fitting trip for the nine days

Today there were eight girls from Neve who went to the Kosel, the Western Wall, to daven at sunrise. We left campus at five in the morning, and when we arrived to the Kosel there were already throngs of people. There were so many minyanim (groups of ten or more men) that it was not possible to follow the service of just one group. So we all lifted our voices to Hashem seperately, yet in unison. The most amazing art was that around 5:50, the earliest time that one could daven the Shemoneh Esrei, the main prayer of the morning prayer service, the entire group fell silent. It was an awesome moment. To think that everyone was crying out to Hashem simultaneously....it was a very moving experience.

Later on in the morning, we went to the Shoah (holocaust) museum/memorial in the old city, which was founded by survivors. The main display in the musuem was a gravestone for every community which was annihilated during the Shoah. There were five rooms and a courtyard which were literally lined with tombstones. There were also images of the atrocities commited (so graciously taken by the opressors), sefer Torahs which were desecrated, memorials to synagogues, prayer books which were written by inmates from memory on scrap paper. Also, there was a jacket which had been made out of a Torah scroll (I'm not sure if it was more than one or not). The Nazis forced one of the prisoners to make this thing. However, the prisoner did not let this disgusting act degrade him - he selected all the sections of the Torah cursing our enemies and out of those verses he constructed this "jacket."

(By the way, I'm sitting in the Rova right now, in the old city, and since I've been here, I've run into Yael, who's a madricha for NCSY in St. Louis, Mrs. Bloch, along with Chani and Devorah, and Ari Roisman. Is it a small world or WHAT?)

After the museum, which was a sobering experience, we went to the Tomb of King David (it was right across the street)and we said Tehillim (Psalms) for however long we wanted. How fitting, at a time when we're under attack, when we're threatened by our enemies, we go to the tomb of our king, our leader, and beseech Hashem in the merit of King David, to deliver us.

Okay, so it was a very moving and emotional day. It might seem that I'm coming on a little strong here, but it was a very powerful experience, and it's a very intense time in the Jewish Year. I think I mentioned before, but this is a time in the Jewish Year when most of the calamities which befell our nation occured. It doesn't seem like much has changed, and that's really scary. So it's in the forefront of my mind to strengthen my faith and improve my actions.

Tonight there's a Shabbaton at Neve campus. I'm giving a dvar Torah, which is very exciting (yay!) and the theme of the Shabbaton is "Love your neighbot as yourself." A fitting theme for these days. We should all take the message to heart.