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THE DEAD SEA We are in Israel and we have several seas and rivers. The Mediterranean Sea is the biggest and we share it with a lot of countries. The Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) is a very large lake near us, and the Red Sea is very far from us. We have another sea, the Dead Sea, and it is very special to us. In Hebrew we call it "Yam Ha Melech", which means "The Sea of Salt". It is the saltiest water in the world. Because of that, it has no fish or plant life in it. But people go into the Dead Sea and the funniest thing happens. People float because of the salt in the water, and they don't have to know how! You don't need a lifeguard and if you sit down in it, the water lifts you up. So if you want to commit suicide, don't come to the Dead Sea. If you have a wound or cut, the salt will make it sting, but the salt and minerals will heal it fast. There are mud baths and people scoop up the mud from the sea bottom and walk around covered with mud. It's good for your skin and they sell it all over the world. There's something else that is very special about the Dead Sea. It's the lowest place in the whole world. In the Bible, it says that the area around the Dead Sea was the most beautiful place in the world and the water was very sweet and fresh and filled with all kinds of fish. But because the people of Sodom were so wicked and selfish, G-d destroyed them and rained sulphur and brimstone on the land and made the water very salty. When the Messiah comes, the whole area will be beautiful again. 8th Grade Calss JERUSALEM Hello to the world! Let's talk about our beautiful, big (to us) capital city, Jerusalem, in the heart of Israel. We love Jerusalem very much. Even for the two thousand years that we weren't allowed to live here, Jerusalem has always been in our hearts, our dreams and our prayers. Our Holy Temple was destroyed twice and all we have left is it's Western Wall. It is holy to us and we pray there. No matter where we are in the world, every Jew stands facing Jerusalem to pray. When people visit "The Kotel" (in Hebrew), they put notes in the cracks of the wall and we believe that G-d will answer these prayers in a way that is best for us. In Jerusalem we have our government seat and we call it the Knesset. The Knesset is like the USA's White House, Senate and House of Representatives all under one roof. The 10th Grade Class
