Visit to the Holy Land

On Tuesday May 28th we had a phenomenal presentation by Daniel Sneidman of Terrestrial Jerusalem (an organization devoted to delivering pertinent information, maps, and analyses to stakeholders in Israel regarding current and future Israeli-Palestinian relations), regarding the historical, social, and political context of Jerusalem in relation to the country and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. His key point was that "Jerusalem is a radioactive issue," and its complexity is one of the primary complications to settling an agreeable two state solution amongst both Israeli and Palestinian groups. The division of the "Old City" in Jerusalem is almost non-negotiable between both sides, but in order for a sustainable peace process to be underway, the issue of Jerusalem must be properly addressed and decided. I encourage everyone to visit the TJ website to get a better understanding of the demographics and geography of the city. It will also illustrate the current Israeli-Palestinian inhabitants key border locations.
www.T-J.org.il

Later in the afternoon, we went to the Old City and visited the Western Wall, as well as the Muslim and Christian quarters. This was a very powerful moment for me personally because it exemplified the spiritual and religious component of this country and reflected its identity as the true Holy Land. While at the Western Wall, I stood beside various Jews, both young and old, from all over the world. I pressed my right and left hand upon the stone with my head bowed in the center (imitating everyone else around me), I closed my eyes, opened my heart, and I prayed. It was a very moving moment for me to be present at the most religious and sacred place a Jewish person could pray, and also, as a Christian, to be able to pray amongst another religion, sharing different values, beliefs, and ideologies, but all praying and believing in the same God. So, I prayed with them. I prayed for them. And I prayed for the continued purity of the Holy Land.

Shortly after my brief moment of spiritual enlightenment at the Western Wall, we walked over the bridge which led us into the Muslim quarters. From there, we visited various Islamic landmarks, but particularly the Omar Mosque, the second most sacred place of worship for the Muslim community. Coming from a multi-faith household, with a Christian mother and Muslim father, I appreciated the sight of the Mosque and the importance it held in the Islamic faith. Needless to say, my father was ecstatic to see the photos of me standing on the steps of the Mosque of Omar.



We ended our multi-faith visit in the Christian quarter, where we witnessed the most beautifully constructed churches. The Christian quarter was split into several sectors, the Greek Orthodox, the Franciscans, the Coptics, the Ethiopians, and the Armenians. We also trailed the very same road that Jesus walked on his journey towards his place of crucifixion. We saw the stones and walls upon which he touched as he struggled to carry the cross on his back to his destination of sacrifice. It was all very powerful and emotional and it really allowed me to embrace my spirituality. My experience to the Old City was very personal because I was moved by every prayer I heard without the barriers of religion, race, or cultural identity. I was able to integrate myself into each spiritual belief and it was a personal triumph for myself in which the lines of Us vs them and the barriers of I vs Other became ambivalent and relatively non-existent. Despite the way we look, the way we talk, where we come from, we are all united. And despite what we may call our higher power, we are all praying to the same God.