Today was our monthly, pre-Rosh Chodesh (beginning of Jewish month) visit to Kever Rachel, Rachel's Tomb. Since it's my day off, I was able to go with my neighbors from Shiloh.
So after f2f'ing I took a bus to the Malcha Mall to catch the bus to Kever Rachel. Not so quick, I had to wait for the bus and became mesmerized by the strange images reflected in the bus stop wall.
The bus finally came, and we were off!
It only takes a few minutes to get to the "hole in the wall" which lets us into the "security bubble" of Kever Rachel. That's fine and dandy if there's an armed, armored soldier available to join us on the bus. We had to wait, and wait. OK, we got in. The set-up was changed since my last visit a few months ago. Now we're back to the same old entrance--for both men and women.
Wonderful, we went in.
I said Mincha, then T'hilim. Then it was time to go.
The hand-washing sink at the exit, a requirement of Jewish Law, did not provide water. I asked the yeshiva guys, stationed at a table there, what to do; they said the the sinks in the bathroom are OK and walking down the long corridor afterwards would be no problem. OK, did what they said.
We all waited; we had set with the driver that he should come get us at 5:15. No driver, no bus, no soldiers to let us out. Yes, we were locked in Rachel's Tomb. The driver spoke to one of my neighbors by cellphone and reported that he couldn't find a soldier to go in with him, so he was out of the complex.
We couldn't find a soldier in the building to ask what was going on. We realized that we were locked in a tomb, Rachel's Tomb. Finally a neighbor asked the yeshiva students whom I had asked about the water, and one of them had a key and was able to go out and speak to soldiers who were right outside.
They're doing "more important things;" the bus will come when someone's available.So we waited. Yes, we waited some more. Eventually the bus came, and we began the winding trip back towards the opening. The soldier went out to open the gate, but he didn't. He returned saying that word had come from Kever Rachel that we had left someone. The organizers did a headcount and reported that we were all on the bus. But the soldier didn't believe us. It took a while until he did and finally opened the gate.
B"H, after that it was clear sailing and not only did we get home safely, the driver even took us up the hill!
6 comments:
Kever Rachel looks just like the painting on my parents wall. It is amazing that Islamonuts can not leave worshipers alone.
I have been trying to ask friends in Iraq to get pictures of Ezra's Tomb with no luck.
Meanwhile it is -5 in the frozen North with 20 mph wind.
I am demolishing a far left anti-semite on my blog. Why these people return for more abuse is a mystery?
If you ever want to sit for an interview about everyday life in Israel let me know. My readers really have been looking forward to an interview.
Great pics! What goes on that they can't get things in sync? Seems fairly easy. A simple matter of scheduling. Sheesh!
beakerkin, it sure doesn't feel like the old Rachel's Tomb, nor look like it from the outside.
sure warmer here!
interview? How about next week?
benning, thanks!
It's part of the psychological warfare. They want us to give up.
I will set up an interview for next Thursday.
I want to point out my readers were confusing you with a woman by the same name in LA. The other Batya vsited your blog through the link on my site and was very impressed.
I do not know if you caught my decapitation of a communist anti-semite yesterday. I have no patience for Marxist who endanger our survival.
My blog started out as a comedic vehicle. As soon as I started I was attacked by (no joke) gay communist anti-semites from the UK. My blog resembled something like pro-wrestling in the USA.
I built an audience but far left anti-semites insisted on more combat.I have far left readers from all over the world who read every day, but do not enter the fray.
Our people spend too much time placating bigots.
This doesn't even come close, but it's somewhat amusing in a macbre kind of way.
When in El Paso, Texas with my sisters (visiting Mom) we did a little sight seeing. Odd since we'd grown up there. We went to various places including art museum and to see my nephew's art at a downtown shop.
Ended up the day visiting the Holocaust memorial (bet you didn't know there was one in El Paso, TX)
It was an incredible memorial. Very moving, we were all 3 in tears. We were in the back, which was made to appear some what like the inside of a locomotive cattle car. Some of the more grim memorabilia was in that room. Suddenly the lights went out! Totally black. Scared us really bad, as if we were confronted with ghosts of those represented at the memorial.
We realized no one knew we were in there, and they were closing for the night. We hollered pretty loud, and tried to find the way out, but it was so dark, we could hardly find the hallway. Someone heard us and the lights came back on....you can't imagine how quickly we got out of that room.
The lady was most apologetic. We spoke with her for a while. It was a very memorable experience, not because the lights went out, but of course because of the subject. THe poor lady probably had a good laugh after we left, and I can't say I'd blame her!
ok, beakerkin,
Thurs. it is, or will be.
Things are usually pretty dull on my blogs. Who knows what the interview will attract.
km, I think your story beats it by a mile. I was with lots of people, and I knew that we'd be rescued. Although it was a tomb!
Post a Comment