Holy, Holy Cities
Hebrew word of the day: Ad Matai which translates to "until when"
After our final meal at Kibbutz Afiq, we boarded the bus and headed to the holy city of Tzfat. Tzfat is one of four holy cities in Israel alongside Hebron, Tiberius, and Jerusalem. Tzfat is a beautiful city full of lively art and Jewish mysticism called Kabbalah.
We began our tour of Tzfat at The Ashkenazi Ha'ari synagogue. At the synagogue, we learned about two of the miracles of Tzfat. We then went to a candle factory where we watched a woman demonstrate to make various religious candles. She happened to speak some phenomenal English, I think she was from Denver. We then had a musical demonstration from two amazing local musicians, the other half of their band was still sleeping. We don't know the names of the four instruments they played, however they were unique, mystical, and dated back to the time of the ancient temples.
Our next stop in Tzfat was a local artist who's work was inspired by the principles of Kabbalah. Avraham, formerly known in Michigan as Robert, changed his name after reading "Jewish Meditation: A Practical Guide" which opened his eyes to Kabbalah; Judaism's spiritual teachings. Many of us purchased his artwork which may be appearing in a Jewish living room near you. We scarfed down lunch to give ourselves a few minutes to shop before heading to the bus for Jerusalem. This trip to Tzfat included numerous people slipping, three people falling, one dropped cellphone and a missing hairbrush but experience was priceless.
The two hour bus ride to Jerusalem helped many of us catch up on some sleep. Our first site in Jerusalem, the Zion Gate, is the only opening (entrance and exit) to the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. We took a tour of the Historical Main Street during the Roman area, which included 2,000 year old cobblestones and pillars. Our tour educator, Ido, and our staff, Natalie and Sarah, organized us into lines for a trust walk. While holding shoulders, we led each other, with closed eyes, up countless flights of stairs. At the endpoint, we all opened our eyes together and breathlessly took in a gorgeous view of the old city of Jerusalem including the holiest site for Jews in Israel, the Western Wall (Kotel).
We eagerly walked down to the Western Wall. We separated into males and females, washed our hands with a prayer, and anxiously approached the wall. Many of us wrote prayers and wishes and placed them into various crevices in this most holy space. Those who were previously Bar Mitzvahed took part in the wrapping of Tefillin, a symbolic leather strap that is wrapped around your arm and head. Visiting the wall was an emotional and pivotal experience for everyone. One of our comrades was even Bar Mitzvahed at the Wall for the first time. Mazel Tov.
We all headed back to the bus with a new appreciation for our ancestors in recognition that we had fulfilled their prayers of visiting the Holy Land thousands of years later. We headed to the Caesar Hotel for much needed showers and a filling dinner. Upon finishing dinner, we headed to the basement bunker of the hotel to begin discussions of the Holocaust in preparation for our visit to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum. We discussed our emotions regarding the Holocaust and exchanged powerful stories and viewpoints. It was exceptionally powerful to hear the Israelis speak about their views and experiences related to the Holocaust as Israeli citizens and soldiers. We all fell asleep contemplating our upcoming tour of Yad Vashem.
