Chelsey and Rafi's Israel Adventure: Next up, Sukkot!!

As soon as Yom Kippur ended, Sukkot was in the air! The morning after the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), Rafi and I woke up early to catch a bus to Har Hatzofim (Mount Scopus) so I could be at the Hadassah hospital there for an interview with the head midwife. My interview was arranged by the head of the maternity department there, who is the mother of a "contact" given to me by Rafi's mom through a friend. It was a great bit of Jewish geography, if I do say so myself. Anyway, the meeting was scheduled by the head of the maternity department very suddenly and without first asking me if I was available at that time and day. No matter, as it worked for me and my schedule and I was excited and nervous about it. I was hoping to volunteer as a doula with the hospital and come in a few days a week to assist with any births taking place. I arrived early and we found the delivery rooms. Rafi waited in the lobby while I found Sima, the head midwife. She was very kind and easy to talk to. She spoke a mix of Hebrew and English and I spoke mostly English. We spoke about what I would be doing at the hospital as a doula and other logistics. Toward the end of the interview, Dorit, the head of the maternity department came in with my resume and certification of doula training completion that I had emailed her. She told Sima that I seemed very well prepared and learned as a doula and that it would be great if I volunteered with them. She left and Sima and I resumed our conversation. Sima wrote some things about me down on my resume (basically that I am Jewish, unmarried, etc...). She then told me that she still needed to ask her own supervisor about my volunteering as a doula and clearing the insurance for the hospital. I got her telephone number and left the interview feeling very positive about the experience and excited for the opportunity to be able to aid in births while I am here in Israel. Rafi and I then rode a bus back to the City Center to explore some more sites. (Update: I received news that I will not be permitted to volunteer as a doula with Hadassah Har Hatzofim hospital. Apparently, after checking with her supervisor/insurance Sima said that they do not allow outside doulas to volunteer. She offered to take me on as a regular volunteer around the materity department if I am interested. I wish that I could be a volunteer doula because it would help me get a lot of experience and make me feel as though I was actually making a difference. I think that I may call them back and become a regular volunteer, although I do not know exactly what I would be doing because my Hebrew is very basic and I have never volunteered in any hospital before. It is not ideal, but I guess it is a starting point.)

Rafi and I headed first to Meah Shearim to check it out in the daylight and take a few photos. Meah Shearim is an area in Jerusalem that is completely Ultra Orthodox. It appears like an old shtetl. Many of the shops were converted into etrog and lulav inspection and vending sites. This one is in some sort of cabinetry shop. It was so neat to walk around and peek into stores that contained a plethora of etrogim with chassidic men inspecting them with lights and magnifying glasses.

We had purchased two etrogim (the cheap ones, not for shaking) the night before. We had planned to use them to cook with in the spirit of Sukkot. I ended up using the zest of one in some bread pudding that I baked the other day. Yum!

In Meah Shearim there were advertisements everywhere to buy chickens for the High Holidays (there is a custom to shake a live one over your head during this time, have it slaughtered, and then donate it to the poor).

This is a large sign at one of the entrances to Meah Shearim. One must be dressed in modest clothing to enter the area.

After walking through Meah Shearim, we decided to head to the Old City once again. It is becoming an area that we walk through often, but we never tire of it.

This is a walkway in the Old City.

It is so interesting walking through the shuk (market) in the Old City and seeing nuns, monks, friars, priests, chassidic jews, etc... going about their day amidst the mass of tourists.

Rafi taught me to play backgammon and I won once! It is actually a fun game, and we always see old men on the sides of streets and outside of shops intensely playing the game. We are thinking about either buying or making our own set.

We were walking here through a new part of the shuk that we had never been. As soon as we turned this corner to the left, we walked into a group of Christians singing some sort of hymn. You can run into so much religion in this city, but also the lack of it as well in some areas.

Some Arab children playing in the Old City. They were all speaking Arabic to eachother. One little girl looked at Rafi and I and said, "Hello!" We said hello back and smiled at them as we continued walking through this Arab section.

Soldiers walking to an area we had just walked through where a bunch of Arabs were gathered and shouting at eachother. We walked through the argument and had no idea what they were shouting to eachother. It made us a bit nervous, but we really did not have any other alternative than to walk through. It all ended up alright anyway although we still do not know what the issue was in the first place.

A sukkah in the courtyard of the Kotel in the Old City.

The Kotel with the almost- Sukkot moon.

A bunch of soldiers were standing in the usual "khet" formation in the courtyard of the Kotel.

Rafi standing in a sukkah in the process of being built.

In the Old City, standing in front of a synagogue.

Building a sukkah in the courtyard of the Kotel.

During our walk around the Old City we noticed that several sukkahs were being built. This one was near our usual entrance to the Kotel.

I couldn't resist to include this magical photograph of Mount of Olives at dusk with the almost-Sukkot moon hanging in the sky.

Rafi and I got dressed up in the evening to attend my friend's (from Seattle - we met on the Jewish Farm School trip I took through Hillel J-connect last summer) engagement party. She had just been engaged a few weeks before while Rafi and I were living in Ramat Gan. It was great to be invited to such an event and share in her happiness. The party seemed to have mostly Orthodox Jews in attendance, and mostly people between 20 and 35. It took place on the rooftop of an apartment building in Rechavia. We almost got lost trying to find the correct street but eventually found our way.

The drummer held a steady and pulsing beat throughout the evening. There was singing, dancing, eating, drinking, and some speeches in Hebrew too. The men even took a break to daven Aravit.