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Greg Burd, founder, of blessed memory

If you haven’t already heard, I am saddened to tell you that my husband and founder of Wailing Wall Prayer drowned in the Mediterranean last week on his 40th birthday. According to Jewish tradition, when a person dies on their birthday, it is a sign that they have completed their work in the world. This Aish.com article about his life gives more details about his greatness. I plan to write much more in the coming months. I plan to continue in his ways. I pledge to do more and to give more to others around me. I am told we have extra Heavenly assistance now to help you. May you be blessed that all of our prayers for you are now answered…

– Lisa

Thousands gather to pray for recovery of Rabbi Chaim Ovadia Yosef

Tens of thousands of people were crowded at the Wailing Wall Sunday night in an organized prayer session for Rabbi Chaim Ovadia Yosef, one of the greatest Jewish spiritual leaders of our time who is hospitalized in serious condition. Reports estimated there were 30,000 people present! Many great leaders came to join in the prayers, and the heart-rending wails and cries of those praying could be heard throughout the Wailing Wall plaza. Here is a picture of the men’s side (as originally posted on Yeshiva World News).
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The night before Yom Kippur at the Western Wall

This picture was taken at 11:00pm at the Western Wall the night before Yom Kippur. It was standing room only. The policeman actually told me I had to get up from the side of the stairs; I wasn’t allowed to sit there because it would cause a traffic jam eventually. It’s apparently become the “in” thing in Israel to come to the Western Wall for the Selichos (special penitential prayers) that take place during the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. It’s unbelievable. It looked like people were actually throwing on a scarf and a skirt and coming straight from the beach in Tel Aviv to come to the Western Wall. It was awe-inspiring that people from all faiths – every Tom, Dudu and David was there. It’s an amazing pull that the Western Wall has and it’s getting stronger and stronger.

I’ve noticed that people are in exceptionally good moods around Israel. People are very helpful, very kind. Everyone has been giving blessings to each other. We’re all G-d’s people and connected. When we hurt each other we’re really hurting ourselves. You hit another person, you’re really hitting yourself – spiritually.
I think people are feeling this a little bit more and more, and they’re feeling the pull of the light of the Western Wall. You can see in this one picture. I don’t know if it’s close enough,
but there are two white birds nestled into the crevices of one of the rocks of the Western Wall – one looking left, the other looking right. It almost reminds me of the two cherubim that were on top of the Ark. They’re there every night – just like that; they don’t move. It gives me comfort to see them.

Wherever you are, you should feel the pleasure and the light emanating from this amazing place. We’re there with you whenever you need.

Hour Long Psalm Prayer Session Today for Peace in Israel!

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Just an hour after this picture was taken at noon this afternoon, the Churva synagogue was filled to the brim with school boys and neighbourhood residents all called together to recite psalms for more than an hour, in lieu of the potential strike by Syria and our enemies.

On the other side of the city, hundreds stood in line for hours, unsuccessfully trying to get their gas masks just as a precaution in the event of a strike.

Meanwhile, all was quiet and serene at the Western Wall. kotel

People are always in a good mood and easily taken into a talk about spirituality here.

The month of Elul is in the air. We jump from Torah class to class, each with another idea about what is the best thing to try and fix in our character traits and Divine service in the last few days we have left until judgment day (Rosh Hashanah).

I sat at the Western Wall this morning and in business-like fashion, wrote out a list of all the possible things I could have done wrong this year, and all of the possible people I could have wronged this year. As I spoke aloud what I did and that I was truly sorry for it and never wanted to do it again, I crossed it off and went to the next, making sure to feel that it impacted my heart. I then went home and wrote a very difficult apology letter to a person I knew was upset at me (even though I quite honestly felt that I was the one who should be getting an apology). I attempted to get into her head-space and justify her, even if I technically did not have to.

When my kids got nervous today after their prayer session, I said they could take comfort in doing one thing to make shalom (peace) between them and each other in our home, so the Holy One will emulate us and make peace with our enemies.

I implore each one of you who reads this to do the same. Do one act to make peace with another person who feels either that you have wronged them, or forgive someone who you feel has wronged you. Even if you are right. Do it for the sake of the peace of the world. Making peace is greater than doing repentance. Maybe it will be in your merit.

With blessings from Jerusalem,
Lisa

Special Prayers at Rebbe Nachman’s Tomb in the Ukraine!

flame

I am writing to you from the holy Old City after just having visited
the Wall. What an amazing experience it always is to feel so close
and so peaceful. This time of year, before the Jewish New Year of
Rosh Hashanah, is especially powerful here. Every moment and incident
is a gentle, yet clear message from Above to correct and to guide us
into a better and more aligned New Year.

Of course, our job here is to use every possible spiritual resource
available to help you in your goals. So, we have decided once again
to send our prayer agents to Rebbe Nachman’s tomb (kever) in Uman,
Ukraine on the day before (Erev) Rosh Hashanah.
Jewish sources say that when a righteous person dies, s/he has merits
in the upper worlds that s/he can use to help those in this world.
Some of these righteous people, before their deaths, declare publicly
that they will help people in certain ways if one comes to their tomb
to pray. They use their merits to influence the Lord’s judgment on
our behalf, just as Moses did on behalf of the Israelites during
these same 40 days.

One particularly righteous person – Rabbi Nachman of Breslov –
declared before his death that he had extra abilities to help people
who come to his tomb on the day before Rosh Hashanah and recite the
entire Tikun Haklali (10 specific psalms said in a specific
mystically-significant order). He is buried in the small town of
Uman, Ukraine.

Based on the results of so many prayers there, thousands of people
make the pilgrimage to this spiritual place every year. This year,
some of our Biblical scholars are traveling there and each has
offered to say the entire Tikun Haklali at the Rabbi’s tomb on the
day before the Jewish New Year (September 5th), exclusively for your
prayer request. This means that they will say just your prayer
request, then the entire 10 psalms, so that your prayer gets the full
attention it deserves.

It is an opportunity that Shira and I are personally excited to
access ourselves.

A modest $36 donation is requested in return, to help cover the costs
of the trip to the Ukraine.

Tell your friends!

Pray for Me at the Holy Rabbi’s Tomb in Uman!

With blessings from Jerusalem for health, happiness, fulfillment and
abundance in all things good,

Lisa

Congratulations to the Heizler Family!

One of our longest running prayer agents, Rabbi Menachem Heizler, married off his daughter last night in Wolf Hall (Givat Shaul, Jerusalem) to a pious young man who learns in the Old City. It was a beautiful wedding and we are sure that they will continue in their parents’ footsteps and build a home dedicated to serving G-d in Jerusalem. Much of the Old City community came to congratulate the family. The mother of the bride, Avigail Heizler, is also beloved in her role as teacher to the 2-3 year old boys in the Old City located at the bottom of the 4 Sefardi Synagogues.

Congratulations from all of us and all of the people for whom you have prayed over the years!

Southern Gate of the Wall Light Show

KotelLightShow2

 
Here is the promised pic. Picture opera music and flashing lights changing colors from one moment to the next just under the Mt. of Olives.

At the Wall itself, all was untouched, but above and beyond there were a few good light tricks to see. I didn’t have my camera with me then, but there were projected spiders crawling on cob-webs around Jaffa gate and the Christian quarter. The Cardo ceiling was filled with light mosaics and I heard they were playing some movies in Zilberman’s square, commonly known as the Old Square.  Most importantly there were lots of portable lights for sale, popcorn, cotton candy and Rabbis with guitars singing about… G-d and coming close of course.

Mayor Nir Barkat brought the Formula One race to Jerusalem for the first time ever. The race cars ran the track on the other side of the walls of the Old City (by Jaffa gate). There was one day (last Thursday) when the light show and the Formula One race overlapped. Neighbourhood kids tried to hide in their homes to avoid trampling :-). But seriously, it was not as bad as expected. Of course no Old City kids could actually get to school by bus, or catch sight of the cars without waiting for 3 hours. So we all viewed it as a kind of snowed in day.
When an inch of snow falls in Jerusalem – the entire city comes to a stop! Growing up in Toronto this experience is very comical to me. Everyone is unprepared, excited and shocked – like a deer in the headlights. They scatter to try to build something with the snow before it melts away within hours.

I felt like each country and city had at least one representative here in the Old City last week! My kids even got a present from a random tourist from Mongolia. People DO live there I guess! And everyone has one thing in common – they view this tiny place as holy and the place where G-d chose to be out of hiding :-).

ALIENS FLY OVER THE OLD CITY

Old City Light Show

The annual light show is visiting the Old City again. Thousands of tourists are crowding the streets looking for colorful light displays, and a bit of sci-fi meets the ancient life. These creative light flying dolphins are hovering over Jaffa gate, just outside the Old City. I was impressed! We hope it will inspire some people to make it to the Wall to pray, when they otherwise would not have. An opera music and light projection show is happening at the Southern Gate of the Wall. I will try to get you a video or picture. :-) :-)

Welcome to our community blog!

Welcome to our new blog! We hope through this blog to keep you informed of what’s happening in the Old City and at the Wall and also to create more of a community. We want to know about you and we also want you to know about us – that’s our partnership.  In order for us to better pray for you, you let us in on your personal lives and now we want to do the same to help you feel more comfortable.  Here we hope to post updates about your prayer agents and current events in and around the Holy City.  We are very excited to grow closer to each one of you.