Shabbat Israel
Photo credit: Shabbat Shalom
It’s Friday, TGIF! You just ended work or school and you’re all set for the weekend! Only to realise that most shops are closed, there is no public transport, and the entire city is essentially shut down for the next 25 hours.
If you, like myself, come from a “city that never sleeps”, you are in for a huge culture shock!
Photo credit: Israel
Israel, being a Jewish state observes the Shabbat, a religious day that begins at sundown on Friday night until sundown on Saturday. And on this holy day, work, switching on and off of electricity, and travelling in vehicles are all forbidden. It is a day dedicated to religious contemplation and meaningful interaction with family and friends, and most shops, restaurants, and tourist attractions will be closed on this day.
Click here to take a look at the streets of Jerusalem on Shabbat
Photo credit: Sabbath Elevator, Closed on Saturday, Close Sabbath
As such, if you are a traveller that like myself, have gotten all too familiar with spending Friday evenings out with a group of friends, catching up over some drinks and decent food, you’d most certainly experience some form of disappointment, confusion, and perhaps even a sense of helplessness from this cultural difference as compared to your home country. Or as “experts” would call it, ‘culture shock’ or ‘culture confusion’.
Photo credit: Mindset
While it can be a challenge to adjust to such cultural differences, areddotperspective got you covered! Mindset is the key to successful intercultural adaptation! When visiting somewhere new, always adopt an open and learning mindset. Understand that there is bound to be cultural dissimilarities and that is what makes each place unique. Know that while you may not always be in control of your environment, you have control over your state of mind and the choice to make the most out of every opportunity for cross-cultural learning and self-discovery as you interact with different cultures around the world. If you’re visiting Israel, this should be of help! Shabbat Shalom!
Click here to watch a traveller’s “First Shabbat Dinner“
a red-dot perspective 