On January 11, the Irwin Cotler Fellows spent the day exploring Jerusalem. The day began with an exciting visit to the Israel Aquarium, where the Fellows were introduced to the ecological diversity of Israel’s surrounding seas and waterways. Fellows also experienced an alternate tropical ecosystem as they walked through the indoor butterfly garden. Known for its unique display of Mediterranean aquatic life, the Aquarium delivered nothing short of that.

From there, the Fellows traveled to Mount Herzl. Standing at the resting place of the founder of political Zionism and his family, the Fellows reflected on Herzl’s enduring legacy and the ways in which his vision has been interpreted, institutionalized, and contested over time. The visit continued at the nearby Herzl Museum, where the Fellows took part in a guided tour tracing the life of Binyamin Ze’ev Herzl and the evolution of his vision of political Zionism. Through immersive exhibits and historical artifacts, the Fellows examined Herzl not only as a symbol of statehood, but as a complex thinker shaped by European politics, antisemitism, and debates over Jewish self-determination that continue to resonate today.

As evening approached, the group made its way to Shuk Mahane Yehuda. Amid the bustle of vendors and food stalls, Fellows had time to eat dinner and wander through the market’s narrow lanes, experiencing a space where tradition and modernity intersect and where the city’s social diversity is on full display. The final stop of the day took the Fellows to Mea Shearim, one of Jerusalem’s most insular ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods. There, they met with Rabbi Israel Meir Hirsch, the current leader of Neturei Karta, the most radical anti-Zionist ultra-Orthodox group in Israel, along with his sister. The conversation offered a rare opportunity to engage directly with a community whose theological and political worldview fundamentally rejects Zionism and Herzl’s vision.