So I left Rehovot last Sunday. The first thing I noticed at the bus station was how relaxed the security was. There's still a metal detector and a guard checking bags, but it's not as thorough as it used to be. The metal detectors go off, and they don't really care. More on this topic later - but I see this as a good thing.
Ride to Jerusalem was fairly short, but we took a road I had never been on before, very rural. Also, the buses stop more on the highway - they made special exits for bus stops. It appears that the cities are really growing. In fact, as we got into the city limits of Jerusalem, I noticed how far the city is sprawled out now (think Vegas boom years, when houses just started springing up everywhere). Also, cab prices have gone up as well. Not quite like the states, but gas prices affect things here too (if I did the math right, it's near $9 a gallon!). And the dollar doesn't go as far as it used to either. Last time I was here, it was between 4 and 4.5 shekels per dollar. Now it's 3 to 3.5 shekels to the dollar. So things actually aren't as cheap here. Now, perhaps I'm spoiled by cheap food in Vegas, but I can generally eat there for under $7-8. Here, the average is about $10.
Anyway, I arrived at the Agron Hostel in Jerusalem in the early afternoon. The place is pretty cool - right next to Independence Park, a few minutes walk from downtown Jerusalem one way, and the Old City another way (and a delicious ice cream shop another way). It's really right in the center of town. So the program didn't start until Monday evening, but some people were arriving Sunday. Many people on this program had never been to Israel before, so I took a couple people with me and figured I might as well show them the Kotel, the Western Wall
(I didn't take this picture)
The walk to the Old City was very different. There is a new upscale outdoor mall right outside the Jaffa Gate of the Old City. I guess it's part of a re-branding of that area as an upscale kind of place. We walked through the Arab quarter, I remembered some things, and I had an okay sense of direction. Oddly enough, many of the little booths were closed. I'm going to guess it was just too late in the day, I'll have to go back earlier in the afternoon. As we walked through the Jewish quarter, I tried to tell my new friends some historical tidbits, alas, I have forgotten most of it. But here is one...
An American journalist once heard about a rabbi who visited the Kotel every day, twice a day for over five decades. Intrigued, the journalist decided to go check it out. So he goes to Jerusalem and finds this rabbi. He watched the rabbi pray for about 45 minutes and then goes up to talk to him. "Sir, I'd like to ask, how long have you been coming here to pray?" "About fifty years" he says. "Amazing. What do you pray for?" She asks. "I pray for peace between the Jews and the Arabs, I pray for hatred to stop, and I pray for our children to grow up in safety and friendship." The reporter is in awe. "And how does it make you feel, after doing this for fifty years?" "Like I'm talking to a wall!"
Just a little joke :-)
Anyway, we decided to continue exploring Jerusalem (the new city) and discovered a park where some high school kids were having a basketball tournament (as part of the Israeli Scouts - like boy scouts, but actually cool, and everybody is a part of it). After dinner, it began to get cold...uncomfortably cold, and we had to head back. I realized I've never been in Israel between late May and mid-June, and it's not super hot yet.
The next day more people arrived for the program. We went out and explored some of downtown (finally ate some schawarma!) I wish I could say I did more that day, but I had some important school work that took up my whole day (a few days as a matter of fact - what a way to waste an opportunity to explore!). That evening, I heard some traditional klezmer style music outside my window (my room is right on the corner, so we have a pretty cool view of the street) and a few of us went to check it out. Turns out, we are catty-corner from the Great Synagogue, and they were getting a new Torah. So they were parading through the street singing and dancing. The cars were decorated in lights - it looked like the Main Street Electrical Parade!
So Tuesday we began our first day of classes. I am taking Civil Liberties in an Age of Terrorism, Church and State Separations in Israel and the U.S., and A Legal History of the Arab/Israeli Conflict (interesting topics but let's be honest, I'm here first for self propelled learning, second for in class learning). The professors are all very nice and knowledgeable, it should be a good few weeks. We have some field trips scheduled around Jerusalem throughout the summer too. The first was that night to the Kotel Tunnels. I had already been multiple times, but like I said before, I have forgot a lot I learned years ago. So this would be a great opportunity to go back. On top of that, it was erev Yom Yerushalayim (eve of Jerusalem Day) - the anniversary (in the Hebrew calendar) of the reunification of Jerusalem during the six day war. So there was dancing and fireworks and celebrations all over Jerusalem, but especially at the Kotel. Too bad I already had other plans!
Instead, my cousin Ron had got me a ticket to Laylah Lavan (white night) an all night music festival for Yom Studentim (day for students - music festivals that go on all over the country at each college campus during May as kind of a fun event for the end of the school year. I've been to one in Haifa once, and it was awesome). The one in Jerusalem is like the biggest one of them all. So first I went to meet my cousin Ron down the street at a friend of his. Turns out, this friend (Michael) and I had gone on Year Course together! They had met as part of the Lone Soldier program here (for immigrants who come and serve without any family, the army helps them out). Small world? Not yet. Turns out that Micha
el's roommate, Richie (who was also friends with Ron) grew up in El Paso and we went to Hebrew School together (couple years difference). Now that's a small world!(I have a photo of the four of us somewhere, when I find it, I'll amend)
Here's me and Richie at the festival
So this festival was absolutely awesome! At least a few thousand people showed up, there were booths with advertisers, food, beer, it was awesome. (for music samples, click the links) We got there just as HaYehudim were starting to play. I had heard them years before in Haifa, great show. After that, was Dudu Aharon - he's one of the more popular mizrachi (easern style) artists, but I've never heard any of his music before. He's pretty good. I also realized that since I stopped that Israeli music radio show I had, I'm 4 or 5 years behind the times on the music scene. Oh well, I'll catch up. Anyway, around 1 a.m., the main reason I came to the concert came to the stage. Berry Sacharof! The first time I came to Israel, ten years ago, I heard his music on the radio, and bought his CD, Negiot - it was the first Israeli music CD I bought in Israel (okay, I bought it together with Ehud Banai's, Tip Tipa). Although he sang some new music I never heard before, I knew most of his lineup, and it was so awesome! Well worth it to stay up until 4 in the morning!
As a matter of fact, we left after Berry Sacharof. Ron and Michael wanted to take a nap and come back later, haha! I was a little disappointed we didn't get to see Shalom Chanoch and Balkan Beat Box, but I only know a couple of their songs, and it was already close to four am, and we still had to walk back. Totally worth it!
Wednesday was a walking tour of the neighborhoods around Jerusalem. We went to the shuk (market) which was bustling, even on a weekday. It was interesting because even though it was a market in the very traditional sense of the word ("Fresh grapes! Good watermelon this way this way!" etc.) there were tiny little coffee shops and cafes. Kind of becoming more progressive and European in a sense. As we walked through the neighborhoods, it became very apparent to me that even though I lived in Jerusalem for four months, I never really explored it. While I was here, it was during the heart of the second intifada (palestinian uprising) so we couldn't really go out very much and explore. But now, it's great to see the streets and see more of the city.
Went to bed early that night - big day to come on Thursday with some field trips, and I'll leave you on that cliffhanger!
such a good idea keeping this blog. was great seeing you man
ReplyDelete-Richie