Shabbat in Jerusalem
Shabbat 1957: “Buses weren’t running and only a few cars.”
Letter Excerpts:
“The Shabbas here was beautiful. Buses weren’t running and only a few cars moved to break Shabbas”
“Today was a most thrilling day. In Yerushalaim they say “Birkat Cohanim” on every Shabbas, so today I duchened (gave the blessing of Cohen) in the Holy City. It was a great feeling”
— July 27, 1957
“I spent a very pleasant Shabbas in Jerusalem. I went to the main Shul in the morning. It was packed & only standing room could be had.”
“The city traffic was dead except for people walking & UN & diplomats cars.”
“In the afternoon I took a walk to the International boundary at the Mandelbaum Gate.”
“Last night (Fri.night) I went to a Shul in Meah Shearim … It sure was an experience.”
“(Shabbat has ended and now) Jerusalem has arisen as the stores open & traffic
begins again.”
— August 31, 1957
Shabbat in Jerusalem vs Shabbat in Brooklyn
Even for someone growing up in an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood like Brooklyn, the Shabbat atmosphere in Jerusalem always feels like something special and unique. One can see how the residents of Jerusalem are preparing for Shabbat. The open market, Machane Yehuda, is full and bristling with eager shoppers, both secular and religious, who are buying their fruits & vegetables, meats & fish, challahs & cakes in preparations for their Shabbat meals.
Shabbat in Jerusalem truly was a day of rest. It’s a far cry from the hustle and bustle of a Shabbat in Brooklyn where even in the orthodox neighborhoods of Flatbush, Boro Park and Williamsburg public buses and trains disturb the serenity of Shabbat. In Israel, even with a secular government, pubic transportation is mostly shut down, stores are closed, the city siren sounds, and the Shabbat atmosphere permeates the entire city. But when the sun went down and three stars appeared in the sky on Saturday night, the stores opened up and Jerusalem night life returned.
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In 1957, there was no such thing as a Shabbat stroll to the Kotel, being that it was in Jordanian hands at that time. That is why his Shabbat stroll was only up to the “international boundary of the Mandelbaum Gate”.
There was no “Great Synagogue” or “Heichal Shlomo” on King George Street, which only began construction a year later in 1958. However, one could always find an open synagogue in the ultra-orthodox neighborhood of Mea Shaarim. The Jews of Mea Shaarim were known for their outreach – they invited Jews from all over into their homes so that they can enjoy an authentic Shabbat experience.
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