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| Day 6: Shabbat | | Date Created: Jan 08, 2005, 12:17 AM |
 It was hangover central at breakfast as the participants struggled to ingest water and caffeine to make it through the day. We had an exciting itinerary ahead- we were going to be joined by eight young Israelis for the remainder of the trip. I was really looking forward to engaging with a diverse group of young Jewish people that served in the IDF and lived in the middle of the conflict with the Palestinians. It was exciting; some were still in the IDF, some were at university. They came from different cities and had different stories. After a slightly awkward ice breaker, we boarded the bus for a game of paintball. I was nervous about shooting my new friends with wads of paint, and was put a bit back with the notion that we would be engaging in "pretend" combat warfare with trained soldiers. We got dressed into our camouflage and began our game of capture the flag. I shot at least five members of the opposing team, and got one right in the face. I was pretty pleased with my performance. It was a fun morning. |
 Our next stop was to Mt. Herzl, the national cemetary (the Israeli equivalent to Arlington National Cemetary in DC). We visited the graves of Yitzhak Rabin and Golda Meir, as well as resting places for hundreds of Israeli soldiers that have sacrificed their lives in these operations. it was an emotional morning. I was enveloped in sadness to think that so many lives are lost because of war. War shouldn't happen; we should fight to achieve peace in our world. Many of the participants were very emotional because their parents fought in the IDF during the major conflicts in the 60's and 70's. Soldiers spoke about their personal experiences about losing friends during military exercises in Gaza and the West Bank. |
We stopped briefly for lunch in central Jerusalem. This was the most unsafe I felt throughout the entire trip. I knew that these suicide bombings happened in crowded marketplaces, but there was security at the front door and a great military presence outside. I felt relatively safe.
We got back to the hotel and prepared for Shabbat at the Western Wall (kotel). A few participants were late and Aviad began to get nervous that we would not be in the old city before Shabbat began. I left my camera at home to respect religious rules and the others around. Abraham sped through the city, and we began our talk at the Damascus gate. The ladies lit Shabbat candles to welcome the evening and discussed what the evening means to us in the United States. A few prayers and songs later, we were released to make our way to the wall to celebrate our first Shabbat in the holy city of Jerusalem!
I wasn't prepared for what I would encounter-- an amazingly emotional expereince. I put my three wishes into the wall and thanked God for bringing me to that spot. Generations of my family would have dreamt to be at that wall-- and I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to be there. I wasn't there for me, I was there for my entire family. I wouldn't have imagined being there four months ago-- but the most important thing was that I was there in full body, mind and spirit. The kotel was packed with people from all over the world. Many Hasidic Jews were there in their best black robes and hats. They were praying and crying-- the energy in the old city was electric! It was a experience of a lifetime.
We walked about a half an hour back to the hotel since driving on Shabbat is forbidden. The elevators at the lobby were in Shabbat mode. The car stops at every floor to allow us not to touch the buttons on the elevator. We had dinner in the hotel (which was the best that we had all week!) and some went to a Tish to see how an orthodox service is conducted. We had the rest of the evening to rest and recuperate from an exhausting trip. Better yet, we don't have to be downstairs until 11:00 AM tomorrow-- for what will be another adventurous day! |
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