Shabbat in Jerusalem

Day #6

After such a long day yesterday, we slowed our pace down and began a little later than usual.
We made our ascent to Jerusalem by driving down the Jordan Valley and coming up from the East. As an approach to Jerusalem for the first time it seems quite abrupt. But, the planners of sacred moments have taken this into consideration. Our bus pulled up to a small overlook atop Mt. Scopus - Har HaTzofim - where we had the opportunity to gaze upon the city of Jerusalem and make a blessing for reaching this place and time safely. We were honored to locate on the wall of donors our friends from VBS, the Niznick Family, who were in part responsible for helping us capture our first glimpse of Jerusalem. We sang Shecheyanu with a tearful joy. We made it!

If the serenity of Jerusalem from atop Mt. Scopus drew us into the sanctity of the Holy City, our visit to Machane Yehuda, the Jerusalem market place introduced us to the energy and excitement in preparation for Shabbat. We walked through the VERY CROWDED streets of the market place simply overwhelmed and over-stimulated by the sheer number of people making their way deliberately to purchase all the necessities for a peaceful and delicious Shabbat.

For me personally, entering Jerusalem is very much a homecoming, and very much a comparison to my year in Israel experience from 2001-2002. It was during this year that the second Intifada - the second siege upon Israel from the Palestinians - wreaked havoc on Israeli citizens and by extension the tourism industry. This was also the year of 9/11 when terrorism and security issues were elevated world-wide. I was totally overwhelmed by the presence of tour groups, Birthright trips, and regular shoppers in the market place hours before Shabbat. (Along the way, I’m finding vindication after reliving this refrain of the 2001-2 experience, with all its sadness and terror.) The country is more positive and thriving - simply better.

It was magnificent to meander through the streets brushing up against people, hearing the words, “Shabbat Shalom” and “Good Shabbos” singing through the air. The contact of people was truly heartwarming and the spirit was high. Though, no trip is complete without a visit to the best bakery in Machane Yehuda...Marzipan! Marzipan is not the almond paste delicacy you would think its name suggests; rather it is the place where Heaven and Earth meet in the small rugaleh pastries made by the ton for eager customers. As I explained to the group, because we no longer can access the physical manifestation of God’s presence in the world in the Holy of Holies, we make do with the next best thing - tiny little chocolate rugelah. My father and I ate one before Shabbat began while they were still warm. Irresistible! But once I shared them with the group, our consensus is that these tasty treats are as close to heaven as we can get.

Tonight (I’m writing this after Shabbat) we visited the wall for the first time. We walked from our hotel to the Old City by way of a new promenade lined with high-end shops. Along the way we saw the Waldorf-Astoria hotel being built. If the economy was faltering last year, the recovery in Israel is going strong! There are cranes like the one found building this upscale hotel all over the city. The entrance to the Kotel - the Wailing Wall was brimming with people as we entered the Wall plaza. We decided to separate, the men and women of the group attending their respectives prayer spaces. We all made our way deliberately and efficiently to the wall taking a moment to share blessings for our children, our selves, offering gratitude for reaching this moment and for welcoming the Sabbath day in the Holy City. As I mentioned earlier, the Birthright trips offer a unique energy wherever they go. The wall was absolutely no exception. We joined a Birthright group sponsored by Mayanot - a Chabad supported venture. The group of some 100 young men danced and circled to the psalms of Kabbalat Shabbat, usually skipping the recitation of the words to dance and shout and celebrate the miracle of the Jewish people in the Jewish State. The group dancing was organized by some enthusiastic madrichim - group counselors - and some Hasidim - pious Jews. The group endeavored to take over the entire Men’s section after dancing to Lecha Dodi. They succeeded in clearing a third of the entire area and began shouting David Melech Yisrael in call and response. Then the group began banging on the tile floor singing Am Yisrael Chai. We were truly swept up in this intense experience. The women were unfortunately forced to watch from the other side of the Mechitzah - the barrier between the men and women sections. Thankfully, the spectacle was worth seeing even from a distance.

Shabbat dinner was held at the Cardo Restaurant. This is a place that was well known for staging a Roman meal experience where diners are given the opportunity to dress in Roman robes and dine on the floor in traditional Roman feasts. We were grateful the ownership of the restaurant changed and a more traditional Shabbat dinner was served (The Kiddush wine was extremely sour - a rarity when opening a new bottle - but they replaced it with something passable immediately) and we enjoyed a delicious meal. We welcomed four guests to our group from the Pollock family. Mark, Jacob, and Arielle were visiting their son/brother Noah who is studying here for a year on the Nativ program sponsored by the Conservative Movement. Discussion was lively, singing was joyful, and the meal was delicious.

The evening concluded with a little Torah discussion, a little Marzipan rugelah, and a little Scotch. If Shabbat is the entryway to heaven, we basked in the glow of eternity for a few moments after our incredible journeys brought us to Jerusalem.