It's amazing that less than 2 and half weeks since a terror attack struck in the heart of Jerusalem, killing a number of young Yeshivah boys, the city put on a magnificent weekend of celebrations. The holiday of Purim was spread over three days this year in Jerusalem due to the fact that it fell out on a Thurs Night/Friday. The addition of Good Friday and Easter Sunday meant that the whole city was abuzz with celebrations and activity.
Even before Thursday night, lots of costumes, especially on children, were seen around town. But by Thursday night, everyone on the street was decked in a variety of costumes, ranging from the men wearing dresses (myself included :) ) to the usual array of butterflies, princesses and vikings. After the reading of the Megillah at Pardes, and an entertaining Purim performance, I headed with a bunch of friends to a special version of The Boogie in the Binyanei Ha'uma. This time the crowd was especially diverse, made up of a nice mix of Israelis and foreigners and the music was a hip combo of dance music and traditional Israeli folk music as well as a good number of Purim songs.
Friday and Shabbat were lower key, but still nice as the weather was beautiful and the spirit of celebration remained in the air.
Saturday night the partying picked up. After a small 'impromptu' party at a friend's, we all went to a really cool block party in Nachlaot. It was really fun - everyone outside, dancing and just having a good time.
On Sunday, I woke up early and went to volunteer at Yad Lekashish (Lifeline for the elderly). Yad Lekashish is this really great place I've been volunteering. It's basically a crafts workshop for senior citizens, but the people who come to work there are making good quality crafts for sale in the giftshop. Maybe I'll write more in another post. But on Sunday it was my job to lead a Ramah group through the workshops - observing the work of our elderly workers, bringing some Purim cheer and learning what Yad Lekashish is all about.
After the groups left, I went to spend some time with some of the men I've been working with in the screenprinting workshop and actually had a really great conversation with a man who had at first seemed cold and wary of my presence. In broken Hebrew, and through translators, he was explaining to me why he left a good position in Russia to come to Israel, because "Israel is here" as he pointed to his heart.
After Yad Lekashish, I wandered around the old city for a few hours - just watching the different people walking around. Tour groups of Christians on Easter Sunday. Muslims rushing off to the temple mount after the call to prayer. Jewish teenagers still costumed rushing to their festive Purim meals.
Ben Yehudah street was really happening - performances ranging from musical to acrobatic, to magical were taking place on stages place about every 20 meters along the street.
Walking back from a Purim meal at a friends house, the sounds of music and Yiddish words of Torah could still be heard emanating from the Yeshivah across the street from my apartment well after 8 o'clock.
