JRU aint nothin like it!

On Thursday, Feb. 7, following 4 grueling hours of Ulpan i set out for a weekend in none other than the HOLY CITY: Jerusalem! there were some minor complications getting there (aka we got on the wrong train and went 45 minutes out of our way!!) it was well worth the wait. While i have been to the holy city before, each and everytime i am there it is like my first, in one word it is breathtaking.
there were 8 of us girls, we all stayed in Sasha's apartment which is right outside of the old city jaffa gate enterance, from her dining room window you can see the kotel, i have never seen an apartment like this before it was amazing. our first night there we went for dinner at a place called shnitzy. catchy name i know. i tried schnitzel for my first time, it was good, but i gotta say the whole fried food thing grosses me out. we called it an early night as we were all exhausted. the next day is when all the fun starts anyways.
friday morning we all got up and headed over to the Jerusalem Shuk which is an outdoor market, the one on Jerusalem is about two times the size as the one in Tel Aviv. when you walk in you are bombarded with fresh vegetables of all kinds, then fruits, then the nuts, dried, fruits and spices, followed by fresh fish, followed by baked goods, and lastly clothing and flowers. it is so colorful, and on friday before shabbat you cannot imagine how packed it was everyone in jerusalem must have been there preparing for the evening.
the girls and i picked up all the goodies we needed to make an authentic persian shabbat dinner. i have never had persian food before so this was especially a treat. after we picked up everything we needed we left the shuk and went for lunch, and a walk around the city before we had to retreat to the kitchen.
jerusalem, for those of you who do not know is unique in that the edifices are all constructed from jerusalem stone, a pale pink/peach sandstone type. with everything in unison the city equates a sweet harmony, it doesnt look like one of those developments in westin, it look idealistic, almost unrealistic.
that night to bring in the Shabbas we headed to the Kotel where everyone, im talking generation upon generations of Jewish Mishpuhas were dancing, singing, and bringing in the Sabbath. especially on the Men's side, they were going NUTS!!!! all things i have seen not much changes but each and everytime it revitalizes something in you. for me it reminds me why i am proud to be Jewish, why i came to israel to study, and why i want to keep Judaism alive. i know that may sound trite but its 100% the truth. that night at the kotel the girls and i went our separate ways for 20 minutes and prayed on our own, touching the wall automatically sends chills throughout my body, it makes me recognize the fact that i do believe ever so strongly in HaShem.
following our visit at the wall we walked back to Sasha's apartment via the Arab Quarter, elisa we were there with daddy a few years ago i dont know if you remember. once at the apartment we all gathered around the table, said kiddush, and hamozi and bon apetite! the food was AMAZINGGGG!!! We have rice and stews, a chicken stew and a beef stew. there were so many spieces, hands down the best meal since i have been here which is a bold bold statement since the food here is amazing!
saturday morning we all slept in!!! jerusalem is DEAD on shabbat no one is out everything is closed, it really is a day to just relax. we had shabbat lunch, again said kiddush and hamosi, we had omlettes, cheeses, salads delicious! then we took a small walk around the Jewish Quarter, and went back to the apartment to get ready for the evening.
that evening we went to ben yehuda street where there are a lot of bars and restaurants and clubs. we stopped off first at a place called zollies were we all got a drink and a hookah. it was very american but also very fun. the music was great! afterward we went next store to a bar called nadin which was very similar.
sunday was a great day, we got up fairly early and went over toward ben yehuda. i had the best falalfel i have ever had, some original and some spicy at the falalfel bar. im talking the works were in my pita: humus, cucumber, tomatos, cabbage, tehina, etc...im talking gooooooooood stuff! then we went shopping, and into the old city for another walk around where i got elisa her graduation presents (which you are absolutly going to LOVE), and a last visit to the kotel before getting the sharut back to tel aviv.
all in all it was a wonderful weekend i couldnt of asked for anything better, good company, good food, good times, and an unbelieveable place. it all keeps me appreciative for having the opportunity to be here, to be apart of this, of something bigger than myself.