5/14/14
Jerusalem raises many questions—spiritual, cultural,
philosophical, political, sociological and historical. But it’s also a place of
insights, wisdom, and maybe even revelation. The powerful coexistence of deep
questioning and deep insight is what makes the journey to Jerusalem a
pilgrimage for all Jews and all people. Though we spent the day visiting many
of Jerusalem’s holy sites it would be incorrect to say that we “toured”
Jerusalem. It’s more accurate to say we encountered Jerusalem in all of its
complexity and beauty.
During our tour, Eran, one of our tour guides, shared a
powerful poem by Yehuda Amichai, Israel’s first poet laureate. I think it’s
worth sharing in its entirety here:
“Tourists” by Yehuda Amichai
Once I was sitting on
the steps near the gate at David’s citadel and I put down my two heavy baskets
beside me. A group of tourists stood there around their guide, and I became
their point of reference. “You see that man over there with the baskets? A
little to the right of his head there’s an arch from the Roman period. A little
to the right of his head.” “But he’s moving, he’s moving!” I said to myself.
Redemption will come only when they are told, “Do you see that arch over there
from the Roman period? It doesn’t matter, but near it a little to the left and
adown a it there’s a man who has just bought fruit and vegetables for his
family.”
Today we did it all. We contemplated the ancient beauty of
the Roman Arch and also honored the man with the baskets of food for his
family. We saw the ancient walls of
Jerusalem and watched an old lady park her car right in the middle of one of
the Old City’s narrow streets, get out and walk away. We walked through
Hezekiah’s water tunnel, and we watched a group of Ultra Orthodox girls on a
school trip splashing one another in the wading pool at the tunnel’s end, all
while listening to the Muslim call to prayer. We visited the archeological
remains of a mansion from the 2nd Temple period and helped Miles B.
retrieve his sunglasses when they fell deep into the excavation below. And we
went to the Kotel.
For a wall that’s been around for 2,000 years the Kotel sure
is an evolving place. Every year the Kotel is different. This year the security
procedures were more rigid, and there was massive construction going on all
around us. Also new this year is the area called “Ezrat Yisrael” where, after
many years of struggle, men and women can pray together. Whereas at other sites
we honored Amichai’s “Roman Arch” and “Man with Baskets” at the Kotel the focus
was completely on the spiritual connection for the kids.
The Kotel doesn’t offer any promises or guarantees, but it’s
my impression that every kid made a connection with the Kotel today. Most of
the boys wrapped themselves (again) in tefillin. We even saw Zalman (the
Chabadnik from our flight who wrapped the boys mid-flight)! I had the honor of
witnessing many of the boys bowing their heads in prayer, placing their notes
in the wall, and showing true Cavod to
one of Judaism’s most holy sites. We’ll return to the Kotel on Friday night and
it will be totally different—much more crowded and cacophonous. I’m glad that
the kids got a chance to interact with the Kotel on a relatively cool and calm
Wednesday morning without the distraction of hundreds of men and women shouting, dancing, and praying. I can’t say what kinds of insights, wisdom, and revelation
emerged from our Kotel visit as these belong to the kids and the kids alone, but there was definitely a different energy after
we left.
On a lighter note, we spent the evening on Ben Yehuda
Street. The kids loved walking through the various stores and finding gifts for
family and friends back home. The genius of Ben Yehuda Street is that within
minutes of arriving there, all of the stores magically have signs that say, “Welcome
Davis Academy—Sale Inside.” It’s truly irresistible. One sweet story involves Zac C. and Benjy N. who helped Mr. Heyen get a major bargain on a gift for his wife. We all remember Mr. Heyen's beautiful sharing of what it meant to leave his family behind for these two weeks, so together we can breathe a sigh of relief that he found a gift that at least symbolically lets them know how much he appreciates their support.
Amichai’s poem spoke to us today because it reinforced one
of the key philosophical commitments of The Davis Academy Israel Trip and The
Davis Academy more generally. It’s not about the Roman Arches. It’s about the
people. We’re proud of Davis’ amazing facilities, but a stroll through Davis
never focuses on the iPads and the spacious classrooms. It focuses on the
children, the teachers, and the families that are the reason for our existence.
It’s about seeing the baskets full of food and knowing that there’s a man that’s
feeding his family. And then it’s about making the connection between that man
and his family and our family. It’s about looking into the eyes of the other
and seeing the face of God, and then knowing that when we let others into our
lives we not only receive, but also give an incredible gift.
Someone reading this must be skeptical that the kids are
trafficking in these kinds of ideas. But they are. Truth be told, some of them
might not realize it, but that doesn’t mean it’s not happening. Hopefully when
they stumble upon this blog later in life, perhaps before a Birthright trip, or
some other time when they want to revisit this experience, they’ll read these
words, look at the people that they’ve become, and know that this trip and
everything leading up to it helped them get there.
Rabbi Micah
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