Destination Israel?
"The holy city
A part of
Me,
Myself
a part of the city’s legacy.
O Jerusalem, I have not
Forgotten thee"
I've only been to Israel once - for the ten months of seminary I attended in between high school and college. I had never been there before and haven't been there since. So, to me, Israel is spiritual growth, it's beautiful and awe-inspiring and brimming with Godliness. To me, Israel is about internal struggle and outward religious growth, about yearning and searching, and finding truth. Israel holds an incredibly special place in my heart.
I've been offered a possible oppurtunity to go to Israel for a few weeks this summer, but I am apprehensive about returning. The program I would be on is not particularly religious and is focused on politics and media, not on spirituality. True, I would be in the holiest of holy lands. True, I have so wanted to travel back to Israel.
But I'm afraid this will ruin Israel for me. I'm afraid it will remove the magic that shrouds Israel in my mind. I'm afraid it will make Israel just like any other place.
posted by Eli7 @ 2:57 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
But you missed the intro lines of the poem...I liked 'em ;)
For you Stx:
Jerusalem
If I forget thee
I forget my right hand.
My right hand-
my testament to
Jerusalem:
Western Wall ring-
My name in gold on the silver stones,
As if
The stones were not
Already
Imprinted on my heart,
and silver bracelet-
The Jerusalem
skyline etched in the metal,
the Old City
etched into my
Soul.
The holy city
A part of
Me,
Myself
a part of the city’s legacy.
Old cold stone
Warmed by fervent prayer and dedication
Old cold city
O Jerusalem, I have not
Forgotten thee
My two cents: Don't come here on this kind of program. If you could come here and learn in a religious seminary and get college credits, that would be worthwhile.
Go go go! Israel is about growth and all that. But it's NOT just about Torah in the textual sense. It's about Judaism and the Jewish people and having our land and being a nation. We can't have a land without people, and we won't have people if we don't go.
Yehoshua didn't study dvarim when he went into eretz yisrael. he fought! David fought! Shlomo fought! They were practical and we should be too.
Anything, and I mean anything, you do in eretz yisrael is worthwhile and meaningful and will help you grow. being with the people, seeing what Judaism is there is so important!
It's possible that yu've already made the decision, but if there is anythign in the world I ould do to change your mind, I would do it in a second ...
Don't let Israel become a fantastical reality. It is a real place. It is OUR real place. Take advantage of it.
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