Posted by Mindy Small: We walked from our bus to meet a special man,
Chaim Dovid, an American who made Aliyah to the old city of Jerusalem many
years ago. Tsipy arranged our meeting. Chaim Dovid walked with us in the
old city and we entered his home. We climbed a staircase to the roof top of
his home which seemed to stand on a very high part of Jerusalem.
Once we reached his rooftop, Chaim Dovid personally introduced himself and
welcomed each one of us. Tsipy stood and thanked us for joining her on this
special journey to Israel and to this special Shabbos. Together we heard
Chaim Dovid play his guitar and sing Mizmor L’Shabbat and the whole world
is waiting for Shabbos, inspired by his mentor Shlomo Carlbach, Oleh
Hashalom. Some sang, some listened, some swayed in the breeze, but we all
were moved and reflected on this moment in time….where time seemed to
stand still…. I don’t recall the exact moment, but we were transfixed in
time eternal…. preparing for Shabbos… As the sun began to set over the
rooftops of Jerusalem, not a sound could be heard other than the songs, the
prayers…I saw birds flying over the city of Jerusalem and I felt
peace…. There was peace as the golden pink sun set over the hills, the
rooftops and the homes…as if ushering in the Shabbos.
All of the women — our new friends from Community Day and Brenda, Rivky and I from
Yeshiva — went into Chaim Dovid’s home and were greeted by his wife. We
gave tzedakah collectively. We said the prayer over the Shabbos
candles, some for the first time. We ushered in the Shabbos with our hands
over the candles and said the blessing. We prayed for our children, for our
husbands, for our families, and for ourselves — a moment when G-d hears the prayers
of every women, when the gates of heaven are open to us. There was not a
dry eye among us for together we felt our collective prayers.
We then joined the men and walked to the Kotel to daven. We were in awe
as we davened next to newly inducted soldiers to the Israeli army. To see
women in uniform davening with such kavana, such beautiful tunes. We slowly
inched closer to the Kotel where some of us stood and prayed. We each
privately shared a moment again, an eternal moment where we could connect
with G-d. I held my siddur in one hand and the wall with the other and
could not believe that I was able to be here in Jerusalem, at the Kotel,
Friday night with my husband, Mitch, our new friends from CD, our close
Yeshiva friends, and Tsipy. May all of our tefillos be answered, and once
again may we be together in Jerusalem, in friendship and in peace.
Mindy Small