With changes in our healthcare system at home, it’s great to see what other countries are doing well in this area. We had the opportunity to tour the Hadassah Medical Center to learn more about the country’s healthcare system. Every Israeli is covered automatically with medical insurance, paid for by a tax of 4.6 percent, per person. The focus is on preventative medicine, starting at an early age. I like the sound of that.

Exploring the sites where Jesus prayed, taught, was arrested, crucified and resurrected was an experience beyond measure.  It was like touching the stories from the bible. We had the opportunity to vist the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is believed to be the third holiest site in Islam.  We explored the Western Wall, one of the outer remaining walls of the Temple – destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.  What remains is considered the holiest site for the Jewish people.  I watched a Jewish family celebrate a Bar Mitzvah, while listening to the Muslim call for prayer, just as Catholic church bells sounded.  This seemed to capture the essence of Jerusalem.

(Image of the Western Wall – Wishing Wall)