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Published: July 16th 2008
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Dome of the Rock
These are for you, Adeel... Wednesday, July 09, 2008
I had a fairly exciting day today. Arlette and I joined the yeshiva participants on a bus ride to the Kotel where they went for morning prayers that we skipped out on. Instead, she and I visited the Temple Mount, or Haram Esh Sharif in Islam, where there are two mosques important to Muslims. I have never been on the other side of the Wall, literally and figuratively, so it was truly an honor. I could just imagine what the plaza may have been like in its hey day with King Herod’s great Second Temple. Jewish pilgrims everywhere, bringing their offerings for the priests to sacrifice in the Holy of Holies. Now the pilgrims revere what was once there by praying at the Temple Mount’s western wall.
I can also imagine the plaza in current times filled with Muslim pilgrims coming to pay homage to where Muhammad ascended to heaven. We were denied access to both mosques there but I know folks who have been able to enter. I think it has to do with who’s on duty at the front whether or not non-Muslims can enter. I plan to go back and try another
day. But we enjoyed strolling the plaza and I got some awesome photos (enjoy, Adeel!).
Today I also started voice lessons with Arlette. I know, I know, she’s leaving Monday, but I thought why not? Get a good start! And wow, I didn’t think I could hit notes as high as I did! Arlette’s philosophy is that anyone can sing. Like any skill, singing takes exercise and practice. I just need to retrain my larynx to do things it isn’t familiar with doing. It’s pretty exciting!!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Wow, this session is flying by. It ends tomorrow and some folks have already left due to when they could get flights out. And second session participants are starting to show up as well.
I’ve been busy just about every day and evening since Shabbat last weekend. Last Friday I went on one of the Friday morning trips the yeshiva is hosting. This time, we went to the City of David, an archeologist’s playground. A fascinating excavation place and one that hadn’t been discovered yet when I was here last in 1991. They discovered King Hezekiah’s water tunnels talked about in Chronicles as well as many
ruins to what they believe was the original city King David conquered. These discoveries also mean that the Old City of Jerusalem is actually “newer” than originally thought, that the city eventually crept up the hill and the valley below that contained the original city was eventually “filled in.” It was quite the treat.
For Shabbat evening, Arlette and I hosted dinner in honor of her farewell before heading back to the States. We had around 12 people and had a nice service. I’m pretty certain the Conservative way of “davening” (praying) isn’t for me. I don’t find any “kavenah” (spirit, soul) in it. I appreciate the intention of sticking to the traditional prayers and psalms that the Reform movement nixed but that means the service is rushed to get it all in. Of course, if I knew the Hebrew better along with the prayer melodies, it wouldn’t be so bad. Which brings me to the point that if anything, I realize now just how much I really don’t know about the Jewish prayer service. I refuse to try to read something in Hebrew just to keep up with the masses and not have a clue to what I’m
saying. So, I say most of it in English but intend to learn it in Hebrew eventually. I just don’t think this yeshiva setting is it for me.
Shabbat morning I went to what is considered an egalitarian Modern Orthodox service. Egalitarian in that women lead the prayers, read from the Torah, and receive blessings. There was still the mechitza (curtain) to divide men from women, but this one was so sheer that it really was mostly symbolic more than anything, I thought. I really enjoyed this service. Even here most of the praying was together and mostly in song. I hear their Friday night service is even lovelier so I plan to attend at least one.
Sunday it was back to classes, which have been going really well. Sunday evening I went to an Israeli dance company performance near here in an amphitheater in a park. Wow! It was beautiful and exhilarating! I almost danced my way back home that evening!
Both Monday and Tuesday evenings I went out to dinner with some new friends. It was nice to go out on the town and see what Jerusalem has to offer. The food here has been
awesome. I know I said this before but I am hooked on the Mediterranean cuisine! I plan to have hummus as a staple at home when I return!
Today, Wednesday, I am finally catching up on some much needed laundry and straightening up. Arlette left Monday morning so I have the apartment to myself until Friday when Judy arrives. Oh, and I am sick again. Actually, I never got rid of it - a bronchial thing has been hanging on pretty much most of my trip. It may be the amount of dust in the air. We’re in the desert, after all. I almost felt bad enough the other day to go to a doctor but had issues when trying to explain to the Israeli operator about calling collect to my health insurance. A mess. In any case, I’m feeling better today and have cough drops to keep the coughing down and just hope it breaks up on its own.
My ulpan class bought our teacher, Nitza, a bottle of white wine (her favorite) and a boat load of lemons. Apparently, lemons are quite the commodity here (like gold, she says!) and she was thrilled to get them
El Aqsa Mosque
Looking inside from the outside... from us. We had a good class…
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