A beautiful Havdallah at the Jerusalem home of David Immerman and his family concluded a religiously inspirational and politically educational Shabbat in the holiest city in the world. It was then only appropriate that we began the new week by exploring the cultural and commercial component of Jerusalem— best epitomized by Ben-Yehuda Street.
Ben-Yehuda Street is several blocks of clothing stores, Judaica shops, and restaurants that compose the hub of Jerusalem nightlife for natives and tourists alike. With so much excitement ahead of us, we decided to split and conquer. Collectively, we found and consumed the world’s best pizza, burgers, French fries, frozen yogurt, ice cream, and the list goes on. Entire stores of just different designs of knit Kippahs—ranging from Coca-Cola to Smurfs— are no uncommon sight on Ben-Yehuda Street. Other attractive purchases included beautiful Mezuzot, jewelry, and all sorts of Israel-themed t-shirts.
Our time on Ben-Yehuda, other than being enormously fun, really showed me how comfortable life in Israel and specifically Jerusalem is for Jews. It really made me appreciate the fact that unlike the last couple thousands of years, we now have a land that is made for us. The food is kosher for us, the stores sold items that we want and need. This experience made me realize how lucky we are to have such a country, how important it is that we keep it in our hands and, therefore, how important it is that my peers and I defend Israel.