Before departing for the Old City, we share our thoughts and expectations of what this trip will accomplish.

We enter the Old City of Jerusalem throught the Zion Gate - and have to make way for the cars trying to leave!

At the beginning of our Old City Tour, we entered the Cordo - an ancient Roman street/marketplace.

A view down the length of the Cordo.

On the Cordo, an organization has on display a solid gold Menorah that they hope will be used in the Third Temple when it is rebuilt.

Further along, Ira explains how one level was built on top of the other for hundreds of years at an excavation site.

Leora Schanfield bought a schwarma - for a friend....

...while her other firends enjoyed theirs indoors! (l-r: Jordana Cotton, Jessica Aaron, Gena, Nancy Bayewitch)

A quick stop by the Churvah Synagogue. It was demolished by the Jordanians towards the end of the War of Independence.

Ben Altman and Barak Raz take a moment at theWestern Wall, the Kotel, the gate of prayers.

Visiting the wall was a highlight for many on this trip, including Glenn.

Rob Akkerman and Ilya Kharkover also took some time to pray.

In the tunnels under the Arab quarter, we followed the Western Wall northwards. This very point is straight across from the location of the Holy of Holies, the closest you can get from outside the Wall. Alan Belsky peers at the point where the wall "weeps" - water drips from it for no explainable reason.

Rache Epstein and others walk along the Western Wall tunnel, which was next to a street built by King Herod

Further along, the tunnel got thinnner, where Ban Altman and Corey Moran posed.

Our group met up with Meira and Gabe Axler by the Wall - Meira graduated in '01; Gabe is here till '04 - and they posed with Rabbi Creeger

Here's a group shot by the Wall!! Thanks to Alan Belsky (far left, no, above Rabbi Slonim) for this pic. The official "Chabad Cam" picture had raindrops on the lens, so it didn't come out too good!!

As we leave the Western Wall behind us, we are reminded that it is just the outer wall of the holiest site for Jews, and the fact that we are denied access to the entire Temple Mount. Even prayer by the Wall in our own country isn't always safe.

As we had our last glimpse of the Wall, the sun came out for a few minutes, reminding us that as long as we have prayer and faith, we have hope.