Roots and Wings

When I go to Israel, I feel like I go back home; I connect once again to my roots as if I’ve never left my homeland.
In no time I feel like I’m one of the locals in my birthplace -Jerusalem. My first visit is to the open market Mahane Yehuda, the largest open market in Israel. There, I walk through narrow alleys feasting my eyes with all the neatly piled colorful fresh fruits and vegetables, small shops selling falafel, baklava, and other delights. I savor the aromas of spices from all around the world. The loud sound of the vendors in the background singing the praises of the products in their stalls completes my experience. The sights and sounds bring back distant childhood memories, growing up amid the open market, where I used to walk daily to and from school with my best friends.
The hassle and bustle of the open market changes its character comes evening. Now, you can see people enjoying a drink and a Middle Eastern specialty in bars and restaurants that pop up in between small boutique shops. Tonight, the marketplace seems to turn into one big party place. Many Ethiopian Jews are celebrating the Sigd holiday with songs and dance. They came flying on the wings of eagles, happy to return to their Jewish roots in my homeland. In minutes I find myself dancing with them. This is the spontaneous happy nature of Israel. Everywhere you go it feels like one big family.
For my next visit, I take the train that runs throughout the old and the new city of Jerusalem. The light train is a modern feature that runs through 4000 years old history. People of all ages, colors religions and races make up the fabric of Israel. I visit the Western Wall, the only remaining wall from the second Holy Temple. The Holy Temple, sacred to the Jews, used to be the center of Jewish life for thousands of years. I approach the wall with awe and reverence. I can still feel the shchina enveloping me, the Devine presence that never left this holy place. A group of French girls pray together. One of them starts singing King David’s Psalm 121- shir lam-a lot. “I raise my eyes to the mountains, where will my help come from, my help from the one who makes the heaven and the earth”. In no time I too, join them in singing with tears running down my face. Later I pour my heart out with a prayer for all my loved ones and whisper a prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem. My faith is deeply rooted here. Soon I’ll fly back home to my family in the USA.
Every person should have roots and wings, roots to know where you come from and wings to show you what you can become.
Naomi Young is an educator of Jewish studies and a Bar/ Bat mitzvah tutor in Santa Clarita for 39 years. She is also a published writer and an artist. Contact her at naomiyoung7@yahoo.com Visit her art website at www.naomiyoung.com