25.

This past weekend I had a great time in Jerusalem (again). The Idan Reichel Project put on a great concert. I managed to get to the front row and have my hands on the stage the whole time. Towards the end, a lot of kids started jumping on stage and then flying superman-style into the crowd. They were, of course, aided by security, but it looked great nonetheless. Rumor has it that I was one of those kids, but I managed to use better judgement and stay on the ground.

On Friday morning I went with my friend David (see picture below) to Mea Shearim. This is the ultra orthodox neighborhood in Jerusalem. We were greeted with signs saying to respect the community with modest dress, keeping cameras in our pockets, and observing all laws against modernity. The neighborhood is much different than I expected. Though it was ragged and noticeably poor, I expected much more commotion and liveliness. That said, it was a Friday morning and most people were in school or work (read: studying Torah or Gemara). At one point, David and I walked into a nice square and were greeted with loud sounds that sounded like indiscriminate noise. As we looked into a window, we saw rows upon rows of elementary school-aged boys swaying back and forth in their seats praying and studying. This was the sound of Judaism. This was the stereotypical sound of what most outside of Israel think Israel is like. This was the Orthodoxy that so many think is all-pervasive in Israel. It was cool, for the first time in 6 weeks, to see and hear what so many people consider to be Israel.

I managed to buy two great tasting chocolate rugelach (mini-croissants) and David got fresh squeezed orange juice that he declared to be the freshest he's ever had. We decided that this market was the least touristy market in Israel. The oddest part about it, however, was that the salesman didn't have a beard or top hat. He was one of the few.

We went into a really nice small bookstore that it probably the equivalent of City Lights to the ultra orthodox. They had great stuff: prayer books, commentary, clothing, religious paraphernalia, cds, tapes, allen ginsburg posters, etc. I really wanted to buy a genuine yarmulke (skullcap) but decided against it as I couldn't choose the right size to get. The 9 was too big but the 8 just didnt feel right. David balked at the chance to get a genuine Carlebach greatest hits cd (a famous religious composer). The highlight was the picture of the Kotel/Western Wall in the back of the store. It was special in that, behind the wall was a dubious collection of trees. After all, I always thought there was a mosque there. How silly of me.

After that, I went to the Israel Museum to see the exhibit with stolen art from the Holocaust. Lots of great paintings. Two excellent Seurat's and powerful photos of rooms full of stolen Torahs and canvases. Instead of write-ups on the paintings or artists, the write-ups addressed who used to own the paintings. Each was stolen, of course, so the show highlighted the anonymity of the last owners during the Holocaust. A great show. I also saw the Dead Sea Scrolls at the museum: a very cool building and way of presenting the scrolls.

For Friday night services, I went to the Kotel. After that, I went with two friends to a random older couple's apartment in the old city. This was an experience unlike any other. Out of 15 kids, I was the only non-Orthodox male, and the two girls I was with were the only non-Orthodox females. After each course we had a discussion of some old Jewish tale and debated the merits of Rabbinic discourse. It was very interesting even though they all knew I wasn't "religious." I did get a little freaked out when our host (who has a PhD in education...) denounced evolution. All-in-all, a very worthwhile experience that I would love to do again.