About 5 minutes ago, I sat down to have lunch and check my email. The first email I checked was one from my professor who is in charge of the Israel trip. The subject line of the message read "Some shockingly bad news". The content of the message was to inform everyone involved that the trip has been cancelled. The University President and Provost have said that "on moral grounds" they cannot allow us to go.

I immediately called Michelle to let her know, and we spoke for a few minutes. Other than that brief conversation, these words are my initial thoughts. Except that I do not really know what to say. I am just dumbfounded, and I am indeed in shock, as I have been looking forward to this like nothing else in my life, save my marriage. I have not as yet qued up any music, as is my norm during lunch, so I am trying to think of a great song to capture the mood. After a few minutes of contemplation, The Beatles' "Let it Be" is it. From the Anthology 3, since it's probably my favorite version.

I have a difficult time believing that the President and Provost are so morally concerned with us that they would even think twice about this trip, so that leads me to wonder what the real reasons may have been. This is a fruitless exercise, so I will try not to even bother. One cannot help but wonder, though.

An otherwise great lunch of chicken and stuffing with corn has suddenly lost its appeal. I am trying to choke it down, because I know I will need energy for the rest of the day. Oh well.

I am trying to take this well, but this just sucks.

I hope everyone is doing well. The Hebrew word for "peace" is "shalom".

Shalom...