Make a joyful noise!!!

We are staying  the next 3 weeks in an apartment in the Jewish Quarter of the old city.  Same place we spent a month in 2015.  Our plan was to drop the rental car off at Budget and walk to the apartment.  Yishai, our host, would have nothing to do with that!!  He picked us up and drove us here.  It is only about a mile away, but I'm grateful he came for us!

We spent the day setting up housekeeping.  And laundry.  April put her white shirt in with black pants and it came out pink!!  No idea what turned it pink, but that was an excuse for us to go shopping at the Columbia store at Mamilla...a mall right outside the Old City. 

And we went in hunt of laundry soap....just in case.  Hilarious trying to decide the difference in laundry soap, softener, dishwashing soap, and toilet bowl cleaner when nothing is in English!!  LOL!!!  We did good.  At least I hope that was laundry soap that I just washed my clothes in!!!

Had lunch at one of our favorite places.  Turkey on toasted pita.

 

This evening, we headed to the Western Wall.  We stepped outside our apartment to hear a large group of young people singing and dancing.  As we walked by, one of them apologized for the noise and I said it was no problem, in fact I loved hearing them.  She grabbed my arm and insisted we join them.  She promptly inserted me between 2 young men who then showed me what to do!  This is what I love about the youth....their joy and their willingness to share it!!

 

It's the eve of Purim here.  Many children dress up in costumes.  The Wall was packed.  We are not allowed to take photographs on Shabbat.  So I will do my best to paint you an image.  Women dancing in circles.  Singing joyful praises to G-d.  Men doing the same on their side.  It was not a competition...it was sheer joy.  In Hebrew.  But that didn't matter...I knew they were praising Yah!

At the Wall....some women in tears, one with her head buried in her prayer book.  The look of reverence.  Then the look on the face of a first-timer.  The awe that you are where God is.  The girl fervently praying.  One has to wonder what her request was.  Many moved to tears....but even more singing and shouting and making a joyful noise....just as we are told to do.

And then we hiked up the 114 steps to the Jewish Quarter.

 

And I could zoom in and get a shot of the crowds at the Wall tonight.

 

Our hosts left this afternoon to go on a short holiday up north.  They asked us to make ourselves at home and enjoy their balcony.  I took this shot tonight

 

And from here, you can here the joyful noise, the praise to God.  My heart is filled with joy just to be here, to hear the sound once again.

100 Make a joyful noise unto Jehovah, all ye lands.  Ps 100:1