First Shabbos in Jerusalem

Shabbos ended in Jerusalem a few hours ago and I made it! Phew, this city is a truly magical place but none more so then on Shabbos. With a full moon rising over the Kotel (Wailing Wall) the black and whites as I like to call them (the Orthodox Jews) began to fill the area, I watching this with one of my new friends Yitzchak (he’s from South Carolina and a Jewish convert) we went down to the wall and davened before heading back up to the terrace, we talked for a while and then headed our separate ways. I went to dinner with old friends from NY one of whom’s brother lives two minutes away from me in the Old City, dinner was amazing, filled with children running around, lots of singing, drinking wine, and amazing conversation. Then I headed off to bed, I awoke full of vigor (late, I missed Morning Prayer but I’m still fighting a bit of jet lag) and then wandered around, hooking up with some new friends before heading off to lunch with one of the Rabbis who does work for Aish. Another illuminating and wild meal ensued before I sleepily headed back to my room. I met up with some roommates / friends, and we sat around our kitchen table, making jokes, talking about stupid stuff and just generally being stupid boys. As Shabbos came to a close we did the division ceremony and then the world went back to normal, phones were turned on, computers brought out and life went back to normal. Shabbos is amazing when you go a whole day without changing anything, even the mundane becomes extraordinary. Most people go there entire lives without realizing the miracle in the everyday, the ordinary. I had a wonderful first Shabbos in Israel, I’ve been shown nothing but warmth and kindness everywhere I go thus far and I’m truly grateful for that.