The letter in the wall

By Melissa Amster


I watched "Letters to Juliet" this afternoon. Definitely something I could see in chick lit novel form, if it weren't made into a movie first. Anyway, one part of the storyline resonated with me, as I had a similar experience. The premise is that women write letters to Juliet (of "Romeo and Juliet" fame) and put them on (or in) a wall in Verona, Italy, for her to read. Then there are "secretaries of Juliet" who answer all the letters. Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) answers a letter that was placed there 50 years ago and it leads to a romantic storyline.

Back in early 2002, I visited another country that started with an I...Israel. There is a big wall in Jerusalem called the Western Wall. It's customary for people to stick letters of prayer into the wall for Hashem to read. On one of my last days there, I wrote a letter to Hashem praying for either a good relationship or a chance to get into an improv comedy troupe. (I know the two are unrelated, but I figured if I had at least one, I'd be happy.) I made a personal bargain in return. About a month later, my letter (or prayer) was answered. I was out with a bunch of friends one night and told one of their acquaintances that I had to go bowling the next day, as I was in a league at the time. He started laughing and told me that he had a single, Jewish friend who also lived in the Chicago suburbs (where I was living at the time) and liked to bowl. I gave him my contact information to pass along and the rest is history. We've been married for six years now. I guess my husband's friend was like a "secretary of Hashem," as he found me the perfect match without even knowing anything about me other than the fact that I was Jewish and liked to bowl.

This goes to show that you never know what will come of sticking a letter in a wall.