However, since we still wanted to get to Masada, and our only day to do so really seemed to be Friday, we knew that we had to use the morning to get ready for our second Shabbat in Jerusalem. Off to the Shuk we went once again. This time we attempted to drive... and it was almost as confusing as when we tried to walk. Wow! The fact is that some of the movements that we witnessed could be on a crazy driving series...and David maybe did an illegal move or two himself.
Our shopping today was a bit for Shabbas but also for gifts for home. The shuk was, as always, an active and vibrant experience. When we headed back to the Ben Yehuda/Geula area hoping to pick up the pre-ordered yad (silver stick with a hand pointing at the end, used for reading Torah). It wasn’t ready, but we did find a kiddush cup for Shevi.
We were told to meet our contact in Bnei Brak around 5, so our intention was to leave around 1:30 and find an activity to do on the way. I had some great suggestions, but we left late and traffic was horrendous, and we ended up going straight to our meeting (and getting there in the nick of time).
The best way to describe my first impression of Bnei Brak was...this place was never meant for people to have cars. The parking lots were practically part of the street. It was even crazier than Sfat! I was so glad David was driving and not me!
The feel of this evening in Bnei Brak will be very hard for me to convey. The people we were being taken to meet have dedicated their lives to studying Torah and uplifting the Jewish people. While I may not 100% understand their world (which adheres to a stricter understanding of Jewish law than my own community), I am in awe of their dedication.
I could describe each visit that we had, but the truth is that they are hard to capture in words. These various rabbis welcomed us into their homes, took time out of their schedules to spend a few minutes talking to us and they all showed a genuine interest in who we are. They shared with us their thoughts about varying subjects, from education in Bnei Brak to guiding advice for life. Some of the rabbis we visited were Rabbi Baruch Dov Poverski, Rav Dov Landau, Rabbi Eliezer Kahaneman, Rav Moshe Halevi and his son, Rav Shmuel Halevi, and Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch. The most well-known of the rabbis that we visited was Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, one of the gadol hador (leaders of the generation). We also visited his daughter, Rabbanit Leah Kolodetski, who, like her mother before her, opens her home to people and shares with them the joy of fulfilling the mitzvah of taking challah (the ritualistic part of making challah for Shabbat). She was warm and welcoming and gave out candy and sfarim (religious books).
As evening faded into night and we finished our visits, our guides/translators led us to what they considered the best place to get cholent in Bneu Brak (Indeed, the family loved it.) Before we left the city, we were handed an incredible smelling box of freshly baked challah made from the dough we took challah from with Rabbanit Kolodetski. The special challah, eaten that Shabbas, was AMAZING!!
The pictures below are all taken from a beautiful photo album of our Bene Brak tour that we received as a gift:
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With Rabbi Chaim Kanievsy
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| At the home of Rabbi Eliezer Kahaneman |
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At the home Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch
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| At the home of Rebbitzen Kolodetski |
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