{"id":3748,"date":"2017-06-23T05:19:15","date_gmt":"2017-06-23T05:19:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thejerusalemgiftshop.com\/israelnews\/?p=3748"},"modified":"2018-02-05T13:52:19","modified_gmt":"2018-02-05T13:52:19","slug":"a-unique-jerusalem-experience-the-sabbath","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thejerusalemgiftshop.com\/israelnews\/a-unique-jerusalem-experience-the-sabbath\/","title":{"rendered":"A Unique Jerusalem Experience: The Sabbath"},"content":{"rendered":"

A typical tour of Israel generally includes a visit to Jesus\u2019 hometown of Nazareth, a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, an ascent to the heights of Masada, and a descent to the lowest place on earth for a relaxing float in the Dead Sea. And an Israel tour would be incomplete without a visit to the Holy City of Jerusalem<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Jerusalem is neither a modern city nor a city known for its nightlife, but rather, an ancient city that has been revitalized over the past one hundred years by the citizens that dwell in her midst. The draw of Jerusalem is in its being the spiritual capital of the world.<\/p>\n

Jerusalem was not built in a day and it is impossible to properly visit this marvelous city in a short period of time. One can easily spend three to four days just visiting the Old City of Jerusalem; The Temple Mount, the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, The City of David, the ancient tunnel tours and so on. The unique religious hub of Jerusalem can easily captivate travelers for days on end.<\/p>\n

\"Child

Child celebrating Jerusalem Day at the Kotel – Western Wall<\/b><\/p><\/div>\n

Beyond The Stones of The Past<\/strong><\/p>\n

As fascinating as it is to tour the ancient structures of Jerusalem, which literally span the millennia, many tourists to Israel long to connect with the local people and to experience the local culture. With the return of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel over the course of the past 150 years, Israel has once again become the land of the Jewish people with Jerusalem at its center and a unique Jewish culture.<\/p>\n

One aspect of the Jewish culture which cannot be ignored by any traveler to the Holy Land, is the weekly observance of the Sabbath. Every Friday afternoon in Israel stores begin to close and by sunset streets become nearly deserted. The Sabbath day begins at sunset on Friday evening and the people of Israel participate in an ancient tradition that they have practiced since its inception as a nation.<\/p>\n

The Sabbath Experience<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many tourists are caught off guard as the stores, museums, caf\u00e9s, and restaurants close up one by one on Friday afternoon and often find themselves wondering what is happening, as if some big holiday is about to occur. Some tourists manage to find options to continue to explore and enjoy their vacation by visiting the Arab sectors of the city that are open on the Sabbath day, however, many spend Friday evening and Saturday idly passing their time in a park or just hanging out in their hostel or hotel.<\/p>\n

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