Last week, I had the opportunity to share a wonderful and delicious Shabbat dinner prepared by my professor. My coworker and I wandered through the dimly lit streets of Jerusalem towards the German Colony. The overly crowded Ben Yahouda was empty and silent. Only a few cars zoomed past us. It seemed like a whole new city without the bustling of public transportation and the packed sidewalks.
When we arrived, I forgot that I couldn’t ring the doorbell, and instinctively rang it. My coworker just shook her head and opened the gate and walked through it. Oops… When we entered we were warmly welcomed and introduced ourselves to very prominent Israelis. Unlike my first Shabbat dinner in the Old City, this one was more intimate with only 12 people. My coworker and I were seated near the younger people and had the grandest of time speaking of a variety of subjects. At one point, my professor asked my coworker and me about any stereotypes and preconceptions that we had about Jerusalem before we came and how it has changed. As I explained to all them, they laughed and chuckled at my naivety, but were intrigued at my perception of Jerusalem. As we continued to speak about the more controversial topics, I felt some tension among the guests, but everyone was very respectful. However, when the subject of Palestinians arose, many steered clear from commenting.
After an overall amazing dinner, we helped take the dishes back into the kitchen. Unexpectedly, one of the guests stopped me and asked me if I were interested in coming back to Israel next summer. I excitedly answered that coming back is definitely an option. He then generously offered me an internship at the Bank of Israel! So maybe I’ll see you in the near future Jerusalem!