Today was the 7th day of our travels in Israel. The trip remains fascinating as we head to the finish line. Today, we visited several places. We walked the perimeter of the remains of the Second Temple, and that was awe-inspiring. The structure is one of the few in the world that reaches dizzying heights of beauty in its architectural, historical, and religious significance . It was amazing to walk along the same sidewalk as the Jews of the Second Temple. Such an experience forces one to feel acute insignificance in the sight of such history. We also spent time at the archaeological site where archaeologists collect samples such as ancient glass and nails out of the remains of the Dome of the Rock. The remains are now rubble, as the Arab religious administration used tractors and bulldozers to desecrate the Jew’s holiest place. We had the privilege to play archaeologist, and sift through rubble for artifacts ourselves. It was fun and exhilarating. Tamar Fleshler even found an ancient Maccabean coin, which thrilled everyone. Yet, the most fascinating part of the day came when we had the opportunity to interview Israeli soldiers waiting near the Kotel to go home. The comments ranged from the comical, “…In Thailand (a popular vacation spot after army service), you just throw on a shirt and a pair of pants and do whatever the f— you want!”, “In the army we learned to…eat sh—y food every day and no (sic) die.”, to the heartfelt: “I feel a lot of pride in the army…I want to contribute to Israel and protect it.” My favorite answer of the day was given by a 21 year-old army officer. “You’re just kids. I’m still a kid.” And in that quote lies a truly compelling, and heartbreaking reminder. Despite the astonishing maturity of many of the soldiers, these are young women and men defending our country, risking their lives every day for the Jewish state. These are young people, teenagers some of them, who must learn to kill and fight for a greater cause. A cause greater, to some of them, than their own life. Or rather, that cause is their life.