My Monday

I have so many thoughts about today; I’m not real sure where to start.

It began as a rather regular day:
Woke up late – 8:30 ish
Thought I had water aerobics at 10 am
Found no milk for breakfast.
Threw Ely in the car and drove up the street to the makolet (market) for milk. On the way, I saw the cars of the women I usually swim with and realized I was supposed to be in the pool.
Brought the milk and Ely home, set her up with a bowl of cereal, jostled MB to let her know I was leaving and ran to swim. I got there late, so I stayed later into the next class. But I got to swim, so that was good!

At 11:15 the Culligan Man came to sell me a water softening system. I look forward to having suds in my wash and softer water to clean and cook with in our new home.

I cleaned my room. I changed my sheets, and made my bed.

Ely had a friend play over for almost 4 hours so they were very busy. NED went to Modiin with a friend. MB hung around the house.

Ely and I took a nap at 3. I awoke at 5pm.

I had made plans to go into Jerusalem with Dovid (a friend staying with us for the summer) for dinner and to the kotel to see DB at his final camp ceremony there.

After a yummy dinner and intense conversation at OLIVE on Kanfei Nesharim, Dovid and I made our way by car towards the Old City. I forgot about the arts and crafts festival and assumed that was why there was so much traffic. We were not permitted to drive into the Old City so we drove around until we found a parking spot hidden within the back streets of Jerusalem!

We walked to the kotel. It was about a 30-minute walk. I almost wanted to forget it and come home, but I wanted to see DB if I could and take Dovid to the kotel before he left for the states next week.

After seeing DB and walking down the steps, we saw a lot of people dancing and singing with flags and drums and megaphones. I figured it was another group showing support. I wasn’t sure.
After I daavened and prayed my private prayers to Hashem, I found Dovid who told me that this group was in fact waiting for the people from Netzarim, the last of the Gaza settlements to be taken out today, to come to the kotel.

So we waited…and waited...and sang and danced…. and waited.
At about 11:15, they came. Hundreds of people with the torah scrolls from the synagogue and the menorah from atop the synagogue. The people had walked from the entrance of Jerusalem into the Old City and down to the kotel.

I was there. I was in Netzarim. Spent Shabbat there with my family. I daavened in the shul. And now it will be no more. It won’t exist. A beautiful Torah community will be gone. These people are brave. They came to the kotel. To pray to Hashem.

I can’t say I understand all of this. It is so painful. Seeing little children, walking with their fathers and mothers. Homeless. Nowhere to go. No more home. Taken out of their homes for what? A political game? A sick giving of land for peace?

I just don’t understand the plan.

It is so painful. I don’t really want to feel it. I just don’t want to.

Sometimes I wonder what kind of world we live in? And will it be okay for my children to grow up in.

I think it’s going to take some time to make sense of this.

Time.

I guess that’s what we all need when there is horrible loss.

Time. And tears.

Hashem Y’rachem.