8) Sun falls on snowy Jerusalem and Beit ha Rav Kook

I wake up shivering with fever and call Dr Michael who prescribes paracetamol and a walk to the Old City to visit the Kotel. Leonie has the same idea so we taxi to Jaffa gate. I buy a thermometer and paracetamol at the Jaffa Gate Pharmacy and we take off on a fun walk bargaining for souvenirs in the Armenian Quarter where we are treated to mint tea by an eager salesman. Leonie leads us to lunch at the Armenian Tavern where I'm taken by the exotic tiled walls, oriental chandeliers and casements of antique Arabic jewellery.

 Our fingers and toes are hurting with the cold but we're pleased we came out to experience the Old City on Shabbath and pleased too to discover an engaging rapport with one another.

At the Kotel, Leonie and I take our time to commune with the Wall. I expressed gratitude for this trip that I love and for all that makes me happy back at home.

   VISIT TO RAV KOOK HOUSE

"Rabbi Abraham Isaac Ha-Cohen Kook was the first chief rabbi of the Jewish community in British Mandate-era Palestine. Rav Kook, as he was known, was a builder of bridges between religious and secular, and was one of the first rabbis to integrate modern Zionism into his theological worldview. Rav Kook was renowned as a profound thinker, revolutionary philosopher and mystic, and his books continue to influence broad swaths of Israeli society today – especially the various schools of Religious Zionism, otherwise known as “Nationalist-Religious”.

 

      Rabbi Itzchak Marmorstein's passionate poetry recitation of Rav Kook's stream of consciousness poetry. Bialik, Israel's poet-laureate, was close to Rav Kook.

"The Rav Kook House is a small museum situated in the building where the rabbi used to reside, a mere five-minute walk from Zion Square and Ben Yehuda Street in downtown Jerusalem. Visitors can get a feel for the way the rabbi and his family lived back in the day, with a mikveh (ritual bath), a synagogue and the rabbi’s private quarters.

 

The Rav Kook House also showcases an extensive library with a collection of published material relating to Rav Kook, including documents, certificates and interviews. The museum also offers a film on his life in English and in Hebrew. Classes on the rabbi’s philosophy and teachings are given to the general public on a regular basis."

At Rav Kook House we do havdalah (ritual ending Shabbath) and listen to stories about Rav Kook. We drink wine and eat nuts and dates while we sit at the same table Rav Kook ate and taught at.

Rabbi Yehoshua Engelman sings and tells stories that are experienced as life changing by a couple of people on our Kabbalah tour.