20180602 Jerusalem: Slept until about 8:00 and went down for breakfast with Marian. Spellers joined us a few minutes later. Shabbat so everything is different including what’s at breakfast. Different things and some things not there when compared to Tel Aviv at Dan Panorama there.
Marilyn Wechter had told us about the Israel Museum – Jerusalem. We walked over … up and down and up and down … for what was supposed to take 30 minutes, but took 45. Well worth it. One of the finest museums we’ve ever visited. Started in the right exhibit – Jewish Life and moved from there into rooms with ceremonial objects (Kiddush cups, Havdalah spice boxes, silver Torah covers), a room filled with menorahs from all over the world, each in lit case. Three reconstructed synagogues. And on and on.
Wandered next into permanent collections (impressionist and post-impressionist, 20th Century, minimalists, and so forth). For most of the time, you really have no sense of where you are in this huge complex of buildings. Went to see a great exhibit by Zoya Cherkassky titled “Pravda” (Truth) all about Russian Jews who came to Israel and what they faced.
I’m sure we saw more than just the above. Found our way outside and went into one of the sculpture gardens and then the museum store. Back to the hotel by taxi around 2:30, and we could have spent much longer at the museum.
After trying to contact the Spellers who had gone out in search of food (remember it’s Shabbat) and a walk up King David Street, we went onto King David Street and stopped at the King David Hotel (also a Dan hotel), where our hotel’s desk person said to go, for a lovely lunch on the terrace overlooking the Old City. Walked a bit more and then back to hotel. Spellers already there and taking naps.
Around 7:45 we headed way uphill to Ben Yehuda Street. It’s all pedestrian and, after sundown on Shabbat, it gets inundated with hordes of young folk on Israel tours. We got there before the crowds descended. The falafel and shwarama place where we wanted to eat didn’t end up opening until 9:00. Luckily we were about the first in line since, when we got done, the line was really long. Andy got a crepe and I got ice cream. We shopped along the street. Like the restaurants, the shops open about 8:30-9:00 after Shabbat is over. Then back to hotel. Very windy and chilly. Surprising.
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