This morning we drove just outside the city of Jerusalem to take a leisurely walk/hike down one of the many surrounding hills. Before beginning our hike, our guides asked us to take a moment of silence, allowing us to listen to the sounds of nature all around us. Unbeknownst to us, the main attraction of the hike, an ancient cistern where you can walk up to your ankles in the flowing water, was temporarily closed. The guides felt bad, but I reminded them that spending time in nature is good for human beings. And even more so, having a chance to really explore the nooks and crannies of the land of Israel is a privilege and even a mitzvah. As our guides said when we confronted the closed cistern: If we can't go in, we might as well move on! Not the worst life lesson in my opinion. And by the way, even a short walk in Israel reveals 6,000 years of human history as well as 6 of the 7 sacred species of the land of Israel.
From the serenity of nature we took a "180" and went to Machane Yehudah. Cacophonous on the most subdued of days, it's really something to behold on a Friday afternoon amidst Shabbat preparations. Like many things in Israel, it's almost too much, but ends up being just right. We had lunch in the shuk and ample time to push and shove our fellow shoppers in true Israeli fashion.
Returning from the Shuk we gave the kids a few hours of pool time. They didn't hate it.
And then Shabbat and Shabbat prep.
As you may recall, Mr. O'Dell gave each kid a printed copy of the Siddur that they've been assembling these last few years. While we were waiting for the group to gather many of the kids, dressed in Shabbat finery, flipped through on another's Siddurim. It was sweet watching them interact with a resource that is simultaneously deeply personal and also deeply Jewish. Ultimately this Siddur is a symbol and a reminder. We hope that they continue to see how their own personal journeys and Jewish tradition interact and hopefully mutually reinforce.
We've been eating well as of late and tonight upped the anti. After Shabbat blessings the kids piled their plates high, both main course and dessert. At first the kids were confused when they saw the wide variety of desserts. How could they be served after a meal containing meat? Isn't that against Kashrut? Well it turns out that all of the desserts were dairy free/ parve. What could be more Jewish than the old cliche: where there's a will there's a way.
From dinner we let them hang out for a few more hours, provided even more food, and sent them off to bed with a single complaint. Tomorrow they'll get to sleep a little extra before we have a leisurely day.
Today was a reminder that the settings in which we find ourselves are varied and diverse. 6,000 years of history built into the side of a peaceful mountain. The chaotic joy of Jerusalem's most iconic marketplace. A beautiful pool with nothing else to do but relax. A spread fit for royalty only to be enjoyed by friends, many having known each other than they were children. An empty room with a few snacks and those same friends. Somehow we manage to navigate the landscapes of our lives with a surprising amount of grace and ease. Travel, along with a purposeful commitment to having diverse experiences in our daily lives, helps us feel at home anywhere. While the Jerusalem of yesterday may have felt like an exotic and in some ways frustratingly complex place, the Jerusalem of today felt very familiar. It felt like home.
Shabbat Shalom.
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