Motza"Sh

In New York, if I want to get ice cream or dinner after Shabbat or chag (which I usually do), all I need to do is walk out of my apartment after doing Havdalah, walk down the street and find somewhere to eat.  This is because most of the restaurants (even some of the kosher ones) are open all throughout Shabbat and the holidays, and have been operational even while shomer-Shabbat Jews have been doing the Shabbat thing.  Andy and I learned the hard way that in Jerusalem, this is not the case.  A few weeks ago, we ran out shortly after Shabbat ended to pick up a few things that we needed for the apartment.  We actually wound up sitting around waiting for about an hour, because the store hadn’t even opened yet!  If you want ice cream or dinner in Jerusalem after chag, you’re going to have to wait while the shop owners (many of whom are shomer-Shabbat themselves) end Shabbat, get in their cars, and drive to work for the first time in 25 hours.  They will need to set up their businesses for the night before you will be able to get your snack or ice cream. 

In the States, I always just took it for granted that society continued to function as usual on Saturday, and that I might be missing out on something.  Living in Jerusalem and being shomer-Shabbat, however, has actually allowed me to function as part of society on Saturdays, since most stores and restaurants are closed, and all of the people in my neighborhood are doing the same things I’m doing—walking to shul, hosting meals, and spending the day with friends and family.  Sure, you might see some cars on the roads, and some non-Kosher restaurants might be open, but society as a whole in Jerusalem is observing Shabbat.  Even though I have to wait an hour after Shabbat to get ice cream or sushi, I really enjoy being greeted by a store owner saying “shavua tov” (the traditional after-Shabbat greeting wishing everyone a good week), instead of feeling like I’m a joining a race already in progress.