Whoa. So much has happened in the past week.
I've heard that the beginning is a good place to start, so here's the beginning:
Last Tuesday, I went on a tiyul with two friends to the Jerusalem Archaeology Park. Beginning in the late 1800s, I believe, archaeologists began digging up the area around Har HaBayit and the Kotel. After 1967, Israeli archaeologists put great efforts into uncovering the layers of history surrounding Har HaBayit. As a result of archaeologists' efforts over the past hundred years or so, you can now visit Bayit Sheini-era mikvaot, storefronts, and ruins, all located along the Western Wall (just a bit south of the Kotel Plaza). A couple of hundred feet away, on the southern side of Har HaBayit, you can walk through a Byzantine-era home (the mosaic floors are in perfect condition) and explore the former grounds of an Ummayad palace. Robinson's Arch and Chulda's gate, two of the former entrances to the Beit HaMikdash are must-sees as well. (I realize that I sound like a tour guide.) Near the end of our time in the park, I witnessed a pretty eery sight. I noticed dogs running through the excavations on the southern side of Har HaBayit; the image reminded me so much of the story of Rabbi Akiva and the foxes roaming Har HaBayit.
Rosh Hashana was an intense experience. I spent the chag in Beitar. Shachris began at 6:30 A.M. and ended at around 2:00 P.M. At the Yom Tov and Shabbos seudot, my hosts only discussed divrei Torah. It was a different sort of Yom Tov for me, which I think is a good thing since the Aseret Yimei Teshuva are a time to try to be a better person. My Rosh Hashana's atmosphere was definitely conducive to achieving that goal.
Today, Tzom Gedalya. After an abbreviated schedule of classes, a couple of friends and I visited Yad VaShem. (You know the quote in Maus, where Art Spiegelman quotes someone famous who said that putting an idea to words detracts from the idea, but Art comments that the person bothered to say that very idea?) Regardless of whether I paraphrased that idea correctly at all or not and regardless of whether it was intelligible, I'm trying to say that Yad VaShem goes beyond description. Description wouldn't do the place justice. All I can say is that three hours is not enough time to properly visit the museum, so I hope to go back sometime soon.
And now. I'm sitting outside, under some palm trees and across from a bed of rose bushes, typing. That's right. We've got Wifi.
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3 comments:
It's amazing that you have done so much already. Sadly, I never did that tour of the old city--although there is a shabbaton in the old city (one of the tours in the middle of which I fell asleep), but it sounds like what you did. I actually never went to Yad Vashem either, which is really sad. :(. I'm happy you got to go.
And hey, my sister was in Beitar too! I wonder if you saw each other? Well, I guess you wouldn't know lol.
And divrei Torah at the table? Welcome to Israel, my friend. :-)
So cool that you can type across from a bed of roses. I envy your surroundings. ;-)
You should, Chana. DDP's sem is breathakingly gorgeous, B"H! :-)
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