By Sara Karol

So today we departed the very buggy Little Rock and headed for Dallas. The bus ride was our longest yet, but in the middle we stopped for lunch and watched a movie. Our first stop was our meeting with the Catholic Pro Life Committee of Dallas. It was a very challenging meeting for all of us. I, myself, fought the urge to yell, but we were all too respectful for that. Personally, I thought that the woman who met with us had her opinions that were based on sheltered views. I think if this were a perfect world, many of her views would make sense, but realistically they don’t.  I was amazed that, while many people on the trip had their views shift, mine were strengthened in what I believed already. I also do believe that their organization does help women.

We then went to the JFK Museum called the Sixth Floor Museum. It was fascinating because it went into such detail of that fateful day when he was assassinated in Dallas. It is very easy to believe that there could be conspiracies involved in the shooting mainly because the prime piece of evidence, Lee Harvey Oswald, was killed and any conspirators have never been caught. Outside the museum, we met with a conspiracy theorist who walked us around the grassy knoll explaining many of the different theories that exist as to who shot JFK. It was very interesting to see the spots where President Kennedy was shot as they are marked by “X”s in the street.

Billy speaking to the group on the grassy knoll across from the Texas School Book Depository

meeting with a conspiracy theorist on the grassy knoll

at the spot where Kennedy was shot

We concluded with Friday night services at Beth El Binah, a gay and lesbian Reform synagogue. The people were so nice, welcoming and hilarious. We met another one of Jordan (a boy on the trip)’s relatives. They made us dinner and then we had a service with them that many of us said has been one of the best we have been to in a very long time. After services, they spoke with us about gay rights and gay marriage to get us ready for our meeting with the religious right in Colorado Springs. We ended with our wrap up and the congregants participated as well.

lighting Shabbat candles

dinner and conversation with the congregants

Shabbat services at Beth El Binah