Shabbos Yerushalayim!

DMK:
A big "Wud Up" from Jerusalem!

We finished packing on Wednesday (6/14) at about 3:30pm. Perfect timing, considering our car to the airport was to arrive at 3:15. Luckily the driver got lost, and was 15 minutes late.

At JFK airport we waited for our Swiss Air flight with our friend Bruce Wernick who was taking an El Al flight directly to Israel. While we were on line to board to plane, we met a “Yeshivish” looking American guy, who introduced himself as Yehuda. He told us he lived in Israel and we told him that we were spending some time in Yeshiva during the summer. He guessed, correctly, that since we would be arriving so close to Shabbos it would be hard to get food or make plans, so he invited us to his in-law’s, who he said were out of town, but him and his wife were watching after his wife’s other brother’s and sisters (eighteen in all…. Yes you read correct, 18!).

Well to give a quick ending to a story that could only be written in Yerushalayim, we davened at the Kotel and had Shabbos dinner and lunch with Rabbi Yehuda Werblowski, his wife Rivke, approximately 10 of her 18 siblings, and about 8 of Rabbi Werblowski’s talmidim of Yesvhiat Toras Shraga, at the house of her parent’s, Rabbi and Rebbitzen Chanoch Teller. Chonoch Teller is a world famous storyteller and author of some 18 amazing books! Unfortunately Rabbi Teller was out of town speaking in Hong Kong, then England, and the U.S., but hopefully we will have the chance to meet him later in the summer. I went to shul on Shabbos morning at the Great Synagogue where Naftali Hertzik was the Chazzon, along with the Jerusalem Choir. It was amazing. Unfortunately I missed musaf, because of the 4 Bar Mitzvah’s and 1 Auf Ruf and we had to be back at the Teller’s for lunch at 11:00. Our walk to the Teller’s was through the Ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Meah Shaarim. I have to tell you, the Chasidim that live there really get a “bad rap”. First of all, the vast majority of the children were dressed so clean and cute I was amazed. Second, the people were very friendly. Truthfully, they were friendlier then I had remembered them from my past visits. The food at both meals was AMAZING, prepared almost entirely by one of the sisters. No small feat for meals of 18 – 20 people!

On Friday, before Shabbos, Melissa and I walked to where my old Yeshiva was located in Katamon (they have since moved). It was a great walk down King George, to Emek Refaim. Right before Shabbos we bumped into our sister-in-law Ariel’s brother Aaron Zupnick, who is a very interesting, spiritual and incredibly friendly Breslov Chassid who lives in Jerusalem. We’re hoping to meet up with him and his younger brother, who is also visiting Israel, in the coming weeks.

Motzei Shabbos I was buying a soda at the infamous Kent Stand, and ran into one of my closest friends from high school, Alan Richter. I hadn’t seen him since I was in Israel in 1993. It was great to see him and we’re going to try to have dinner one night this week.

Oh, I almost forgot! So far, I’ve had one amazing schwarma lafa from Melech HaFalafel, a Falafel lafa at my favorite Schwarma place in the entire world: Falafel Doron, on the corner of Emek Refaim and Rachel Imenu, and we had Sbarro’s tonight. I’m still looking forward to Burger King, Micky D’s, and LOTS more schwarma!

It has been an amazing 3 days so far!!! It already feels like our trip is going to be too short, but we’re looking forward to soaking in as much as possible and relishing every moment of it!