Saul Ronsayro: Pilgrim Values and Identity (assigned reading 4)

 I have always found the idea of a Pilgrimage fascinating, and I want to do it at some point in my life. Being Jewish, my idea of a pilgrimage is that of me visiting Israel and Jerusalem, which I bring up because one of the first things this article talks about is how Christian pilgrimages are based on those of Judaism, with both the story of exodus as well as tales from the diaspora. However, the main thing I want to focus on is a point that is highly emphasized by the article, which is the distinction between a pilgrim and a tourist. On the surface, they might seem similar, but they are entirely different when traveling to a new place. This aspect and value makes a pilgrim a pilgrim, the ritual. When you travel for fun, your only goal is to have fun, while on a pilgrimage, you are trying to connect with a deeper part of yourself. I experienced this very briefly when I was in Israel for a couple of days seven years ago, and from that little exposure, I can grasp the profound difference between tourism and a pilgrimage.

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