Western Wall

It's forbidden to take pictures on Shabbat so I couldn't take any pictures of the wall itself, but I snuck this one from the top of my purse.

  It’s inevitable to seek out god or some aspect of spirituality in this city because very corner and stone has some historical or meaningful significance and every person has a some sort of deep connection with god, a religion, or the land itself. Tonight 14 of us walked down to the cotel(the Wailing Western Wall) which was bustling and teeming with ecstatic Jews. Groups from all over the world were singing, chanting, praying and dancing. I slowly worked my way around people and approached the wall where I saw thousands of prayers and hopes stuffed into corners and wedges of the yellow ancient stones. Whether it be a historical or religious significance, I put my head and hands to the wall and instantly felt an ardent energy percolate through to me. I felt that by touching the wall, the spirit of the entire Jewish people flowed through me with an immense, empowering force; from my biblical ancestors to the millions of Jews who passed away during the holocaust to the orthodox men and women currently praying at my side. I looked around the woman’s section at the diversity of the Jews: there was the ultra-orthodox woman with head coverings pushing little babies in strollers, young, Zionist Americans with cameras and tourist backpacks, Israeli scouts (tzofim) dancing and singing, and old, round Russians pushing everyone out of their way to get to the wall. Although there is a great range and multiplicity of Jews, the values and history we all share are the same, which in turn, unifies us as one people and one nation.