Fridays in Tel Aviv

My next stop on the international educational tour was Tel Aviv. It just felt easier. The irony of that was not lost on me, what with attacks from Gaza on a regular basis and a new crew hotel because the old one got shelled…

I just grew weary of having to use bottled water to even spit (Dakar) and not leaving my hotel unless is was daytime with an escort (Johannesburg.) So let’s take it down a notch and learn about Tel Aviv, I heard it was beautiful.

The reports did not lie. There was beauty and history everywhere in Tel Aviv and the people were rich in culture. Our new hotel was fabulous which was in direct proportion to how high the security level must have been. It was not for our comfort. We were across the street from the azure waters of the Mediterranean Sea and a beach that sprawled forever. Nice.

After meeting the crew downstairs for some beverages and snacks, a few of us headed out. I learned right away that what I thought was Hummus did not at all resemble the real thing and I was ruined for fresh Hummus forever. I admit, the food was incredible. A few of my friends who flew Tel Aviv all of the time introduced me to some of the greatest family restaurants in the heart of the city.

We went through the Shuk HaCarmel (Carmel Market) which is an incredible experience just for the pure humanity of it. I was like a kid marveling at every thing and every person. The inability to understand a foreign language sharpens your observation skills, and I quietly watched as this slice of life unfolded before me.

As we continued towards the beach, I began noticing things that were different there to allow locals to have a normal daily life under the constant threat of attack that we did not have here. I realized the streets were lined with concrete columns, painted to blend, to help prevent vehicle attacks. There was a very clear military presence in the background (not unarmed security guards.)

The sirens on top of the palapas on the beach really let me know that everyday life was very different here:

We ended our beautiful tour and headed back to the hotel. I approached the elevator and hit a button and the doors on the far right opened and both of my friends grabbed my arm and told me: “No! It’s Friday!!”

Ok, and???

It was then that I learned about Shabbat. From sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday, the elevator on the right was the designated elevator for those observing Shabbat. I wanted to know more about this.

The last elevator would stop at every floor automatically (and there were over 30) during Shabbat. In Jewish law, Shabbat is considered a day of rest and there is a set of complex rules (and modern solutions) to ensure that the devout rest. Riding in a vehicle or turning anything on or off is forbidden. By using the designated elevator, observers may simply be transported floor-by-floor to their destination without touching a button.

Trust me, unless you had to use that elevator, you did not want to head up to the 27^th floor on it on a Friday night. The education continued!