Israel Educational Journey led by Hebrew College 2017: Day 4

Shabbat in Yemin Moshe

By Sabrina Burke & Andrea Shapiro

We have been taught that Shabbat is a day of rest, a holy day, one that is supposed to be different from every other day in the week. This Shabbat was no exception! We had a late start and a relaxing morning eventually making our way down to Yemin Moshe, the first neighborhood that was built outside the Old City Walls of Jerusalem. This area was like nothing else we have seen in Israel. You cannot drive your car through the streets, it was beautiful and tranquil. One thing to note about this part of town is the excessive number of steps…everywhere! There is no rhyme or reason to the paths but a zigzag here and a path there that leads to nowhere there. Everywhere you turned there was a different type of tree, many of them were fruit trees. When walking through the area you cannot help but notice the natural beauty that surrounds you. And the trees, oh my the trees! Some of the trees we came across include oranges, lemons, grapefruits, kumquats, olive, almond, carob trees. The diversity in tree life was impressive, especially since none of the houses had back yards. They each had a small patch or bed in front of their house where they can grow these trees. It was refreshing to see how fruitful the trees were here knowing what is awaiting us in Boston. While making our way through the neighborhood we came across many treasures, one in particular was a large patch of grass where we stopped to take in the view of the old city. It was interesting to note the contrast between the smooth blue sky and the texture of the old city stones. Thinking about how long these two have been paired makes one feel very small. Sitting in a place that has so much history attached to it make it feel like a gift that we have been given and we want to take full advantage. This area of Jerusalem is beautiful and gave us the opportunity to see how people in this area spend some of their Shabbat, relaxing and talking in the park, or watching the children playing by the fountains. This seems like what Shabbat is all about.