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PAGE A4, KEIZERTIMES, OCTOBER 25, 2019 KeizerCommunity Notes from a holy land KEIZERTIMES.COM BY LAUREN MURPHY Of the Keizertimes I recently traveled to Israel on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. While there, among oth- er things, I learned what the word pilgrimage meant. We saw many “holy sites” or places where things took place in the Bible: Caesarea, the Mount of the Beatitudes, one of the Roman Decapolis cities, but my favorite part was going to Jerusalem. We started the trip in Tel Aviv and traveled north to the Sea of Galilee. From there we went southeast into Jordan and then fi nished the circle by go- ing northwest into Jerusalem. We saved up for a year to pay for this trip –in many ways, the entire year felt like it was leading up to Israel; upon getting there, the entire trip felt like it was leading up to Jerusalem. On the second day of the trip we visited the Jordan Riv- er, where Jesus was baptized. Several members of our group, including my mother, sister and I, were baptized. Baptism is symbolic of being washed cleaned or made pure. This was one of the fi rst things we did, which was in- teresting, because when the Jews would come to the Tem- ple (in Jerusalem) to offer their scarifi es they had to take a ritual cleansing bath before they could go onto the Tem- ple Mount. That ritual was in- tended to purify them before they entered the presence of the Lord. We visited a replica of the Tabernacle (the place where God dwelled before they built the First Temple) that ex- plained how the temple was to be set up and the signifi - cance of every piece inside, ev- Submitted An outside view of the Petra Treasury, a temple built in the 1st Century AD. ery component was designed to foreshadow the coming of Christ. The other things we saw were incredible, but when we drove into Jerusalem I nearly cried. Not because it was beau- tiful, though it was, but because this was the center of the faith that I’ve built my life around. Driving to the Mount of Olives we could see the entire city stretch out beneath us. A collective gasp went through the group. The walls of the old city stood high and proud, the modern city sprawled out around them, it was breathtaking. We stood on the Mount of Olives and for the fi rst time I saw the Eastern Gate, the Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock. The Eastern Gate is where the Messiah is supposed to re- turn through. In 1541 the Ot- toman Empire sealed it closed in hope of preventing the re- turn. Outside the Eastern Gate is a Muslim graveyard. The working theory is that they built it there so that no one will walk through it and so that the Muslims buried there will be the fi rst to welcome the Messiah. Our members help make the holidays bright... ...and you’re invited to join in Thanksgiving Day 7 a.m. Lowe’s/Keizer Station The Western Wall, which we got to visit later on, is com- monly referred to as the Wail- ing Wall– though our guide informed us that the Western Wall was the retaining wall on the West side of the Temple Mount and the Wailing Wall was outside of the building where they pay taxes. When the Muslims took over the Temple Mount they built the Dome of the Rock on top of where the Holy of Submitted Holies (the sanctuary of the Reporter Lauren Murphy (second from left) with other mem- temple where God appeared) bers of her group that traveled to Israel in September. was supposedly located. Jews are not allowed to worship up On our last day we walked Both Russian Jews and on the mountain so they con- along the walls of the old city– Ethiopian Jews immigrated to gregate at the Western Wall, the it was the sabbath so there Israel between the late 1970s to closest they can get, and wor- were not many people in the the early 1990s. Older immi- ship there. streets which gave it a peaceful, grants struggled with learning We saw several replicas of quiet feel. the language and fi nding jobs the Temple, each time we did The people we did meet in their chosen fi eld. As a result, our guide reminded us that were wonderful: shop owners they took jobs like babysitting when the Temple was still who brought us to tears with or cleaning that paid very little standing the Western Wall was their kindness, a tour guide and did not offer pensions. of little signifi cance– it was who took care of us when we They receive a minimal merely part of the bor- amount of social secu- der around the Tem- rity from the govern- ple and was no differ- ment and are, in some ent than the eastern or cases, forced to resort northern parts. to begging to pay their Standing on the bills. The Yad LaKashish Mount of Olives and non-profi t was started looking at the Dome of to return dignity to the the Rock brought sever- elders of the community. al of our group members From there, we saw to tears. This is an Islam- the Southern Steps, ic shrine built on top of which lead up to the the old Temple and is Temple. Oftentimes rab- not to be confused with bis would sit on the tem- the Al-Aqsa Mosque, ple steps and teach the where Muhammad was people, it’s possible that taken up to heaven, they Jesus did the same thing. are separate buildings We went to the por- and only about a minute tion of the Western Wall apart. where people gather to The location of pray, which was an in- Submitted credible sight. We also shrine has no signifi - cance to Islam other The City of Jerusalem as seen from the visited the Western Wall YMCA Tower. than the fact that it’s tunnels, which were ex- on top of an important cavated under the West- place in Christianity and Ju- caught the fl u and everyone at ern Wall. daism. Several group members Yad LaKashish, the Home for When we left for the airport expressed anger that it couldn’t the Aged. our guide taught us the prayer, have been built 100 feet to the Yad LaKashish is a local Next Year in Jerusalem, which right or left. non-profi t that provides jobs has several meanings. The most As a rule of thumb, if there is and training for elders who obvious being, “I will see you a known religious site, chanc- immigrated to the communi- again.” es are there is also a church, ty and are unable to pay their Even though many here synagogue or mosque on top bills. questioned my desire to inten- of it (technically the Dome The center teaches retired tionally travel to the Middle of the Rock is a shrine not a immigrants crafts – met- East, and the amount of walk- mosque). al, fabric or paper were just ing and stairs made me sore, I The exception to that rule a few that we saw – and pays fully intend to return. Walk- was the Sea of Galilee, a place them for the things they cre- ing in the place where Jesus where Jesus spent a lot of time; ate that are sold in the center’s walked and seeing where Bib- the water is one of the few community store. It was one lical events took place brought places you can’t build a reli- of my favorite places– seeing scripture to life in an unreal gious site and it has remained Russian and Ethiopian immi- way. The modern-day culture relatively untouched. grants, who share no common and people were so bright and While the view from the language, work together as part vibrant, I could spend an eter- Mount of Olives was incred- of a community was incredible, nity walking the city. ible, walking through the city inspiring, and dare I say, needed Contact the reporter at was even better. reporter@keizertimes.com. in the United States. 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