Jerusalem, if I forget you...

5 If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. 6 Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I remember thee not; if I set not Jerusalem above my chiefest joy. –Psalms 137

Quite awhile ago Kelsey and I spent a really wonderful day exploring the Old City in Jerusalem. Our hostel was just a brief walk away from the Jaffa Gate, so it was easy to get there. On Birthright you are always rushing around so much and both of us were eager to return and truly explore the wonders of the Old City.

We took a walk through the Christian Quarter. It is full of these winding, tunnel-like areas, all filled with shops. The Arabs there sell all kinds of colorful, wonderful goods. The aisles are lined with scarves, art, trinkets, jewelry, etc. I had quite the time doing my best to be funny and charming in order to bargain for some good prices. I think those shopkeepers underestimated this little American girl! 

After weaving our way through, we headed for the Jewish Quarter, and more specifically the Kotel. The Kotel, also called the Western or Wailing Wall, is one of the retaining walls from the 2nd Jewish Temple, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70AD. It is the holiest place in the world for the Jewish people. I have to say, being at the Kotel is a truly divine experience. It is this thing that I've seen pictures of and spoken about so much, but being there is something unexplainable. You are there with all of these other people and you feel something very powerful, knowing that these people are also feeling something very powerful. Touching the stones, praying, and being in the center of the Jewish people literally brought me to tears. It is honestly like no other feeling. This is a special place I hope to have the opportunity to return to many more times in my life. 

Overall, the Old City of Jerusalem is a really unique and interesting place. Ancient and modern, and literally 3 religions, all converge in this one place on Earth. Where else can you see ultra-religious Jews, Muslims, and Christians walking the same cobblestoned streets as a girl like me, all while cars weave through the narrow buildings? The answer is nowhere. 

        

3 Challenges

“The Holy One Blessed Be He said: ‘The Land of Israel is Mine and the Nation of Israel is Mine, it is fitting that I give what is Mine to those who are Mine’” (Midrash Tanchuma ibid.)

A week from today I will step out of an El Al airplane and into a nation I've come to hold so dear. I can only imagine what it will be like and what I'll be feeling, but right now I'm feeling extremely excited! I'll be leaving the endless winter of Portland for an endless summer (if only I could say this literally). I'll get to see dear friends, make new ones, try new foods, see new things, and hopefully improve my Hebrew speaking skills (all while getting a mega tan).

Going to Israel is not merely a trip; it is a long awaited and important journey. Israel has been a very important part of my life for the past year and I anticipate it will be for the rest of my life. That being said, I've set 3 general challenges for myself for this journey:

1. Faith, Culture, and Connection: Since going to college I've become a lot more connected to my Jewish faith and culture. I feel a part of a very important history and people. Some of this has to do with a spiritual connection and part of this has to do with deeply entrenched traditions. Israel is the holy land for many people, and is the home of the Jewish people specifically. There is no other place in the world to feel the divine presence and connection to each other. I feel this connection all the way from America, but I believe being in Israel will provide me special opportunities to contemplate my meaningful pursuit of my Jewish faith, my connection to the Jewish people, and how this will be carried out in my future life. I want to challenge myself to really engage in these aspects, think on them, pray about them, and feel the Jewish presence of Israel while I am there. 
2. Advocacy: A common symptom of becoming an Israel advocate it to not vocalize criticism of Israel. This is not because we think Israel is perfect, but rather a reaction to having it's criticism thrown in our faces all the time. During this journey through Israel I want to challenge my views of Israel from real experiences. I want to visit the West Bank and refugee camps and Bedouins and Druze. I want to see the "wall" and the fence and go through checkpoints. I want to visit settlements. I want to visit bomb shelters and speak to children who live through code red sirens. I want to visit Haredi neighborhoods. I want to imbed myself as much of Israel as possible so that when I come back I can be the best advocate possible, drawing from my own real experiences. 
3. FUN!!! Of course my 3rd challenge for myself is to really have a great time. The last 4 years of my life, being in college, learning to be an adult, moving around, finding myself, has all been very intense. I am finally going to be on a huge journey of my own choosing without any true obligations aside from those I give myself. I can't wait to be with friends, make new ones, and soak up the Israeli sunshine!

I hope you'll follow my journey here on this blog. I'll try to post photos and updates as much as possible. You can also email me to ask specific questions (or give me a mailing address for post cards).