After a lazy morning at home, Yehuda and I went out food shopping to buy things to break the fast and to stock up for our week of tiyulim this week. We came back to find the kids in a heated game of floor hockey with the Rotenbergs in their underground parking garage. I love to watch the kids play so nicely together. It's as if no time ever passes and they just pick up where they left off, just all a bit taller.
After, we headed out to the Kotel for Yehuda to put on Tefillin and for us to watch the sunset and break our fast.
Never does the Kotel disappoint on Tisha Ba'av afternoon. There were hundreds of men sitting on the floor of the kotel plaza, Kumsitz style, singing songs of Emunah and of Yerushalayim. It is impossible not to be moved by the heartfelt singing and emotion of the moment. The most moving part was when they began to sing the song "Achainu--our brothers". Looking around those circles within circles within circles of men all swaying with their arms around each other, you really felt that we are all brothers. From the chasidim to the chilonom, from the yeshiva boys to the children, from the soldiers to the tourists, it was truly an amazing and beautiful sight. Even more amazing was the Israeli flag waving above there heads against the backdrop of the Kotel. Am Yisrael chai... Achainu...goosebumps...
Next we met Savta and Roy at our annual break the fast spot on the steps where Roy made havdalah and we ate delicious fruit, sandwiches and chips. Pretty amazing how we started Tisha Ba'av on Friday night with kiddush at the Kotel and ended it with Havdalah there too.
I wonder if my kids realized the specialness of tonight's experience?
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