through the Muslim and Christian Quarters to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Way of the Cross is the path that pilgrims believe Jesus took to the site of the Crucifixion. The church was built over the site of the cave, where Jesus was buried before he was resurrected, by Constantine in 328 A.D. and later rebuilt by the Crusaders in the 12th century. The group was able to enter the church, where they could view and touch the place Jesus was laid after the Crucifixion (Stone of Unction) then see the outside of the cave, which is enclosed by an early 19th century marble tomb edifice.
The party returned to their hotel, and after enjoying some rest, they ended their first day at the Culinary Workshop near the hotel, where they feasted on many local flavors, including hummus, a mixture of salads, mushroom risotto, polenta, sea bass and steak plus a trio of desserts.
Friday, August 11: Visit to Yad Vashem, City of David
The Wildcats began their first full day in Jerusalem with an important but solemn visit to Yad Vashem Memorial and Holocaust Museum, which after the Western Wall is the most visited site in Israel. The museum, which overlooks the edge of Jerusalem, was created to memorize the 6 million Jewish lives who were killed by the Nazis before and during World War II. Led by an excellent tour guide Albert or Albie (the son of Holocaust survivors), the visit included the Holocaust Museum, the Hall of Remembrance, the Hall of Names and a memorial to the Children of the Holocaust.
After lunch at Yad Vashem, the traveling party broke into different groups to tour the City of David, which is the original settlement of Jerusalem near the Gihon Spring. They were allowed to visit active archeological sites of the 3,000-year-old palace of King David, including the remnants of an indoor toilet, the Pool of Siloam, which was built in 701 B.C. and hid Jerusalem's water supply, and the 2,000-year-old road that pilgrims would take from the pool to the Temple.
The team had their first practice of the trip on Friday afternoon at the YMCA down from the hotel.
The traveling party, along with those from the University of Arizona, experienced a true Shabbat Dinner at the hotel with their sponsored host Daniel Posner, the Founder and Chairman of Athletes of Israel. In their efforts to combat antisemitism and racism, Athletes For Israel brings athletes to Israel so they can experience the Holy Land and develop a connection with its history, culture, innovation and people.
For more information on the organization and its mission, visit athletesforisrael.org.
Prior to the dinner, the group heard the amazing life story of Tamir Goodman, a native of Baltimore who is the first Orthodox Jew to play college basketball. As an orthodox Jew, Goodman could not play from sundown on Friday night to sundown on Saturday night. He played professionally in Israel before having his career cut short due to injury and becoming a successful businessman.
For more information on Goodman, who will be the subject of an upcoming book and movie, visit tamirgoodman.com.
A recap of weekend activities will be posted on Monday (August 14). The group visited Bethlehem on Saturday morning (August 12) capped off by an authentic Palestinian lunch at the home of their host Kamal. They will head to the Dead Sea on Sunday morning (August 13) before departing for Tel Aviv.
The team's first game is Tuesday (August 15) against the Israeli Select Team.
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on K-State men's basketball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Threads, Instagram and Facebook.
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