My 2010 Tisha B'Av Experience

Tisha B”Av 2010, An Experience to Remember


Dear Family and Friends,


There are many things in life that really touch a person and since our aliyah 10 years ago, we have had the privilege and honor to participate in and observe many many amazing things here in Israel. Tonight, Monday July 19, 2010, Tisha B’Av , I decided to join the Women in Green’s 16th year of walking around the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City.

American Consulate in Jerusalem

I took the bus from Modi’in and ate my dinner on the bus. Now that was a new experience. I took a cab from the central bus station in Jerusalem to hear Eicha read in the park across from the American Consulate in Jerusalem (the embassy is in Tel Aviv because the USA doesn’t believe that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel).



After the reading, where thousands of people sat on the grass and listened quietly with opened Eicha books and flashlights, davening Ma’ariv, a guest speaker Yoram Ettinger formerly Minister for Congressional Affaris to Israeli Embassy in Washington spoke (our Gideon works with him as he studies political science and international relations at Bar Ilan University).

Yoram Ettinger

He spoke about an undivided Jerusalem and how Ben Gurion, Golda Meir, Levi Eshkol, stood up to Washington and said Jerusalem is our capital and we would not divide or sell it. Today our political leaders must be strong and stand up to the world that Jerusalem will not be divided or sold out. It is our eternal, undivided, unquestionable city.


We began our march with hundreds of flags held high and lead by shofar blowing, bull horn carrying speakers. We were guarded every inch of the way by policemen on horseback, helicopter security, soldiers at every corner and intersection of the blocked off roads and motorcycle guards as well as undercover men with radio connections hanging out of their ears or standing on the walls of the old city.

this crowd was over 4 blocks long when we started & grew!

My friends from Modi’in started the walk with me and we thought that the group looked small. But as we turned the corner at the new Mamilla Hotel away from the Jaffa gate we were able to get a better picture of the size of the crowd. Behind us and now we were able to see in front of us, we saw throngs of people, thousands and thousands walking together, respectfully and with great courage to make the walk while fasting. There was no age group left out. Infants in strollers, young children, teenagers, adults of all ages and octogenarians all walked with the streams of people in the middle of the streets of Jerusalem towards every gate in the walls of the Old City. There were people with canes, walkers and people with walking sticks indicating they were blind being lead and guided by sighted friends or family. I overheard French, Russian, German, Spanish and English in a variety of dialects from countries that were clearly Britain, South Africa, Canada and America, as well as Hebrew. There was every color skin representing the true colors of the Kibbutz Galiot and I was so proud to be a part of this march. I had taken my camera and though it was night time I tried at least to take pictures of each gate or sign to each gate that I could. Buses were held at abeyance while the marchers filled the guarded streets and veered into the Arab section of Jerusalem. I was walking in streets that I had never been on before.

Arabic sign over building in E. Jerusalem, Northern Wall side of Old City          

Arab Hotel in East Jerusalem, Northern side of Old City

As I stopped to take pictures or look at the Arab street vendors or the streets that were so new and unfamiliar to me I lost the group I was in and I ran into other people I knew. Several times I just walked alone taking in what I was doing and trying to reconcile my emotions with the most somber and sad day on the Jewish calendar. Somehow I didn’t feel so sad. I felt hopeful. I felt encouraged and I felt proud. I was actually witnessing the entire old city like never before. I was in a crowd of mostly Jews (there were Christians who joined the group to show support) who all felt the same way I did about Jerusalem. I was thinking that if Hashem punished us because of calamities we brought upon ourselves He could certainly reverse His decision and we could turn this day of sorrow into a day of joy and gladness. So my thoughts were of how could I help to reverse Hashem’s decision. For me it wasn’t going to be by sitting on a floor and crying, for me it was going to be through action and this march was the first step. I have to figure out the rest….it will take some time as I don’t work as well on an empty stomach!

Directional Signs I'd never seen, E. Jerusalem, Northern Wall

The crowd was stopped at the Lion’s gate and there my favorite Rabbi spoke, Rabbi Shalom Gold. He was passionate and powerful and he spoke of what Tisha B”Av means and what we can take away from its meaning and how we can make a difference and change things. My favorite line was that we should do what is good for the Jewish people and the state of Israel because “nobody in this world likes us anyway so no matter what we do we will be judged unfavorably so we might as well do what’s good for us.” Hooray Rabbi Gold keep saying it until our leaders both political and spiritual heed those words!

Rabbi Sholom Gold speaking at Lion's Gate Jerusalem

Nadia Matar

The next speaker was a member of Knesset who also spoke passionately about Jerusalem. The last speaker was the daughter of the founder of Women in Green, Nadia Matar. She is now the head of Women in Green and is one of the most inspirational women I know. She is smart, pretty and passionate all rolled into one. She speaks several languages and devotes her life to Israel. Her speech in Hebrew was the most passionate. May she be blessed with long life and good health to continue to make events like this happen and change the tide of events for Israel through her passion.

My favorite sight while listening to her speak was to watch her mother, Ruth Matar, shep nachat and kvell while taking pictures, listening and watching her daughter speak. It was something to warm everyone’s heart that a mother was so proud of a daughter and clearly they were both passionate about the same thing.

Ruth Matar

Entrance to Ir David

As we ended our walk we passed the entrance to Ir David and a great amount of new excavations below the southern wall. It stirred great emotions within me to see that below the wall was what looked like a city and that part of the city was clearly connected to Ir David, the City of David. I smiled as I walked by the new street paintings at the entrance of Ir David knowing that my good friend was one of the Directors there. She leaves her family here in Modiin monthly and travels around the world raising money to support the fabulous work Ir David accomplishes as it validates history and our Jewish experience. She is a mover and shaker and lives her passion of Israel. I am so proud to know her.

Southern Wall of Old City before Shar Ha'ashpah(Dung Gate)

We ended our walk around the old city at the Shar Ashpah, Dung Gate which leads into the Kotel Plaza. Our thousands of walkers now joined the thousands of people going to the Kotel and I had never thought that this lively sight would take place on Tisha B’av. I must admit it was a bit confusing for me. Instead of people from every stripe of Judaism sitting somberly in silence they were gathered as if it was a holiday of joy. It was THE ”happening” place and it was certainly jumping. I will have to think about how I felt about the liveliness of the Kotel but what started to enter my mind is that maybe these people represent the possibility of

Kotel Wall Plaza taken fromYeshiva Ha Kotel

change. Maybe within that sea of people a leader will stand up and bring all of B’nai Yisrael together. Maybe in that throng of people a new visionary will work to reverse the tide of Israel bashing, or Jewish history denial. Maybe there was a political leader in the making who will reunite all of Klal Yisrael and maybe our sorrow is now being turned to joy with all the potential that was in that Kotel Plaza. We walked through the old city to the Jaffa gate as more and more people walked pass us with pillows, books and friends towards the Kotel. We walked to our friend’s car and on the way home I could only think, ”For the sake of Zion I will not be silent, for the sake of Jerusalem I will not be still.(Isaiah 62:1). I’ll have to see where that takes me………… and the Jewish people.

Banner carried in front of marchers

Ronda(with flag) & friends after walk around old city walls

Have an easy fast.

Ronda Israel

Marchers walking around the Old City-Tisha B'Av, Jerusalem 2010

Mural at Entrance to Ir David

Shar Shchem Gate-Northern Wall

Church in Valley outside Eastern side of Old City Walls on Derech Yericho