By Zoe Hamilton
My first few days in Israel were unreal. My journey started in Newark Airport where I reunited with my Jewish friends and met many more that I’ve stuck with since. When we arrived, I got to experience my first ever Shabbat in Israel. The strong sense of community and warmth that filled the air was something fairly foreign to me, coming from a small city in the middle of the Bible Belt. On that first night, I felt my homesickness and nerves start to fade away. I knew that I was exactly where I needed to be.
The next night I got to explore the city of Tel Aviv with my friends. Coasting by with only the knowledge of “toda” (thanks) and “slicha” (excuse me), I had an amazing time. The city block we ventured through was gorgeous and the culture was beautiful. Despite looking painfully American, bystanders were friendly and talkative, eager to hear about our trip to their home country.
The next day we set out to roam the city of Jerusalem and our first sight was the Armon Hanatziv promenade. When we got there, there was a brief moment of silence because everyone was blown away by the view. It was breathtaking to see so much of the city I’ve heard so much about. I have seen pictures, but nothing prepared me for how gorgeous landscape looked.
Exploring all of Jerusalem was so special and I felt super connected to my Jewish roots. We ate a genuine Israeli meal and later got to tour cave and archaeological sites. One of my favorite parts of the trip so far has been going through the underground water tunnels in Jerusalem. All parts of this trip have been so transformative.
The following day we went to the Israel Museum and the Western Wall. The Western Wall is a landmark that I’ve heard so much about and seeing it in person was incredibly meaningful. I was able to pray and rest my head against the wall. It was crazy to be somewhere that has so much history in regards to my ancestors. It’s common to write a prayer message as a favor to put in the wall and I chose to put a prayer of healing for my grandmother in the wall, which was very special to me.
Fast-forward to the present – it’s my second Shabbat in Israel. On the way to the hostel that we’re currently staying in, I ran into a pharmacy to grab sunscreen. On my way out, the cashier looked at me, smiled, and said, “Shabbat Shalom,” before continuing on with her work. This caught me so off-guard. What made this experience so special was that I had never before been greeted with a “Shabbat Shalom” outside of a synagogue. This act that is so normal here felt so strange and unexpected to me. Being immersed in Israeli culture has made me feel so connected to my Judaism. At that moment, I felt content. At that moment I felt heard. At that moment, I felt accepted.
