Holy Day in the Holy City (Jerusalem)
I know, I know. I've been remiss in my duties; however, it's not because of lack of things to write about--I've just been too busy experiencing Israel as fully as possible. In penance, I return again to Friday:
The journey from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was relatively painless and, if anything, even easier than it would be in the States. (The glaring exception being the heavily armed security at the entrance to the bus station who insisted on going through each of my bags.) Even as I was sad to be leaving, what better place to spend Sabbath (Shabbas) than the Holy City? As we bused down, I split my time between reading Yehuda Amichai and gazing out the window at the landscape spreading out before us. The poems were achingly beautiful in the truest sense of the phrase, and you'll probably see more of them before this pilgrimage is over--they exemplify the deep love and conflict that define Israel-at-large but especially Jerusalem. The landscape, on the other hand, was as fascinating combination of the natural splendor of Israel, quickly urbanizing areas, and disarray that may have been ruins or may have been construction in progress, it was nearly impossible to tell. Anyway, I'll save you from hearing about my first hour or so in Jerusalem, but suffice to say that roughly a semester's worth of Biblical Hebrew doesn't help much on local Israeli buses. I got terribly lost.
But what about Hannah? Once I finally managed to track down her apartment, it was fantastic to see her again. She is an incredible woman who has left indelible impressions on who I am as a person and, what's more, on who I am as a believer. (She's actually reading this blog too, so I'll try not to embarrass her too much. But thank you for everything, Hannah!) One of the great, yet certainly not only, things about our friendship has been the glimpse into Judaism it has allowed me. In short, I deeply admire how she lives out her faith. Seeing it has allowed me to appreciate the heritage of Christianity all the more and--I hope without appropriation--deepen my own faith by that appreciation. For instance, I was able to celebrate Shabbas with her and her brother, who happened to be in Jerusalem as well after finishing his Birthright trip. (The practice of keeping the Sabbath is something I strongly recommend doing at least once in whatever capacity is true to your faith.) While I always enjoy the setting aside of it, helping to craft the "Cathedral in Time" as Rabbi Abraham Heschel called it, there were two experiences about this Shabbas that stood out:
1) Going to the Friday evening and Saturday morning worship with Hannah and her brother. It is always awe-inspiring for me, experiencing Jewish services. (Quick side note: Hannah and her brother are Modern Orthodox.*) The way I see people embodying the joyous ritual of their observance, the sheer accumulation of tradition that tends towards ecstasy is breathtaking. Now, I don't mean to suggest that all of the Jews in those services are the equivalent of holy rollers, but the congregation as a whole just seems so...alive. I think that we have much to learn from the Jewish example, much that we should rediscover in our own tradition. It is always humbling and slightly mortifying being the ignorant goy** amid the faithful, but it is also an honor and proof of the grace-filled breadth of God's people.
2) We should also take a lesson in holy hospitality from the notion of Shabbas Dinner. Each Friday night, more than enough food is made and family, friends, and even complete strangers from synagogue are invited to share in feast and fellowship. (Hannah is especially good at playing host for such dinners. Just ask sometime about the ones she held for Shammai***.) This particular dinner was especially intriguing because the party was made up of so many young Israelis--from the native-born to those in their first few months in the country. I tried to listen as closely as I could to their experiences of and hopes for their country. I mean, what better access could I get into what it means to be Israeli? I was especially struck by their sorrow and frustration at the militarism of Israel, their regret that it goes to such an extreme. Debating its impact, they agreed that it was part of the burden and legacy of the Holocaust and wondered aloud what might have been had the country been founded before such a brutal imperative...
*It's...complicated. Rather than me trying to hunt down a website that would still probably be quite biased, maybe research it for yourself if interested?
***The Jewish students' union at St. John's, which was formative for me
