Took a three day tour of Jordan. On the first day we saw the Roman ruins at Jerash, one of the largest Roman sites in the world. We drove through Amman but didn’t get to see much as we didn’t have the time to get out of the bus. We spent two nights in a Bedouin Camp. On the second day we went to Petra. Petra is a huge site that has not been excavated very much. Petra was the capital of the Nabataean Empire It was a major trading center. It was annexed by the Romans in about 100 CE and destroyed by an earthquake in 363 CE. What is left is mainly intricate tombs that were carved out of the hillsides. There is one free standing Nabataean temple and a Roman amphitheater.  It is about 4.3 km from the visitor center to the main area. Part of the walk is through an area between two cliffs called the Siq. High above the main area is a large tomb called the Cathedral. I was able to walk to the main area but didn’t feel I can go up over 900 steps to the Cathedral so I hired a donkey to take me up and then eventually back to the visitor center. That was quite an adventure especially coming down the steep parts. Of course there were many Bedouins trying to sell stuff. They were very insistent which at times was very annoying. One member of our group reported that a Bedouin grabbed her insisting she buy something. This really detracts from visiting the site. I don’t know if the authorities are willing to put a stop to this behavior. At the Bedouin camp, we were two people to a yurt which was surprisingly comfortable. The food on the trip was not as good as I was hoping for. We ate alot of chicken and rice. On the third day we went to Wadi Rum and took a two hour ride in the back of a pickup. It was equipped with seats in the back. At one spot, there were some interesting hieroglyphics. All in all I was glad I went. It was an adventure but I don’t think I would go back to Jordan.

This morning I went to an orthodox shul called Shira Hadasha which advertises that it is equalitarian.  They had a curtain that you could easily see through going down the middle of the room. Both sides could easily see the arc with the Torah. Both men and women led part of the service. They don’t have a Rabbi or cantor. At the start of the Torah service, a woman carried the Torah around the women’s side and then handed it over to a man to carry around the men’s side. The Torah was put on a table in the middle of the room and part of the curtain was pushed aside so everyone could see what was happening. Both men and women had aliyot and both men and women read from the Torah. They also do alot of singing in their service. I really enjoyed it. There was a wide variety of ages, many families with young children. Children were running in and out of the service. One woman was giving out candy to children. There were babies nursing. There were easily a couple of hundred people in the room. I didn’t find the mechitza detracted from my experience. In fact, I felt it allowed more women to participate by allowing them to be able to also attend to their children. I would certainly go back to this shul.

I leave Jerusalem in four days but will be stopping in both Frankfurt and Boston on my way back. Will be home on Nov. 16th.  I will be doing a few more things in Jerusalem. tomorrow I will tour the Supreme Court and the Knesset. The other days I will go back to the Old City and Ben Yehuda street to maybe do more shopping.