Shabbat in Jerusalem

Today was a free day for our travelers. We had choices of what we could do, or we could choose to do nothing at all.  Some went with visiting family to spend some quality time while others spent most of the day at the pool relaxing.  Me, I wanted to see what Shabbat in Jerusalem was like and there was still more to explore in the Old City and beyond.  I chose to take the shabbat elevator down to the lobby, the elevator that stops at each floor during Shabbat so we do not have to push the buttons.  Jeff, Trini, Bob and Brian joined me for this adventure.  Our first stop would be the famous Jaffa Gate, one of the 8 entrances to the Old City.  Here we would walk the Old City Ramparts, a walk atop the ancient walls of the Old City for a different perspective.  My four guests rode a cab to the Jaffa gate while I walked to meet them.  It was Saturday morning, about 9:30.  I was taken with how quiet the city was.  There was s calmness and peace to Jerusalem, as the city honored and observed Shabbat.  I took extra time to enjoy the quiet surroundings as I made my way to the Old City.  There were no cars, short of the few cabs that were shuttling tourists around.  All of the stores were closed.  The Mamilla Mall, normally bustling with activity, music and excitement was deserted and quiet.  Even the Mall has a day of rest!  It was like nothing I have experienced before.  

When we reached the Old City Ramparts walk we chose to go south so our walk would end up next to the Western Wall and the Temple Mount.  We climbed what felt like a million stairs to the top of the Old City and began our trek.  It was a great walk, offering views like we had never seen before.  We really got an appreciation for the height of the Old City walls, as well as their thickness, and understood how this wall could protect Jerusalem from the cruel and harsh outside world.  It was a little frightening to be up so high and we were grateful for the safety railing that kept us from falling off.  

I was able to get some pictures of views I had not yet seen, like the security wall that protects Jerusalem from hostile homicide bombers.  

I was most excited to see the view that awaited us at the end of our trek, the view of the Temple Mount.  From this perspective I was really able to see what the top of the Temple Mount looked like.  I saw more detail of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site for the Muslim community as well as details of the Dome of the Rock I could not see from the ground of the Old City.  It was an amazing view.  It really gave me perspective of how the Western Wall, the southern excavation site, the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque are all so close to each other.

Then, the five of us squeezed into a cab for four and made our way to the renewed Israel Museum.  Something I learned about cabs on Shabbat, they will not use the meter...  We negotiated our fare and went on our way; the most uncomfortable cab ride we had ever taken.  The Israel Museum is one of the most creative and innovative museums in the world.  It is a huge campus and impossible to see in its entirety on a single visit.  We focused on three things we wanted to see, the exhibit entitled Herod the Great: The Kings Final Journey, the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Shrine of the Book and the Second 

Temple Period Model of Jerusalem.  We were not allowed to take any pictures inside the museum, but I will share some of the model of Jerusalem, which is one fiftieth the size of the actual Old City, as well as the Shrine of the Book, which houses some of the Dead Sea Scrolls.  

It was a fascinating museum, one I would like to revisit one day, perhaps on our next temple trip to Israel.  Maybe you want to come with me?????

Next on our agenda was our group Havdallah ceremony, as we said good-bye to Shabbat and hello to our new week.  Havdallah literally means separation, as we separate Shabbat from the rest of the week.  For us in Israel, we were also separating this time we were together from the rest of our lives.  We acknowledged the bond we we caring with one another, a bond that will last a lifetime.

The last item on our daily agenda was perhaps the most important; dinner.  A bunch of us walked over to Emek Refai'im Street in the German Colony.  When we got there at about 8:15 all was quiet.  There were by few people there and every restaurant and shop was closed.  Another reminder of how Israel honors Shabbat.  By 9 pm more people were congregating and by 10 every restaurant was open and every shop had patrons...  It was amazing to see the German Colony transform from a quiet, peaceful place to a hopping, energetic hangout for both Israelis and foreigners.  Another meaningful day in Israel has come and gone, and we prepare for what is to come tomorrow...  I hope you all are having as special Shabbat as we had in Israel.