USS Saratoga CV-60 1984-87 Cruise Israel Jerusalem 02

Описание: Chapter 76 of 86 - One of the greatest sites to behold was the ancient western "wailing wall".

As we walked into this holy site, we are greeted with a painted sign that says: "Respect The Sanctity of this Holy Site. Refrain from Smoking on The Sabbath and Do Not Photograph On Sabbath and Holidays".

We noticed that the "elders", (Old Orthodox Jewish men) dressed in their traditional black attire with black hats, did not approve of me video taping their images. This was evident because I could see them removing their hats to cover their faces from my camera.

Upon entering this holy site, I was offered a free Jewish-type scull cap made of cardboard to wear, as a sign of respect to the "wailing wall".

When I inquired about the "wailing wall", I was told that this is the Holiest site for the Jewish people. Jews come from all over the world to pray here. Some leave written prayers stuck within the cracks of the western wall.

I did my best to uphold this tradition by donning a scull cap and with two video batteries sticking out of my two back pockets, cautiously approached the wall for a short prayer. I also left a written prayer within a crack of the wall.

Here many events take place. On days like today, many 13 year old boys, even from the United States, would have their Bar Mitzvah.

This ceremony, according to tradition, is when a boy takes on the responsibilities of his own actions and becomes a man in every right. It is quite a large event in the boys life, the whole family takes part. All the mothers would cheer the boys on while the fathers would help the boys prepare.