This past week has officially marked 2 months in The Holy Land! Time flies so quickly here, I can’t believe it has been that long already. For this week’s blog, we were asked to write about a tiyul that was very meaningful to us. I chose our first trip to Jerusalem. Although it was at the very beginning of our time here, it has stayed with me the most out of any of our tiyulim.

During this tiyul, we learned that Jews have not always been in control of Jerusalem. It has been ruled by so many different tribes and peoples, and only recently has it come into Jewish hands. After the 6 Day War in 1967, Israeli troops had an opportunity to invade Jerusalem and absorb it into Israel. After this mission was successfully completed, the shofar was blown and Jews all around the world rejoiced.

When the bus first arrived in Jerusalem, we were told to put our blindfolds on, and were then lead out of the bus to behind a ledge. Once everyone was settled, we took our blindfolds off and were greeted with the most amazing view of Jerusalem. After lots of photo ops and dropped jaws, we sat down and Doni, an Israel studies teacher, told us the story of how the song “Yerushalayim Shel Zahav” came to be. It was a story with lots of doubt and fear, but it ended up becoming the most popular Israeli song of all time. Back home in the States, I have my Savta and my Saba. They are the lights of my life and I love my grandparents with my whole heart. A few years ago, my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. This devastating disease took her words, her independence, and her memories. Living with a family member with Alzheimer’s has been incredibly difficult for the whole family. Before I left for Israel, I felt guilty about taking four months away from home because I didn’t know what my Savta’s state of mind would be when I returned. The day before I left, I pulled up my Spotify account and played the song “Yerushalayim Shel Zahav” for my Savta. She barely knows how to speak, cannot hold a conversation, and has barely any recollection of her life, but she sang every single word exactly on beat and on tune the entire song.

Coming to Israel, hearing the story of Yerushalayim Shel Zahav, and seeing Jerusalem, which has been kept from the Jews for so long, made me so emotional. I started to cry, and when I did was the moment I realized that it was worth it to come here. I stopped feeling guilty about leaving my grandmother, and knew that she loved Israel so much, and she would be thrilled to know that I am here. Yerushalayim always holds a place in my heart, right next to my Savta.

This tiyul meant so much to me, and it reminds me every day of why I am in Israel. I know that I’m following the footsteps of my ancestors and I feel a great responsibility as well as pride to have this task.

See you in the states in 2 months,

Ari Weiner