Meah Shearim, Missionaries, Hotel Bouncing and Miracles

A Bucket List idea gone wrong to gone completely divine and perfect. From the original plans falling through, this Shabbat turned out to be truly life-changing and memorable - Hashem is everywhere.

Before arriving in Israel, my close friend Cassi and I decided on a couple of things that we just HAVE to experience in Israel while we have the opportunity to be here and one of them was to have a Shabbat at a family in Meah Shearim. This little adventure fell right into our hands when we walked to the Kotel and got set up with a Rabbi in Meah Shearim.

Excited about how the universe worked in our favour, we walked with 3 South Americans to our destination. It didn't take long for us to grasp the shtetl atmosphere, the quiet eeriness of shut down street, the slow pace of the streimels, visible white socks, perfectly curled payot and long tightly fitted coats.

We found house already overflowing with ultra-orthodox kids and were lead into the women's section of the dining room - a completely separate room from the men. The room had a red theme, the couches, the chairs, the curtains and a murmuring of Yiddish conversations between the 11 daughters (in sight). It didn't take long for a very strong uncomfortable feeling and realisation of how deep we had been thrown into the ultra orthodox Meah Shearim community. And to make it more uncomfortable, an 'out-of-place looking woman, began to explain how she was kidnapped and abused by criminals, and now a missionary looking for her husband. Her conversation continued into the subject of souls in dark places - a topic that shouldn't be brought up, even more so on Shabbat. The energy in the room began to get claustrophobic, intense and oppressive. Following a gut instinct, Cassi and I decided to politely leave before Kiddish was made.

Without hearing a Shabbat Kiddish yet, Cassi and I decided to see if any hotels still had their buffets going where we could get a Shabbat Kiddish and meal. After one hotel already cleaning after dinner, the next - not being able to locate our imaginary friend Kelsi and the last, being told that the buffet ends in 2 minutes but we are welcome to come back and pay for breakfast the following morning - we were bounced from these neighbouring hotels.

With our options running out - we decided to head back home, a good 45 minute walk. But it was not until we saw a shul with kids running around and assumed it could be a Chabad house of some sort. After asking one of the women what the event taking place was, it turned out to be a Chareidi Sheva Berachot. We were warmly welcomed in to join and given fresh challah and wine to make Kiddish. Not only was this the first little miracle, but Cassi is a vegetarian and managed to got the last fish dish. The kids all came to greet their new unfamiliar guests and we were bombarded by questions in Hebrew and even invited for the catered breakfast the following morning.

All the anxiety and uncomfortable feelings of where our night began had vanished. We were absolutely elated by how everything had B'H turned out. From the original plans falling through, this Shabbat turned out to be truly life-changing and memorable - Hashem is everywhere.We could see Hashem's hand in everything and feel it around us.

Still open to going to have a Shabbat meal in Meah Shearim - when the time is right, of course!

FYI: Another activity was ticked off the Bucket List - crashing a wedding - this Sheva Berachot definitely did count as a version of this!