Shabbat in Jerusalem

Every Shabbat in Jerusalem is very much the same, yet very different. Around 4 PM every Friday Jerusalem suddenly just stops. There are few cars in the road, stores are closed, and there is this level of peacefulness that emerges. Shabbat here is truly a day of rest - a halt from the mundane reality of things.

This Shabbat was very HUC-filled. On Friday, we arrived early to have a pre-Shabbat seminar with Rabbi Kelman, the Year in Israel Director. We explored major sections of the Torah that referenced Shabbat and discussed and examined the little description their is about this sacred day. We then proceeded to one of the gardens on campus in smaller groups to share our Shabbat memories. Perhaps one of my favorite memories is very recent - in April, my 7th grade Religious School class led services. Rather than present a D'var Torah (sermon), the students came to the bimah ("stage") and stated why they were Jewish. Many of them expressed their reasons without stating the age-old answer: because my parents are. Hearing 13 year old verbalize their connection to Judaism has been one of the most rewarding experiences I have had in the Jewish world.

Following the activity, we attended services and a dinner sponsored by an HUC alumnus. It's been an alumni filled week here, as the President of the College, Board of Trustees, and influential alumni have been present in our orientation. On Saturday morning, services were held in the Blaustein Hall, a huge conference/event hall overlooking the Old City. Not only is the view amazing (I will take a picture eventually and post it), but it was such a spiritual experience to attend services with a background such as the Old City.

My Shabbat afternoon was quite relaxing - I talked to my parents, organized my room, took a walk, and napped before we had a Havdallah reception (with gelato ice cream I might add).

School starts tomorrow - my lunch is packed, notebook is in my bookbag, and I'm ready to learn! I'll let you know how it goes in the next couple days....

PJ