Day 5: Jerusalem of Gold

Jerusalem is an overwhelming city. Waking up early in the morning after a late night in Tel Aviv, we boarded the bus and headed on Route 1 towards Jerusalem. On the bus ride, we were thinking about the Western Wall. If we didn’t already have prepared notes, several questions came to mind. Who were we going to be writing to? What were we going to be writing about? You can write anything whether it be a question, simple conversation, or a prayer towards the one and only G-d. This was something that required deep concentration.
As we got closer and closer, Ori and Michal began to prepare us for what would end up being a life-changing visit through the holiest place on earth. As we sat on the bus it was hard to put into words what we felt as we arrived in Jerusalem. I personally did not know how it was going to feel, but I was still was super stoked. I knew that this city was truly holy and that that it was the ancient capital of Israel. I still really can’t put my feelings beforehand into words but I knew that I would have revelations. “It’s almost like my soul is going to be on a drug of holiness.” As we were driving in the bus through Jerusalem, we listened to songs about Jerusalem (will post track-list later).
Finally, after much preparation, reflecting a little bit on our expectations with the people around us, we got off the bus and began the experience. The view at the Haas Promenade was incredible (pics included, definitely). We sat in a circle overlooking the entire city of valleys, hills, and apartments while learning the history of Jerusalem all the way back to the Iron period in approximately 1200 BCE. We sang the song of peace and then re-boarded the bus to head towards the Old City of Jerusalem.
Once we got off, we walked towards the gate of Zion, This was an experience in itself because the walls and gate around us have been there for over 500 years and protected the city of Jerusalem from so many truly great armies. There was a living energy that began to clear my mind and allow my thoughts and feelings to flow freely as we walked through the Zion Gate and through the Jewish Quarter. We sat on top of the roof looking straight at the Dome of the Rock, trying to comprehend its legendary status. We discussed how amazing it was to be in a state of transition from someone who has never visited Jerusalem before into someone who has. Our ancestors, friends, and people all around the world would give anything to have this experience. It made us all proud of our Jewish heritage. The experience also made us think about all of those who were never able to make it there in their lifetime and about how many times our people did not even own the most amazing land we have ever stepped our feet on. All of these thoughts led to deep emotions as we gathered right before entering the Western Wall. No one was prepared to experience what happened next. And then, we closed our eyes and walked together to speak to G-d, for the first time, in the holiest place on Earth.