As an American Jew in Israel, I was impressed with the observance of Shabbat, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur. Though I lived in Hod Ha'sharon for two months when I was a senior in high school, it had a different feel. Our program afforded us a tighter community living in dorms with the amenities of a college campus: a cafeteria, computer lab and shared bathrooms kept us in a bubble. The city was much smaller; the beach was not a thirty minute walk, high risers did not stare down at the little clothing and furniture stores that pepper Tel Aviv's streets. Rather, each store maintained a hold on its market; the blue falafel stand contained the best falafels and few competitors. For clothing, we did not have the Shuk, Dizingoff nor Azraeli center within a ten minute bus ride from our homes. Also, the abundance of small produce stands that have sprouted amongst the internet cafés and corner pubs is astounding. Tel Aviv combines European and Middle Eastern flavors: little cafes litter the corners of many streets with people sipping from foamy lattes with a colorful cucumber and tomato salad on the side.
Yet as I recall my time spent in Hod Ha'sharon, my comparisons don't rest on the availability of designer clothing or the freshest mango; rather they revolve around the Jewish culture that has set precedence in this modern city. My first eye-opening experience was Shabbat as I discovered a kosher butcher on a populous street. I don't keep kosher, yet at home, we always go to a grocery store for low prices and relatively good quality. Here, I find myself going to the butcher for meat, going to produce stands for fruits and vegetables, and maybe once in awhile heading towards Dizingoff for a sauce. As I left the store, the butcher yelled, "Shabbat shalom." Understandable, kosher store, friendly employees, I responded in kind. Similarly, the laundry attendee also greeted me with a Shabbat shalom. Although my home in Boca Raton, Florida has a large Jewish population, the "holidays" refer to Christmas and Easter, not the High Holidays or even Shabbat. My heart was warmed by this simple greeting. Though Tel Aviv is a secularized area, the Jewish holidays still maintain an important part in people's lives. The buses don't run from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday; many stores close up early Friday afternoon and the work week is Sunday to Thursday, respecting the seventh day of rest.
Rosh Hashanah afforded another insight into this modern Jewish city. At home, decorations are scarce for Rosh Hashanah; however, signs welcoming in the New Year filled Tel Aviv. Grocery stores were decorated with banners depicting apples dripping with honey along its borders that wished people a sweet new year. Aroma cafes also contained signs of apples with honey drizzled down its sides. Similar to Shabbat, "Hag Sameach" became the typical goodbye. People scurried throughout town bouncing between the fresh herbs at the produce stands, buying several kilograms of chicken at the butcher or simply purchasing flowers and wine for their host families. In Florida, the rush for Rosh Hashanah doesn't exist. Grocery stores may put up a small section of Manischewitz wine and a couple jars of honey, but that doesn't compare to a city devoted to its holiday.
Yom Kippur left me speechless. Though I have experienced Tel Aviv closing for Shabbat, I was neither aware nor ready for Yom Kippur's power. After eating the seudah mafseket, we journeyed onto the streets; yet, as we turned onto Ha'aliyah, I was shocked. Families were strolling on the street, kids on bikes and dogs controlled the flow of the traffic along Ha'aliyah as Yom Kippur's tradition was honored. I counted two cars driving during our entire excursion, not including the couple of police cars that appeared on our way home. I did not expect such strict observance of the holiday and soon discovered the tradition is not to drive. Walking around the streets before the holiday the joke was, "Don't get bored on Yom Kippur." Yet as the sun set, the silence on the streets overpowered this comment. The Day of Atonement quieted a thriving metropolis, emphasizing Judaism's influence. A vibrant city that screams industrialization with brand name stores that pervade throughout, yet on the holiest of days, the respect exists.
