I swear we solved the world’s problems. We could have had a party or stuffed ourselves even more or napped a little longer. No we didn’t, we discovered ourselves together. It’s not natural (at least for me) to discuss all of these inner emotions publicly with someone that you have just met but for some reason it was so easy. Noam and I sat on her bed for hours and just discussed culture and the many flaws within it. We discussed change and the importance of being different. After having a few Shabbatot in Israel I think this relaxation and openness among different people is the nature of their Shabbat. And I definitely saw that on Shabbat I had no distractions, I just got to know people! To give you a little bit more of an idea of what we did on Shabbat after a full (MASSIVE) dinner late last night, I woke up with the table set the same way. 30 minutes after getting out of bed at 11:00 people piled into the Turjeman household to have lunch! The amount of food on that table was honestly impressive. After a full day of cooking with the whole family it gave me a new appreciation for the love and pride that goes into cooking food. The family couldn’t wait to give me traditional Israeli food mixed with their strong Moroccan heritage. After stuffing ourselves. We played Israeli games and I taught some of my favorite American card games. This past Shabbat brought relaxation to an entirely new level! Whereas in Cleveland you take a nap when you are tired, in Beit Shean there is a set time for napping! It was great! After our nap of course I was offered more food. I’ve never really realized that food can bring people together to the extent that it does in Israel. That brings me to a huge question (still left unanswered); how do Israelis look so fit and healthy despite constantly eating? I was sure I would be full for a week (don’t worry I ate more). Overall, we had a blast all day long! Usually when I’m home I have to be entertaining myself to have a really fun time but that is definitely not how it was yesterday. Another realization of mine after Shabbat was that the truth is that there is no certain time it takes to get to know someone, no set things you have to talk about. It is the willingness and ability to open up. Hopefully this new skill of opening up to people will take me to new heights. Can’t wait for another Shabbat in Israel!!
P.s. Hi Mom and Dad (I still love you)