Revisiting the Western Wall

Today was our last Shabbat, or Sabbath, in the Holy Land, so last night we decided to ring it in the Jewish way by going back to the Western Wall at sunset. This is one of my favorite places in all of Jerusalem. The people are so diverse, yet so united by their love for God, their remembrance of the past, and their hope for the future.

Entering the plaza, I'm struck in awe at the singing, the dancing,  the dress, and just the shocking amount of people. Shabbat is a time of great joy and celebration, and to join thousands of Jews in their worship at what they consider the holiest site in all the world is simply a privilege. I wish I could have taken my camera, but Jews don't use electronics on the Sabbath, so these pictures were taken earlier this week.

I entered the women's side swarming with hundreds of beautiful girls in black skirts holding prayer books, and I took a minute to soak in my surroundings. The boys on the other side of the fence were chanting loudly, dancing, and jumping while holding on to their kippas to keep them from falling off their heads, and hundreds of people were crammed against the wall trying to find a crack in which to slip in their written-down prayer. 

A young woman began telling the girls to form a circle, and my friends and I were invited to join. We didn't have prayer books to follow along in their Hebrew chants, but we were welcomed all the same. After reciting a few prayers, we all grasped hands and began slowly moving in a circle singing about "Yerushalayim" (Jerusalem) and maybe some of us mouthing "watermelon." 

Once the song finished, the woman leading the group said, "Today, we all come from different places. Some of us are from Israel, some are from the United States, and some from all over the world, yet we all share one thing in common." I couldn't wait to hear what it was. 

"And that is our Jewish Nation."

My friends looked at each other, smiled, and then cheered with everybody else. 

And you know, when I think about it, and the longer I'm here, the longer I realize that maybe that actually has some truth to it. I'm not Jewish, but I come from a history of Jews who make me who I am today. Living here and learning about Jewish history has helped me not only appreciate their religion, but mine as well.

So maybe we don't worship the same way, but we worship the same God. And that's enough for me to hold their hands, sing their songs, and feel a sense of unity with my Jewish sisters.