Jack’s EUROTRIP BLOG, June2, 2018
Shabbat, June 2. And a much-needed day of rest for me, too, except a good part of it wasn’t. I woke up to a silent city. On Shabbat, everything stops. I decided to take an early morning walk into a park. Chana had drawn a map for me. Walked for about an hour and 15 minutes, while reflecting on my big presentation tomorrow. Came back to the apartment and just about had time to take a shower and get dressed, when Chana arrived to take me to a Shabbat luncheon. We walked for about 30 minutes to get there, as I tried to remember the route because I knew I would leave the luncheon early. I met more people I didn’t know, but these folks I had much less in common with, so I felt even more out of place. Again, more blessings, prayers, singing, symbolic washing, food. What’s really nice is it’s something that unites Jews all over the world. But I had a headache that kept getting worse—I’m sure from all the gluten I’ve been eating—so immediately after the meal I excused myself and headed back on my own. I got almost immediately lost; I have no idea how I went wrong. I kept asking Jewish people where is the Shuk (okay, this is the real spelling—I got it wrong twice in my earlier entries), because Chana had told me everyone knows where the Shuk is, and I kept being pointed in different directions. I ended up in the Old City again! Well, that was nice to walk through again, but I knew I was still pretty far away. Finally, an hour and 45 mintes later I finally found the Shuk and walked through it to get home. It was eerie how deserted and silent this market was—the complete opposite of the way it had been and usually is—as nothing could possibly be open on the Sabbath around here. Wearily, I trudged up the stairs to the apartment. I did an awful lot of walking today. Quiet evening. Back to work tomorrow!
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