Moments of Pure Joy on a Rainy Fall Day

It is Chol HaMoed Succot and the first rainy day of the fall season is upon us. Yad Sarah's unique program that facilitates day trips for people in wheelchairs is in full swing despite the wet weather. This group, a joint venture of "Mangishei Derech," (literally making accessible travel possible) and Yad Sarah, is embarking on a magical journey in the footsteps of the pilgrims to Jerusalem. Part of a series of trips for people in wheelchairs that promotes accessibility to tourist sites throughout Israel, the group is traveling in YadSaraVans, specially outfitted to carry people confined to wheelchairs. The dedicated drivers and devoted guides join together to create an opportunity for people with disabilities to tour the country despite the difficulties.

The theme of the trip on Chol HaMoed was pilgrimages to Jerusalem, a tradition mentioned in the Torah in conjunction with the three major holidays of Succot, Pesach, and Shavuot, when the people of Israel traveled from all over the country to Jerusalem to celebrate together. The guides were volunteers Nissim Peterkovsky and Kobi Beer. Sixteen travelers with functional disabilities arrived in seven YadSaraVans. All together, there were about 40 people. The group traveled along the Jericho-Jerusalem road, beginning with Kassar-Al Yahud, east of Jericho, the place where the people of Israel first entered the land of Israel. In this place, the children of Israel fulfilled the commandment of circumcision and observed the first Pesach holiday. There we spoke about the pilgrims who crossed the river at this same spot, on their way to worship at the Holy sites. Over the years, Christians have adopted the place as a baptism site. There was extraordinary excitement when suddenly the skies opened and the first rain of the season fell on us. From there we went to the hostel of the Good Samaritan, where we heard from a local guide on the many ancient mosaics displayed there, including a copy of the mosaic from an ancient synagogue in Gaza. Then, we entered the screening room located inside an ancient cave where we saw a movie about the legend of the Good Samaritan. The guides emphasized the great dangers experienced by those who attempted to make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem from this area. We ended our trip on Mount Scopus, at the observation point of Binyamin Mazar, who was one of the archeological pillars of the country. His nephew and granddaughter are also accomplished archaeologists. From the lookout, we could see the Temple Mount in one direction and the desert in the other. We read the story of Rabbi Akiva who comforted his followers by saying that just as the prophecies of the destruction of Jerusalem came true, so would the prophecies of redemption soon be realized. Our travelers left the vans three times, but despite the difficulties in maneuvering so many wheelchairs, they all enjoyed very much. And, are already looking forward to the next trip. Report on the Yad Sarah portal by Shekedia Cohen

#_lt#div style="text-align#_sc# justify;" dir="ltr"#_gt# #_lt#p#_gt#The theme of the trip on Chol HaMoed was pilgrimages to Jerusalem, a tradition mentioned in the Torah in conjunction with the three major holidays of Succot, Pesach, and Shavuot, when the people of Israel traveled from all over the country to Jerusalem to celebrate together. The guides were volunteers Nissim Peterkovsky and Kobi Beer.#_lt#/p#_gt# #_lt#p#_gt#Sixteen travelers with functional disabilities arrived in seven YadSaraVans. All together, there were about 40 people. The group traveled along the Jericho-Jerusalem road, beginning with Kassar-Al Yahud, east of Jericho, the place where the people of Israel first entered the land of Israel.#_lt#/p#_gt# #_lt#p#_gt#In this place, the children of Israel fulfilled the commandment of circumcision and observed the first Pesach holiday. There we spoke about the pilgrims who crossed the river at this same spot, on their way to worship at the Holy sites. Over the years, Christians have adopted the place as a baptism site. There was extraordinary excitement when suddenly the skies opened and the first rain of the season fell on us.#_lt#/p#_gt# #_lt#p#_gt#From there we went to the hostel of the Good Samaritan, where we heard from a local guide on the many ancient mosaics displayed there, including a copy of the mosaic from an ancient synagogue in Gaza. Then, we entered the screening room located inside an ancient cave where we saw a movie about the legend of the Good Samaritan. The guides emphasized the great dangers experienced by those who attempted to make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem from this area.#_lt#/p#_gt# #_lt#p#_gt#We ended our trip on Mount Scopus, at the observation point of Binyamin Mazar, who was one of the archeological pillars of the country. His nephew and granddaughter are also accomplished archaeologists. From the lookout, we could see the Temple Mount in one direction and the desert in the other. We read the story of Rabbi Akiva who comforted his followers by saying that just as the prophecies of the destruction of Jerusalem came true, so would the prophecies of redemption soon be realized.#_lt#/p#_gt# #_lt#p#_gt#Our travelers left the vans three times, but despite the difficulties in maneuvering so many wheelchairs, they all enjoyed very much. And, are already looking forward to the next trip.#_lt#/p#_gt# #_lt#p#_gt#Report on the Yad Sarah portal by Shekedia Cohen#_lt#/p#_gt# #_lt#p style="text-align#_sc# justify;"#_gt# #_lt#/p#_gt# #_lt#/div#_gt#