Saturday, July 12, 2008

Israel Day 7: BYU Jerusalem Center

We attended church on the Sabbath which, in Israel, is actually on Saturday. We arrived and immediately went into the chapel.

The chapel area is set up so that you are looking out over the Old City. This means that if the speakers are boring, which they weren’t, you could occupy yourself with the magnificent scenery. It was hard to look at the speaker. With the view, it was hard to look away, and even when you did try to look at the speaker, the back light meant that your eyes were watering trying to adjust from the light and shadows. Finally, I reconciled to hearing the words and enjoying the view.

It was a neat experience to see the young men in our group pass the sacrament while looking out over that special city. To be able to exercise the priesthood just moments away from the ancient temple was profound.

Our guide, Daniel, taught the Sunday School lesson that day and our fellow tourist/visiting professor at Hebrew U, taught the combined meeting for the sisters and brothers.

Afterwards, we went on a tour and had the opportunity to visit with the students, the couples who “run” the center – they are not missionaries, but couples on special assignment from BYU, and other ex-pats who live in and around Jerusalem.

The views were beautiful. The peaceful tranquility of the center was a nice way to spend the Sabbath.

When I first thought about going to Israel, one of the most exciting things for me was to see the BYU Jerusalem Center. Both Kym and Melissa, Ryan’s sisters, had the opportunity to study there along with many friends I have known throughout the years. However, by the time we got there, at the end of the week, we had seen so many incredible things, it was almost anti-climatic. It was hard to top anything after the Garden Tomb. However, the center is beautiful and the location is the envy of everyone.

What is the BYU Jerusalem Center?

The Jerusalem Center is Brigham Young University's center for study in Jerusalem. Students enroll through the BYU campus in Provo, Utah, travel to the Holy Land, and live in the Center for programs that extend for four months. Students study a core curriculum that focuses on Old and New Testament, ancient and modern Near Eastern studies, and language (Hebrew and Arabic). Classroom study is built around field trips that cover the length and breadth of the Holy Land.

The Center itself is a beautiful building on Mount Scopus overlooking the Mount of Olives, the Kidron Valley, and the Old City. The 125,000 square-foot, eight-level structure is set amid five acres of beautifully landscaped gardens. The first five levels (moving up from the lowest level) provide dormitory and apartment space for up to 170 students. Dormitory rooms accommodate four people with ample study space and a private bath. Each of these rooms has a patio overlooking the Old City. The sixth level houses a cafeteria, classrooms, computer facilities, and a gymnasium. Administrative and faculty offices are located on the seventh level, as is a 250-seat auditorium. The main entry is on the eighth level, which also contains a spectacular recital and special events auditorium with organ, lecture rooms, general and reserve libraries, offices, a domed theater, and a learning resource area.” From http://ce.byu.edu/jc/

2 comments:

Kym said...

See your pics of The Center brings back the memories. I LOVE that place. It is beautiful. Glad you finally got to see it!

Chris said...

Thanks for sharing, just beautiful. My husband and I are going there for a week in November. We're doing N.T. in Seminary this year so it's especially awesome. Please, anyone, send good hotel advice, safe, clean, safe, good local.
Thanks, Chris