By Allison Covey, Special to JTNews
After only four short days of being in the state of Israel — a land of war and religion, ancient culture and modern metropolises — I found myself standing in front of the Western Wall (Kotel) in the center of Old Jerusalem. The holiest site of Judaism, the wall is all that remains of the second temple that was destroyed by the Romans in 70 C.E. Most religious Jews of the world dream of traveling to the Kotel to pray where their ancestors prayed thousands of years prior. However, in that early part of my trip, as I walked to the base of the wall and touched the ancient stones, I felt nothing. To me it was just another tourist site, one of many I knew I would see in my two-month stay in Israel.
Although the conflict in Israel has been the top story in the media for the past 18 months, I still had a strong desire to travel and see the situation firsthand. Through the Alexander Muss High School in Israel (AMHSI) program for American high school students, I was able to live and travel throughout the country while learning the 4,000-year history of the land and the culture of the seemingly eternally persecuted Jewish people.
With this opportunity to actually go to the historical sites we studied, I realized that what we have read in the Torah is true! I have described only a small part of what we learned, and its impact on my thoughts and feelings as a Jew.
Between the years of 1200 B.C.E. and 70 C.E., the Jewish people were able to establish a royal monarchy and then have it destroyed by the Assyrians, build a temple in Jerusalem, which was conquered by the Babylonians years later, and then build a second temple. In 70 C.E., Jerusalem was captured by the Romans and the few survivors fled to Masada, the only fort that the Jews possessed control over.
Located atop an elevated portion of the Negev Desert in southern Israel overlooking the Dead Sea, Masada is a symbol of struggle and tragedy for the people of Israel today. As the Romans were about to capture the fort, the residing Jews decided they would rather die than fall into the hands of the Romans, and therefore a mass suicide occurred.
At 4 o’clock in the morning, I had the opportunity to climb the 6,000 steps to the top of Masada under the stars, just as the Jews had done 2,000 years before. I arrived at the top just as the sun was shining over the Jordanian mountains and reflected across the Dead Sea, just as it had done the morning hundreds of Jews took their own lives to save the dignity and pride of their people. As I explored the ruins of the fort, I became aware of how lucky I was to be able to call myself a Jew, considering that throughout history it was the goal of many to completely wipe out the entire Jewish people.
From the fall of Masada up until 1948, the Jews did not have a homeland, and thus nowhere to turn to during times of oppression. After the Holocaust in Europe, many people realized that a Jewish state was necessary to ensure the survival of the Jewish people. In my studies at the Alexander Muss High School, I learned of the making of the Jewish state and its many battles for existence.
My teacher in Israel, David Sprung, was one of only 18 American Jews who came to fight in the 1967 war, and was one of the paratroopers who liberated Jerusalem. He described, “We stormed into the Old City, running through alleys and dodging bullets. We finally reached a tall stone structure, which reeked of garbage and urine. As we looked up, we realized we were at the Kotel. It was the first time in 3,000 years that the Kotel was in Jewish hands. Overwhelmed with emotion, our entire unit started praying and weeping. Now, none of us were religious people, but this moment symbolized the hope and struggle of 3,000 years: the full return of the Jews to their homeland.”
Up until the end of my trip, I had always thought, “What is the point of all this conflict in Israel? After all, it is just land, and is not worth dying for.” However, during the last week of my trip, I stood high up in the Golan Heights, looking over Israel. I could see clearly into the valley below and realized how easy an attack against Israel would be.
A few hours before stepping on the plane to return to Seattle, I visited the Kotel for the final time. I stood before it, gazing in awe at its illuminated orange color from lights contrasted against the dark night sky. I walked to the base and rested my hands against the smooth stones. This time I was overwhelmed with emotion. Here I was, in the heart of Jerusalem, my head bowed, listening to the sounds of Orthodox Jews deep in chants to my left and right and Muslim prayers over the loudspeakers for the entire city to hear. At this moment I felt a deep connection to the stones I was touching and all of the millions of lives lost throughout the 4,000 years of Judaism. I finally realized that the current fighting was not just over land, but over a culture and heritage, and anything should be done to preserve it.
(Allison Covey attended the Alexander Muss High School in Israel from Jan. 23 through March 19. The Muss program is an eight-week intensive academic program, offered five times a year for juniors and seniors. Israel becomes a living classroom as students learn about 4,000 years of Jewish history, culture and civilization, while earning high school credit. The school is based in Hod Hasharon, a suburb north of Tel Aviv. Currently nine local students are participating in the April session — Ben Adler, Danielle Bernard, Jared Brazg, David Wes, Samara Spitzer, Aaron Strauss, Mark Nelson, Elise Peizner and Melissa DeAsis (Portland). For further details about this program, contact Kay Rabinowitz, at 206-774-2224 or [email protected]. The Alexander Muss High School in Israel is funded in part by the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle.)