Now I get it.....

Okay, so now I get it. Today, 3 new people joined us and the two couples who had been in the bumpy van for the past few days have moved on. Isaac seems to like this family of 3 women better (Rae, her sister-in-law and her daughter). Nice women. The five of us bumped through Jerusalem traffic, went into the old city through the Jaffa Gate and amazingly found a parking space. We entered through the Moslem quarter, into the Jewish quarter, with Isaac explaining it all to us. We heard the historical perspective of the old city and visited a Herodian era home that has been partially excavated.

Here's where I got it in oh so many ways. First of all, the destruction that occured in 1948 during the War of Independence was incredible. The old Jewish quarter lay in ruins and Jews were moved out by the Jordanian authorities. Fast forward to the 1967 war, and Israel takes back the Jewish quarter starts re-building and Jews begin to move back to the old city. Population in the old city is 35,000 (17,000 Moslems, 6,000 Jews, about 10,000 Christian Arabs, and a smattering of Armenians)....it is not just a historical site for all three major religions, but home to thousands. As we traipse through the Old City, we see new condos, centuries old houses, and shops selling everything from t-shirts to rosary beads to Qurans to falafel to tallissim (Jewish prayer shawls). It is chaos, but it all makes sense in a strange way. Like most American Jews, I have believed that Israel could accept going back to the 1967 borders; no longer do I believe that. Here's where that all changed for me. After traveling through the West Bank yesterday and seeing the Old City today and listening to Isaac's recitation of the history of Israel, I have come to the conclusion, that one bad decision on the part of the Israelis could cause the permanent destruction of this place that has so much meaning to Jews.

Between 1948 and 1967, Jews had no access to the Western Wall (known by Christians as the Wailing Wall), or the Kotel to Israelis. Now, I'm not particularly religious although I kind of know my Jewish prayers, said Kaddish for my mother when she died and go to services on the High Holidays. When we entered the plaza where the Western Wall is, I became overwhelmed with a mixture of joy and sadness. I walked to the women's section and approached the wall; I instinctively knew what to do. I pressed my forehead to to it, said the Shema, stuck my prayer in a tiny place and kissed the wall. An amazing wave of emotion overcame me and I felt connected to Judaism in a way that I had not before. I stood back and watched the women praying, many with tears in their eyes and knew immediately that this little piece of land and history could not be kept from us. I walked around and looked through to the men's section where a Bar Mitzvah was taking place and knew that I was seeing the continuity of Jewish life.

I reluctantly walked back to our little group, understanding how it is that some people spend hours at the wall. Next lesson in continuity came from our visit to the Via Dolorosa, the stations of the cross and on to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It is believed that Jesus carried the cross on the Via Dolorosa, died and was resurrected in the area that is now the Church, controlled by several Christian denominations. An incredible place to be, even for a Jew.

The one place we did not go was to the Al Aksa Mosque. There is a walkway from the Kotel up to the Mosque, but non-Moslems can only go so far. Michele and I talked about going back to the Old City and going up the walkway, but that might not be possible. Yesterday, there had been a confrontation between a group of Jews who went up the walkway and some Moslems who believed they should not be allowed there. A skirmish ensued and, according to today's Jerusalem Post, there will be a planned demonstration tomorrow morning at which possibly hundreds of Jews will go up the walkway. The reason for this action is that many Jews believe a synagogue should be established on the Dome of the Rock, near the Mosque. Recipe for disaster is brewing. As we were leaving the Old City, we saw a couple of large groups of Israeli Defense Forces soldiers entering. This is an ancient place, with layers of violent actions, and we can only hope that there is peace in Jerusalem for all faiths.

We stopped in the Moslem sections for some pizza and to rest. People were smiling at each other, the streets were crowded with both Jewish and Moslem kids; there was a festive air, belying the tension that lives in this amazing section of an even more amazing city.

Tomorrow, on to Yad Vashem and a visit to the Dead Sea Scrolls. A day of museums and perspective, I think. Today, however, is one that will be etched in my heart for the rest of my life.