Rafi and I awoke early on Yom Kippur morning and walked to Moreshet Yisrael Conservative synagogue again for services at 8:30am. We arrived right on time and were able to sit in the seats that we had reserved for us. They were perfect seats, right on the main floor, middle section, and middle row. Before shacharit (morning services) began, the rabbi came over and introduced himself to us. He seemed very friendly. Before Yizkor started, Rafi and I left the shul to go back home. We slept for a few hours until in was time to leave again to return to the synagogue for Mincha and Neila services. When we made it to shul and found our way back to our seats, an older man came up to us and asked if we were the ones from Seattle. We, of course, answered in the affirmative. A few minutes later he returned and asked Rafi if he has ever done hagba (lifting the Torah up) before. Rafi said no, and the man left to ask someone else. He then returned again and said he had something else for us. He asked Rafi if he could return the Torah to the ark after the Mincha Torah reading, and asked me to open and close the ark after Rafi returns the Torah. It was great! We did not exactly know the details of when to get up and where to go, but the people in charge helped us out a bit. I went up to the ark and opened it. Rafi took the Torah from the rabbi walking it around the room after the reading, and then he walked it up the bima to the ark and replaced in with the help of the rabbi. I then closed the ark. It was really nice to be included in the services of this synagogue that we are not members of, but merely visitors. They helped us feel welcome and comfortable.
By the end of the day, both Rafi and I, as well as the other congregants, were definitely feeling tired and hungry. You could sense the low energy in the room. After Neila ended and stars could be seen in the night sky, there was a sudden burst of renewed energy as everyone filed out of the sanctuary to a courtyard where a small break fast was being held. We sipped Prigat fruit nectars and nibbled on cookies, borekas, and pretzals. Ah, it felt good to have food again! Rafi and I left the synagogue to head home once again. Once home, we made a game-plan of what our next steps would be to really break our fast. I had my heart set on vanilla ice cream for some reason. I was craving it! I do not normally have ice cream so I do not know why I needed it at that point, but I did. We gathered some funds and set outside to find an open store. Our usual supermarket was still closed so we walked down a different street to try something else. We found a corner store opened after the holyday and went in to check out their ice cream supply. They had Ben and Jerry's and Hagan Daas. We ended up buying an overpriced pint of Ben and Jerry's vanilla. While checking out, Rafi seemed to be babbling incoherently in Hebrew because of his lack of energy from the fast. It was funny at the same time as sad. We needed to get home and eat as soon as we could. I whipped up some grilled cheese sandwiches for Rafi as well as a slice of leftover honey cake and ice cream with sliced peaches on top. I enjoyed my vanilla ice cream, honey cake, and peach concoction like it was the first meal I had eaten in weeks. It was fantastic!
It was special to spend Yom Kippur in Jerusalem this year. I especially loved how it really did seem like the whole community was involved in celebrating the day. At home in Seattle, we do have a large Jewish community, but here it is a completely different story. The community is Jewish. I loved feeling like I was a part of the majority. I loved that stores were closed on this day and that there were no cars or buses driving in the streets. It all added to a special ambience that helped to create a meaningful Yom Kippur. We were all involved in some way and ice cream had never tasted better.
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