Day 6

Shabbat Lunch

After a great evening welcoming Shabbat, Saturday morning was spent catching up on sleep and relaxing at our hotel. Around noon, we split into small groups for Shabbat lunch at host families throughout Jerusalem. While attempting to navigate the city streets, my group stopped multiple people on the street for directions. Ironically enough three of the four ‘locals’ we spoke with were originally from Philadelphia!

My group was welcomed into the home of a wonderful family and treated to a delicious assortment of traditional Israeli foods. Throughout the meal, we discussed a variety of different topics that included, Israeli politics, Jewish culture, American sports, and their family lineage. Before we knew it, three and a half hours had passed and we had to head back to the hotel for our evening activities. While sad to part ways, we promised to keep in touch!

- Scott Peterman

Shabbos with the Reb

Waking up Saturday morning was no easy task …Shabbat dinner was both spiritual and intoxicating. L’CHAIM!! Jessica and I were assigned to a host family that lived near Emek Refiam in the Greek Colony. We walked from the Dan Boutique around Jerusalem and arrived after a 30-minute improvised tour of the City. Three beautiful children running in circles and a baby boy named Eli Melech instantly greeted us. In addition, there were 15 others that had gathered for Shabbat lunch with a man that we had never met before. Our host sat in his Shabbat throne and proclaimed one rule for lunch: “no politics”. We started our meal with a blessing over the wine to which everyone at the table introduced themselves and received a very personal blessing from the “reb” with our choice of 7 wine varieties (including a mystery wine in an ornate silver pitcher). We ate for hours (5 to be exact) and spoke of his baseball fanaticism, his teaching days, how he got Cal Ripken’s ONLY game-day bat in known existence, and his “wall of fame” that is covered with pictures of people that have left a lasting impression on him. He dressed us in special Shabbat robes and served us dessert after salad course – proclaiming: “this is in honor of my Mother …who told me that when I’m an adult, I can do whatever I want but until then, no dessert before I finish my meal …now I’m an adult and I want cake”. The food was amazing and the Sephardic tradition of cooking is certainly something I could get used to. At the end of our meal, our host was asked to read everyone’s numerology and he was spot on with everything as if he knew me …and as we left his home, he led us out the door and left us with another blessing of success, peace, and happiness in life.

Walking back to our hotel, I felt totally overwhelmed. We had just had Shabbat lunch with people we had never met but they welcomed us into their home and their family, making an impact on our lives that I don’t think we’ll soon forget.

- Josh Katz

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