It is an amazing thing to see as a large city transforms itself from bustling metropolis to a virtual ghost town in a matter of a few hours, but that is exactly what happens as Friday afternoon fades to evening, the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath. Shops and restaurants close early, public transportation shuts down, and traffic that clogged the streets one moment seems to just disappear. The city becomes quiet, peaceful. You can see people walking to their respective homes or places of worship, and only an occasional car travels down the empty streets. This is something unique to Jerusalem, the Holy City.
On Friday evening and Saturday morning, I attended Shabbat services at my favorite synagogue in Jerusalem, Kol Hanishama, located in the German Colony, just south of the city center. The weather for most of Saturday was rainy, so the rest of the day I stayed in my room and chilled. The weather finally cleared toward evening, so I ventured out for a while.
The reawakening of the city as the Sabbath comes to an end is another amazing sight. Shops and restaurants reopen after sunset on Saturday, and quickly fill with people. The cars also reappear on the streets, but not as many as before since it is still the weekend. I did some shopping in the famous marketplace on Ben Yehuda Street, and then found a nice restaurant for dinner.
Tomorrow is Sunday, the beginning of the work week here in Israel. The weather should be nice, so I plan to do some sightseeing, visit the Old City, go to “The Wall,” and do some more shopping for gifts and souvenirs. My seminar begins on Monday, so I’ll have ample opportunity to write about the Old City of Jerusalem and the Wailing Wall in the coming days. Sorry there are no pictures this time, but I promise there will be more soon.
-Wayne
Thoughts and insights regarding my visit to Auschwitz and my two week study program in Israel with the Florence Melton Institute, 16 December 2006 to 06 January 2007.
