And who says Jerusalem is not one big shtetl? In most Jewish
neighborhoods in the world, you have to put on invisible
blinkers to see only `our' people and avoid what you don't
want to see. Here you can fill your eyes with heartwarming
sights...
In fact, a neighbor once gratefully boasted that she was
able to send off nine children locally, to cheder,
school and two kindergartens each morning -- without their
having to catch a ride or even cross the street!
A very honorable looking gentleman in a long black coat was
loaded down with five bags and holding his velvet talis
zeckel under his arm. When he reached the garbage bin,
he hesitated and sent most of the bags into the bin,
carefully retaining one "good" bag and his tallis-and-
tefillin.
A grandfatherly type with a graying beard was slowly walking
his youngest, a two-year-old, up the stairs to
kindergarten.
Women dressed for work were sitting at the bus stop, their
Tehillim already open, to start the day with extra
merits.
Women dressed in robes and tichels were waiting in
the square to put their youngsters on the school bus so that
they could begin their workday at home.
A fourteen-year-old in her school uniform was hurriedly
hanging out the family wash on her back porch.
A little boy of six was escorting his two little brothers to
school. Holding hands, they strolled at the pace of the
smallest one towards their destination.
The greengrocer across the way was setting out his wares on
the street and having just finished with the maaser
mashgiach, was open for business.
A three-year-old was carrying milk and bread, tucked under
each arm respectively. He stopped to check that he had the
little piece of paper, his receipt, to hand over to his
mother, as instructed.
Another article on nostalgia for the good old days? This
all happened this very morning in the spring of 2001 in a
north Jerusalem suburb. Bubbie (that's me) was not watching
all the hustle and bustle from her rocking chair on the
front porch, but sitting in the car writing notes for this
article while waiting for her driver, who is lucky enough to
live in the shtetl of today.
