Seeing The Kotel In New Eyes

Everyone awakes bright and early after a long night of being introduced to Israeli Folk Dance. Our bones are not aching because our hearts are full of excitement. We had yummy breakfast and then walked to the Western Wall (Kotel). Before entering the Jewish Quarter, we sat near the entrance of Mount Zion and listened to the great Yossi speak of Jerusalem -The Old City- how it came to be and how it came to be again, the spiritual home of the Jewish people. With the use of Babushkas (Russian dolls) and a wonderful song sang by our new best friends, the Israelis, based on the love story of Rabbi Akiva and wife Rachel we experienced a true feeling of gratitude for this great city. Walking up the sun-kissed staircase to the light of Israel we entered the Jewish Quarter. We paid respect to the amazing architects and passed through great arches deeper into this city of light. Little boys run by, curls and kipa on head, cats sleek against the golden sandstone and we learn "Eifo hasherutim?": "Where is the bathroom?" We then visit ruins of the wall from King Solomon's "First Temple" and learn great history before seeing the renewed Hachurva. This is a synagogue that was destroyed 90 years ago and for those years nothing stood there but a great arch and just 2 months ago it was renovated fully- this is like young Jewish Americans redefining themselves as whole when they felt only a piece of themselves ;).
We sat and wrote out our prayers, wishes, dreams, and thoughts to "God" for the Western Wall. PERSONAL NOTE: Sitting there I thought of the great goals I want to accomplish and the help I felt I needed, the wishes I wanted to come true but most of all, I thought of all the things I was grateful for and towards the end as I was asking for peace a good friend of mine, Guy sat across from me, an Israeli, a soldier, my new friend and I thought of my home and my friends in America, America itself and the soldiers still out there who I want to come home and I spoke to him from my heart and I thanked him and I cried and he told me how thankful he was to hear from an American that he was appreciated and not looked at with closed eyes. I then walked hand in hand with another Isralli who has become a true best friend and she said to me, "Seeing the wall with all of you here is like seeing the Kotel in new eyes."
We then all had our own personal experiences and felt the wall that many before had touched and when we returned to the hotel we were able to share them with each other.
QUOTE OF DAY: "im eshkechech yerushalayim tishkach yemini" (If I forget Jerusalem, I forget my right hand).
We leave the Old City of Jerusalem but we will never forget it and this experience.

We then eat!! Delicious Falafel and Shawarma!! All in Machaneh Yehuda- "THE Shook"! **Great Bargaining, Produce and Gifts for you at home! ;)

We have an excellent open discussion about "What Shabbat means to you?"-- and so... What does Shabbat mean to YOU?

We get dressed up very nice, have a wonderful Shabbat dancing, ta-im (tasty) dinner!
We debriefed about the Kotel in smaller groups and came together to play get to know you games.

We said Laila Tov (Good nite)-- but most everyone decided we wanted to get to know each other even better with great conversation and a silent dance party! JUST DANCE! JUST GREAT!! JUST JEWS! JUST FUN! JUST CONNECTION & TOGETHERNESS!!

From all of us here, we are safe and we are in a light of love and we all miss you very much--- So DONT WORRY!!! ;)

~Simone*