Israel 7: Jerusalem - Part 2

Hiking in Sataf Reserve

Friday, November 8

Pigeon farm inside an Edomite cave

Today was a relaxed day, starting with a hike through an Edomite hideout at Sataf Reserve. We walked through the old caves that had been carved out of the chalky rockbed. Some of the cave homes had extensive passages and rooms, and there was also an underground water cistern, and an underground pigeon farm. The Edomites used these caves to hide from the Jews, who ultimately converted them. I never knew Jews to have forcibly converted anyone, so I found that pretty shocking.

An Edomite cistern

We tried some carob, picked fresh from the trees at the reserve. I wonder if most of the chocolatey items offered at the hotels were made of carob rather than cocoa, because despite tasting chocolatey, the chocaholics like me found them pretty unsatisfying. I eventually made it to Max Brenner back in Tel Aviv for some real chocolate, and the restaurant in Israel is so infinitely better than the ones in Australia.

Carob tree in Sataf Reserve

After the hike we grabbed lunch at the Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem – aka the Shuk. So far, this is the best market I’ve ever seen, anywhere. There was so much fresh baked goodies, dried fruits and nuts, halva, pomegranate products… the list just goes on. 

I had lunch at a falafel stall that sold me a giant and delicious pita packed with hummus, salad, falafel and fries for about $4. Some others in our group went to Azura, an Iraqi restaurant, which I actually returned to after the tour for lunch based on their amazing experience there. When I went to Azura, the food came almost instantly, and the goulash I ordered was very delicious – the beef was perfect. The portions are a bit small but it was plenty of food for me.

Like I said, I returned to the market on another day, and honestly I feel that just about anything you get here is probably going to be great but you need to make sure the baked stuff is fresh when you buy it. On another day, I got the most amazing chocolate-filled bread pastry, it was 10 shekel, came fresh out of the oven, and we ate 3 entire loaves of it in 2 days, we kept going back for more. I digress…

The chocolate yeast-bread place

A hole-in-the-wall bar that I went to on my return to Jerusalem after the tour

We were given a few hours in the afternoon to prepare for Shabbat. I was really lucky on this trip because one of the Israelis offered to teach me some Krav Maga. I’d heard a lot about it, being the martial art of the IDF, and I’ve wanted to try it for some time. So in Jerusalem, taught by an actual IDF soldier, I had my first lesson in Krav Maga. I just wanted to mention it because I’m still stoked about it. It's a practical martial art for someone like me because it trains efficiency of motion, and you don't have to be massively strong to use it effectively for self defence.

Back to Old Jerusalem

We headed back to the Western Wall to welcome the Sabbath. I don't have photos because we weren't supposed to take photos after sundown. We watched the sunset over the temple mount, lit candles borrowed from a resident because we forgot to bring candles, and had a small ceremony on a rooftop overlooking the Western Wall. We could hear singing from the ceremonies taking place all around us. After our ceremony, we descended to the wall and us girls joined the singing and dancing happening right at the foot of the wall – the very place where people were solemnly praying, mourning and reflecting just 24 hours ago. I have been to Shabbat services before at several synagogues, but nothing could ever compare in atmosphere to the pure celebration of welcoming the Sabbath in Old Jerusalem.

Some ruins in Jerusalem

Following a much abridged celebration at the Western Wall, we walked back into town to the beautiful Inbal Hotel. A unique part of our November Birthright experience was that we attended the General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America, which this year was held in Jerusalem. This allowed us the privilege of dining with some of the philanthropists that funded our trip, as well as some birthright alumni that were on a leadership trip. We had an amazing catered meal at the hotel, followed by singing and dancing, it felt reminiscent of a bar mitzvah reception.

We walked to our hotel for a brief group activity before bedtime.

A photo from the Medieval Knights Festival held in Old Jerusalem City, visited after the tour.

Saturday, November 9

Shabbat shalom! After five days of action-packed itinerary we finally have a day of rest. We got to sleep in! Like, really sleep in! We spent the whole day at the hotel with lots of break time. We did a group activity in the morning, based around discussions of Jewish identity and ideals, and selected Jewish texts and commentaries. It’s amazing that we had 43 people in the room (and about 150 opinions), and yet chaos did not break loose during these debates.

Approaching the entrance to Old Jerusalem from the modern city centre

At the end of Shabbat, we walked into town where we met up with the birthright Alumni group for a Havdallah ceremony to welcome the new week. They joined us for some improv comedy, then we parted to find some dinner in Jerusalem’s city centre. I think a small group of us ended up eating at Big Apple Pizza, which was actually really great pizza – the kind with the thin but crisp crust, and served piping hot.

Sidewalks of Old Jerusalem

From here it was back on the bus to our next guesthouse at the foot of Mount Masada. It was only the next morning that I got to see the stunning view from our guestroom’s patio.

The view from Masada guesthouse the following day.

Previous: Jerusalem - Part 1