The High Holidays in the Holy Land
Rosh Hashana… a time for being with family, eating lots, praying in synagogue, wearing white clothes… right? For some maybe, but for me it took a bit of a different path this year. First night I did the usual stuff with my family in Netanya which was nice. Then the next day, which was a Saturday no less – Shabbat, I was back in Jerusalem and bored. Since I’ve rented a car, a friend and I decided to drive to a settlement (i.e. over the Green Line) right next to Jerusalem called Kfar Adumim. Luckily, my friend knew a great shortcut that would save us a lot of time, so I let him direct me.
Big mistake. Huge. I ended up driving right past one of the most religious (Jewish) areas of Jerusalem, on Shabbat, which was also Rosh Hashana, at about 3pm when they were all walking home from their lunches, listening to Happy Hardcore, smoking a cigarette… I have actually never felt like a worse Jew in my life. They were walking all over the roads, expecting that no one would do anything as terrible as driving on the street on such a holy day. No one apart from Lan the terrible Jew. At least the spring we eventually got too was nice… coz I felt terrible!!
For Yom Kippur I obviously had some repenting to do, so I did a bit more of the Jew-thing I guess. Made dinner at home with Mum, Yoni, and two of my flatmates Marc and Martin. Ok fine dinner was like 2 hours late but whatever we tried! As soon as it got dark the roads were completely dead – not a single car – not even any little Jewish girls from Sydney blasting rave tunes and smoking ciggies – and all the kids in the neighbourhood got their bikes out and rode all over the roads. It was a crazy site to watch – and anyone who’s seen my view will understand what a vantage point we had. It was like in a movie where certain people are frozen and then others come out to play… something like that.
Then at about 9pm Marc and I walked down to Emek Rafayim, a main street of Jerusalem, to meet some friends. I kinda pictured that we’d just walk around for a bit and check out Jerusalem being dead, but I got a big surprise to see how many people were out. The entire street was PACKED! Everyone out taking advantage of being able to walk in the middle of the road… crazy. Then on Yom Kippur I took everyone on a bit of a walking tour of Jerusalem – we went to quite a few different types of synagogues and areas, ending up at the Kotel for Neilah and shofar – was quite an amazing experience. And actually one of the easiest fasts I’ve ever had as well – I guess coz the weather was quite mild. Then we broke fast at home and played ‘Cranium’ and drunk far too much for people who hadn’t eaten in 26 hours… got messy… and you know… as least now I have things on my list to repent for next year!
Well that’s all from me for now … back to the grind… J
Big mistake. Huge. I ended up driving right past one of the most religious (Jewish) areas of Jerusalem, on Shabbat, which was also Rosh Hashana, at about 3pm when they were all walking home from their lunches, listening to Happy Hardcore, smoking a cigarette… I have actually never felt like a worse Jew in my life. They were walking all over the roads, expecting that no one would do anything as terrible as driving on the street on such a holy day. No one apart from Lan the terrible Jew. At least the spring we eventually got too was nice… coz I felt terrible!!
For Yom Kippur I obviously had some repenting to do, so I did a bit more of the Jew-thing I guess. Made dinner at home with Mum, Yoni, and two of my flatmates Marc and Martin. Ok fine dinner was like 2 hours late but whatever we tried! As soon as it got dark the roads were completely dead – not a single car – not even any little Jewish girls from Sydney blasting rave tunes and smoking ciggies – and all the kids in the neighbourhood got their bikes out and rode all over the roads. It was a crazy site to watch – and anyone who’s seen my view will understand what a vantage point we had. It was like in a movie where certain people are frozen and then others come out to play… something like that.
Then at about 9pm Marc and I walked down to Emek Rafayim, a main street of Jerusalem, to meet some friends. I kinda pictured that we’d just walk around for a bit and check out Jerusalem being dead, but I got a big surprise to see how many people were out. The entire street was PACKED! Everyone out taking advantage of being able to walk in the middle of the road… crazy. Then on Yom Kippur I took everyone on a bit of a walking tour of Jerusalem – we went to quite a few different types of synagogues and areas, ending up at the Kotel for Neilah and shofar – was quite an amazing experience. And actually one of the easiest fasts I’ve ever had as well – I guess coz the weather was quite mild. Then we broke fast at home and played ‘Cranium’ and drunk far too much for people who hadn’t eaten in 26 hours… got messy… and you know… as least now I have things on my list to repent for next year!
Well that’s all from me for now … back to the grind… J
posted by Lan at 4:30 pm
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