I went to E”Y for a week in August. Originally I had no plans to go away this summer but as it sometimes happens with trips to E”Y, one day I realized that I just needed to go, and I bought a ticket the next day.
I went (as usual) without anything on schedule and just a few tentative ideas for what to do.
I felt the urge to go because I had some ups and downs this summer and really wanted to daven. I always try to go to the Kosel a few times over my trip, but what I actually find more conducive to my davening is visiting kevarim. Maybe the peace and quiet and the feeling of connection to great human beings is what helps me. I spent some time on Har HaMenuchos in the chelkas harabanim and would gladly have stayed longer if I could have. Standing on a quiet mountain top under the huge blue sky in the presence of great people helped me feel very connected and able to daven from the depths of my heart. (If you go in the summertime, I suggest visiting towards the end of the day when temperatures have cooled; it’s a beautiful time of day.) Another beis hakvaros where you can find kevarim of several gedolim is the Sanhedria Cemetery off of Shmuel Hanavi. A special highlight for me was davening at the kever of Rebbetzin Henny Machlis a”h.
One of my best friends lives in Yerushalayim, so we spent a lot of time together. We went to the breakfast buffet in Cafe Rimon at Mamilla on Friday morning — I highly recommend it, but get someone really assertive to take on the waffle table. We also went tichel shopping (yes, both of us) and one night she had me over for supper. She also brought me to Rav Gamliel Rabinovitch for a bracha — that is the kind of thing I would probably not have done without her navigating the streets of Geulah for me.
My Israeli cousins were on summer vacation so we all went bowling and pottery painting, both of which I had never done in Yerushalayim. One night I met up with another couple of friends and we did a glassblowing(!) workshop. I would have honestly been too scared to sign up if I knew what glassblowing actually entails but since I had only a vague idea and thought I’d be watching more than working, I went along with it. It’s nice sometimes to be forced to face your fears :). We made glass candies.
One day I had a one-on-one journaling session with Yocheved Rottenberg, who I have gotten to know via email/Zoom through taking a few of her courses. I’m so happy this meeting worked out; it was a real bonus to my trip.
Another day, I met a friend in the Old City for frozen yogurt and we sat on a stone ledge and immediately picked up where our last conversation had left off three years ago. Ahh, the magic of Yerushalayim.
One thing I would have liked to do but forgot about until too late was donate blood at Magen David Adom. There is a location on Rechov Hamem-Gimmel — maybe next time.
The Moovit app made a big difference to my trip. I don’t know how I did anything independently without it! It’s a clever app that tells you how to get from place to place by walking and using public transportation, perfect for a roving tourist.
I came home so energized and refreshed, b”H. It’s hard to believe that I almost didn’t go.
Let’s all be back there soon in Yerushalayim habenuya.
