April A to Z Challenge: Y is for YMCA and Yardenit and Yalla

Y is for YMCA

Jerusalem YMCA was dedicated in 1933, after 7 years of construction, with the words “Here is a spot whose atmosphere is peace, where political and religious jealousies can be forgotten and international unity be fostered and developed.”

There are rooms available – hotel style. The lobby is uniquely beautiful.

Our tour guide, Rafi, told us about the YMCA which was a short walk from our hotel. There is an elevator inside the lobby that takes you up in the tower (for six shekels!). They won’t run the elevator for just one person – I went by myself but lucky for me, I ran into two of my travelmates and the three of us were able to go to the top.

The view of the city of Jerusalem was amazing!

photo credit: Ron Peled

website: allaboutjerusalem.com

outside of YMCA

photo credit: ItravelJerusalem -- lobby of YMCA

view from the tower

me - in winter coat so this was 2018! I did use

it!! - on top of the tower of the YMCA

View of the King David Hotel from the YMCA tower

another view from the top of the YMCA tower in downtown

Jerusalem

Y is for Yardenit

Yardenit is situated on the banks of the Jordan River, at the Southern tip of the Sea of Galilee. One of our first days begins at this site. White robes are available for rent in case you haven’t already been baptized and would like to be baptized. (In the United Methodist Church, we believe in one baptism and we don’t rebaptize BUT we remember our baptism using some of the water from the Jordan River. A sign of the cross is made on our forehead with the water.)

You can purchase smoothies and all sorts of other trinkets in their gift shop. I brought back some small bottles of Jordan River water in 2016 and 2018.

Y is for Yalla
No pictures for this one but another word --
Yalla is slang for "let's get going" so our tour
guide would say, "yalla yalla!" to us.