day two: jerusalem, yad hashem

it is the second day of traveling and i am pleased to be in the holy city. i am finally in the land that i have been singing about since i was introduced to hebrew prayer. we always say, "next year in jerusalem" at the end of our high holy day prayers, and look't! i just came true to my word!

the buildings of jerusalem are all built, by city mandate previously enforced by the previous righteous keepers of this city (the british), with white "jerusalem stone" in order to ensure that the city sparkles like gold at the close of every day. the dome of the rock is the most impressive sight when i gazed out over the city from a lookout point on a mountain yesterday. our guide shani was giving us a energetic speech about the history of the city from the perspectives of christianity, islam, and our own, while below two muslim families were trying to picnic peacefully on the lawn. a young girl kept scowling up at us in between bites of her sandwich while her hajabbed mother was unconcerned. a baby squealed and ran in circles on the grass. this was the closest we have been to the others of israel, and i wanted to give them some sign of friendship. but whenever i stuck out my hand meekly to wave at the frowning girl, she seemed to disregard me. i did not come here to justify my judaism, justify my zionism, or justify anything for that matter. i came to see how things really are. i am starting to see.

we looked out over the gaza border yesterday on the ride to the holy city, and we saw the new wall. according to shani it has already decreased fatalities by ninety percent. he also said that throughout history, when walls are put up for some reason or another, they always come down. well, so too do mountains crumble if a dove with a scarf sweeps its pinnacle over and over for one million years (i think some buddhist medidation exercise).

the holocaust memorial museum yod vashem was very moving. i wanted to stay all day. but more on that later.