Nothing can surprise me...or so I thought...

Shalom

Just when I thought Israel couldn’t surprise, I found myself in a state of quiet shock.  I stood in the middle of one of the most dangerous intersections in Israel. On most days and nights it’s filled with buses, taxis, cars, and trucks of all sizes speedily hurrying to their destinations. Sunday was decidedly different. It was nine in the evening and there were no buses, no taxis, and no cars. There were no roadblocks, no strands of yellow police tape, or armed police officers to divert traffic. But there were people, lots and lots of people.

There were men and women, young and old, secular and religious all wearing various shades and styles of white dresses, shirts, and hats. There were at least one hundred kids on bikes. And not a car was to be seen, heard, or felt. It was the evening of Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement and holiest of all Jewish holidays. Work, including driving (and photography), is strictly prohibited. And for one day, it seemed all of Israel parked their cars, put on their finest wears, and went for an evening stroll. Even non-Jews avoid driving. There is simply no where to go. Every business and operation, except of course emergency services, is closed for a 25 hour period.

Later I was lost in a sea of people walking down Emek Refaim in the German colony, a trendy, upscale, Anglo neighborhood in Jerusalem. On every other night people looking for a bite at a boutique restaurant or to buy some of the latest fashions were confined to narrow sidewalks as the cars and buses dominated the equally narrow streets. But on Sunday the streets were ours. The restaurants and shops were all closed but there was more life in the streets that night than ever before. It looked as if 100 weddings had just ended and the guests were walking home in the afterglow of an unforgettable evening. Words can’t do it justice. And photos, had anyone taken any, would have been inadequate.

Wander in Wonder.