Having learned about Israel throughout my life through the Tanach, history books, pictures and videos, I knew much about what I was going to see. However, nothing could prepare me for the experience of actually standing on a spot on the hills above Jerusalem where centuries ago Rabbi Akiva stood and gazed upon the same location and knew that someday there would be a Jerusalem teeming with life.

Although I looked upon the Kotel countless times (through the magic of the internet), I was not prepared for the feeling evoked by touching the stones of The Wall; of seeing with my own eyes the thousands of papers pressed into the cracks; of saying the ancient but timely prayers; and realizing that I am one of a relatively few and fortunate people who have been able to do this after over 1900 years.  Such was the first day. More to follow...

How do you compact 2000 years of Jewish history into 45 minutes? You travel through a time tunnel, of course, which is exactly what we were fortunate enough to do this morning. Walking along currently underground sections of the Western Wall, we had the opportunity to witness a validation of thousands of years of Jewish presence throughout the entire area.

 For those who have never been there, these tunnels, hugging the Western Wall for its entire length, were once open air markets, which over time were covered over and had entire communities built upon them.  What the general public knows today as the “Western Wall,” is but a small part of the actual structure, which serves as the foundation upon which the Beit Hamikdash was built.

 The realization of the immenseness of this structure is awe inspiring. Our guide was able to take us back in time and gave us a walking history each step of the way. From the huge stones, one of which weighs over 1 million pounds, to the places where the wall actually meets the mountain, one can feel transported back to a time when the entire location was under Jewish control.