I wasn't sure whether or not I would go to the Kotel on this visit to Jerusalem. I wasn't interested in being there when it would be crowded, filled with ugly confrontations, or at the end of Ramadan. I wasn't interested in venturing out at night to go to the Old City. I think the media coverage of Jerusalem actually had made me somewhat fearful of taking in one of Judaism's holiest sites.
I gave up my fearful stances tonight when I realized that Jerusalem is quite alive after the end of Shabbat and that I could walk into the Old City via a path that was easy to transverse and safe. Yehoshua and I took the train to the stop just outside the Jaffa gate and then walked through the Armenian and Jewish quarters of the Old City to the Kotel. It was filled with families, the elderly, and some teen tour groups, but not too crowded. There were no confrontations happening (those appear to be saved for once a month gatherings on Rosh Hodesh). I sat facing the wall, reflecting on what it means to be able to visit this site at any time of the day or night, writing a note to place in the wall, and offering up prayers of my own. I found the time meaningful and enjoyed sharing the time with my son.
Lesson learned: It is okay to be cautious, but it serves no purpose to be frightened other than to keep one from living fully.
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