Jerusalem

5/17/18

It’s after 11pm here in Jerusalem and we’re just getting back to the hotel after an epic day of getting to know this city, which is the heart and soul of the Jewish people. We were out late this evening so we could experience the David Citadel’s Sound and Light Show, which tells the long and complicated history of Jerusalem in an artistic and musical way. Through our experiences today, we wrote ourselves into the sacred story of this city.

Our busses dropped us off on Mount Zion, the mountain immediately adjacent to the Old City. Yishay reminded us that Jerusalem requires us to set aside the rational part of our mind and focus on the emotional and spiritual parts. In that spirit, Jerusalem is less a city of “fact” than it is a city of “belief.”

With Yishay’s words in mind we visited King David’s tomb. From there we went up a short staircase and found ourselves in the room that Christians believe hosted the Last Supper and later became a mosque used by Muslims to pray toward Mecca. From there we climbed an additional staircase and found ourselves on a rooftop overlooking the Old City. It was this very same rooftop that for many decades was the closest a Jewish person could get to the Old City and the Kotel due to the fact that these areas were under Jordanian rule. Standing on that rooftop, we formed a circle and had a “Shehiyanu” Ceremony to honor our arrival in Jerusalem. As we held our cups of juice we took a moment to think about the miracle of our standing there as a Kehilah. We thought of our parents, grandparents, great grandparents, and the countless generations that came before us and what it would mean to them and what it might mean to us that we could be in this place, with these people, at this time. That’s what the Shehiyanu blessing is all about. Our cups runneth over.  And ask you kids about the gigantic Challah.

We entered the Old City through the Zion Gate with its hundreds of bullet holes that reminded us of the 1948 War of Independence. We explored a few highlights of the Jewish Quarter and then took a break for a Pizur lunch during which time the kids could go to whichever restaurants and shops they wished within the boundaries that we set.

The kids arrived at the meeting point right on time, having done quite a bit of shopping. During their shopping in the Old City and later this evening on Ben Yehuda Street an interesting theme emerged. Much, possibly even most, of what the kids purchased, they purchased for people other than themselves. They bought gifts for you, their siblings, their grandparents. Fear not, for they also took great care of themselves. But there’s something very endearing and charming about the joy that they find in shopping for others. And yes, they loved their 2+ hours on Ben Yehuda Street this evening which culminated with the entire street stopping to sing "Yom Huledet Sameach" to Jason.

The centerpiece of our day was our visit to the Kotel. We arrived at the Kotel plaza a little bit before 2pm. It was hot. Which meant that there were fewer groups than usual. While there was plenty of activity on both the men’s and women’s side, there was also plenty of room for our kids to engage with the Kotel and with one another. 

As I sit here in front of the keyboard exhausted from such a fulfilling day, I realize the futility of trying to describe what took place at the Kotel. In brief, the girls broke out in song and also took personal time at the Wall. The boys took personal time and then gathered in a circle to sing a bit and further honor our loved ones. But instead of trying to paint a picture with words, I’ll refer you to the pictures we posted to our Google Album. They say it all. As you look at those pictures let your heart be full. Maybe even overflowing. Consider the gifts you’ve bestowed upon your children and witness how these gifts brought them to this sacred moment. Rejoice in the fact that our children get it. And rejoice in the fact that the Jewish future is strong and inevitable.

After our time at the Kotel we gathered for a group reflection. There was much that they were able to put into words and there was much that was left unsaid. There was tremendous beauty, wisdom, and meaning in both the sound and the silence.