Western Wall

Yesterday we visited the Western Wall...actually we visited the whole area- Dome of the Rock, Al Aqsa mosque, Western Wall, but I'm going to focus on the Western Wall.

It was a Thursday and, apparently on Mondays and Thursdays, many Jewish families come to the wall to celebrate bar mitzvahs. There were lots of people there when we got there, certainly an air of excitement. Our group gathered aways back from the wall and each of us read one of the prayers we were carrying. I had asked people to choose one that seemed to call to them, since we couldn't pray them all; most were the prayers I had been praying each night and it was moving for me to hear those prayers spoken at that place for the last time. After we each read a prayer, I said a closing prayer and we (men and women separately since there is a partition between the men and women's side) approached the wall. As I approached, it amazed me how many prayers were put in the wall already. I said each of my prayers, folded them up and placed them in the wall. I stayed for a few moments to say a final prayer. There were many women at the wall praying, some silently, some out loud. At the wall, the mood was prayerful.

Not far back, the mood was definitely festive. On our side, there were women lined up and looking over the partition wall between the men's and women's side. Lots of communication was happening between the two sides. Someone else in the group said she saw things being thrown over the partition. I am glad we got to go there on a day with so much activity.

The rest of our day was spent at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum and the Shrine of the Book, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are. In the evening, we met with Gershom Goremnberg, who wrote The End of Days about how fundamentalist religion plays into the conflicts here. Honestly, I don't have the energy to write about all of that...

Until the next time...

Peace,
Cory