It's been a great week, being able to be back in Jerusalem! Were getting to know the city so much better. A few days ago we were in the Old City and I was shocked with how many tourists were scurrying around kind of in a daze. Then I realized there were no more tourists that usual, they just stick out to me more because I'm finally not one of them. And another day a girl asked me how to get somewhere and I could help her!
The Jewish holiday Sukkot started while we were in Egypt and ended on Wednesday. It's a pretty neat holiday, all the Jews set up sukkots, which are little huts covered with palm leaves, and they eat all their meals in there for a week. Some Jewish people even sleep in them. In the West City, where all the Jewish people live, there are dozens of sukkots set up on the roads and on apartment balconies because there is no where else to put them! It's pretty cool! I got lots of pictures of them. All restaurants in the Jewish districts set them up too. And like any Jewish Holiday, there is party after party! We went to the Western wall Last Sunday because it was a huge day for Bar Mitzvah's. Then Tuesday we woke up early to get to the wall at 6 in the morning to watch the Festival of Tabernacles. Everyone waves Lulav's (bouquets of the 4 sacred species; willow, palm, myrtle and etrog) around and sings songs and dances. It's a lot of fun. On Thursday there was another holiday that is always at the end of Sukkot and a couple of friends and I saw a flier advertising a big festival in the park so we went and it was a lot of fun! We did our best to look like we belonged there and just danced and sang (sort of) Hebrew songs. We ended up meeting a bunch of Jewish girls our age and we danced and talked with them.
We also saw a flier the other day for a clothing sell! So a few of the girls I'm closest to decided to check it out! It was in an cute, little apartment on the 6th level of a high rise apartment. A couple of sisters and their friend were selling a bunch of their old clothes. We all left with something. I got a couple shirts and some sandles. The girls were really cute and want us to come over for Shabbat (Sabbath) dinner sometime. They couldn't believe we didn't have big Shabbat dinners!
One day just 3 of us, Whitney, Katie and I, ended up just walking around the West all afternoon. I love the West City. It's really comfortable there and there are so many people that are so eager to talk to you. We hung out at a cute little park for a while and before we got really sick from spinning on a merry go round we met a a cute family that was in Jerusalem with family for the holidays. They had a little boy named Yosef and we had fun talking with him. He asked if any of us had family in Israel and he could not believe we didn't. He says; "No aunts?! Uncles?? Cousins?? No one?!"
After being in Egypt I feel so comfortable and happy to be in Jerusalem. The atmosphere in Egypt is very unwelcoming. At first, I was really intimidated with the new culture here in Israel but I've come to really appreciate the people. Most everyone is thrilled to have you here. Everyone is completely accepting and excited to talk to you. I've been really impressed with a lot of the locals. There are so many humble, devoted people here and there is a lot that can be learned from them.
I visited the Tower of David museum with a couple of friends on Thursday I think. That was really interesting. It was especially neat to see it because were studying David in the Old Testament so the information was fresh! Everything means so much more when you know a little bit of background. But finding out about all the stuff I don't know is still completely overwhelming.
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