One People, One Land, One Snapshot

I am never going to forget the best moment in Israel on Shavuos at the kotel. Although you cannot take a physical snapshot on Shavuos (the best kodak moments are usually on Shabbos/Yomtov)but it was such beautiful spiritual experience. I walked with my seminary, in Sanhedria Maruchevet, to the Kotel which is about a 45 min. to an hour walk. When I got to the kotel I was shocked how crowded it was. All types of Jews davening at the same place and the same time at the most spiritual place in the world. I don't think anyone could imagine how great that experience is, unless you have seen it. That moment was so special b/c any other Yomtov does not matter so much where you are in the world, but Shavuos I felt that no place in the world was as special as that sight I saw on Shavous at the Kotel.

My snapshot is the kotel: A sea of every type of Jew parying, studying, or standing - together. Its the only place I go that has the soldiers, the moderner, the old fashioned people, the chassidim, the guy with the paper kipa, the women that wear skirts down to their toes next to the girl that is wearing jean pants (or shorts - yikes!). Everyone realizes, we're one people - this is ours, our land. Over the years we ended up in nearly 100 different countries, now we can unite in 1 country...its the only place I know of where there is absolute unity.

The picture you present really does represent Medinas Yisrael. I have been privileged to live in Eretz Yisroel for thirty years now and when I conjur up a picture of what it means to live here I see a five year old holding the hand of his/her younger sibling and walking down the street - to a park, to a gan, to a friends house,to whereever. The feeling that one can send their little ones out is because we trust that everyone sees them as an extenction of their own family. If one is surrounded by family, special bonds and trust are born and bred. An American friend visiting here once commented to me that he was standing at a corner and was approached by a young child and asked to help the child cross the road. The visitor was amazed. "In America," he said, "we train our children to avoid all strangers. Here, he instinctively felt that any adult would be willing and ready to assist him." May we be blessed to see ,"Kol bnei yisroel" holding out a helping hand to one another.

Your story reminds me of another one. My friend told me that her parents were here for a visit from the U.S. and they went shopping and she and her mother stopped into a store and her father waited for them on the bench in front of the store. He dosed off for a couple of minutes and whem he woke up, there was a shekel in his hand!

my son, daughter and i were walking toward the kotel through the old city. my children were ahead of me and i slowed down to watch them. and then it hit me. my son (a lone soldier) had his gun slung over his shoulder, a huge backpack and his tefillin case tied to his knapsack. i snapped a photo of them. i actually have it in hardcopy. it was the moment i understood why my son left the comforts of the U.S. and a loving family and made aliyah on his own to do "greater things" than he would ever do in the U.S.

I have stood on the mount of Olives with both my wives (not at the same time!)and looked across at the Temple Mount and the Golden (east) gate which is mentioned right in the middle of Ezekiel's chapters on the temple still to come and marvel at all that has come to pass as the prophets predicted and what is still to come. I pray that more people might see that the rebirth of Israel as a nation is a fulfilment of so much that is written in the prophets.

Before I heard your thoughts, the same picture came into my mind.

What one experiences in Israel more than anywhere else is the feeling of being home and of love between strangers. You see love between children and parents or between couples anywhere but is only in Israel where you feel that others truly care about your welfare. This is why seeing an image of different looking Jews makes such an impact but we shouldn't be shocked, afterall we are all one family.

After the U.N resolution I was in Israel and I saw in Yerushalim soldiers sitting and having their lunch. There were two ashkenazic, two sephardic, an ethiopian and two russians all talking together in Hebrew and joking as young people do.I could not help but think that was the spirit of Israel and a pox on the United Nations and all the other naysayers. Rabbi Soloman's example is very good I have that picture hanging on my wall.

A young woman soldier holding hands with her boyfriend looking out over the expanse of the Western Wall. My personal picture which is imprinted in my mind is when my Tower plane landed on the airfield upon arrival. I looked across to the end and there was an advertisement for Coca Cola in Hebrew. It was HUGE--I imagine maybe 25 feet. I knew this could only be in Israel. I stood staring at it briefly while the other passengers hurried to got off.

I see next to the soldier, a chassid, and next to the chasid, a totally non religious person. The 3 people together personafy Eretz Yisrael and its beautiful melting pot.

The background of the picture is panoramic - including the sea in the west, part of a city, encompassing the coastal plain and the hills rising in the east. The foreground includes a group of people - young and old, secular and religious - as diverse as their recent origins - from Eastern and Western Europe, North Africa, West Asia, America, South Africa, Australia, and the Land of Israel itself. The people are farmers and factory workers, scientists and engineers, authors and rabbis, soldiers, housewives, and children. (In a bit of wishful thinking I would leave out politicians.)

I have never been to Israel physically but mentally and emotionally too many times to mention. When I visualize it though I see children in a kabutz, picking oranges, plowing the earth, singing, learning Torah. Yes, the guns are all around the perimeter but somehow the sun is shining on the children.

A PICTURE OF ANY OLDER MAN or WOMAN MAKING ALIYAH COMING OFF THE PLANE or BOAT AND KISSING THE GROUND.THAT'S WHAT IS ALL ABOUT.AM YISRAEL CHAI!!!

To me, the most memorable picture I have is after the exchange of prisoners after the Yom Kippur war. I remember one picture vividly of an Israeli soldier coming home from captivity holding a Sefer Torah. That, to me, describes what Israel is all about, the people of Israel, the land of Israel and the Torah of Israel.

I think you ask too much! One photo saying what Israel is "all about"? How about a triptych?

R Yaakov and the first 3 comments! Yes! those strong hands that withstood such strong winds, and then The Land yielded its produce for them! Todah Emunatecha! Great is His Faithfulness!

It's great when the Jewish people fall in line as a united front. We were very successful after WWII in building a flourishing country for our own...It doesn't seem like others who are not Jewish have possessed such unification. If only the Palestinians would stop their self pity and influences with Hamas and Fatah, they too can build their own Palestinian state, instead of calling Israel "apartheid" and an "occupation" when they may not really know the true implications of those words. Ultimately, those who grab the shirt of the Jew and/or Rabbi in knowing that we follow G-d's word and not the popular opinion of mankind, obeying B'nei Noach, will not be swept into the sea...In this day and age, even an atheist can acknowledge the miracles of restoring Israel - Bill Maher, in particular, is an atheist and does support Israel.

You got the first prize on this one......maybe some other image would be an elderly Israeli carrying a huge amount of fruits & vegatables in both hands, coming from Machane Yehuda friday afternoon. Those strong hands of his/hers built Israel!!!They made it so we have an Am Yisroel!!!

That is the picture! The only one that could be close it the 18 soldiers who took back the Kotel many years ago. God Bless Israel always and for eternity.