Yom Kippur

Today we went to the Western Wall for the last few hours of Yom Kippur. This was a neat experience. It was packed and all the Jews were dressed in white. I love walking through the men's section of the wall when it is crowded with all different types of Orthodox Jews, meaning different dress i.e. hats, curls, coats. The little children are pretty funny with their little curls and the old men are just intriguing to me with their big beards and their wise eyes. The Hebrew songs/prayers ring in the air and there is a constant movement of Jewish men rocking back and forth as they sing and pray. We then went to the Jerusalem Great Synagogue to observe the end of Yom Kippur service. It was a very interesting, they were all in white, there were a group leading the service in a room that looks like legislation could be held there (minus the decorations). The leader was chanting/singing a prayer then after a minute or two everyone would sing what sounded like the end, they did this a few times. At the very end they blew the shofar which I didn't get to see but I heard it as I was walking out. It was an overall great experience and one that I feel has given me more insight into the Jewish religion and culture. We were talking as we walked away about the similarities to our faith and practices, definitely an enriching experience.