I'm Dalia and I'm Jewish. I go to Israel in fourdays on Sunday and I'm so excited I can't wait. Every time I think about it I just start dancing.
CHARLIE: 14-year-old Dalia isgoing to Jerusalem with the school forthe first time ever.
DALIA: Are you excited to go to Israel?
ALL: Yeah!
CHEERING
DALIA: Is it on? Hello! We just arrived in Israel. So excited.
Yeah.
DALIA: Jerusalem is where it all began it all started. It's quite warming to knowthat there is such a big community out there for us.
CHARLIE: Jerusalem is reallyimportant in the history of Judaism. That's why so many Jewishpeople want to be there. To get such a strong vibe of thatfeeling of being welcome here. Like as soon you get here especially into Jerusalem as soon as you get into Jerusalem you really feel it.
CHARLIE: Dalia's school are visitingthe Western Wall in the old city. It's one of the last remaining partsof the destroyed temple. Some of it is morethan 2030 years old. People travel here from all overthe world to pray and post messages to God. I definitely have an idea of what I want to write down and put on the wall so that willbe a nice moment I think for me. It'll make me feel quite it's my own thing and I think I'm quite proud of what I'm writing down. I'm really happy withwhat I'm going to put on the note.
TEACHER: One two three.
DALIA: Oh my I can't believe we're here. How pretty is that? Amazing actually incredible. Beautiful. Oh I'm so excited. It is massive! It's so big look at it! It's… It's overpowering. I don't know I'm lost… I feel like I don't have any words to say. In my opinion it's one of the focalpoints of my religion one of the main places to go as a Jew. I think it's… it's a great feeling. I can't stop looking at it that's all I know. I really want to go down.
So when you see everybody praying and then you pray and then you touch the wall and you put your note inbecause it's your personal feeling I guess written down being put into such a holy place. It is quite emotional when you think about it. It's overpowering really to be here. It does make me feel more like yes I'm Jewish and I'm in Israel. I love being able to say that. I guess proud is the way I feel.
Video summary
14-year-old Jewish girl Dalia is taking a school trip to Jerusalem, and uses her video camera to record her experiences.
She visits the Western Wall in the old city, parts of which are over 2300 years old. It's where Jewish people come to post messages to God. From BBC Series My Life, My Religion: Judaism.
Teacher Notes
Give pupils some maps and information sources to find out about Jerusalem in Jewish history. Research tasks in RE encourage independent thinking and inquiry skills. Can they gather, in pairs, eight facts about Jerusalem and the Jewish faith?
This topic is relevant to KS2 Religious Education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and National 2 Religious Studies in Scotland.
What is a Bat Mitzvah? video
Jewish girl Me-Me introduces us to the Bat Mitzvah ceremony as she prepares to become a ‘Daughter of the Law’, learning to pray and to read the Torah in public.
Hannukkah, the festival of lights. video
Find out about Hanukkah through the eyes of 11 year old Solly. Solly shows us how his family celebrates and gives us a short history of the origin of the tradition.
Life as a young Jewish boy. video
11-year-old Charlie introduces himself, and lists the things the matter to him most in the world - food, sport, family, being Jewish – and shoes!
Celebrating Passover. video
10-year-old Solly uses his own video camera to share the experience of his family preparing for the Jewish festival of Passover.
Celebrating Rosh Hashanah. video
11-year-old Charlie from Manchester explains the festival of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year that he celebrates every autumn.
Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest. video
10-year-old Charlie tells us what his family do on Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest, and how it differs from the rest of the week.
The Torah. video
Young British Jewish boy Charlie meets an expert scribe to learn more about the Torah, the Jewish holy book.
What is Judaism? video
11-year-old Charlie from Manchester introduces the history, traditions and beliefs of the Jewish religion. We see him go to pray with his dad at their Orthodox synagogue.
