Jerusalem of Gold
Nothing compares to your first view of Jerusalem, yearning towards you from across a canyon. After a truly amazing breakfast buffet (omelette station and made to order waffles included!) we boarded our bus to make our way into the city of Jerusalem herself. Winding roads and verdant hillsides led into a narrow valley which is the main approach to the city. We circled to the south, arriving at the Haas Promenade. Bright sunshine and a crystal blue sky shone down on our view of the old city.
We began with the Shaharit or morning service, our daily wake up regimen. We explored what Prof Reuven Kimelman calls 'Prayerobics,' acting out each of the morning blessings, creating hand and body motions to tell the story of God's presence in our morning routine. Together we sang the Shma and then reflected quietly during the central prayer, the Shemoneh Esreh (18 blessings). Because it was Thursday, we took our prayer adventure to the next level, reading the first section of this week's Torah portion, Vayigash. In it, Joseph's brothers plead before the Egyptian viceroy (who, unbeknownst to them, is actually Joseph), begging not to have to separate their youngest brother from their father. We read standing up, with the Torah held by Arik and Ziv. Tali guided three volunteers through the chanting of the blessings before and after each aliyah. Each day will learn a little more about the meaning of the words, as part of our exploratory approach to prayer. We hope that more in our group will feel comfortable and confident to explore the many Jewish rituals at our fingertips!.
When we concluded Shaharit, Ori gave us an historical and topographical overview of the Jerusalem before us, pointed out landmarks, explaining their significance and engaging the participants in thoughtful conversation. They are a patient and focused group, showing tremendous respect to whomever is speaking, willing to take the risk of asking questions and not shy about offering their opinions!
Overview in hand, we reboarded the bus to drive down through the canyon into the city. We climbed the stairs to the Zion Gate, a beautiful church with bells ringing on our right and the walls of Jerusalem on our left. We marvelled at the pockmarked walls, which tell the story of the 1967 battle to reclaim Jerusalem. Ori led us through various streets of the Jewish Quarter, beautiful archways and courtyards hidden in every corner. Through them he told the story of the return to Zion.
All of this led us to the stairs down to the Western Wall, our first close up view of the plaza before it, filled with the tapestry of Jerusalem: old, young, men, women, religious, secular, Muslim, Christian, soldiers, students, families, tourists. It was a sight to behold. We took some time to approach the Wall to meditate quietly, leave notes between its ancient stones and preserve the memory through photographs. From there we entered the Davidson Center, a museum dedicated to the area surrounding the Wall, offering films and computer generated images of what the site must have looked like when the Temple stood, right next to archaeological excavations which help the story become tangible and real. Never have I traveled with a group that was so engaged, so interested in what they were learning. When asked why the films suggested that there were no physical images in the beautiful architecture of the Temple and its surroundings, one participant replied: 'Because our God has no shape or form."
Saturated with the ancient, it was time to take on modern Jerusalem. En route, we stopped to pick up an intrepid traveler whose flight from Toronto to JFK was cancelled on Tuesday. What a trouper! A visit for all to the Ben Yehuda Pedestrian Mall or Midrechov http://www.goisrael.com/Tourism_Eng/Articles/Sites/Pages/Ben%20Yehuda%20... gave them the chance to shop for gifts and sample typical Israeli snacks. Tired and happy, we returned to the bus for the ride back to Neve Ilan. After dinner tonight, we'll play a Jewish identity game, continuing our theme of deepening the Israel experience. Hopefully the Israeli Supreme Court Justices who stayed in the hotel last night have moved on, so we needn't worry about disturbing them!
We hope to post again tomorrow, assuming there is time before Shabbat. Know that your travelers are happy and well and enjoying the experience to the fullest.
We hope that you are looking forward to Shabbat as much as we are! (and check back later for photos!)
Rabbi Elyse Winick
