Already, another day begins in the land of Israel. Another day, the fourth day, of our Diller Israeli trip. Another day, to explore a new face of Israel. And today, we’re at the spiritual and religious heart of Israel, Jerusalem. We started our day with a visit of the old city of Jerusalem. In the gated area, we walked through beautiful ancient structures and quaint stores selling various memorabilia. Coloured scarves lined the shop walls, and silverware glistened in the sun.
Soon, our cohort arrived to its first destination: the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This specific church is considered to be he holiest place in Christianity, as it is said to house the tomb of Jesus Christ. As soon as we entered the church, we took in the marvel of our surroundings: a gorgeous domed ceiling decorated with detailed artwork of Christian figures, twinkling multicoloured light fixtures, and various people praying to their Christian messiah. This, too, is a face of Israel. This country is also a place in which believers of many religions, including Christianity, come to in order to connect with their G-d. And, of course, many religions, including Judaism. So, after concise and engaging information from our incredible tour guide Sam, our cohort made its way towards the Western Wall. This was a beautiful moment for everyone in the diller group. Each member went up, put their wish in the walls of the Kotel, and stood next to the wall for a moment of prayer.
Soon, our cohort arrived to its first destination: the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This specific church is considered to be he holiest place in Christianity, as it is said to house the tomb of Jesus Christ. As soon as we entered the church, we took in the marvel of our surroundings: a gorgeous domed ceiling decorated with detailed artwork of Christian figures, twinkling multicoloured light fixtures, and various people praying to their Christian messiah. This, too, is a face of Israel. This country is also a place in which believers of many religions, including Christianity, come to in order to connect with their G-d. And, of course, many religions, including Judaism. So, after concise and engaging information from our incredible tour guide Sam, our cohort made its way towards the Western Wall. This was a beautiful moment for everyone in the diller group. Each member went up, put their wish in the walls of the Kotel, and stood next to the wall for a moment of prayer.
Afterwards, we returned to our hostel to listen to a speaker from the Women of the Wall organization. The organization has as goal to give women more liberal rights at the wall. Their goal is for women, who do not conform to ultra-orthodox beliefs, to pray more freely. Our speaker’s explanation of Women of the Wall sparked much controversy within the diverse cohort. She has a somewhat extreme point of view, and many of our group’s members felt uncomfortable with her words. However, after the speaker left, we sat down in a Diller Maagal, and discussed each other's opinions on the matter. The talk highlighted and showcased the beauty of Diller: our cohort civilly voiced their different thoughts on the issue. We tried to understand one another, and see where our dissimilarities come from. Yet, at the end of the day, we are all part of the Jewish people. We are not all the same, but we are united under one religion and one nation that is part of our identity in one way or another. And so, closes another incredible day on our summer Israel trip, with the promise of many more to come.
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