Last night there was an approved entry into Kever Yosef, the complex of Joseph's Tomb, in Shchem. News reports are saying more than 2000 people went in. The guy running our bus told me that he thought 24 buses had been approved.

Today, the 8th of Tishrei, is the 11th anniversary of Israel abandoning Joseph's Tomb to Palestinian rioters.

I have not been to Kever Yosef in a few years. It has been very difficult to get on the list of entry, and the one time they recently included me, they only called me at the last minute and I was not able to go. This trip was unusual in the sense that somebody local to Bet Shemesh got approval to bring in a bus directly from bet Shemesh. he is connected to the Shechem1 organization, that arranges these entries, and they were willing to work with him.

He filled up the bus pretty quickly, and there were even people waiting to see if someone would not show up. he hopes that next time he will be allotted two buses. They expect another entry during Chol HaMoed Sukkos.

One thing that clearly defines these excursions to Kever Yosef is the waiting. There is a lot of waiting. the bus is uncomfortable, as it is a bullet-proof bus. We waited to leave, we waited at various army checkposts. There is a lot of waiting. It took us about 3 hours to get there - we were supposed to leave at 10 PM, and we got on the bus then, and only arrived at Kever Yosef at a bit after 1 AM. The way back was much quicker - just over an hour.

The organizer of our bus spoke while en route. he had learned in the Od Yosef Chai yeshiva and spent much time by the kever. he described what it was like back then. After that, Rav Rosen spoke about Kever Yosef through history and with biblical sources.

Getting there was an exciting experience. i have always liked to go to Kever Yosef, and have gone a number of times. I think the adventure is a large part of it, and the rarity of it being accessible. In the past, since I have not been there the past few years, I was used to seeing the complex in disrepair, in ruin, The dome at the top was always broken, the building was full of soot, the grave itself was a pile of rocks from the destroyed tombstone. As well, the organization was always a bit lacking, you kind of just went, pushed your way forward and moved along.

Last night, the place was clean, repainted, the dome was complete, the tombstone was rebuilt and covered. I know the news is reporting that there were swastikas graffiti'ed but I did not see them and the pictures they show seem like it was not very noticeable.

The organization was also much improved. There were ushers, they scheduled who could go in when, and everything flowed. Our convoy of buses was the first of the night and each convoy was being allotted 30 minutes in the complex. The women went in to the kever area first for 15 minutes while the men said selichos or tehillim in the area where the Beis Medrash of the old Od Yosef Chai yeshiva was. And then the men went in for 15 minutes.

They had refreshments as well, but none of the famous cholent or kugel as in previous excursions. Just danishes and drinks.

By the kever as well we continued saying selichos along with personal prayers. It was a very uplifting experience to be there right before Yom Kippur, at a very "prayer high" point of the year. And all types of Jews were there together - not religious, religious, haredi, dati leumi, hassidic, men, women and children, police and soldiers were davening as well. There was a woman there who "bentched gomel". It was really an experience of klal yisrael together.