Jerusalem Day 1

There really is nothing like spending Shabbat in Jerusalem.  (next best thing is of course, Beth Am....) 

We began our day spending a few hours at Yad Vashem.  We said Kaddish together just before we went to the Children’s memorial that honored the memory of over a million children.  The entire museum is of course powerful and yet we were all quite moved by one of the last rooms--a circular room from floor to ceiling of big black binders containing the names of people who died during the Holocaust.  We paid tribute to Righteous Gentiles who helped save Jews and we remembered the Jews of Koiyten and Rodnitze whose Torahs we hold dear in our Ark.    Pic below: Yad Vashem.

After Yad Vashem we went to visit Theodore Herzl’s (founder of modern Zionism) tomb and the Herzl Museum.  In an excellent presentation, we learned about Herzl, his fight to find a Jewish Homeland.  What was quite moving, in addition to the very history of the Zionist Congress etc was one of the last things our museum guide shared with us.  She said that Theodore Herzl, who died at age 44,  had no heirs of his own, thus, WE are heirs to his legacy, it is up to US to carry on his dream and his message. Pic: outside at Theodore Herzl’s tomb.

After Herzl Museum, we went to Machane Yehuda-the Jewish market where it seemed like all of Jerusalem was busy buying and bartering for fruits, nuts, falafel, meats,  challah and desserts etc! 

We then drove through a few of the more traditional neighborhoods, like Mea Sharim and then headed back to the hotel.  After a short break we met and walked (trekked?) to the Kotel, the Western Wall.  We entered through the Zion Gate.  The first glimpse of the Kotel is often inspirational and we took a moment to recognize the importance of where we were, and how important this trip to Israel is to us.  We stood on holy ground and took a moment to “just be”.  Then of course we took a picture!!  Then we each took time to be at the wall alone with our own thoughts are prayers. afterwards we met for Kabbalat Shabbat brief service on one of the balconies over looking the wall.  We then returned to the hotel, had a Shabbat meal and headed off to relax a bit!

One does not travel to Jerusalem,

One returns,

One ascends

The road taken by generations,

The path of longing

On the way to redemption. 

One brings rucksacks 

Stuffed with memories

To each mountain

And each hill.

In the cobbled white alleyways

One offers a blessing

For memories of the past

Which have been renewed. 

One does not travel to Jerusalem.

One returns. 

~Mishkan Tifilah, Traveler’s Edition p. 157.

Shabbat Shalom!