Desert Flower returns home

At about 4.30 in the morning, we landed in Israel after almost three weeks in Poland, tired but happy because of the long and fascinating trip.

Over the past few days, after the meeting with the Pope, we went around visiting important places in the history of Poland and among them, and in first place, the national shrine of Częstochowa. There we celebrated mass in Hebrew in the large church and we were all very surprised when a young monk in the basilica addressed us over the microphone in fluent Hebrew and thanked us for the incredible experience he had had through us – he studied Hebrew and Judaism for five years!

In the evening, we participated in the prayer to honor Mary, a prayer that take place every day at 21.00. There too, before the Black Madonna, the renown icon of Mary, we prayed the Hail Mary in Hebrew and it was transmitted live on television and radio. There too, young Christians from Iraq came to greet us and be photographed with us. It is very moving to see how these youth, who are living such difficult experiences, manage to preserve hope and joy of living.

The last day we spent in Warsaw. There, thanks to Zusa, an old friend that we got to know in Israel, we toured the city with special attention to the places that were important to the Jewish community, including the ghetto.

It was nice to meet many friends who have visited the kehillot over the years: students, volunteers, journalists… many who came from different cities all the way to Warsaw just to see us. It warms the heart to discover how much our little kehillot have provided unforgettable experiences in the hearts of people who stayed with us even if just for a short time.

With hearts full of thanksgiving, we continue on our way as young people, as Christians, as believers in Israel, thanking all those who made it possible to realize this trip – especially the DVHL, the German Association of the Holy Land, that provided much of the funding for this trip.