Shabbat Shalom

Today has been a long, long day. But a wonderful day. I had been bummed out when I went to bed because I had no one to go with me to the old city in the morning. And as you who have been reading know, going alone isn't very fun. BUT at exactly 6:51 I get a text from my friend Miriam who I went to the Holocaust museum with and she says she changed plans and will be around. Wonderful! So, I catch a 9:00 AM bus, forgoing sleeping in and head down. My first goal is to pick up some art. Unfortunately, it's expensive art. So I get some small prints, as the originals are 400 dollars. Yeah, I dont have that kind of money. though my heart belongs to a painting of a rabbi and soldier praying side by side at the western wall. Nevertheless, I'm very pleased, I have a picture of a lone soldier praying at the western wall, a rabbi walking up stairs with a prayer shawl on in the old city and just a scenic view of a part of the old city. So. Happy.

Then, we go to this store run by a friend of her fathers. It has lots of nice jewlery. Everything is religiously based though- on the Jewish religion, by the way. I spent probably more money than I should have, on a olive branch ring which is very tasteful and a small bracelet inscribed with "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem" in Hebrew. There were also these rings that said "I am my beloved, and my beloved is mine" in Hebrew, and I wanted nothing more than to get a matching pair for Chris and I, but I didnt know his ring size and they didnt have the sizes on them and I wasnt sure he would have worn it on a chain. Later I talked to him and he said he would and I thought it was the greatest thing ever because that would mean a lot to me, more than I realized at the time, but now that I think of it, I want nothing more than to go back and get a matching set for us. I think it would be very meaningful and deep and special to me, especially being inscribed in Hebrew. I'm toying with the idea of learning it though it's especially hard and I'm bad at languages. I want to learn it more than I wanted to learn Italian in Italy though.

Also there was a saucy t-shirt I want to get. It has the header "Civilizations that have tried to destroy the Jewish people" or something along those lines and it lists them and next to each has an X under the heading "Status" and each says "gone" next to it after the X. Like nazi germany, the crusaders, ancient egypt, etc, (its an awfully long list) and at the bottom of the list is Iran with question marks suggesting that it will be the next to disappear when it tries to come up against the jewish nation. At the bottom it says, the jewish people might be the smallest of nations but we have friends in high places... so be NICE.

I want it.

So, our wallets much lighter, we set out to find the market I had previously not been able to find. And we did! I was thrilled, I got my beloved rugalah and cheap cheap produce. A carton full of grapes which is 20 shekels at the store was 7 here. That's less than 2 dollars for a big big bunch of fresh green grapes. AMAZING!!! Why am I just finding this market now?! And why is it a bus ride and twenty minute walk away from me?! Anyway Miriam ad I had a great time there.

After the market it was so hot I came back to the dorm earlier than I had planned and was going to do hardcore homework. But five pages into it the heat had exhausted me so much and getting up early had done me in so I took a nap. When I awoke, rather a long while later, magically Chris was online. So, homework pushed aside. Then Jesse invited me to the Western Wall at sundown on Shabbat which is a very special experience so I jumped on that even though it meant leaving Chris. So no homework then either.

But, the Western wall at sundown was a very special thing to see. The woman's side was more solemn and more like the usual sight you see. But I was glad to put a note in to give prayers for some special people. It was also amazing to see the little girls touch the wall and kiss ther hands like the older woman. They grow up knowing how special it is. Even girls a bit older had prayer books and were really into the praying which was something powerful to see. However, the men's side, which is much different, was even more fascinating.

See, it's not all solemn praying there. There were groups singing and bobbing and danging in circles. And I dont mean like kumbayah, I mean lively hebrew songs, celebrating Shabbat! Rejoicing! It was so much fun! And mixed in are Jews of every type, soldiers in uniform, ultra orthodox in big hats and all black, every day dressed guys in kippas, some rocking back and forth praying, some still, some singing, just this huge mix of people coming together on Shabbat at this Holy place. There was such emotion and feeling and it just felt special. It was also so so so packed. I wanted to be a part of it, I mean really a part of it. I could go and stand but I didnt know the prayers, couldnt read hebrew, just it wasn't what these people were getting from it. i wanted THAT. I wanted to know the songs, to know the prayers.

So I was glad I saw it though. The more I see the more I fall in love with Judaism. On the way back Jesse suggested we go to the student center's shabbat dinner. I have never been to a Shabbat dinner. But I decided to be brave and go even though I, again, knew nothing! It was run by a hasidic (Ultra orthodox) Jewish man and his wife, and they ran it they way they would if we were at their home. She had the most beautiful baby boy- almost ten months. Oh he was such a happy baby, getting passed around, I even got to hold him. I have always wanted a girl myself, but this baby boy had my heart, He had big blue eyes and was gooing and ga-ing and being precious the whole time. Anyway, the shabbat dinner begins with some singing, I didnt know the words but it was interesting to listen. Then you have to wash your hands a special way, theres a cup in the sink you fill and then pour some two times over the right hand and then two times over the left. So we all did that, and after you washed you couldn't speak until the bread was blessed, and then you got to eat!

The meal was served in courses, and you had to use a different fork and plate for the fish and for the meat, in between you either took a shot of something hard (liquor) or a bit of bread to separate them. I had skipped the fish so no problem for me. During the meal, jesse and another boy got into a really intense debate on politics and were talking very loudly over each other. Some people kind of told them to calm down and quiet down because it's shabbat and not a time for that kind of intense debate. Thats for the week but shabbat is more of a reflective time, where people put all that kind of stuff away, so their tension was ruining the mood. But Jesse is so pig headed he either didnt notice or care. I made friends with an Israeli boy across from me who joked about it and used the chance to strike up a converstaion with me. He said dont ask them to pass something, if you interrupt you might get punched in the face! Haha! the one point we got to switch topics we talked about cultural difference between Israelis and Americans and then British people since there was a British boy at our table. That was the nice low key shabbat coversation we should have been having!

There were actually almost no Americans there! People were from Israel, Argentina, Canada, the Netherlands, London, and many other countries! And all jewish! It was great!

So the meal went by fairly well aside from the constant back and forth between jesse and this boy which was just a tad too loud and a bit too intense for my liking. I would have liked the more relaxed conversation. I could tell the very polite refined British boy on the other side of Jesse was getting a headache and didn't really appreciate it either. Though they were both enjoying themselves and most people took it in good grace, I felt badly when I saw that he didnt seem to be very happy about it. He's working on his PhD research here, and is very slight, shorter than me and just seems like, an intellectual- he spoke quietly, not whispering but in a refined manner that piqued my interest about his personality. His accent is more refined than James', cleaner and there something about him that just fascinates me. He's so slight, his frame! He's blond too which is kind of rare for Jewish people, most have darker coloring.

So anyway, after the meal the Hasdic Jewish man gave us a talk, and it was a bit jumpy from topic to topic I thought but good nonetheless. Of course Jesse was disagreeing with things under his breath and I wanted to kick him and tell him to be polite and wait to say it elsewhere. He has issues with their community, but anyway. After the talk Jesse did have some valid points, I'll admit but honestly he could have sat quietly instead of whispering under his breath- no one else noticed but me - it was almost imperceptible, but I DID notice and again thought him rude. On the walk back from the wall I had another of those moments where he seemed very preppy and spoiled and just rubbed me the wrong way. But then at one poit I asked when it would be over ad he said I could leave whenever since the eating part was done, no one would say anything or mind. but he said he would. I thought he was just giving me a hard time and called him an ass. He was like, "No, I meant, it, like I want you to stay! Like I want you to be here," So he was being nice ad I called him an ass since I thought he was just being difficult. I apologized and explained how I had heard it and he repeated that no he hadnt meant it that way. Sometimes I just fail at social interactions. Though it was funny that the Israeli boy across from me said that Jesse was bad at gauging other people's feelings, since he hadnt picked up on that it wasnt the time for such a debate.

Anyway the quote I leave you with from the talk is this:

"Happiness is not a person with a certain circumstance, it is a person with a certain perspective"

I really like the idea. I liked his talk. Everytime I have heard a jewish person speak or give a lecture on Jewish morality or thought I have really agreed. I left resolved to read the books I got on Judaism purely out of interest, I really like their outlook on life, I like their customs, I like how big a role religion plays in their life, how it creates thier community and really seems to give them something no one else quite has. Though I suppose any religion is like that. I've just see it more here.

The boy I had made friends with across the table made a prediction, after I told him about my lack of religious affiliation (due to my parents etc etc) He said I predict you will convert, return here and meet and marry an Israeli man. I laughed a bit and said maybe. I hadnt really thought about converting, not yet, it seems overwhelming, there is so much to know so so much I dont know. But then I thought about how you are expected to marry another Jewish person and frowned. I think it's only orthodox that really upholds that but still, why is there always something I can't handle?

I really do think I'm going to look into Judaism, I'm so happy I got the books, I just wish I had time to read them now!!!

but it's late now and I have had another wonderful look into a jewish tradtion, today- of the Shabbat meal! And again I immensely enjoyed it despite being slightly awkward and out of place when everyone else knew the words and songs and prayers. I really want that for myself in some community. I want the familiarity, the routine, the community but I cant let be the only reason I convert. I have to AGREE and really feel ac onnection toit, the whole religion- not just those aspects. But so far what I have learned I admire, except for certain strict rules, but with all the differnt sects I would have to look into each to see who follows what. Who knows maybe there is hope in the future...