It is going to be hard to put into words what the Shabbat at the Kotel experience was like. It was like nothing I have ever experienced before and until I go back and do it again, never again.

Before we brought in Shabbat (with candle lighting) we were treated to an amazing pre-Shabbat concert from Rabbi Yom Tov Glaser. He is a rockin’ Rabbi living in Israel transplanted from the surfing beaches of California. On the outside he looks like any Rabbi – black hat, full beard, pais and black coat – but on the inside a true surfing beach bum at heart.

He started with a song Shabbat Shalom (surprised?) but it was more a song ‘in the round’ where the left side of the room had one part of the song and the right side another part. Very participatory. A lot of fun. He moved into a few more songs, and introduced a song that was new and available on Itunes (modern times). It is called Letter in the Torah, and it is quite an emotional song about where you may going, what is your purpose – what is YOUR letter in the Torah. I remember the words really hit me, because being on this trip, everyone has a reason to be there.

After the concert was over, we all had the chance to light Shabbat Candles and say prayers for our loved ones, and then it was time….to go to Kotel and really ‘bring in Shabbat”. It really something you have to see and experience for yourself.

We all went down to the Kotel and as a group tried to move into the centre of the women’s section. It was hard because it was wall to wall women, teens on birthright, soliders, and other groups. But there we were – creating our own prayer and song circle, with so many other prayer and song circles. Hundreds of women, singing, dancing, praying and bringing in the Shabbat.

The men on the other side of the separation wall were doing the same thing, praying on Shabbat eve, also chanting, and dancing and connecting all Jewish people around the world welcoming in the Shabbat. I couldn’t see them, but I could hear them, and I wanted to see, so I left our area to go out see the men in prayer.

You can see again, hundreds, standing shoulder to shoulder praying for Shabbat – older men, younger men, soliders. It was something to see. Of course it was Shabbat so I have no photos or video, but the memory will be in my memory forever.

I had to take a step back away from the Kotel to take it all in. The Kotel is the last remnant of the Holy Temple, and the holiest site on earth, and there I was, able to share it’s glory on Shabbat. If you ever have the chance to experience what I had the chance to experience – you cannot let it pass you by. If you have experienced it in your lifetime, then you know what I mean.

I was excited to celebrate Shabbat in Jerusalem. There seemed to be a buzz in the air in the old city. We had two classes in the morning and then we had free time until we had to be back in the old city for bringing in the Shabbat.

Our morning classes were all about Mitzvahs for women – “Light up your life – the Mitzvah of Candle Lighting” and “A Mitzvah of Body and Soul: Challah baking”

Mitzvah definition:
mitzvah [ˈmɪtsvə (Hebrew) mitsˈvɑ]

n pl -vahs, -voth (Hebrew) [-ˈvɔt] Judaism

1. (Non-Christian Religions / Judaism) a commandment or precept, esp one found in the Bible

2. (Non-Christian Religions / Judaism) a good deed

There are 613 Mitzvot and only three of them are for women:

1. Candle Lighting

2. Separating Challah

3. Going to the Mikvah

Shabbat is a very special time. It is a time to stop creating and recognize your creator. That the world keeps turning without us. 

Lori explained that Judaism is like a tree – it has blossoms, fruits and roots. 

On Shabbat you need to remember the blossoms of the tree – your children, challah, songs. The roots of the tree are connecting to G-D. If you don’t connect your roots to G-D, your tree will die. 

We discussed that the hotel would have a Shabbos elevator (one that stops on every floor automatically so you don’t have to touch any of the buttons) and if you didn’t plan on turning on and off the lights in your room, you had to decide before you left the room what you were going to do. 

Since the hotel had free wifi, I had been on line every night keeping in touch with family and friends at home. I decided that for Shabbat I wouldn’t use the Ipod or blackberry. It wasn’t that hard and I was happy that I said I wouldn’t do it, and I didn’t. 

We learned from Rebbitzen Raizy Guttman about the mitzvah of Challah making, the significance of breaking off a small piece to say the prayer, and how that piece is supposed to be burned. She explained that the flour symbolizes the earth and the water symbolizes the sky and how the physicality and spirituality combine. 

We learned how to braid the dough, and make flowers with the dough to create beautiful loaves of challah that we would enjoy at dinner. It was fun, and everyone participated making their own loaf design to be baked off.

 After the two sessions in the morning we had free time until we had to be back in the old city for a pre shabbat concert and Shabbat at the Kotel. By the early afternoon the shop keepers were closing early, going to the shuk – where there are 250 vendor selling fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, nuts, flowers and more. Everyone is getting ready for Shabbat and you can feel the excitment.

We had time for lunch, shopping, buying wine for dinner that night, and then getting ready for Shabbat. The dress code for that night was “Shabbat pretty”. It was nice to see everyone getting a little more “spruced up” for our special night at the Kotel.

“Shabbat is the sign of the Jewish People”