When I say I've never been religious, I've never been religious. I really never paid attention in shul back home. I'd even sneak my iPod in and wire the headphones up my jacket sleeve and listen to music the whole time through. Yom Kippur here is a little different. Everyone celebrates (or atones), and everything is shut down. Everything. The airport is closed, the roads are deserted, no businesses are open, even Arabs don't drive out of respect, so I figured I'd at least fast so I didn't feel left out.
The rules for Yom Kippur are kind of strict. No electricity, no creating (writing, music, art), no destroying (tearing paper, causing harm), no lighting fire (as it's an act of creation), no eating, no drinking, no bathing, no wearing leather, no sex.
I forgot to eat lunch Friday, so I had a small dinner Friday night. I missed three meals…just not consecutively. Friday night a few of us went to Emek Rafaim, which is a major street with tons of shops (all closed, of course). Basically there were a few hundred people just hanging out in the street, playing cards, skateboarding, scootering, and laying down on the asphalt. It was incredible. We just went around meeting people.
 |
| No Cars Go |
Saturday we went on a walk down Begin Boulevard, which is the major throughway of Jerusalem. Imagine Interstate 84 (or whatever your local highway is) completely devoid of cars. It was something else.
 |
| Begin Boulevard - busiest road in Jerusalem |
I broke the fast an hour early. I know, I know, I'm going to hell. But I'll be damned if that sandwich wasn't the most delicious I've ever had.
We Aim - Yppah
No comments:
Post a Comment