Some General Observations

It struck me today as I was walking back to the apartment after Ulpan that I have not written about some of the every-day sights and sounds from daily life in Jerusalem. I sincerely apologize for not having done so sooner, as I did about various other aspects.

Here are just a few observations:

I will start with some of the most obvious things, the first of which is traffic. OI VEY!!!!! Most of the time there is traffic everywhere. I already mentioned some about this, especially with the busses driving in the wrong lane (on the wrong side of the street!) to “get ahead”. This extends to the cars as well. The same goes for the fact that, apparently, a gap of 3 or 4 inches is enough for someone to cut in front of you, and they do. This is not to imply that the drivers here are bad, they are not. They are just “aggressive” and take whatever opportunity presents itself. I will describe it as organized chaos. The visual is bad enough, but when you add the constant honking it can be overwhelming. And NO, I do NOT drive here!

Getting on the bus is kind of the same thing. There is generally no shoving going on, but it is about perception. If someone perceives you as being in front of them they will let you go. If not, don’t try it. They are not rude and everyone seems to know the proper etiquette, but it definitely takes getting used to.

For the most part a woman will not sit down next to a man. It is OK if the man initiates it, however. (I think that this is due, in part, to the fact that some very observant men will not touch or allow themselves to be touched by a woman other than their wife.) This, too, seemed strange at first but I have gotten used to it. People on the bus are, as a general rule, very considerate of others. People will get up and offer their seat to the elderly or to someone they believe needs it more than they do, and that is very refreshing.

Walking down the street one is struck by the camaraderie that they see. People who obviously do not know each other will at least say shalom as they pass by and will sometimes stop to chat. This is also very different than what I am used to in the US.

You are also aware of the presence of young people toting pistols, rifles and machine guns. At first this is quite shocking to see. These are generally military personnel in civilian clothing. After thinking about this for a minute, it actually gives a sense of security knowing that they are ready for action at a moment’s notice.

Speaking of security --- there are armed guards stationed with metal detectors at the entrance to all of the shopping malls and most of the banks. The “pretty girl” standing outside of a store is NOT there to attract male customers, she is toting a .38, a .45 or some other semi-automatic pistol and is there for security.

I feel very safe walking anywhere at night as well. While there is, of course, a criminal element, it is significantly less pervasive than at home.

I must admit, overall I feel safer here that in the US. At least I know that I won’t get shot while at WalMart or something.

At this point it is important for me to clarify --- I have been in quite a few neighborhoods, but have NOT crossed the “Green Line” into East Jerusalem. While I am led to believe it is safe there as well, I have no actual experience with that part of the city.

I am sure that I will post more similar content, and will try to include that with other information about activities, feelings, etcetera as time goes on.