Sudden Return to Tremping AKA Hitchhiking, Let Me Tell You About It

There was a time when most of my travelling was by tremping AKA hitchhiking. Our bus service has never been all that great, and being "car-less," I had no real choice. It's either tremp or: 

• never go anyplace
• spend a day or two on what should be a short trip
• not be able to work outside of Shiloh

In recent years a few things have happened to keep me on buses:

• bus service has improved a bit, with more buses, a better route, the fact that buses passing Shiloh stop at the junction
• you can get an "all day unlimited travel" bus ticket, which is half price for senior citizens
• thanks to technology we can check an app to see if a bus is coming and when
• I'm retired, so I'm more able to plan my travel around the bus schedule

But there are times when the idea of standing around and waiting for a bus takes too much energy. And I can't sit, because what if someone is driving by who would have given me a lift if he/she had seen me waiting.... Honestly, I'm not the sitting type.

Late, last Thursday night was one of those times. My daughter had driven me as far as Ofra, where she lives and I'd been following the progress of the bus on the app efobus. It was due in about 20+ minutes, so I planned on going back into Ofra five minutes before its arrival, if I didn't find a ride.

There was a soldier at the hitchhiking post, and when he saw me, probably three times the age of other trempistim (hitchhikers,) he immediately offered to help me check out the drivers offering rides. But in the end, he was amazed that some of those who stopped knew me by name, and I ended up getting a ride with someone I had once worked with. So, thank Gd I got home quite awhile before the bus, which doesn't go directly to Shiloh.

Then the next morning I had a much more complicated trip. I had originally checked it out and was confident that I could get to the large bus stop on the way to Elkana by taking the bus to Ariel and then transferring to another. That was before I discovered that there'd be a marathon in Ariel. Bus service inside Ariel wouldn't be back to "normal" until an hour or so after I needed to get to my destination.

I had no choice. I had to tremp or not go to our friend's azkara, memorial. Yes, I decided to hitchhike.

I walked to the main Shiloh bus stop, but nobody was going in the right direction. Finally I got a ride to a better corner. From there it took awhile until I got a ride with somebody going to Eli. Waiting on the road outside of Eli isn't all that great, but I felt that I had no choice. As you can see, there's construction going on, though not that day. They're changing the junction and probably adding traffic lights.

It took quite awhile for me to get a ride. Actually  I was about five minutes from crossing the street and trying to get home.

Someone was going just a few kilometers past where I needed. We bypassed Ariel because of the marathon. There were no buses on the road as we drove, which confirmed my suspicion that tremping was the only way for me that morning. Then I walked down to the place I'd be picked up for the azkara.

Going back home I had to do the trip in reverse, but there'd be bus service to/from Ariel. As we were driving to the bus stop, I realized that at best I'd just miss the bus home. But after all of my successful tremping that morning and the night before, I felt perfectly confident.

I checked the app and saw that there was an 86 to Ariel expected in a couple of minutes. I got off at the first stop in Ariel and then realized that those shopping and then driving to Shiloh wouldn't see me. The parking lot exit is further on. I should have gotten off at the next stop. So I began to walk there as quickly as I could, even though the air on that sidewalk was full of construction dust/sand. Suddenly I heard what could have been someone calling me. I stopped and turned around. It was an old friend. He asked what I was doing and then offered to take me to the last stop in Ariel, near the university, where it's easy to get a ride home.

So, Baruch Hashem, in a short time I was on my way home. Because the bus goes through Eli and then Shvut Rachel before it gets to my neighborhood, I actually got home before that bus I had missed passed my house.

Gd's Great for sure. He took good care of me when I needed those rides. Baruch Hashem.

In case you're wondering, I'm not reverting to tremping over the buses. But it's nice to know that it can be done, when Gd wants it to happen.

Israeli Independence Day, 5778, 2018, Tremping Saga

Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israeli Independence Day is a very big national holiday here. Not only are schools and government offices closed, it's almost impossible to find an open grocer or supermarket. Some supermarkets opened in the afternoon yesterday, since they figured there would be customers who needed to restock for Shabbat. Also public transportation is seriously reduced frequency-wise in order to allow the bus drivers to celebrate with their families. As many of you probably know by now, we don't have a car. Generally we manage pretty well by taking buses. We even pay for a monthly bus/lightrail pass that gives us unlimited rides to and from Jerusalem, which is generally all we need. That didn't help me yesterday.

Our family Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israeli Independence Day custom is to spend the afternoon at my cousin in Hod Hasharon with all the family and close friends. They make a humongous barbecue, supplemented by salads and other side-dishes brought by the rest of us. By car Hod Hasharon is about the same travel time as Jerusalem, but it's a bit more complicated by public transportation. On Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israeli Independence Day, there isn't a bus to Ariel in order to go in that direction. Our daughter passes Shiloh on her way, but she only has room for one extra passenger. Since I'm the fearless trampistit, (hitchhiker,) the seat goes to my husband.

I don't take anything for granted, and I firmly believe that we must make an effort for Gd to pitch in and help us. Traveling by tremping is very much a method which needs Gd's help. So, I sent out an email in Hebrew and English to the neighbors on three lists, including Shvut Rachel, that I needed a ride, at least to Ariel. Nobody replied with a ride late morning. So, at 11:15, which would give me almost two hours for the forty minute drive, I left my house and walked down to the main Shiloh bus stop.

After a short wait, I got a ride to Shvut Rachel-Shiloh stop which offers more than twice the amount of potential rides, since anyone leaving Shvut Rachel and all of the small communities to the east will pass it on the way to Highway 60. After another reasonably short wait, I got a ride to someone going to the Shomron via Tapuach. I took that ride only to the exit/Junction of Eli, which is a good place to wait. It's not far from their security gate, and you can see that there are security cameras.

 Again, I didn't wait all that long when a car pulled up. There were four young men in it who were going to be passing through Ariel. The front seat passenger was a real gentleman, and he offered to squeeze in the back with his friends to give me the seat. The dropped me off at the Ariel exit bus stop. And I was overjoyed to see that there would be a bus in eight minutes. The Efo bus app confirmed it.

I calmly waited for the bus to arrive and messaged my cousin that I had made progress in my travels.

There wasn't much traffic, and I didn't even attempt to get a ride, because I knew that the bus would take me to the Yarkon Junction, where someone from the family would be waiting to pick me up. I was very comfortably ahead of schedule at that point.

I got the seat right behind the driver and messaged my cousin with estimated time of arrival. She replied that I'd be picked up no problem. Thank Gd I got there with time to spare.

Getting home I had to reverse the trip. Friends dropped me off at Ariel, that same bus stop you can see in the picture on the right, above this. I was hoping for either a ride or a bus to the Ariel University stop, near where I could get a ride home. Seconds after I got out of their car, I saw neighbors drive by. I waved but could see that their car was pretty full. Imagine my surprise when a few minutes later they pulled up to take me home. The wife squeezed in the back with her two sons to give me the roomier front seat, and they took me straight to my door, B"H.

I never know exactly how it will work out, but thank Gd I do manage to get to where I need to be.

Shabbat Shalom U'Mevorach

May You Have a Peaceful and Blessed Shabbat

New Tremping Route

It has been a few months since I began working in Yeshivat Ahavat Chaim in Kochav Hashachar. I've tried all sorts of ways to get there and back, except for one tremping, that's hitchhiking via Shvut Rachel-Kida and the Alon Road. I keep saying that I'm going to take that route on a Monday instead of going via Sha'ar Binyamin or the Junction of the Alon Road and Highway 60, but I end up "chickening out." Yesterday morning, for instance, I made a point to get to Sha'ar Binyamin in time for the 10am #49 bus to Kochav Hashachar, since there are few rides in the morning.

Kida Junction

But when I finished work just and went out for a ride home before 1:30, I ended up tremping northwest though the mountains to the east of my house in Shiloh. Usually I get a ride home (to the Shiloh-Shvut Rachel Junction) from a staff member, but before I saw anyone I know, a car came out of Kochav Hashachar going to Maale Efrayim north of the Kida Junction. I got in and got off there. A few weeks ago a small "army post" was set up there to watch that part of the Alon Road, so it's not "standing in the middle of no place."


Since there are usually a few staff members passing at that hour, I was pretty confident that I wouldn't have to wait long. I was right, but it wasn't a staff member who picked me up; it was a woman from the Shomron visiting her children who live in the area. She dropped me off near the Achiya (or was it the Kida?) Junction. From there I walked to a bus stop and couldn't resist taking lots of pictures.

I was enjoying taking a nice slow look and taking pictures when pretty quickly a ride came out of the Achiya Road on its way to Shiloh. I got in and got out near our supermarket. I started walking up the hill to home until my next door neighbor stopped and invited me in.

I think that the entire trip took less than forty minutes, about double it would take traveling in one vehicle door-to-door. And I enjoyed it.

More in My Car-less Traveling Saga

Cross-posted on Shiloh Musings.

As most of you certainly know, we don't have a car. My husband's travel needs are relatively simple, so like many in the modern world he has no big problem commuting to and from work and other activities by public transportation. He actually enjoys the quiet time for napping and whatever. My travel needs are sometimes more complicated, but since there's no car on the horizon at all, I find myself enjoying periodic adventures.

Wednesday is my most complicated day of the week. Of course, it starts off simply enough, because I usually sleep at a friend's apartment Tuesday night. She's one of my "learning buddies," aka chevruta, so we travel together to Matan in her car, where we meet the rest of the group for our Al Haperek studies. After that we stay for Yael Ziegler's class,  "Kings, Prophets and Hurban,"  and then I rush to catch a bus plus in order to get me to Kochav Hashachar to teach on time.

In theory, it's possible to just catch the bus on Eshkol Boulevard if it's slightly delayed, though I frequently miss it. Last week as I rushed out of the light-rail (which I caught on Jaffa Street after getting off the 77 bus) at Ammunition Hill, I spotted the bus already standing at the traffic light. So I took a bus (after waiting a bit) to Sha'ar Binyamin and stood there for at least twenty minutes with a sign saying כוכב השחר KOCHAV HASHACHAR in my hands to attract drivers to that community who wouldn't have thought of stopping for me. It did help,and I got a ride and arrived on time.

So, yesterday, I decided to stay on the 77 until Eshkol Boulevard, although I knew I'd have to run a couple a hundred meters to a bus stop. As I caught my breath at that stop, I saw the 949--yes the bus to Kocahv Hashachar-- approaching. I signaled and got on very gratefully, thanking Gd for my great luck. I paid, sat down and relaxed. Everything was fine until about a half a kilometer from the city-line, the Jerusalem-Hisme border. The bus died.

So, I went out with another passenger to try to hail a bus or a ride at least to Sha'ar Binyamin or Hisme. The other buses wouldn't pick us up, because they are Egged Tavura and the 949 is Egged, so since it wasn't a proper bus stop they couldn't stop for us. Finally a young bearded man stopped, opened the door and said:

"Batya, come on in."

It ended up being a guy who had grown up in Shiloh, was my son's madrich, youth movement counselor, and my daughter had been his. He was on his way to visit his mother and was disappointed that he couldn't take me all the way home.

I asked him if I was crazy to get off at the Alon Road turnoff from Road 60, where there's a proper hitchhiking stop, with barriers and all. I've been asking many about it since there are many more possibilities for rides to Kochav Hashachar than Hizme and Sha'ar Binyamin. So that's where I got off.

Finally a young woman picked me up who was going to Kochav Hashachar and told me that it's a fine place to wait for rides. So now I know that I must find a tremp willing to drop me off there when I have to get to work.

And don't think that getting home from Kochav Hashachar didn't cause stress, too. There is no direct way, so I have to speak to other teachers and get a ride somehow.

Kochav Hashachar is just north of Rimonim and southeast of Shiloh. They are on the Alon Road, and Shiloh is on #60.

The best rides are when I'm taken via Kida/Shvut Rachel which at its worst will leave me a mile or kilometer and a half from my house. But recently, after hectic stressful searches for a ride out, which leave me with little patience to teach my difficult students, I end up with a ride that drops me off at Givat Asaf, the Beit El junction. When there I whip out my שילה SHILOH sign to attract drivers going north. That's what happened yesterday. I caught a ride, thanks to the sign of course, to the Shiloh Junction, where I got a ride to the Shvut Rachel-Shiloh Junction, then another ride to the middle of Shiloh where the stores and Kupat Leumit clinic are. And there I got tired of waiting, started walking up when a neighbor stopped to give me a ride to my door, B"H, thank the Good Lord!!

Keeping a "Happy Face," or Tremping Teaches Faith in Gd

The other day's tremp home from work was one of those classic "Gd is Great" days for me.

After working morning shift and doing some shopping in Rami Levy, I said goodbye to a few friends/fellow staff and walked out of the gated compound. Yes, as I've written before Rami Levy has his stores, meaning the supermarket that bears his name an Yafiz the clothing store owned by his daughter Yafit, where I work, fenced in with extra security staff.

Just as I got close enough to see the passing cars beginning to exit the "compound," I noticed a neighbor's car going by. He didn't see me. I tried to signal him, but his eyes were on the other vehicles, as it should be. Earlier I had noticed him in the supermarket, but I didn't bother him trying to get a ride, since I didn't know how much time it would take for either of us. 

And just as I was about to get upset by the near miss, I caught myself and repeated the mantra in my head:

"It will be fine, even better! I will get home just fine."

And then, suddenly a car stopped. It was a friend from Ofra who was going home, noticed me and offered me a ride. I happily got in, secure in the knowledge that I was on my way and had a chance to spend time with someone I rarely see. 

A ride to Ofra is the halfway point between Sha'ar Binyamin, where I work, and Shiloh. There are bus and tremp, hitchhike options there, so I was pretty optimistic that my little mantra was working. There are also more ride options to Shiloh than from Sha'ar Binyamin.

And even though there were many people of all ages waiting, within a few minutes a car stopped and the driver signalled me into the front seat. It was another good friend. Thank Gd I got safely home straight to the door.

Gd is Great!!

Additional Safety Barriers at Ofra Junction

I frequently wait for a ride home to Shiloh at the Ofra Junction. It's a good spot for rides. After night shift a friend quite often gives me a ride to there, and I wait. Sometimes it takes a few seconds to get a ride, and sometimes the minutes feel endless. That's tremping aka hitchhiking; it can be very unreliable. But when you don't have a car, and there's no bus expected, nu....? What else can I do?

For years there were a few cement barriers near the unused bus stop, but that was a bit far for me, since I like to be in view of the guard at Ofra. I stand very close to the corner.

And yes, there have been a number of terror attacks at similar spots. The Arab terrorists' latest method is running people over. So the security people placed a whole bunch of barriers for us to stand behind. The idea is also, if Gd forbid there is some shooting, we'll have someplace to hide.

Trip Back from Efrat

My husband and I spent Shabbat in Efrat with family for a simcha, joyous occasion. Unlike previous visits, I didn't run into any old friends, besides those who are connected to our relatives there. I guess it's because we didn't doven in the main shul this time. The dovening and meals were in a nearby neighborhood with younger families.

We traveled by bus and at a later date will post photos from the trip, which are many since on Friday we took a bus that gave us a great scenic tour of Efrat. There was time to spare, so I didn't bother waiting for the other bus.

Going home was amazing. The bus from Efrat took us directly to a bus stop, the String Bridge across from Kiryat Moshe, just before Binyanei Ha'uma and the CBS where there are buses to the northern "city line," aka machsom  or Hizme.

It's a very busy stop where lots of other buses also pass and stop, as you can see here. After 10-15 minutes a bus to Beit El came, and we joined the masses piling on the bus. When we got off at the "city line," aka machsom  or Hizme, there was an immediate tremp ride to Shiloh. But then we found ourselves at the gate. OK, we could have walked it, under two kilometers, maybe just a mile straight up to our house.

Considering how long we ended up waiting, we should have walked. There were no rides. All of the cars passing were full for the longest time. And considering the hour, there was no strong sun beating on this side of the world. It was a good 6-7 hours until sunrise. Probably, if I had been on my own I would have started walking. But we waited. Eventually there was a ride with one spot in. Being that I was the only female waiting the gentleman let me be the lucky one. It was just to the "center" of Shiloh, so I started walking up the hill homewards. Soon someone stopped and took me to my door. And then my husband walked in a couple of minutes later.

All and all, no complaints from me. It was nice to be with family and share in smachot, joyous occasions.

Chodesh Tov everyone!!

A Chiastic Trip Home

First of all I must give credit to my favorite Tanach, Bible teacher, Yael Ziegler, whose frequent mentions of the chiastic structure of various Biblical stories and passages is the only reason I am familiar with the term.

Chiastic structure, or chiastic pattern, is a literary technique in narrative motifs and other textual passages. An example of chiastic structure would be two ideas, A and B, together with variants A' and B', being presented as A,B,B',A'. Alternative names include ring structure, because the opening and closing 'A' can be viewed as completing a circle, palistrophe,^[1] or symmetric structure. It may be regarded as chiasmus scaled up from clauses to larger units of text.
These often symmetrical patterns are commonly found in ancient literature such as the epic poetry of the Odyssey and theIliad. Various chiastic structures are also seen in the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, where biblical writers used it to illustrate or highlight details of particular importance. (Wikipedia)

C.W.Vong

Last night I made an effort to leave work early enough to catch the 9:30pm to Shiloh from Pisgat Zeev in Sha'ar Binyamin. The Rami Levy was pretty empty, and I didn't see any neighbors shopping there. Sunday is a pretty quiet night in general.

I got out on time, before the bus and just as I was calling my husband who may have been on it, a woman stopped and said she was going to Ofra, half way home. I got into her car and thought to myself that I could always catch the bus in Ofra if I don't get a ride first. And when she mentioned that she needed to fill the tank on the way at the gas station at the Psagot/Tel Zion/Kochav Yaakov/Migron Junction I calculated that I'd still have time to catch the bus.

When we got to the gas station she began to honk the horn and explained that she couldn't get out of the car to do it herself. Nobody came out to help her. So I volunteered to go into the store and ask. When I got out of the car, I saw "my bus" already at the stop and knew I'd never make it. We would be in Ofra long after the bus. The worker told me that it's self-service only. I reported back, and she was upset because she was in too much pain to do it herself, and I haven't a clue as how to deal with the gas and hose and all. So, I told her I'd find her help and walked over to the only other car nearby explaining the problem. The driver (male) said he'd be right over. He parked his car, took her credit card, filled the tank and returned the card.

We drove to Ofra talking like old friends, and she blessed me with wishes for a safe and fast ride home, and I blessed her with refuah shleimah, a complete recovery.

I immediately got a ride to the Shiloh Junction and a few minutes after I got off, I got a ride to Shiloh. It ended up not being all the way to my neighborhood. I walked up (literally up the hill) with a very heavy backpack full of shopping, but no ride. When I made it up I was exhausted and could hardly move. Luckily I met a neighbor who kept me company walking me to my house. She volunteered to carry my bag, but I didn't want her to know how heavy it was. I had already done the hard part.

This seemed so much like the Chiastic Structure in that my neighbor helped me, just like I had helped that woman.

• A- I helped the woman
• B- ride from Ofra to Shiloh Junction 
• C- at Shiloh Junction I see the bus already leaving for Eli
• B- ride from Shiloh Junction to Shiloh
• A- neighbor helped me

Another Amazing Gd-Planned Trip

As you should know by now, we don't have a car. And considering our ages and financial position, it doesn't look like we ever will. So, we're dependent on public transportation and the siyate d'Shmaya aka Hand of Gd or tremping/hitchhiking.

Last week on a day off, I had been invited to the Psagot Yekev/Winery for Scholarship Award Ceremony of the Simcha (Simon) and Chana (Jana) FALIC and BARAD FAMILIES SCHOLARSHIP AWARD of Chesed Menachem Mendel – Colel Chabad. It's not far from Shiloh. All the buses to Jerusalem stop nearby. It's Just literally on top of Migron which is across from the Gas Station on the way to Tel Zion, Psagot and Kochav Yaakov.

I calculated when to leave in order to catch a bus, and then a few minutes before that I got a notice that a neighbor would be going to Sha'ar Binyamin in half an hour. I quickly called him to see if he would drop me off at the stop I needed, the "gas station," just a kilometer from his destination, and he said yes. He said he'd call me five minutes before leaving. Then just when we should have been leaving, I got a message from him that he wouldn't be going at all.

Oops! I was stuck. The chance of getting there on time was just about impossible. I would need a miracle. I grabbed my bag and ran to the bus/hitchhiking stop. A neighbor came by, but she wasn't going that far at all. She was only going to the main road, where I wasn't going to wait. So I asked to get off at the Shiloh-Shvut Rachel Junctions which does get more rides. Immediately after getting out of her car there was a car to Ofra. I jumped in. At Ofra immediately there was a woman with kids in the car who said she was going to the "gas station," just the stop I needed. As we drove, it occurred to me that maybe she was going to the Yekev, since I didn't think she was getting gas. There is also a gas station in Ofra. So I asked where exactly, and she replied Migron, so I asked to go there since it was on the way. Even better was that she was going to one of the uppermost houses on that hillside.

It wasn't a bad walk up, and I arrived in time for the ceremony!

Traveling by Public Transportation between Ariel and Tel Hashomer Hospital, Tel Aviv

Last week I visited someone in Tel Hashomer Hospital, one of the largest in Israel. I hadn't a clue as how to get there, but I figured that it can't be all that difficult, since it is a major hospital, and Israel has pretty good public transportation. I knew that it's in Tel Aviv someplace, which is not my beaten path at all. To get to Tel Aviv from Shiloh, the best is to first go to Ariel which has a lot of buses to Tel Aviv and a large varied population.

The quickest way to Ariel is tremping, yes, hitchhiking, since even if you have stop for multiple rides, like I did, you can bypass the Eli neighborhood and Tapuach, which are on the bus routes. Within minutes of getting to the main Shiloh bus stop/trempiada, I had a ride with someone going to Eli. I got off at the junction and before I could whip out my camera there was a ride to Rechalim, and the driver insisted that there are tons of rides from there to Ariel.

I had just enough time to take a couple of pictures, when I caught a ride to just outside of Ariel. I walked in and to the first bus stop where I found someone I know who confirmed what my husband had discovered on the internet that there would be a bus directly to Tel Hashomer, the 284, in just two minutes.

bus stop at Ariel University

I caught it and had a lovely ride through Ariel to Tel Hashomer confident that I was on my way.

In all honesty, I had no idea of where I was most of the time, but we did get to the hospital safe and sound.

Going back home I couldn't take the same bus, because it's only every few hours, and I hadn't been in the hospital long enough for that.

So I asked around at the bus stop and took an 87 to Petach Tikvah's Bellinson Hospital. And from there, in a bus filled mostly with Arabs I took the 86 to Ariel.

And from there I tremped home.

G-d Sent Me The Best Rides

Yesterday, as is our custom for Israeli Independence Day we were at my cousin's in Hod Hasharon. That actually isn't all that far from Shiloh; by car it shouldn't take more than forty 40 minutes.  That's similar or less than it takes to get to most of Jerusalem. There's only one problem. We don't have a car. That makes these family get-togethers rather complicated.

My daughter and family actually pass by Shiloh on the way, but they only have room for one more in their car. I offer that to my husband, because if one of us had to tremp, hitchhike it must be me. To make things easier in recent years, I've put in requests to the local email list, and it has gotten us some great rides. I firmly believe that even when we've gotten rides "by chance," it wasn't random. G-d made sure that we went in both directions safely and quickly. I firmly believe that my email to Shiloh is a very important ingredient in the miracles of my traveling. In Judaism there's the principle of "hishtadlut," making an effort. If you make the right efforts, then G-d may contribute His "matching funds" and give us what we are requesting. For me it was safe and efficient traveling to family and then back home.

Photo taken at Tzomet (Junction) Yarkon while waiting for a ride (towards) home.

Here's how it went yesterday:

• Before I even left my neighborhood, the neighbors from across the street stopped and offered me a lift which took me two-thirds the way. As we were traveling I called my cousin who sent her son to meet me and take me to their house.
• Going home I waited at least five minutes at Tzomet Yarkon to go to Ariel or Shiloh. 
• Then I was offered a ride to Ariel, although I wasn't quite sure where to get off, since I doubted he'd be going to the university, where our buses and rides are.
• It was suggested that I get off and wait at the bus stop just outside of Ariel, near the hotel, which I did. 
• Immediately a woman pulled up and asked me if I needed the university. 
• At the university stop, I was just pulling up my hood, since it was cold, when a neighbor stopped. 
• He took me straight to my door.

Thank G-d!!

Travel, Tremping and Public Transportation, a "Typical" Day

Just in case you're curious as to how I travel... Yesterday after studying in Matan I visited an elderly friend in the Shalom Hotel, Bayit Vegan, Jerusalem..

sunrise, while waiting
for a ride

But let me start from the beginning. Once a week I study in Matan. That's the day I try to do all sorts of errands in Jerusalem. I get up very, very early. One of the reasons I have to get up early is my morning "elimination" routine. I once read that it's important to clean out old food before putting in new food. So I can't leave home until that is finished with.

I leave the house just after 6am. I've been hitching a ride with a school van driver who goes to Ofra. In Ofra I wait for a ride to Jerusalem. It usually takes a few minutes for someone to come out with empty seats in their car and offer us rides. As we get close to Jerusalem I check to see what their destination is and figure out where to get off. Last week I got a ride to walking distance (and I had enough time) from Matan which was great. The only problem has been that there are terrible traffic jams even so early in the morning. A half hour trip has been taking over an hour and a half. That means that instead of the lovely walks I used to take to Matan, I now have to rush from bus to train to bus, depending on where I'm let off.

Yesterday, I was let off at Givat HaTachmoshet, between Ramat Eshkol and French Hill. I caught the lightrail and took it to "City Hall," used the WC's and then hopped on the train for one stop to Strass and Yaffo Streets. There I caught the 18 which goes closest to Matan. And on the bus I ate my breakfast. I got to Matan just in time for my class.

Going home was less direct, because I had a few errands. A friend dropped my off at a bus stop which had the 18 and 77. I had to go to "Jerusalem Center," downtown, near Ben-Yehuda Street. Unfortunately, I forgot that the 18 takes King David Street in the other direction, and I had a bit of a walk to get to my destination. I had planned on printing pictures, but the picture place no longer takes dvds, so I'll have to do it from home. They told me how. From there I went to the corner of King George and Yaffo to buy my ns10 salad and ate it.

Then still on my 90 minute bus ticket, I was able to take the train two stops to Machane Yehuda to buy some fruit. After that, still within the 90 minutes I caught the train to the Mount Herzl stop so I could walk to my friend. I had plenty of time, so I wandered around, which is something I hadn't done there for over 33 years, even since we had moved to Shiloh.

Nothing stays the same, not even our old building.

Our old home in Bayit Vegan, Jerusalem. We were on the top floor, which today isn't the top floor.

But I'll blog more about that visit at a later time, G-d willing.

After visiting my friend, I took the #21 to the train on Herzl Blvd. From there I caught the #143 to the "city line." The bus, train and bus were all on the same ticket; we get 90 minutes of free transfers. There I waited for either a Shiloh bus or ride. I got a tremp to Ofra and then another tremp to the Shiloh Junction where I saw my friend waiting for a ride in the other direction.

Then I got a ride to the Shiloh-Shvut Rachel Junction, and from there I got a ride to the "downtown" Shiloh parking lot, which is half way up the hill which goes to my house. I started walking up, and someone stopped to give me a ride to near the start of my street. When I got off, I met a friend there and talked. And then I got home, thank G-d.

Just in case you were curious about how I manage to live without a car, and without patience to sit around waiting for buses.

G-d is Great! Amazing "Tremp" Story

First of all, as proof to my statement that "G-d is great" just look at this picture:

No artist could do it better!

And I also must thank G-d for providing me with such wonderful transportation recently.Yes, this picture is the introduction to rides only G-d could orchestrate.

Last Thursday just as I was about to leave the store and sign out from work, someone I know from the Shiloh area came in. I already had my coat on, but I began helping him. He said that I shouldn't bother, he'd manage. I should go home and not worry.

"But I'm not going home."
"Oh, are you going to Jerusalem?"
"Yes."
"Then you can come with us. My wife is waiting in the car."

And I went with them to Jerusalem. When it was time for me to go home, I got a ride to the "city line," aka the Jerusalem-Hizme "border." After a few minutes a car came going to Eli. Just as I was asking if I could get off at the Shiloh Junction, I looked up. Behind that car was the same family that had taken me to Jerusalem. They signalled me to join them, which I very happily did. And they took me home, straight to my door.

G-d is Great!!

Two Flags and The Tzaddik (Holy-Man) in Disguise

Considering that I blog more about tremping (hitchhiking,) you should know that I also take buses. It depends on what comes first. Two days ago, when I made it to the bus stop at the Shmuel Hanavi corner in Jerusalem, I discovered that it would be almost an hour until the next Shiloh bus was due, so I took a #143 to the "city line" and had fantastic tremps home. But yesterday a Shiloh bus #148 arrived at the stop at the "top of" Ramat Eshkol just minutes after I got there, so I took the bus home.

I sat in the front seat behind the driver for a few reasons.

• It was unoccupied.
• I like to look out the front window.
• I had to pay the "second installment*" of the fare mid ride, so the closer to the driver the better.
• Officially, those seats are reserved for the "elderly," and now I'm pension age, so unless a couple of passengers incapable or walking further into the bus would get on, it's set aside for me and my peers.

Sitting in front gave me a front row view to all aspects of the ride home.

Everything had been quiet and routine until we just passed Givat Assaf, the Beit El Junction when suddenly the driver stopped on the road. None of us had seen anything to warrant stopping. And if there had, G-d forbid, been a terror attack, instructions are to drive away as quickly as possible. 

Not only did the driver stop the bus, but he quickly climbed out. No, he didn't find a corner to pee, which has happened over the decades. He bent down and picked up an Israeli Flag which he had noticed had fallen down from the poles near the junction. 

He placed it carefully near the flag he has on display in the bus and told us that the Israeli Flag is holy. He just can't abide the thought of one lying on the ground.

And that wasn't all. As we pulled out of the Ofra bus stop and security gate he noticed some people running from afar to catch the bus. And he waited for them. At the same time a woman in a nurses uniform got out of a tremp just across from the bus. She approached and asked if the bus was going to her destination, which it was. She was so grateful. Not only had the driver waited for those who were running to catch us, but because of that a young nurse was able to make it quickly and safely home.

And, no, in case you were wondering, this driver did not wear any of the signs of outward religiosity, not in his clothes, accent, hairdo or head-covering. It's obvious to me that in terms of Derech Eretz,  the Laws of Behavior between man and man, this man lived a "mehadrin" life.

What a wonderful Jewish people we have here in Israel!

*My Jerusalem ticket's "transfer" was good until the Ma'avar Michmas gas station stop, and only then did I have to pay the lower fare to Shiloh.

I'm Not as Anonymous as I Had Thought...

I'm pretty much a nobody, OK, maybe not in the Jewish blogging world. But there really are many people who consider my husband the "celebrity" and expect me to play "Pat Nixon."

This year, when we found that all of our kids had "other plans" for the seder, and none were going to spend it with us, I knew that the time had come for us to somehow either get invited or find a few friends in similar positions and do the seder together. Stage one for this was for me and my husband to answer "dunno," or:

"This year we haven't a clue."

I guess it sort of sounded like a euphemism for:

"We're hoping that we'll be invited by someone."

And in the end a "someone" actually did invite us. Actually a few "someones" by the time Passover had rolled around. It was my husband who landed the winning invitation, and I kept telling people that I didn't know the people. But it ended up that our host and I had been acquainted almost half a century ago. That's even before my husband had met him, and even before I had met my husband. We had a wonderful time there and hope that we were good guests, well-behaved.

Our trip home ended up being more complicated than planned, because we ended up missing the bus by a few seconds and had to tremp. I got the first ride, which took me to Ofra. From there I got a ride to the Shiloh Junction. And from there another ride to the Shiloh-Shvut Rachel Junction, and there I ended up waiting and waiting. I reached the point when I had decided that if one more car passes me without stopping, I'm just going to walk straight up, and believe me it it straight up, to my house. So I zipped up my coat to be ready to march.  It was cold. And just then a car turned and stopped. I didn't know the person, but he almost stammered my name. He used to read my blogs.

He was on his way to see a neighbor of mine and  very happy to take me home.

It seems that I'm a bit more well-know than I had thought.

I Felt a Bit Dumb and Confused

It's no secret that I depend a lot on tremps, rides from strangers commuting  to my work, studies etc. That's not to say that I don't know a lot of the drivers.  Frequently I get into a car saying that I'm doubly happy, because not only do I have a ride but I also have a chance to visit with a friend/neighbor whom I really like.

Some people only stop to offer a lift if they recognize someone they know, while others make a point of stopping at every trempiada, place where people get off or wait for rides, just to do that special chessed, mitzvah to help others.  Last night I was in a ride like that from Sha'ar Binyamin. The driver said that he was going to Eli, and not only did he agree to let me off at the Shiloh Junction, but he agreed to go slightly out of his way, two left turns, and let people off at the Psagot/Kochav Ya'akov/Tel Zion roundabout. I have no idea who that tzaddik  is, but I sure enjoyed his taste in music.  And just in case you're curious, about a minute after getting out of his car, someone I don't know came by and dropped me off at my door, which he was passing.  G-d really is great!

A different time, late at night after working a night shift and a series of shorter tremps which took me to every possible trempiada on the way I found myself at the Shiloh-Shvut Rachel "t junction" waiting for a ride up to Shiloh. A car stopped.  I didn't recognize the driver, but I did know the two other passengers.  They were both young people who grew up in Shiloh.  One got off "downtown," near the stores and schools, and the other one was dropped off by his house.

I was the last passenger in the car, so I asked the driver if he was continuing or going down.  I hadn't the vaguest idea who he was.  He replied that he'd take me home.  And he did.  He dropped me off at my door without my having to tell him where I lived.  He knew who I was, and I, especially from the backseat, hadn't a clue who is was.  He must be one of the other kids who grew up in Shiloh. I should have realized something like that, because no words were said between him and the kid he dropped off.

I just feel pretty dumb.