My First Two Weeks in Israel - Day 3 - My First Shabbat in the Holy Land

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!