The big event(s) of last week was the Jewish festival of Purim. Outside of Jerusalem, Purim was celebrated on Wednesday, and inside of Jerusalem it was celebrated on Thursday. Since Tel Aviv is only a short drive away (under an hour) flocks of students made the Hajj to the City on the Sea to partake in their festivities. The way in which the secular and pious alike celebrate Purim is by dressing up and getting really, really, super drunk. It is basically the Jewish Halloween, only people actually have an idea regarding why it is celebrated.
Many of my fellow Hebrew U students and I kicked off the holiday on Wednesday night by taking a party bus to Tel Aviv. The bus ride itself was a highlight of the chag (holiday) as camaraderie and good spirits (pun intended) were bountiful throughout the trip. As the bus pulled aside at our destination, we entered into Tel Aviv University's Jeff Seidel student center, where they so graciously hosted us for the night. More shenanigans and debauchery ensued, but before long, the party there had ceased to be, and we headed for a walk down the road. Eventually, many a HUJ and TAU student assembled behind the Max Brenner Chocolate Shop on Rothschild St., and continued to feast on the fest. The masses of inebriated college students were not unlike a mob that one would hope to find in the fine city of Madison, Wisconsin. At about 2:30 AM, I decided I had had enough of Purim-Tel Aviv style, and desired to return to my domain back in J'lem. Unfortunately. aside from one friend of mine, many others did not share the same sentiments, and together we ran up a tall taxi bill back to our residencies.
On Thursday night, I had the pleasure of experiencing Purim on my own stomping grounds, as Hebrew U hosted a party in downtown Jerusalem. The rager was thrown in a parking garage in the city, and the total population in attendance tallied well over one thousand (International students and Israelis alike). This party too, was very reminiscent of my Badger days, in line with the frenzy that arises during a ZBT party. It is safe to say that with all the depth and intellectualism that this country has to offer, it is nowhere to be found when celebrating Purim here with college students.
Like many a previous Friday night, I returned to my friend Yossi's, who runs the Chabad on campus for Jerusalem, accompanied by friends. Though this dinner was unlike past dinners at his house, as there was a giant influx of eaters who occasioned his apartment for a fine Shabbat dinner. There must have been well over thirty of us packed into his dining room, including rowdy yeshiva boys, I.D.F. soldiers, and us Hebrew U kids, all recovering from insufficient sleep/electrolytes. Needless to say, the meal was not devoid of ruach as song and laughter continuously filled the room. After a delicious meal, my three friends and I walked back from his house, which would have been about an hour and a half walk back to our place, had we decided not to make a late night Old City/ Kotel run. Venturing to the Wall at 1:00 AM was a great experience in itself, few people also engendered our idea and the setting was quite intimate. After fifteen minutes or so there, we continued our walk home.
On Saturday morning, I continued to strengthen my quad muscles, as scores of Hebrew U students had been invited by a very generous donor to delight in the fine cuisine and great riches contained in the King David hotel, and to get there, we again journeyed on foot. The hotel is located near the Old City, approximately fifty minutes from our starting point. The King David, for those that don't know, is the most luxurious and historic hotel in all of Israel. My words would not do justice for the aesthetics of the hotel, and so I will resort to displaying pictures of it. The food was arranged in a buffet, and was as delectable and plentiful as anyone could have hoped for. They made the greatest Schnitzel that has every found its way to my taste buds.
Being the greatest and most heralded overnight establishment in the entire nation, the King David has had its share of noteworthy guests over the years. They make this perfectly clear by displaying their own "walk of fame" which extends from one end of the first floor to the other (probably about 100 yards). Besides many major politicians of the last seventy years or so (Winston Churchill, Gordon Brown, Nicholas Sarkozy, Condoleeza Rice, Hilary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Al Gore, Gerald Ford, Richard Nixon, George Bush...), the walk of fame also featured worldly figures and pop cultural icons icons such as the 14th Dalai Lama, The Black Eyed Peas, and Metallica. Walking to, and then walking on the walk of fame was surely a highlight of a very eventful week.
After our fine repast, many of us stayed over at the hotel for another few hours, reclined on their couches in the lobby, shot the breeze, and entered into heated philosophical discussion. After we were all talked out, we left the hotel and walked over to the Kotel for Ma'ariv and Havdalah. As if we were not all walked out by this time, we left the Kotel around 7:00 and walked back to the student village. Another wonderful week in the books. So excited for Prague this upcoming weekend!
Until then, have a great week!
Zac
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