If you ever get the chance to go to the kotel on the night before Erev Yom Kippur (for
slichot services) take the opportunity... I did out of curiosity and never could have imagined the crazy night that I stumbled upon...
When approaching the walls of the Old City I saw a long row of card tables stretched over a few hundred meters of sidewalk paralleling the ancient walls. Each table had either a sign with the name of a charity on it, asking for donations, or a beat up cardboard box. Upon further examination I saw that each of the hundreds of cardboard boxes housed a white exhausted looking chicken. As I walked by, young Haredi men shouted to passerby, "Kapparot Kapparot" or "Kapporos Kapporos" (depending on the Ashkenazi or Sephardi accent). Only somewhat aware of what the chickens were doing I inquired further... here's what I can tell you: According to Jewish tradition, during the days before Yom Kippur if one waves a chicken over their head (or has someone do it for them) and recites a blessing stating that the chicken is your substitute, your atonement for sins, your sins are thereby symbolically transferred to the chicken. The chicken is later slaughtered and its meat given to the poor before the holiday.
Despite my personal skepticism of the effectiveness of the ritual, I reasoned that I had to give it a try if nothing else on grounds purely trying something that I would not normally do.
I had heard of this practice before but had never actually seen it myself. Coming from the background of a 21st century progressive liberal Jew, I have to say that for me it is one of the more foreign and old world-y feeling Jewish traditions that I've encountered. Additionally, I am SURE that the chickens are less than pleased about their roller coaster-esque evening of being waved over peoples heads and landing with yet another persons sins to deal with. I cannot say that I envy them...
 |
| Ignoring numerous warnings against doing so (largely on concern of ground of getting pooped on, but also on animal rights/ ethics too) I had a Kapparah done for me. I escaped clean. One of the luck few. |
The rest of the evening was filled with a completely packed trek from the Jaffa gate, through the alleyways of the Jewish Quarter, to the Kotel. The 35 minute trek (which is normally a leisurely stroll of 10-15 minutes), was filled with rambunctious singing of Jewish songs with the crowd of hundreds doing just the same, bumping into people in the narrow alleyways, providing directions to disoriented and awestruck "pilgrims" from Tel-Aviv on just how to get to the Kotel (though had they thought about it they could have just followed the masses which were quite noticeably headed in one direction- to the Kotel).
 |
| The flow of Jews from all over through the narrow passageways of the Old City |
After 20 or so minutes of sort of riding the current of people eastward through the winding alleyways I arrived at the main square of the Jewish quarter, which was itself filled with nearly 1,000 people. Many people, like myself, going along for the experience. There were others though looking to capitalize on the "festival" that this night had become...
 |
| The Slichot Popcorn vendor- entrepreneurship at its finest |
Continuing down the steps to the kotel was not an easy task.
I have never in my life seen so many people in one place. The energy abuzz was contagious, like a big party- definitely was NOT the sort of introspective vibes that that I expected for a worship service, at the holiest place for Jews, focusing on atonement.
To top it off, the ultra-orthodox styled service (which was led via jumbotron, might I add) was by far the most "egalitarian" that I've ever heard of. While orthodox prayer services always separate men and women (with a variety of separation tools ranging from elegant tapestries to walls) due to the massive amount of people, this was simply not an option. Men, and women, praying side by side, squished together - scantily clad Tel-Aviv girls pushed up against ultra Orthodox Haredi men- it was a sight I thought I'd never see. And yet, there didn't seem to be any problems. It simply was what it was and people accepted it.
 |
| In the thick of things... |
 |
| Check out the variety of kippot (and the men and women side by side) |
After hours of standing, an attempt at prayer, "doing" a Kapparah, lots of photographing, and experiencing a night of fusion of Jewish tradition from all over the world I was satisfied. I walked home that night through the crowds, exhausted, slightly confused, but mostly elated- Ready to take on the day to come, Yom Kippur.
 |
| Looking up through the Dung Gate at the masses streaming out. |
