תן שבת ותן שלום בעיר ירושלים Grant Shabbat and Peace to the City of Jerusalem

As Friday and Shabbat were my last few days in Jerusalem (and Israel):( (for now :)), I decided that I’d try to make the most of them, and I think that I succeeded pretty well. On Friday, I’ll admit, I was pretty exhausted from a busy week at the yeshiva, and I was ready to take the day easy, but in the end, it turned out to be pretty productive. I woke up around 7 and went to shacharit at Janet’s shul (Beit Boyer), and came back and had some breakfast. I then went to the store with her to do some Shabbat shopping (actually, it wasn’t just any store, but Rami Levi, another ‘real supermarket’ in the same neighbourhood as the SuperSol Deal, very different from the places where I shopped last year in Mercaz Ha’ir (the city center). I chilled for a few hours, and around noon, even though I had seen most of the people and places I had intended to, I decided to use some of my remaining punches on my כרטיסיה (10 trip bus ticket), and go to the old city and the kotel for one last time. It took a little while to wait for the bus, but It was a quick 10 minute ride once I got on, and before I knew it I got off in front of the David’s Citadel hotel and started walking through mamilla to the Jaffa Gate. The Jewish quarter was mobbed that afternoon, but since I still had plenty of time before Shabbat, I waited in line (along with almost an Birthright group, for my last shawarma (#6). I then walked down to the kotel and spent a few minutes there. I got back to the Moshe’s around 3, and I quickly showered and got ready for Shabbat. Erev Shabbat I davened at Yedidya, where I had never been before on a Friday night. I had a very special moment on my walk over to shul, as I walked westward on Rechov Rivka. Walking directly towards the setting sun, and looking towards the neighbouehoods of Katamon, Pat and Malha, I could see the buildings, made out of Jerusalem stone, shining with a golden hue. This must have been what Naomi Shemer had in mind when she decided to name her anthem to the city Yerushalayim Shel Zahav. The shul was pretty packed, especially with a Birthright group there from UMASS-Amherst, and the davening was a lovely carlebach-style one, spiritual from Yedid Nefesh through Yigdal, but not excessively drawn out. I went back to the Moshe’s for a very nice (and delicious Shabbat dinner), and stayed up chatting until about 12.

Shabbat morning I went back to Yedidya for another nice davening, and after Kiddush, I had lunch with our family friends the Ablemans, whom my abba has known since he was in elementary school. I headed back to the moshe’s after lunch, and when I told Herzl that I hadn’t been to Mincha yet (he had already gone at 12:30), he told me that there was another davening at 3 at the sefardi shul. Sefardi tefillot are something that I rarely get to experience, and though there is a significant difference from what I am used to, I was still able to follow along with the general order of the service. Following the Israeli custom, the Moshes eat seudah shilshit (meat) at home, and we did so around a quarter to 5. After we finished the meal, we ran back to the sefardi shul for Ma’ariv and Havdalah. Both at shul and when we did havdalah again at home, we followed the Israeli custom of using fresh plants instead of dried spices, which is nice for many reasons – besides for just smelling nice, it is also great to use the produce of the land of Israel for the bracha. I only had a few hours after Shabbat in which to relax and get ready to sadly leave Israel. Although my time in Israel this visit was way too short, I think I made the most of it including seeing friends, learning about options for Aliyah, eating Shawarma and studying at the Conservative Yeshiva. While I’m not sure exactly when I’ll be back in Israel again physically, I have no doubt that there will always be אהבת ישראל בנשמה – love for Israel in my heart!