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The KotelSusan Yammer

Eretz Yisrael Throughout the Year1Grade

BeTevet

Asara

3Eretz Yisrael Throughout the Year

Eretz Yisrael Throughout the Year

Asara BeTevet

The KotelGrade 1

Susan Yammer

Lookstein Center Director and Educational Consultant: Stuart ZweiterAcademic Consultant and Curriculum Developer: Michael GrunzweigEducational Supervisor: Moshe Abelesz Graphics Coordinator: Michal FinkelbergEditorial Advisor: Alissa BursteinTechnical Support: Chana GermanGraphic Design: Dov Abramson ::: Avia Friedmann Illustrations: Rinat GilboaFront Cover Concept: Ori RozevichProject Director: Yonah Fuld

© Copyright 2012Developed by The Lookstein Center, Bar Ilan University. The syllabus outline for this series was initially based on a curriculum development project which The Lookstein Center was commissioned to develop and implement by AMODS, Yeshiva University.

We acknowledge with gratitude the following sources of photographs and maps listed below:

Wikipedia (page 22)

The KotelTable of Contents

Page

Introduction 7

Lesson 1

The Stone 8

Lesson 2

Sukkot, Our Season of Joy 22

Lesson 3

We Will Return 42

Lesson 4

We Have Returned 54

This booklet is filled with lots of interesting information. If you only have time to study certain sections in class, we invite you to look at the others in your free time.

This project was made possible

through the vision and generosity of

Evelyn and Dr. Shmuel Katz of Bal Harbour, Florida

and reflects their great love and commitment

to Jewish education and the State of Israel

and was lovingly dedicated to the memory of

Jacob Dov Katz Z”L

and Sarah Rohr A”H

7Eretz Yisrael Throughout the Year 7

Introduction

Dear Student,

There is an important day coming up. It is called Asara

BeTevet, the 10th of Tevet. This is when the Jewish People

remember the beginning of the destruction of our Beit

Hamikdash, our Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

What was theBeitHamikdash? Why do we need a special day

to remember it? Why do we miss it?

In these lessons, you will meet children your age who have

special stories to tell. Their stories will help you understand

what the Beit Hamikdash was and why we miss it today,

2,000 years after it was destroyed!

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Lesson 1

The Stone

Here’s a secret: Even though we can’t visit the BeitHamikdash

today, there is a place we can visit that reminds us of it. But I

don’t want to give away the secret yet.

Let’s start at the beginning, even before there was a Beit

Hamikdash.

Your aim for this first lesson is to learn about:

• How hard the Jewish people worked to build the Beit

Hamikdash.

• Why the Beit Hamikdash was so special to the Jewish

People.

• The beauty of the BeitHamikdash

99Eretz Yisrael Throughout the Year

Activity 1

This story is a “tell together” story. Your teacher will read it,

but you will help. You will “tell together.” Here’s how:

ACTING: Every time your teacher reads words that are

in CAPITAL LETTERS, act them out. You can do it either

through movement or sound.

IMAGINING: Every time your teacher reads words that are

underlined, close your eyes and imagine what the words

are trying to describe. Then share what you imagined

with your teacher and classmates.

SINGING: Every time our characters sing their song, join

in. Your teacher will help you choose a song that your

class likes to sing.

Here are some songs from which you can choose:

לים • ירוש אה ב נה הב לש

• ארץ זבת חלב ודבש

• צא תורה יון ת י מצ כ

• אלי ציון הלא תש

• other

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Are you ready? Let’s go back in time 3,000 years. King

Shlomo was the king of Israel. God gave him the special

honor of building our Holy Temple, the Beit Hamikdash.

Everyone in Israel wanted to help - men, women and even

children!


A STONE AND A SONG

“This one! I found it! It’s perfect,” shouted Sarah.

“Where? Where?” answered David, running towards her.

“Wow, it’s beautiful, it shines like gold!”

"Let’s go tell mommy and daddy,” Sarah said.

“You’re right,” said Moshe their father. This stone is amazing-

so smooth, no holes, no cracks, it shines when the sun hits

it.”

“Wow”, said Miriam,

their mother, “I’m

sure, King Shlomo

will find a place

for it in the Beit

Hamikdash.”

“Good job, Sarah

and David!” said

Moshe. “Now let’s

try and find some

people to help

us get it onto

the wagon.”

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Many neighbors came to help. THEY PUSHED THE STONE,

THEY PULLED THE STONE AND FINALLY THEY LIFTED THE

STONE until it was sitting proudly on top of their wagon.


“Now comes the hardest part,” said David. “Pulling this stone

all the way to Jerusalem. Our home here in Hevron is quite

far from Jerusalem. It will take forever. And what if King

Shlomo's builders don’t even accept it?”

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“We can’t worry about that now,” said Sarah. “All we can do

is try. David, just imagine, all of Israel is helping to build this

Temple in Jerusalem. Our people will finally have a place

to celebrate together. It will hold the Torah, our holy book.

It will be a house for God! Don’t you want to help? Don’t

you want to see this amazing stone every time we go up to

Jerusalem?”

“When will we go visit?” asked David.

“We’ll go on Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot," answered Miriam,

their mother. "That’s when all the Jewish people go.”

“I have an idea, let’s sing. A song will help us along the way.

It will carry us while we carry the stone.”

Song

Moshe, David, Sarah and Miriam, and many

others joined in the singing. They sang

and pulled, and pulled and sang and

sweated and complained and laughed.

Up the hills and down, THEY PASSED

FIG TREES WHERE THEY STOPPED TO

EAT JUICY FIGS THAT HAD FALLEN FROM THE

TREES.

They passed other Israelites who shouted


encouragement when they saw the huge and sparkling gift

that was being brought up to Jerusalem.

“Keep going,” they shouted. “Don’t give up! You can do it!”

From early morning till the stars came out, the stone sat

proudly on top of the wagon. The louder they sang, the

more brightly the stone shone.

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As Moshe, Sarah, David and Miriam arrived in Jerusalem,

so many sounds filled the air: THE CREAKING OF WAGON

WHEELS, THE SOUNDS OF SHEEP AND GOATS, THE

SCRAPING AND CHISELING OF THE STONES AND THE VOICES

OF SINGING.

“Listen,” said Sarah, “they’re singing our song."

Song


As they got closer they lifted their eyes and as far as they

could see, there were thousands of men and women lifting

and pulling huge rocks to make a wall higher than anything

they had ever seen. They saw gold being poured and copper

being flattened to cover the walls and ceiling.

“Wow!” said David and Sarah together, “it’s so beautifu!”

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David and Sarah knew that their precious stone would soon

be taken from them. They brushed their hands along its

side, staring at its incredible beauty and size. With sadness

and pride they watched the builders come to look at all the

stones that people had brought. They waited nervously. For

hours they stood in the hot sun. No one came near.

“Let’s get some rest,” said their mother. “We’ve had a long

day.”

“But I want to see what happens,” complained Sarah.

“It’s time to rest now. Tomorrow, we have to go back home,”

answered Moshe.

Grumbling, David and Sarah found a soft patch of grass and

fell asleep. They slept longer than they wanted. When they

woke up, their stone was gone!


They ran through the inner court of the Temple with its

gold-covered walls, looking for their stone. It wasn’t there!

They even tried to enter the court of the Priests (Kohanim),

the part of the Temple where only the Kohanim could go.

They peeked inside at the golden covered walls, but...no

stone! “All that work,” complained David, “how could it be?

How could our stone not have been accepted?”

Moshe finally said, “Children, we have to leave. There’s

nothing more we can do. We did our best.”

Sadly, David and Sarah took their father’s hand and began

to walk slowly away from the walls of the Temple. As

they left, Sarah turned around one last time. The

sun was now high in the sky and it shone brightly.

Suddenly she saw a twinkle of sunshine on the

outside wall, and her eyes were drawn to a

sparkling stone… their stone!

“There it is!” cried Sarah.

SURE ENOUGH, MEN WERE CAREFULLY

LIFTING AND PLACING THEIR STONE IN A

SPECIAL SPOT IN THE WALL THAT WOULD

SURROUND AND PROTECT THE BEIT

HAMIKDASH.

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“WOW,” they all said together!

“But our stone is not

inside the Beit

H a m i k d a s h ,”

c o m p l a i n e d

David.

“Don’t worry,”

said Moshe,

“just imagine

the thousands

of visitors who

will travel from

all over Israel every

Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot. Our stone will be the first to

greet them.”

“You’re right,” answered David. “And its special sparkle will

let them know they have come to God’s house!”

They all smiled and said a final goodbye.

“Just think,” said Miriam, “forever and ever, your children and

grandchildren will come to this place. Do you think they’ll

know that their own family helped to build it?”

“Somehow I’m sure they’ll know,” answered Moshe.


They all turned and started their journey back home to

Hevron, singing as they went.

Song

Activity 2

Draw a picture of your favorite part of the story and share it

with your classmates.

Activity 3

Discuss with your teacher why David and Sarah worked so

hard to bring a stone to the BeitHamikdash. Write a letter to

King Shlomo and tell him why you like the BeitHamikdash.

Activity 4

Create your own special stone with the supplies your

teacher gives you. Make it as beautiful as you can.

When everyone in your class has created his or her special

stone, carry them to a place in your classroom where you

will build your own wall for the BeitHamikdash. You might

want to sing on your way just like David and Sarah did. Be

careful not to drop it! It might be heavy.

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Lesson 2

Sukkot, Our Season of Joy

In the last lesson we saw how David and Sarah helped to

build the first BeitHamikdash.

In this lesson we will jump forward about 500 years. During

that time the BeitHamikdash was destroyed, but the Jewish

people built a second one. The second BeitHamikdash was

even bigger and more beautiful than the first! It was built

on the same place as the first BeitHamikdash.

Here’s a secret for you…even though the first Beit


Hamikdash was destroyed, there were some parts that were

not destroyed. The strongest and largest stones remained

standing and were used again in the Second Temple.

Can you guess which stone remained?

Let’s see.

This story happens on Sukkot, one of the three holidays

when all the Jews come to celebrate in Jerusalem.

Your aim for this lesson is to learn about:

• What happened in the BeitHamikdash on Sukkot

• What makes Sukkot the “Holiday of Joy”

“Are we all ready to go?" asked Shimon, as he collected the

lulavim and etrogim for their long trip from their home in

Hevron to Jerusalem.

Yonatan and Daniel were going with their father for the first

time. They were now old enough to fulfill the mitzva of aliya

leregel, going up to Jerusalem, for the holiday of Sukkot.

They kissed their mother and baby sister goodbye, and

loaded their donkeys with sacks of food and all of the

things they needed for their trip ־ except for their lulvaim

and etrogim. These were precious. These they would carry

themselves.

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“I want to carry the lulavim and etrogim,” said Daniel, as he

tried to take them from his father’s hand.

“Why should he take them? I’m older, I want to carry them,”

insisted Yonatan.

“Boys,” began Shimon, their father, “Sukkot is called zman

simchatenu, the time of our joy. On this holiday, we have to

be happy. Arguing with your brother is not a way to show

your joy.”

“You’re right, abba,” they agreed.

After a few moments Yonatan asked, “What is so happy

about Sukkot?”

“I’m sure that our trip will show you,” answered their father.

As they passed some olive and fig trees, Daniel said, “I have

an idea. How about if Yonatan carries the lulavim and I carry

the etrogim! Is that OK with you, Yonatan?”

“Good idea, Daniel,” said Yonatan. As he took the three

etrogim, Yonatan noticed that one was particularly beautiful

with a shape like a tall tower. He showed it to Daniel and

they both agreed that this etrog would be for their father.

They continued on their trip, each of them carefully carrying

their lulavimand etrogim in their hands.

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After many hours, Shimon suggested a song. “Singing will

help us along the way!”

Song

Daniel and Yonatan sang so enthusiastically as they climbed

the hills to Jerusalem, that many other olim joined in.

“Listen,” said Shimon happily, “to the sounds all around you,

to the sounds of AmYisrael being oleileregel.”

And what a mix of sounds they heard! SOUNDS OF

CREAKING WAGONS, BRAYING DONKEYS, BAAING SHEEP,

LAUGHING CHILDREN AND THE QUIET WHOOOOOSH OF

WILLOW BRANCHES.


“Abba,” cried the boys, “it sounds like all of nature is

celebrating Sukkot!”

As they were going to sleep that night, their father said, “We

all need a good night’s sleep because tomorrow we will get

to Jerusalem. And you will want to stay up late to see the

celebrations in the BeitHamikdash. Sometimes they last all

night long!”

“All night long? Wow!” they shouted.

“Yes! So no more talking now, time to sleep! Lailatov.”

After a good night’s sleep, they began their climb up the last

hill.

"Careful as you hold your lulvaim and etrogim," warned their

father, "it’s going to be very crowded when we get closer to

the city. Hold my hands. Let’s not lose each other.”

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As they approached, they looked up at the walls of

Jerusalem. They were shining in the sunlight and seemed to

reach up to the sky.

Huge crowds of Jerusalemites stood at the gate to welcome

them.

“WELCOME TO JERUSALEM! HAPPY SUKKOT! COME AND

CELEBRATE THE HAPPIEST HOLIDAY OF THE YEAR!”

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“We have to visit our family’s stone,” said Yonatan. “Ima told

us that our forefathers brought it here. It used to be part of

the First Temple.”

“Right,” added Shimon. “After the first Beit Hamikdash was

destroyed we thought the stone was lost. But, miraculously

the builders of the Second Temple found it and made it part

of the wall surrounding and protecting the Second Temple!”

"But how will we recognize it?” asked Daniel. “There are

hundreds of stones!”

“Don’t worry,” said Shimon, “you can’t miss it!”

As they got closer to the outer walls of the Temple, Shimon

raised his eyes, searching for the family’s stone. “There it is,”

Shimon pointed. He lifted the boys up so they could reach

it. It was smooth and cool to the touch.

“Wow!” said Yonatan. “It’s the most beautiful stone in the

whole row. And look how it sparkles in the sun! How did

they ever get it here, all the way from Hevron? It’s amazing.”

“And just think,” added Shimon. “When the Babylonians

destroyed the First Temple, our stone could have

disappeared forever. Now, here it stands again, protecting

the Second Temple hundreds of years later!”

As they made their way through the gate into the Temple,


one of Daniel’s etrogim fell. He didn’t notice because of all

the people who had crowded around them.

They walked through the gate and stood in the inner court.

“WOW!” they both shouted.

They looked around with their mouths wide

open, at the huge Temple courtyard in front

of them. They never imagined a place so

spectacular. Beautiful, green willow branches

decorated the courtyard. Gold covered the

doors. Leviim were standing on the fifteen marble

steps singing.

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There were musicians blowing trumpets and shofars. And all

around there was a sea of people marching in a huge circle.

Each person was carrying and waving his own lulav and

etrog.

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“Look over there,” said Yonatan, “it's

Rav Hillel!”

“That’s right,” said Shimon, “of

course our greatest rabbis

are celebrating with us.”

There was so much to see

that the boys did not know

what to look at first!

“Hey,” said Yonatan, “that man

tied his lulav with a gold band.”

“Let’s take our lulav and etrog and join

them!”

As they reached down, they realized

that one etrog was missing! It was the

beautiful one - the one that looked like a tower!

Yonatan and Shimon looked at Daniel.

“I must have dropped it in the crowds,” he cried. “How could

that have happened?”

They started looking for the etrog but it was so crowded that

they couldn’t even see the ground. It was impossible to find

the lost etrog.


Daniel began to cry.

“It’s fine,” said Yonatan, “you and I can share.”

“It’s not the same!” said Daniel.

“It’s alright, son,” replied Shimon, “it’s nice to share.”

“Abba, I’m so sorry. That etrog was the most beautiful one

and it was supposed to be for you! This is not going to be

the chag of joy! I’ve ruined it!” said Daniel.

“You don’t need your own etrog to have joy on Sukkot,”

his father said. Shimon lifted one boy on each shoulder

and they joined the dancing. The courtyard of the Beit

Hamikdash was filled with music. THE FLUTES FLUTED, THE

TRUMPETERS TRUMPETED, THE HARP PLAYERS PLUCKED

ON THEIR STRINGS AND CYMBALS CLANKED TOGETHER IN

RHYTHM.

They began to sing… Song

All around them was a sea of waving lulavim and etrogim.

And everyone’s face was lit up with a huge smile.

As the sky grew dark and night approached, the menorot

were lit and the flames burned so brightly that all of

Jerusalem was filled with light. The people all around

the Beit Hamikdash stood on the balconies and watched.

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Shimon took his sons’ hands and climbed on to the highest

step of the highest balcony to get the best view.

“Now the fun really begins!” smiled Shimon, “just watch!”

The choir of the Leviim stood on the steps dressed in their

finest robes.

Suddenly, a flaming torch was seen flying through the air...

and another and then another!


“Watch your head!” Daniel cried.

“Don’t worry,” their father reassured them. “These rabbis are

the greatest jugglers you’ve ever seen!”

Suddenly there were etrogim flying in the air, first two,

then three, then up to five! And not one of them fell to the

ground.

The crowd roared as the rabbis took turns juggling and

dancing. The celebrations continued well into the night.

By the time it was over, Shimon had to carry his boys back to

the house. Exhausted, they fell asleep.

In the morning the boys were still excited. “Did you see the

faces of the rabbis?” asked Shimon.

“Their faces were shining!” said Daniel

“Their eyes were sparkling!” added Yonatan.

“Yes,” said Shimon, “they were feeling…”

“Joy,” shouted Yonatan and Daniel at the same time.

“Yes, joy! Simcha,” added Shimon. “You know boys, it’s not

only the faces of our kohanim and sages that were shining.

When I looked at you both, I saw two of the widest smiles in

the whole Temple.”

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“You’re right Abba,” said Daniel. “I thought not having my

own etrog would ruin Sukkot. But somehow it doesn’t

matter anymore.”

The two brothers looked at each other and smiled again.

“Hmmmm, so what is the special joy of Sukkot?” asked their

father.

“Well,” began Daniel, “music?”

“Dancing? Juggling?” added Yonatan.

“Well that’s part of it. Those are things we do to show our

joy. But what makes us feel the joy?”

“Well for me it was about all AmYisrael celebrating together.

But what made it even more joyous was celebrating here,

in God’s holy place!” said Daniel.

“Well boys,” said Shimon, “sounds to me like our trip to

Jerusalem has taught us a lot.”

Yonatan, Daniel and their father continued to celebrate for

the rest of Sukkot. When it was over, they made their way

out of the Temple and the gates of the city.

As they were leaving, they made sure to say “goodbye” to

their special stone.


“Thank you,” whispered Daniel. “See you next year!”

They began their trip home and sang as they walked...

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Activity 1

Charades

Your teacher will whisper in your ear a part of the story we

just read. Stand in front of your class and act it out without

talking. Can they guess what you are doing?

Activity 2

Draw a picture of how the Beit Hamikdash looked during

Sukkot. Pretend you are there and put yourself in the picture.

Activity 3

Discuss with your teacher:

1. Daniel was very sad when he lost the special etrog. What

made him feel better? What helps you feel better when you

are sad?

2. These are some of the reasons Daniel and Yonatan gave

for why Sukkot was so happy: Dancing, juggling, music,

seeing how happy everyone was, celebrating in God’s Holy

Temple. What do you think was the most important reason?


Activity 4

Draw pictures of the lulav and etrog. Color them in.

Along with your classmates, carry your lulav and etrog to

your class's special wall of the BeitHamikdash (don’t forget

to sing along the way!). Tape your lulav and etrog to your

special stone so you can remember your visit on Sukkot!

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Lesson 3

We Will Return

The Jewish people loved the Beit Hamikdash, and Daniel

and Yonatan continued to return there on Pesach, Shavuot

and Sukkot.

Many, many years later, sad times came to Jerusalem once

again.

The Roman army came. First, they surrounded the city.

Then, they did not let in any food, so the people who lived

in Jerusalem were hungry. Finally, when the people were

very hungry, the Romans attacked and destroyed the city

and the second BeitHamikdash.

This is the story of a family that lived at that time.


• How hard it was to live in Jerusalem at that time

• How some of the Jews escaped from the city

• How sad it was for the people to leave their city

• What the people took with them to remember

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“I’m hungry!” complained Chana.

“I know,” said her mother, Leah. “But we’ve eaten all the

bread we have. Try some of this soup.”

“But that soup is mostly water with some peels. Ima, when

will we be able to eat the way we used to. I miss your chicken

and rice!”

“I don’t know,” replied her ima. “The Romans won’t let any

food into Jerusalem. They want us to be hungry. They want

to destroy our city!”

“Well, we won’t let them. We’ll never leave. This is our city!”

cried Chana.

“I know how you feel, Chana,” answered her ima. “I don’t

want to leave either. But abba and I will have to decide what

to do. Why don’t you go outside and find Rivka.”

Chana ran outside to her good friend Rivka. Rivka and

Chana loved to play in the alleys and streets of Jerusalem.

They would play hide and seek, ducking into the small

shops when one of them wasn’t looking. They used to sit on

the side of the road and smell the fresh challot being baked

before Shabbat. Sometimes they even heard the tinkling of

the bells on the clothes of theKohenGadol.

However, their favorite activity was to visit a very special


stone. It was the stone that Chana’s family brought to the

Beit Hamikdash so many years ago. It still stood large and

proud on the walls surrounding the Temple.

They would run their hands across its smooth clean surface

and marvel at how beautiful it was and how it sparkled in

the sunlight. “I can’t believe your family brought this stone

to Jerusalem all the way from Hevron!” exclaimed Rivka.

“I don’t know how they did it,” answered Chana proudly, “but

I’m glad they did.”

On most days if they listened carefully they could hear the

Leviim singing... AND PLAYING HARPS AND TRUMPETS.

Often they would go to the

gates of the Temple and

listen to the Levites. Each

day the Leviim would

stand in the courtyard of

the Temple and sing the

song of the day. Each day,

it was a different song.

Chana and Rivka would

argue about which song

they liked most.

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“I like Monday’s song!” said Chana. “No, Wednesday’s song is

much better,” argued Rivka. Usually they ended up agreeing

that the song of Shabbat was best. They would then close

their eyes, pretend they were Leviim and sing the songs

together.

Song


Today as they sat on the steps, there was a scary silence.

Instead of the song of the Levites, they only heard the

hurried footsteps of people running. “Something’s wrong!”

said Rivka. “You’re right,” agreed Chana. “I think we'd better

go home!”

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When Chana arrived home she found her parents sitting at

their table with worried faces. As she walked into the house

she saw there were tears running down her mother’s face.

“Chana,” her mother said. “Come sit down. We want to tell

you something. Abba and I have decided to leave our

beloved city. We know of a secret tunnel that will take us to

safety. We have to leave tonight before the Romans come. If

they come and we’re still here, it could be very dangerous.”

“I don’t want to leave!” cried Chana. “This is our home. This is

sabaand savta’s home. How can we leave?”

“We will leave because we have to,” said her father gently.

“Will we come back?” asked Chana.

“I pray that we will,” he replied sadly.

As Chana looked around her home, the home she’d known

all her life, she ran her hand along its familiar walls. She

looked out the window at the streets and alleyways that she

knew so well. There was her favorite shop for buying her

mother’s candles and down the street was where she would

sit and listen to the people in the market buying and selling

spices and oils. Now all was quiet.

“I never want to forget my home,” Chana turned and said to

her parents.


“You won’t forget!” said her father.

“But, how? How can you be so sure? How will we remember?”

asked Chana.

“Well,” said her mother, “what can we take to remind us of

our city, of Jerusalem?”

“I will bring a stone,” Chana said as she

quickly found a small shiny stone from the

street and put it in her pocket.

“What else can we take? Something that

we don’t have to carry? Something that

will remind us of Jerusalem?” asked her

father.

Chana stood quietly, thinking.

“Memories,” she said. Suddenly

Chana remembered her favorite

holiday, Sukkot. The singing and dancing.

The music. “I will remember Sukkot in the

Bet Hamikdash. I will remember carrying

your lulav and etrog for you, Abba.”

“And we will talk about it together. We will remind each

other,” her mother said putting her arms around Chana and

smiling.

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The family stood together, with their arms around each

other quietly.

After a few moments, Chana added, “And something else.

The songs. We can sing the songs anywhere. I will never

forget how to sing the songs of Jerusalem!”

The family quickly packed up the few things that they could

take with them. Each of them took one long last look at their

home, wondering if they would ever see it again.

As darkness came, they slipped out of the door of their

house. Chana’s father led the way down the silent alleyways.

“Wait!” Chana said suddenly.

“What is it?” asked her mother anxiously.

“There is one last place we must visit!” pleaded Chana.

“Please! It’s not far,” Chana said as she looked towards the

large wall surrounding the BeitHamikdash.

After a moment’s hesitation, her father agreed.

“Alright, but we have to go quickly.”

The three of them walked quickly and silently towards the

towering wall that surrounded the Beit Hamikdash. They


stood in front of the family stone, the stone that generations

ago had been brought all the way from Hevron by her great-

great-grandparents. It was part of the First Temple. When

the Temple was destroyed, it became part of the wall that

protected the Second Temple.

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Chana put her cheek against its cold smooth surface. Her

tears fell down her face and stained the stone.

“I will never forget you,” she whispered. “We will return!”

Chana and her family made their way down the hill towards

the tunnels that would take them out of the city to safety.

The stone remained…standing silent and dark, its surface

now stained with Chana’s tears.

Activity 1

Choose one of the following scenes of the story and draw a

picture of it.

1. Chana and Rivka playing hide and seek in the streets

of Jerusalem

2. Chana and her family saying goodbye to their house

3. Chana and her family saying goodbye to their

“family’s stone”

4. The stone stained with Chana’s tears


Activity 2

What are the things that Chana and Rivka loved to do in the

city? Which of those things do you think she will miss the

most?

Chana took a stone, a song and memories with her when she

left. What would you take with you to help you remember?

Activity 3

Pretend you are Chana and her family. Go to visit your

special stone before you leave the city.

Walk quietly (don’t let the Romans hear you!).

Whisper your goodbye.

The Kotel54 The Kotel54

Lesson Four

We Have Returned

Chana’s tears that stained the stone stayed there for many,

many years. After the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the

Beit Hamikdash, it was thousands of years until the Jewish

People could celebrate again in Jerusalem. But even though

the Temple was destroyed, some of the walls protecting the

Temple stayed strong. They never gave up. The walls waited

for the Jews to return. And guess what? We DID return! And

guess which stone was waiting?

This is the story of two children, about your age, who have

come to visit Jerusalem today. Maybe they’re from a city just

like yours.


• The “Kotel”

• What is so special about the “Kotel”

“How many more hours till we land?” asked Michal

impatiently.

“We should be landing in about 2 hours,” answered Rachel,

her mother.

55Eretz Yisrael Throughout the Year 5555Eretz Yisrael Throughout the Year 55

“Tell me more about what we’re going to see,” said her

brother Jeremy.

“Well,” said Meir, their father, “we're going to Jerusalem first.

That’s where my family used to live many, many years ago.”

“I thought they lived in Hevron?” asked Rachel.

“You’re right,” agreed Meir. “First they lived in Hevron, but

later on they moved to Jerusalem.”

“Is there a pool there? Can we go swimming?” asked Jeremy.

“There's a fantastic pool in the hotel,” said Meir.

“Great!” said Michal. “We’ll stay in the pool while you go

around the city!”

“I think you might want to come with us,” said Meir.

“Especially, when we visit the

Kotel,” added Rachel.

“What’s the Kotel?” asked

Michal and Jeremy at

the same time.

“It’s part of the wall

that used to surround

the Beit Hamikdash,”

said Rachel.

The Kotel56

“Well, why don’t we just go and see the BeitHamikdash. I’d

rather see that,” said Michal.

“So would I,” answered Rachel, “but the BeitHamikdash was

destroyed.”

“That’s sad,” said Jeremy, “so now all we have left is a wall?

What could be so great about a wall?”


“I hope you’ll find the answer when we get there,” replied

Rachel, smiling.

After their plane landed, Meir, Rachel and the children,

Michal and Jeremy got into a cab and drove up to Jerusalem.

When they arrived at the Kotel, the sun shone on their faces

and they had to squint in order to see. They heard laughing

children and clinking sounds as peopledropped coins into

tzedaka boxes to help the poor. The children could see lots

of people walking, old people with canes, children skipping

alongside their parents and a group of young teenagers

singing and dancing. “Look,” called out Michal pointing,

“there’s a bride! Why is she here?”

The Kotel58

“She wants to say special prayers before she gets married,

answered Rachel.

Michal and Jeremy held their parents’ hands and began to

sing as they walked closer… Song

Soon, they were surrounded by a sea of people. The children

looked around and held hands. They suddenly felt like their

small family had grown to include all these other “strangers,”

all these other Jewish people. There were babies in carriages,

Israeli soldiers, people wearing talitot and school children

carrying their backpacks following their teacher.

As they walked, there was some laughing and giggling but

everyone’s face was directed towards the towering wall. The

wall was shining under the sun’s rays.

“It looks like gold,” exclaimed Michal as they got closer.

“Why are there soldiers here?” asked Jeremy.

"They also came to pray. It is the closest place to where our

BeitHamikdash used to be," answered their father.

As they got closer, suddenly the Kotel was standing in front

of them, tall and wide. They lifted their eyes and stood

silently. There was a big open space in front of the Kotel

and everyone was staring. The huge stones stood proudly.

Hundreds of people gathered as close as possible to touch

the stones.


“How did they ever get those stones here?” asked Michal.

“I’m not sure,” said Meir. “But my grandmother told me that

my forefathers helped bring one of the stones all the way

from their home in Hevron.”

“Wow!” Jeremy exclaimed! “I wonder which one!”

“Well,” said Meir, “maybe you can try to find it”

“But how will we know which one it is?” said Michal.

“All I know is what my grandmother told me. That it was the

biggest and most beautiful stone.”

Michal and Jeremy stood there staring at the Kotel.

The Kotel60

After a few moments, Michal said, “If this is just a small

part of the wall that surrounded the BeitHamikdash, I can’t

imagine how amazing the real BeitHamikdash was!”

“I wish we could have seen it!”

“Well, you’ll have to use your imagination! Just imagine an

entrance gate and people walking through it to reach the

Beit Hamikdash. Once inside, you could hear the Leviim

singing and playing their instruments. “

“When did the people come to visit?” asked Jeremy.

“Every Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot, and even any day of the

year,” answered Rachel.

“I wish I could have come on Sukkot!” said Michal. “That’s my

favorite holiday!”

“Me too,” said Jeremy. “I would have brought my lulav and

etrog right into the BeitHamikdash!”

“You would have joined thousands of Jews from all over

Israel. They danced and celebrated all through the night!”

Michal and Jeremy closed their eyes and tried to imagine

the scene. They tried to smell the sweet smell of the etrog

and hear the singing of the Leviim.

Suddenly there was the sound of real singing. They opened


their eyes and there before them were hundreds of people

dancing and singing... Song

“It must be someone’s Bar Mitzvah!” said Meir. “Let’s get

closer!”

Rachel took Michal’s hand. “We’ll go to where the women

are and Jeremy you go with abba to the men’s side.”

As the children began to go with their parents, Michal called

out to Jeremy, “Let’s both look for our family’s stone! Tell me

if you find it!”

“I’ll try, but there are so many!” he said.

Michal and Jeremy each held on to their parents’ hands and

approached the holy wall.

As they got closer they could hear the prayers that they

recognized from back home. Michal and Jeremy and their

parents walked slowly past the crowds, inching closer and

closer.

“It might be hard to find a place to stand,” Rachel said.

“We’ll find a place,” Michal said, suddenly sure of herself. As

they got closer, an old woman who was standing right in

front of the wall, turned and smiled at Michal. Michal smiled

back. The woman moved over as if she had been waiting

and saving a place for her. She let go of her mother’s hand

The Kotel62

and took her place right at the wall.

She lifted her hands and touched a stone, not knowing what

to expect. The stone was surprisingly cool to the touch.

She kept her hand on it, noticing all of the small pieces of

paper stuck between the cracks. “Prayers,” she said to herself

smiling. She remembered her mother telling her that people

wrote their prayers to God and put them into the cracks of

the wall.

WITH HER HAND AGAINST THE STONE’S COLD SURFACE,

SHE CLOSED HER EYES. AROUND HER, PEOPLE WERE

WHISPERING THEIR OWN PRAYERS.

Michal loved to sing and she began to sing quietly to herself

the song that her parents had taught her about Jerusalem.

Song

She imagined she was at the gate to the Beit Hamikdash,

surrounded by all the nation of Israel, by her family from

Hevron who had brought one of these stones, by children

like herself who came on Sukkot with their lulav and etrog

and even by the sad Jews who had to leave when enemies

came to destroy the BeitHamikdash.

The Kotel64

The stone that had felt so cold before was now warm and

when she opened her eyes the stone was sparkling in the

sun, as if it was saying, “Welcome!” She now looked closely

at the stone. It was surely the largest and smoothest of all

the stones she could see. “I wonder if this is our family’s

stone,” she thought to herself. She turned to ask her mother,

“Could this be our stone? Could this be the one?"

Michal suddenly realized how much this stone had seen

throughout all the years. She wished the stone could tell its

story.

Michal and Rachel stood in front of “their” stone a while

longer and before they left, Michal said she wanted to leave

a note. SHE GOT HER PEN AND A SMALL PIECE OF PAPER

AND SHE BEGAN TO WRITE.

“Dear God, I know these stones have seen so much, so many wonderful times and also so many sad times. There were times when all the Jewish people came to visit and the courtyard was full. Then there were times when it was quiet and empty, when we weren’t allowed to come. But now look around. So many Jewish people visiting. We have returned! Please help us protect this place so we can always come and visit.”

Smiling, Michal took her mother’s hand. As they began to


leave, Michal took one last look at “her” stone. It sparkled in

the sunlight.

“Wait till I tell Jeremy that I found our stone!” she said.

The Kotel66

Activity 1

I remember...

Michal said, “I wish the stone could tell its story.” Pretend

you and your classmates are the special stone - a stone that

can suddenly talk! Go around the room and tell each other

one thing that you remember from all the stories that you

read. Maybe about Sarah and David. Maybe about Yonatan

and Daniel. Perhaps the sad story of Chana and her family.

It could be about Michal and Jeremy. You are the stone! You

decide!

Activity 2

Draw a picture of one of the stories that you read. Collect all

your pictures and make a memory album for your class.

Activity 3

Many people write notes to God and stick them into the

cracks of the Kotel just like Michal did. If you would visit

the Kotel you would see them. Why do you think people do

that?

Activity 4

Write a short prayer with words or pictures to put on your

special stone. When your class is ready, walk together with

your prayers to your "class’s kotel" and put your prayer on

your stone.


Activity 5

Celebrate! Our journey is over! Sit with your class in front of

your “kotel.” Admire how beautiful it is! What kinds of stones

do you see? What is on the stones?

Look at the picture of the real Kotel in Jerusalem. Does it

look like the one in your classroom?

I hope someday you will go to Jerusalem and visit the Kotel.

If you do, look for our stone. You will certainly find it. It will

be the biggest and most beautiful one. And it will sparkle in

the sunlight!

Now, let’s end our story the way we began...with our song!

The Lookstein Center for Jewish EducationSchool of Education, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 52900 Israel

Tel: 972-3-531-8199 | Fax: 972-3-535-1912 [email protected] www.lookstein.org

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