2 Weeks

Tonight we will have been in Israel for 2 whole weeks!  It is strange because it feels like I have lived here for months; it really feels like home.  Much of last week was spent studying for our first test that we had this past Friday, so I didn't get out as much as I had hoped.  But on Friday evening, we went as a group to the Western Wall for Jewish Sabbath.  (In case you didn't know, the significance of the Western Wall is that it marks the closest point the Jews can get to the Temple Mount, because not only is the Dome of the Rock situated on the spot at present, but they do not want to cross into the place where the Holy of Holies was on Temple Mount.  It is still held very sacred.)  The wall was divided into male and female sides for worship.  On the male side, from what I could hear from the female side, the men danced and sang loudly and gathered in circles.  On the women's side, everyone was very reverent and recited prayers in hebrew, while some brought prayers on paper to stick in the wall.
I really loved going.  It was amazing to see all the people gathered there for worship, and the sense of community they all shared.  It felt as though everyone there emanated a sense of belonging and mutual understanding.  It was great.
On Saturday afternoon, we went as a group to the Garden Tomb.  A nice British man gave us a tour up to Golgatha and explained the significance and history from Christ's time to today.  No one is positive that the tomb there is the exact place where Christ was put to rest, but it was still very cool to see.  And ultimately it doesn't matter if that was the place, because Christ didn't stay there.  After we all had a chance to see the tomb we gathered together and sang hymns, it was the perfect way to close out our sabbath.  I love that I can be in a place of such religious diversity.  I love that we go to so many sites where being religious and showing our faith by singing or any other way (besides proselytizing) is accepted and normal.  I have never been ashamed of my faith, but there have been times before where I have felt that no one around shared my belief in something outside of this world.  I haven't felt that once here.  I am learning more and more about Judaism and Islam form my classes, and feel more connected to the people here, because we share more than I thought.  It really is amazing.