Saturday, February 09, 2008

The Wailing Wall

Walking through the streets of Jerusalem, I was constantly encountering Orthodox Jews. Their black jackets and black hats a sign of their faith.

Having been through many of the streets of old Jerusalem, I now began walking towards the Wailing Wall.
The most important place in the Jewish religion. I was lucky enough to be there on a day of celebration! Everywhere I looked on the area under the wall, there were families celebrating their sons' bar mitzvahs.
One of the requirements of being here was that my head be covered, so I took advantage of the free paper kippahs they were handing out at the entrance.
The Wailing Wall is definitely an experience. Seeing the people praying, the dedication to the faith. And once again, there is such a sharp contrast between those who are there because of their dedication and the loud tourists who wander around with little regard for those who hold the site important.

After the Wailing Wall, I decided to go and look at what I read was the most important set of synagogues. Inside was the Ben Zakai Synagogue which is apparently the most important synagogue to see in Jerusalem.
It was sombre and restrained on the inside. A far cry from the big and imposing monuments of Christendom and Islam.
Once again, a requirement of me being inside was wearing a kippah!

No comments: