Israel

"Hashke'vein-u adoni eloheinu le'shalom...", a song of healing, repair, wholeness, security, that's what it's asking for at least. Looking out at the 80 teenagers and a possible 15 madricheem, my heart questions how much healing the world needs. I sing strong, loud, sweet, with assurance and guidance. My heart bursts with pride," if only you could see me now Mom and Dad..." I think to myself. I'm guiding 80 people in prayer, doing what I've longed and wanted to do since I was 10, I'm being a Cantor. As I sing I can see peoples eyes fill up with tears, behind me Jerusalem spills in through the windows. I close my eyes and all of sudden I'm floating again in the Sach'nee with 37 of my closest friends around me, I'm running around Beit She'an complaining and cursing the entire way to the finish line of the race, I'm jumping and singing with arab kids in a hospital, I'm singing at an ederly home, I'm at the Kotel praying for the first time, my body prest hard against it's smooth stones, palms flat and caressing it lovingly, my lips touching the rock gently whispering my prayers into it's ears. I open my eyes and tears fall from them. The song ends, I blink back tears, someone reads something in english, I turn the page and begin to sing the next song. I realize all of a sudden , Becky, Molly J., and me are all holding each other's hands, tears in our eyes. It is each of our first times in Israel but definitely not the last. At the end of the service we hug each other, all around us, 80 teenagers keep up the Ruach, for another hour and a half, I am Heather, I am a Cantor, I am an Ambassador for Unity..... I am part of Israel.