As usual, there were plenty of activities and a surprise or two to fill our Friday. We started the day with one last Kibbutz Dalia breakfast, then met up with our new guide Dovev who accompanied us to our tour’s final home base, Jerusalem. During the two hour trip, Dovev pointed out several places along the way where the security fence separating Israel from the Palestinian Area A could be seen. This controversial fence, known as the Seam Line, serves as a means of making the infiltration of terrorists considerably more difficult and has resulted in a significant drop in Palestinian terror attacks over the past several years.
Upon our arrival in Jerusalem, we stopped at Mahane Yehuda, the city’s massive central market, or Shuk, as it is frequently referred, where we were greeted by Ruth Yudekovitz, founder and operator of “Shuk and Cook.” Ruti split us up into small groups, handed each of us a list of groceries to purchase, and turned us loose in this culinary Disneyland. Our groups traveled from stall to stall sampling various offerings and procuring the freshest and finest items on our checklists. A few of us even managed to squeeze in an opportunity to grab a falafel or a shawarma from one of the many purveyors of each to be found at Mahane Yehuda. Upon completion of our shopping tasks, we joined Ruth to walk together to her home where we would assemble our dishes. Along the way, we stopped by a nearby plateau to take in a breathtaking view of Jerusalem’s Old City in the distance. Once we arrived at Ruti’s, there was a frenzy of chopping, mixing, grilling and kibitzing as the meal began to take shape, however the final preparations would be executed by Ruth and her assistant. The Rubinites were on the move once more but would return later that evening.
Once checked into the Dan Panorama Hotel, we were treated to a walking tour of the Old City with Jerusalem scholar and expert Steve Israel. As we approached the Old City on foot, Steve took us through a number of surrounding neighborhoods, most of which were built in the mid to late 19th Century; practically new construction in comparison to the nearby structures. We entered through the Jaffa gate, meandered through the Armenian Quarter and made our way down toward the Western Wall – something we hadn’t expected to see until later in the trip. As we got closer to the stairs leading to this sacred space, the local Yeshiva had just let out and a parade of young men streamed out of their school building, singing heartily as they bounded towards the Wall. We were all afforded the opportunity to approach the Wall which, obviously, was mobbed with worshippers of all denominations of Judaism. It was an incredibly moving experience to worship there at nightfall on Friday.
Charged with renewed energy from this incredible experience, we scaled the formidable hills out of the Old City and over to the Yudekovitz residence. Our exhausting trek was rewarded by an incredible dinner – incredible not just because we had once again executed impeccable teamwork to create delicious dishes, but also because we once again got to enjoy an evening of laughter, spirituality and friendship with yet another new Israeli friend (and her adorable, skateboard-riding Jack Russell terrier Dubie.)
Take away two or even three of the events recounted above and our day would have nonetheless been sufficient. As Shabbat came to Jerusalem, we had the great fortune to look back on yet another day of abundant blessings.
