Saturday, May 3, 2014 Jerusalem

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Shabbat his here!  Yeah.

Since Brandeis welcomes Israeli friends and family to spend Shabbat with the kids, I became Shayna’s Israeli family. Lucky for me, I also got to be Mira Welner’s Israeli family (call me Uncle Marc from now on, Mira).

It was 10:30 am before I got Mira back to the hotel and wifi. That’s 12:30 am in Marin.  No matter.  She face-timed with Pamela and Jon.  What a joy to get to eavesdrop (sorry Pamela, no choice J) and hear Mira describe her experiences and her love of the country.

Since most of Jerusalem’s restaurants are closed on Shabbat, I took the girls to the YMCA restaurant.  It was a nice walk, though it’s heating up in Israel. We took an outside table in the shade and enjoyed some food and as much water as I could get the girls to drink. I took them across the street to the King David hotel so we could see the pictures and autographs of all the famous people who stayed there.

With temperatures in the 90s and almost nothing open, I took them back to my hotel so they could check email and all that other “Shabbat in Jerusalem” electronic stuff. Within minutes, I looked back to see both of them, sound asleep, in bed. I woke them about 3 pm so we would have time to walk back to their hotel, in advance of their 4 pm departure for the rest of their day with the group.

From their hotel, located near the Central Bus Station in Jerusalem, I just started walking towards Emek Rafaim and the Federation group. Figuring the heat, time, or distance would necessitate a rare Shabbat taxi ride, I actually made it by foot the whole way.

The group looked EXHAUSTED when I arrived. Apparently, they toured the Old City, nonstop, all day. (OK, some looked more exhausted than others but no names).

We met with Dr. Elan Ezrachi of Yeru-Shalem, one of the groups in the forefront of creating a more inclusive Jerusalem. We learned about several specific neighborhoods in Jerusalem as well as the particular challenges they faced. We hopped on the bus and heard a narration and history of Jerusalem neighborhoods before stopping at an Arab village that was, literally, divided in two by the armistice lines following the Independence War. We met a local architect from the community who told us its history and fielded questions about life in Israel, as well as comparisons between his life and those in the West Bank.

We learned about a civic project that transformed a dilapidated Jerusalem railway station into a modern hip center for eating, shopping, relaxing, and, most important, community building.  We took a nice long Shabbat walk along the railroad line, now developed into an Israeli version of Manhattan’s High Line. The Jerusalem version sported a pedestrian walkway, a bike path, as well as flowers and gardens along a 10 kilometer or so stretch of railway.

We ended up at the railway station, greeting hundreds of folks gathered there as Shabbat drew to a close.

Not to slow down, Federation had arranged for a reception and presentation by New Spirit, yet another local group working on encouraging young (non-Orthodox) Jews in Jerusalem. While I was ready to start heading back, Noa encouraged me to stay…not only for the great spread set up, but also to say hello to New Spirit’s CEO, who, I learned, was also a participant in the G’vanim program.  When I introduced myself, she said, “You didn’t give me a pencil and I’ve never forgotten that!”  Loving that moment.

The Brandeis kids were let loose again on Ben Yehuda street to enjoy the city re-opening after Shabbat. 

(I do have some photos but definitely want to get parent permission before posting….)

Shayna and I enjoyed a dinner together before she headed back with the group and I made my last shopping rounds in Jerusalem.

Time to pack for the North..