Skateboarding Down Jerusalem’s Jaffa Street on Yom Kippur, was Dope
The busiest road in all of Jerusalem is completely deserted once a year…
On any given day of the year, Jerusalem’s Jaffa Street is alive with energy, thousands of locals hustling and bustling through and amongst the various markets, bakeries and tram stops.
Israelis go about their business in a typical no-nonsense fashion, picking up vegetables and goods for a splendid dish after Shabbat, bartering with stall owners, carting children around the various spots for a sweet dessert or perched outside one of the famous cafes sipping fresh mint tea.
Jaffa high-street is one of the busiest roads in Jerusalem and one of the busiest roads in all of Israel. It stretches from the north of Jerusalem, Allenby Square, right through to the Old City and the famous Jaffa Gate, one very long continuous road passing from new, to old, to ancient…
It’s always busy and always packed with trams.
Apart from one day a year.
Every year, on Yom Kippur, Israel grinds to a halt. No cars. No people and no trams.
Jaffa Street is deserted, it’s like an eerie ghost town, shutters are drawn, curtains are closed and the majority of Jerusalem’s Israeli’s are attending the Synagogue.
Yom Kippur is a very special day for Israelis and Jews.
Otherwise known as the day of atonement; it’s the holiest day of the year in Judaism and the use of fuel, work, electricity, eating and drinking, is very much forbidden and the whole of Israel spends a day in complete reflection and repentance.
It’s recognised across the whole nation, which means the whole nation is entirely silent; all the shops are closed, all the restaurants and bars are closed and apart from the odd tourist, there’s nobody around.
As a visiting Westerner, and whilst very respectful of the Yom Kippur traditions (I refrained from using power, I even fasted) I couldn’t resist wondering into the tranquil streets to get a sense of how empty it felt.
Well, when I say wondered, I mean skateboarded.
It was a unique experience. I’m pretty sure there’s nowhere else in the world where you can fly down the middle of a tram line without a care in the world, all on four small wheels. The desert heat washed away by the cool summer breeze rushing through my hair as a slalom through the thin cobbled high-street and the shiny smooth tarmac of the tram line.
Suddenly one of the busiest roads in all of the middle-east becomes the worlds longest road to skateboard down.
It felt like the perfect opportunity to coast, starting from the Allenby Square, I freewheeled through the centre of Jerusalem, right down to Jaffa Gate, well over a mile.
The soft tarmac offering the perfect ride; smooth and gravel free.
It’s these moments when travelling that offer a moment of reflection, they add a layer of uniqueness to any trip; a moment to skateboard, was a moment of calmness, coasting through the hot July breeze of Jerusalem; it was a world away from my home and daily life. A moment to capture and remember.
It’s moments like these that make travelling so desirable, unforeseen, organic and a memory to last a lifetime.
Peace.
RMH.
