We took a little Shabbat break from the blog, but our day was too special not to share ...so, here’s a short recap (with photos below).
We started our day at Galita’s Chocolate Farm and made our own chocolate that would have melted in the heat (had we not eaten it first)! Then, we started our drive to Jerusalem. It was midday on Friday when we arrived to Jerusalem so we headed straight to the market before the stores began to close and we had lunch. It was packed and was so cool to see the energy in the market as everyone was shopping before Shabbat.
We checked into our hotel to get ready for Shabbat and it was so interesting to think that everyone across the city was also getting ready for the same thing. The streets started to get quiet and there were barely any cars in the road.
We made our way to the Western Wall (or the Kotel) for the first time and it was such a a neat experience. I was able to feel connected to the hundreds of Jews who were also there. We saw everyone praying together in big groups, in small groups, and some were alone and simply taking in special time at the wall. To close our special day, we went to a young couple’s home and they welcomed us for Shabbat dinner. The couple was from New Jersey, but they made aliyah a few years ago (which means they permanently moved to Israel). The food was delicious and we learned about their customs being Orthodox and making the decision to move to Israel. I will always remember my first Shabbat in Jerusalem.
Tomorrow we will tell you all about our time in Jaffa and Tel Aviv. Can’t wait!!
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