Ani Zocher:
Pilgrims' Stories

Etgar 2003,
by Elana Bauer, Hagesher

When we first arrived in Israel our group had still not fully come together but once we stepped off the El-Al flight our faces flushed, voices escalated, and the giddy realization that "WE ARE FINALLY HERE" hit us. We jumped up, hurriedly gathering our belongings and for me, I was unable to stop smiling, listening to the people who had burst into song. Some of the Etgarniks were so unable to believe that we had arrived, their mouths were actually open. Others were pushing to get off the plane first, and some even burst into "Yerushalayim Shel Zahav" and other songs. I looked outside into the bright sunshine and felt the wave of emotion wash over me - I was home.

As we drove from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem we listened to some popular Israeli music, sang along, but mostly marveled at the sights. No matter how many times you visit Israel you will always be stunned by the beauty of the country. And as we approached Jerusalem I found myself hugging people I had met only hours before, singing along to Sarit Hadad and David Broza, and even within the first two hours of arriving was having the best time of my life.

We held our first Kabbalat Shabbat in a park overlooking much of the city and when the siren blasted, announcing that Shabbat had begun, the whole city listened. I felt goosebumps rising on my skin and as I looked around to my fellow Etgarniks I saw expressions of profound peace on their faces. I think that is when we all truly came together. After hearing something as powerful as that siren echoing throughout the holiest city on Earth all barriers melt away. We davened and danced, ran laughing back to the Yitzchak Rabin Youth Hostel, and began an unbelievably intense and memorable experience.

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