Day 30 - Netzach - Daniel

Today was a day of touring and learning in the Old City of Jerusalem.

We all davened a special shacharit service for the fast in honour of the 10th of Tevet - this is an extremely sad day in our history as it commemorates the start of the siege of Jerusalem. It was a meaningful service to start off the day.

The boy’s learning began with two incredible speakers from the Orayta Yeshiva, Rabbi David Aaron and Rav Judah. We had the special opportunity to hear their intelligent views on the ways in which Judaism and secular life intertwine. I was inspired as I was able to come to terms with the fact that we have a specific purpose in this world, where faith, morals and ethics are the primary ideals that can be drawn from the stories in the Torah.

At the same time, the girls heard from, a modern orthodox business woman, Avital Bayer, who shared who challenges and triumphs on her way to owning her own business at the age of 25, and answered questions about achieving success as a religious Jew in the working world.

We then had some free time in the Old City for lunch and to roam around. Walking through Jerusalem makes me extremely comfortable as I am able to walk through the streets with a great sense of Jewish pride. Even coming back to Jerusalem for the fourth time, I find that there are still so many new things to see - for example, today there was an old man playing the clarinet all day, everyday, as well as new places to explore, like the amazing underground Kotel tunnels which we were lucky enough to experience.

As we walked into the Kotel tunnels, I was very excited to gain further knowledge about the Kotel’s history. It was cool to be able to physically touch the original, massive, hidden stones, which essentially tell the story of the Jewish people. For me, the highlight of the tour was when we reached the biggest stone on the entire wall; it was thirteen meters long and five meters high. Our guide mentioned that considering it’s crazy weight, historians grappled to understand how the stone even got there. This made me think... how endlessly and tirelessly did our people work in order to get the incredible result of the Beit HaMikdash?

We then reunited with Lehava and we walked down to the Kotel for a special mincha service. It was a great vibe and was packed with so many other Jewish people, who were also there to mourn a Jewish tragedy. The air was filled with powerful prayer.

Overall today was a great day filled with knowledge, laughs and joy.

Daniel Silver