Ani Zocher:
Pilgrims' Stories

Spain/IP 2003,
by Miriam Roth, New Frontier

Jared [Zaifman] (who wrote for Ani Zocher two weeks ago!) stole my chance to write about seeing the Kotel for the first time, which, by the way, was one of the most indescribably powerful and spiritual experiences I have ever had. But anyhow, here is one of the cool memories I have from Pilgrimage...

So one night... in the Negev. We were on our desert survival trip, after eating a good meal of hot dogs, hamburgers, and deep-fried french fries, we began our trip out into the desert. In a single file line, under a brilliant sky of stars and planets, we navigated along a path to various points, where our guide Omer would place us. We were left under these beautiful stars for twenty minutes. It was a time to stare, to ponder, to think about anything, and I couldn't get that amazing starry sky out of my head. Just looking around at the sky and the endless expansive desert was a unique, humbling experience. In awe of the natural beauty around me, I took this time alone to think about Israel, my trip, my new friends, myself, and my spirituality.

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