.
From our apartment we can see Ben Yehuda Street, Jerusalem's lively pedestrian mall. Here you can purchase anything from Cuban cigars to flowers to Judaic gifts. At night, the street becomes even livelier, as people come out of the woodwork and street muscians set up camp. A harpist frequents the plaza with her lovely music. Further down the street you might hear a clarinet or drums. A small group of young people might gather to sing acapella. At the end of the street is Zion Square, a site that hosts political demonstrations from time to time. It is not uncommon to see a group of Orthodox men plying pamphlets across the street from dreadlock-wearing hippie-looking guys making a statement by strumming a box guitar and singing American songs from the 60s.
.
This area of town we live in is called City Centre. It is a more secular area of town, where hip-hop hairstyles and trendy clothes are acceptable. Most of the crowd is young and energetic. At 12:30 a.m. Friday we happened to be making our way home. Our route necessitated that we walk down Jaffa Street and through part of the area that "comes alive" at night. The streets were like one big party. People - mostly young - in and out of bars and restaurants were drinking, laughing, talking. A few were even having arguments and getting into trouble. Bill, who, due to his past experience, detects things I do not, commented on one young man who was making a horrible face as he took a drink of something. Bill informed me that some beverages taste terrible, yet people drink them anyway. Such as it is, for nightlife in Jerusalem, this is the place to be.
.
The other night as we were walking around, I said to Bill, "I would like to make some new friends." Moments later I saw a bookstore that advertised English books. We walked in and met Gabby, a Philadelphian native who has been in Israel for eight years. We chatted for quite a while and had a lovely time. I did not buy a book because I could not decide what I wanted, so we will return soon. We enjoyed her bubbly conversation.
.
Through the years since Israel's inception in 1948, Ben Yehuda Street has been a preferred location for terrorist bombings. Amazingly, no one seems to be bothered by that fact. I find this a signature trait of Middle Easterners. Perhaps they think "Tragedy occurs, but life goes on." Abject fear does not seem to control these people.
.
Ben Yehuda Street in many ways is much more than a tourist trap. It is the modern expression of youthful hope and activity. The little alleys and roads that meet it invite the pedestrian to explore them. Bounded on one end by Jaffa Street and the other by King George Street, it is a tidy rectangle of bustling activity, where friends meet for a French crepe or an elegant dinner. Since I am really a city girl at heart, I find it fun to step out of our apartment building each day, walk a few steps onto Ben Yehuda Street, and go from there to our destination. At night, voices and horns blend with the sounds of cats and doves, making for quite an interesting backdrop as we close our days.
.
By the way, "Ben Yehuda" means "Son of Judah."
From our apartment we can see Ben Yehuda Street, Jerusalem's lively pedestrian mall. Here you can purchase anything from Cuban cigars to flowers to Judaic gifts. At night, the street becomes even livelier, as people come out of the woodwork and street muscians set up camp. A harpist frequents the plaza with her lovely music. Further down the street you might hear a clarinet or drums. A small group of young people might gather to sing acapella. At the end of the street is Zion Square, a site that hosts political demonstrations from time to time. It is not uncommon to see a group of Orthodox men plying pamphlets across the street from dreadlock-wearing hippie-looking guys making a statement by strumming a box guitar and singing American songs from the 60s.
.
This area of town we live in is called City Centre. It is a more secular area of town, where hip-hop hairstyles and trendy clothes are acceptable. Most of the crowd is young and energetic. At 12:30 a.m. Friday we happened to be making our way home. Our route necessitated that we walk down Jaffa Street and through part of the area that "comes alive" at night. The streets were like one big party. People - mostly young - in and out of bars and restaurants were drinking, laughing, talking. A few were even having arguments and getting into trouble. Bill, who, due to his past experience, detects things I do not, commented on one young man who was making a horrible face as he took a drink of something. Bill informed me that some beverages taste terrible, yet people drink them anyway. Such as it is, for nightlife in Jerusalem, this is the place to be.
.
The other night as we were walking around, I said to Bill, "I would like to make some new friends." Moments later I saw a bookstore that advertised English books. We walked in and met Gabby, a Philadelphian native who has been in Israel for eight years. We chatted for quite a while and had a lovely time. I did not buy a book because I could not decide what I wanted, so we will return soon. We enjoyed her bubbly conversation.
.
Through the years since Israel's inception in 1948, Ben Yehuda Street has been a preferred location for terrorist bombings. Amazingly, no one seems to be bothered by that fact. I find this a signature trait of Middle Easterners. Perhaps they think "Tragedy occurs, but life goes on." Abject fear does not seem to control these people.
.
Ben Yehuda Street in many ways is much more than a tourist trap. It is the modern expression of youthful hope and activity. The little alleys and roads that meet it invite the pedestrian to explore them. Bounded on one end by Jaffa Street and the other by King George Street, it is a tidy rectangle of bustling activity, where friends meet for a French crepe or an elegant dinner. Since I am really a city girl at heart, I find it fun to step out of our apartment building each day, walk a few steps onto Ben Yehuda Street, and go from there to our destination. At night, voices and horns blend with the sounds of cats and doves, making for quite an interesting backdrop as we close our days.
.
By the way, "Ben Yehuda" means "Son of Judah."
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