After the service ends, we are met by our host families. I am paired with Father Greg; Bob and Gina are to spend the evening with a family two doors from ours, so the four of us and David (our host) and Hersh (theirs) walk about half an hour to their homes.
Upon entering the house, we meet David�s wife and three of their children. The parents say a blessing over each child, they sing the kiddush and we ritually wash our hands with a two-handled cup. At the table, the youngest child says the prayer over the bread, sprinkles it with salt and breaks off pieces for all of us to eat. The meal consists of lentil soup, salad, waldorf salad, chicken and rice and eggplant streusel. Our conversation is varied and entertaining, ranging from languages to cities and countries, religion, excommunication, basketball, automobile accidents, Clinton, the death penalty and paper. On all of these topics, Father Greg is able to spout statistics, figures, examples and facts of all sorts. I am able to spout opinions.
At 9:30 we walk to Hersh�s apartment. Upon entering the complex we find ourselves in a dark hallway, but David is unable to turn on the lights because of Shabbat, so Father Greg does it. We pick up Bob and Gina, then walk to the corner where we hail a cab back to the hotel.
A number of people in our group had said that they wanted to go to the Western Wall to see it at night, when the Orthodox go and tourists don�t. The four of us got back so late that we feared we�d missed the rest of the group, but none of them ended up still wanting to go, so Gina, Bob and I walked to the Wall by ourselves, winding our way through the starlit streets of Jerusalem�s Old City, climbing walls and peering over ramparts.
After the walk back, I pack my bags. |
