Friday, April 1st, 2016 - My First Shabbat in the Holy Land
While
I am writing this blog, the sun is just setting in Israel, marking my first
Shabbat as an “Olah Chadasha.” In Israel, Friday is unlike any other day
of the week. Although it is still considered a half-working day for most, the
“business as usual” ambience is tinted with a glow of Shabbat approaching. The
merchants display their bounty of goods and buyers come and go carrying their
delicacies in a dazzling fashion. Yaffa and I did not fall short in this
ritual. She is a selective shopper and menu planner, meaning that we came home
with a few goodies. As the evening approached, I watched Rishon Le'Tzion fall
asleep gradually. The shops began to close, one at a time, except for the
restaurants and bars that remained open, alive and bustling with customers of
all ages. Every interaction we had on the street was sweetened by the unifying greeting
of “Shabbat Shalom.” What a wonderful experience it is to live Jewishly in our
Jewish homeland!
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