O Jerusalem!

We went back to Jerusalem, this time at the invitation of a student for Shabbat dinner with her family. Another student invited us to stay over in her guest room---necessary as all public transportation shuts down for Shabbat.

It was a remarkable weekend. Conversations seemed to gravitate to the situation of the Palestinians in the West Bank. We are still processing this---the information, and the fact that it was four weeks before we heard anyone really talk about this.

Sometimes Things Are Not 

...What They Appear To Be

At the Shabbat dinner, mention was made of the remarkable hospitality of the Arabs---our hosts not realizing how they were matching that hospitality. At the Shabbat lunch, in sharp contrast, the Arabs were viewed somewhat differently.

Details to follow as processing of all this continues.

Curiouser and curiouser.  Just when we’re starting to know enough to know how little we know, it’s time to start wrapping up here. We have just two more weeks, and it now feels we need another two months.

This was a true Shabbat---from sundown to sundown, no turning things on and off, no work, no Internet, no commerce. In Jerusalem, the whole city shuts down (with a very few exceptions, including a Domino’s Pizza), so people are out walking in the middle of the street, dressed up as if for a big party, and at night, the teenagers congregate in the parks, flirting and hanging out.

A festive mood prevails.

In Jerusalem, also of note, we saw a rose-ringed parrot.