Heading south before Shabbat in Jerusalem
It is Friday and Shabbat (Sabbath) will begin at sundown. I will say it again, I love watching Shabbat happen. Everyone is hurrying around getting their errands finished, their homes are getting clean and the best meal of the week is being prepared. Flowers are bought on Friday for the Shabbat table. I love seeing the flower stalls set up on Friday. The flowers are beautiful and they are wrapped so lovingly with colored tissue and ribbon. They can be bought for around $5. It feels like a great preparation for the coming of worship. Is my heart ready for worship, not just on Saturday but everyday. There is an excitement all around. At about 3pm, things start shutting down and everyone is heading home or to a hotel. The candles are lit at sundown and family and friends celebrate the Shabbat. It is a great visual for me.
We are heading South today. Will has us going to Hebron, the Rafah border crossing near Egypt, and Sderot. Here are the statistics: This year to date, 253 people have been killed in car wrecks in Israel. About 60 have been killed by rockets. So, I think I will put more steel between me and the other drivers. Last weekend we had rented a really small car. It could fit in the back seat of most American cars. This weekend, I am feeling the need to be a little safer, so we have rented an SUV.
We stop in Hebron to see the cave where they say Abraham is buried. It is the first time I have been in Hebron. The Jews and Arabs share the site. The Muslims worship on Friday and the Jews worship on Saturday. Actually, the Jews go to the synagogue every day. My friend, Kathleen, sent me an email saying she was praying Psalms 91 over Will and me. I read it here and my spirits soar.
We head to the Rafah crossing at Egypt. We get as far as Kerem Shalom where we see the Army set up, so we wonder if it is OK to be here. No one stops us, so Will gets out of the car and starts taking pictures and video. I am getting out of the car when an Army jeep comes out of nowhere and tells us that we cannot go any further. They also want to know who we are and what are we doing there. I am thankful Will can speak Hebrew (whew).
No problems and we are back on our way to Sderot when we hear that a rocket has hit Zikim. We change plans and head for the kibbutz. We are the first journalists on the scene. As we get to the gate, it is closed, so we go toward the Mediterranean Sea (Zikim is on the Sea). Will decides to try again to get into the kibbutz and as we approach, another car is coming out of the kibbutz gate and we go in.
We end up interviewing Ron, the head of Zikim. The kibbutz is about 80 families and is so quaint—lovely flowers and a great view of the Mediterranean. Ron tells us that really nothing has changed since the disengagement from the area. Rockets come almost everyday. I cannot imagine living that way! This time, two young boys are slightly injured but no one is killed. Will takes pictures and video of the damage. He also takes a picture of one of the boys that has been injured. His leg is wrapped in a bandage—the boy has come back to the scene after being treated at the hospital. We hear outgoing artillery and watch as the young boy heads to the safety of his parents.
It is late afternoon and we head back to Jerusalem. Taki, Will’s old roommate and friend, joins us for dinner at another Sushi restaurant. This time in Jerusalem. It is delicious and we enjoy Shabbat.
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