Tonight was the seventh night of Chanukah, and in Israel, the Chanukiot are everywhere. I didn’t have to go far to participate in the lighting of the Chanukah candles. In the hotel lobby, they were lighting candles and singing songs. It was a refreshing contrast to where I had been.
Today was spent doing a little shopping at Dizengoff Center. When packing for a long trip, there always seems to be something that gets left behind. This trip is no exception. I made a long list to ensure I didn’t forget anything, and indeed everything on the list made it into my bag. The problem is with the items I forgot to put on the list, such as a bathing suit and water shoes for swimming in the Dead Sea, an umbrella because it is the rainy season after all, and some short pants for the warmer areas we will visit. That’s all I’ve missed so far.
Tomorrow, I check out of my high rise hotel in Tel Aviv and drive to Jerusalem where I will spend Shabbat and the final day of Chanukah. I have reserved a quiet little bed & breakfast for a few nights until the seminar begins. Shabbat in Jerusalem is unlike Shabbat anywhere else in the world, but that is the subject of my next post.
Did I say I was going to drive to Jerusalem? Yes, I said drive. I rented a car, as I always do when I come to Israel. Some people wouldn’t even consider driving here, but I really don’t have a problem with Israeli drivers, or with the traffic. We have our share of bad or aggressive drivers and traffic jams in most major cities in the US, so I guess I’m accustomed to it. Hey, if I can drive in Manhattan, I can handle Israel. One thing that does require a little acclimation is the traffic signals. In Israel, the signals go from green to yellow to red, and then from red to yellow to green. If you are the lead car at a red light waiting for the signal to change, you had better be watching that light closely. If you’re not half way through the intersection by the time that light turns green, you’ll have a bunch of very irritated Israelis behind you voicing their displeasure with their car horns. On the other hand, if you are approaching an intersection and the light changes from green to yellow, hit the brake! People here don’t try to beat a red light because they know the cross traffic is definitely going to beat the green, just the opposite of how we operate in the states, so being the lead dog takes a little getting used to.
Now it is quite late, so I’m going to call it a day. I probably will not have time to write another post before Shabbat begins, so look for my next post sometime after the Sabbath. Shabbat Shalom, and I’ll see you in Jerusalem.
-Wayne
