Saturday, October 31 - Shabbat in Jerusalem

Shabbat shalom from Jerusalem!  

There is something about waking up to Shabbat in Israel, specifically Jerusalem.  There is a certain peace one feels during Shabbat here.  It begins on Friday as the entire city begins to shut down as Shabbat approaches.  A quiet and calmness comes over Jerusalem as the sun sets.  

This morning, waking up to the beauty of Shabbat I am ready for an easy day in terms of site seeing, but a wonderful day filled with lots of emotion.

Our first activity of the day is one I have been excited about for a long time, and that is our special Shabbat service that we are having on the penthouse patio overlooking the Old City.  There is nothing like praying with the Old City in our sights.  There is no way to describe the power of turning and facing the Western Wall for prayers like the Bar'chu, Amida and Aleinu.  It is transformative.  When we are back in Thousand Oaks at Temple Adat Elohim and we reach one of these moments during our services I can always picture myself right back in Israel, laying my hands on the very stones we are facing, connecting me to what it felt like to actually be here.  I really hope that the rest of our travelers have this same sense of connection.  

Yesterday we were at the Western Wall and today we get to pray overlooking the Old City.  It is a perfectly beautiful day.  We are truly  blessed.

During our service, three of our travelers chose to use this time to publicly declare how important Judaism is to them by reading Torah as they become B'nai Mitzvah.  They all wore a Tallit for the first time.  Marjorie was first...

Then David...

And finally, Deb.

They did such a terrific job and I look forward to hearing them read Torah again with the rest of their Adult B'nai Mitzvah class at TAE in April.  They inspire us all to renew our own commitment to Judaism and to strengthen our Jewish identities.  It was an honor to stand with them as they chanted the words of our sacred text.

Another traveler, Carol, chose to use this moment to be given a new Hebrew name.  Her father gave her a Hebrew name when she was little, but she wanted to actively choose her own name.  We are given many names in life, but few of them we get to actually choose for ourselves.  There was a great power in Carol choosing her own name, and it was an honor to share this moment with her.

Following the Torah reading and Naming Ceremony we gathered our honored guests under a Chuppa created by our Tallitot held by our other travelers.  It was powerful to bless these dear people standing in front of the Old City, feeling the presence of our history at this emotional moment.

We also took this moment to offer a special blessing to Melanie and David who will be exchanging wedding vows in just a few months.  We all hope that their life together is filled with many blessings and lots of happiness.  And we hope that standing und the Chuppa in May connects them back to this moment under our Chuppa today.  It was a special moment for us all.

Before we read the Kaddish prayer we did something a little unusual.  Instead of only remembering those who had recently passed away or who's yartzeit happened to fall on this Shabbat I invited everyone to share the names of those they were remembering as we traveled to Israel.  People shared the names of parents, grandparents, friends and righteous individuals who helped to save a loved one during the Holocaust.  By the end, we were all in tears as we recognized that this pilgrimage was about more than visiting Israel, it was about connecting to those we love through Judaism.  The love that was shared during these few minutes was stronger than the death of a person, and we all recognized how grateful we were that we have the capacity to love.  And while it can cause us great pain, it shows that the love is always there, even if the person is not physically there any more.  It was a very moving Kaddish for us all.

After the service and celebratory lunch some of us went to the Tower of David Museum in the Old City. On our way I took this picture of myself at the Jaffa Gate.

Here is the moat that surrounds the Citadel, where the museum is.  You can see how when filled with water it could slow down any attacker as they tried to take the structure.

The museum is really terrific and tells the story of Jerusalem from 5000 years ago to today.  

Ron pointed out the canon ball damage in the building and even told us that every year birds nest in there and give birth to new baby birds. From destruction to a home for baby birds.  That is quite the transformation.  

We climbed up to the top of the tower to get a wonderful view of the Old City.  Our breath was taken away as we looked at this ancient city from high above.  It gave a wonderful perspective of the small space the city takes up and how each quarter is divided.  We also got a terrific view of the Temple Mount and could see people walking into and out of the Dome of the Rock.

Something that really interested me was the model of the Dome of the Rock.  I have always wanted to enter the Temple Mount and see the Dome of the Rock, but am not able to because of all of the unrest happening there.  This is as close as I will get!

We all really loved seeing the model of the Old City showing how it looked in the mid 1800's.  We couldn't get over the detail shown in this model.  

Following our tour of the Tower of David Museum we all split up and went our separate ways.  I was eager to make my way down the allies and pay another visit to the Western Wall.  It always seems like one visit there is not enough.  I have never visited this place on Shabbat and was eager to see what it was like...

What I found was an almost every deserted plaza!  Yesterday, although it was not crowded, there was definitely a presence of humanity there.  Today, it was as if I was the only one there...  I approached and placed my hands on the stone again.  The same exchange of energy happened, and the same deepening of connection overwhelmed me.  But this time, my prayer was silent.  I stood there with my eyes closed, with my body resting on the ancient stone and just focused on my breathing.  As I breathed in and out, I began to hone in on the sound of the birds chirping around me.  I also started to hear traditional Jewish chanting coming from the orthodox service happening in the room next to the Wall.  It was strange, but the sounds of the birds and the chanting complimented each other, as if they were all a part of the same song.  My breathing became slower and deeper and a sense of relaxation came over me.  Once again I was totally present in this moment.  I wasn't worried about time, or the next activity we were scheduled to experience.  All that I was focusing on was my hands touching the stone, listening to the sounds surrounding me and breathing.  It was a wonderful way to celebrate and honor Shabbat.  I am not quite sure how long I stayed there, but it was long enough for me to feel totally rejuvenated, like I had just woken up from a long, Shabbat nap.  

Because it was Shabbat I was unable to take any pictures at the Wall.  Out of respect I honored that request and decided to find my way up to the rooftops of the Old City to find the view of the Western Wall that I love so much.  Luckily, it didn't take me too long to find that view.  Notice how deserted the Wall was.  There were more people on the women's side, the men's side was empty.

Standing up here and looking at the Wall and the Temple Mount you can really get an appreciation as to how close these landmarks are.  I pray that one day I will be able to show my respect to the Muslim faith by honoring and visiting their holy sites and that Muslims will be able to honor and show their expect for my holy site by visiting the Wall.  While the proximity is close, it feels like our worlds are very far apart.  

Walking back through the Old City and the Memilla Pedestiran Mall you get a sense for how quiet Jerusalem is during Shabbat.  The entire city is resting.

This evening, we walked to the Jaffa Gate and made Havdallah, a separation of Shabbat from the rest of the week.  We also recognized that we are getting ready to separate this trip from the rest of our lives as we head back to reality in just a few days.  It was so moving and powerful to share Havdallah in front of the Old City.  Just a week ago we honored Havdallah in a room at the hotel in Poland, and here we could do it outside, publicly declaring and celebrating our Judaism.  It was a beautiful moment that I was so honored to share with these travelers.  

Following Havdallah we went to see the Night Spectacular at the Tower of David Museum, where the walls of the Citadel serve as a stage for a nighttime show, a celebration of sight and sound that depicts the history of Jerusalem.  It was spectacular!  

Following the show I had the opportunity to have dinner with my friend Jane and her husband, Ezra.  Jane and I went to high school together and she and her husband made Aliyah about 20 years ago.  I am so grateful to Jane because two and a half years ago she was the friend I met in Israel when I had just arrived.  She took me into the Old City and brought me to the Wall for the first time.  She took my camera and told me to take as much time as I need...  I will always remember her love and kindness to me that allowed me to have such a transformative moment alone at the Wall.  It was so great to share a delicious meal with the two of them.  We went to the same restaurant Jane and I dined at in 2013 and I even ordered the exact same meal, artichoke and spinach pizza.

As Shabbat ends, Jerusalem comes back to life.  After resting all day, she is once again full of life and energy.  You must experience a Shabbat in Jerusalem.  There is nothing quite like it anywhere.  Watching her wake up is a unique experience I treasure.  Being a part of her revived energy is also a privilege.  Israel's arms are open to you.  You just have to decide to embrace her back.  Let TAE help you to make that choice.  We are planning another trip to Israel in June of 2017 and we want you to be a part of that trip.  Come and experience all Israel is.  You will discover a new you here.