I have finished the filming in the northern part of Israel, the Golan Heights and Tiberius. I won’t complain about how exhausting this is because most think of this as a vacation. I can tell you I am working, from after breakfast till midnight or later. I think most that are on this trip with me have now realized that it takes a lot of work to get just 30 seconds of video. The problem with tours of this type, as opposed to Rick Steves video, is that these tours are on a schedule, people need to see, the bus needs to speed by the countryside, all while I am struggling with all the equipment, trying to stay ahead of the people so I don’t get all backsides, and remembering I am not as young as I used to be.
The Western Wall just before Sabbath
Tonight I am skipping dinner to get some rest, and tomorrow I am spending it doing editing and such rather than walk miles to places I have already been. Since it will be, actually now it is the sabbath. The first roadblock was that I was not permitted to bring the camera to the western wall. The Sabbath is one of the best known and least understood of all Jewish observances. People who do not observe Shabbat think of it as a day filled with stifling restrictions, or as a day of prayer like the Christian Sabbath. But to those who observe Shabbat, it is a day when they can set aside all of the weekday concerns and devote to higher pursuits. The types of work from which Jews refrain are derived from the 39 types of work and one of those is the use of electrical devices. So no cameras are permitted, especially big ones like mine.
The Mahane Yehuda, open air market in Jerusalem
One of the major problems I always have when filming events or tours is people standing in front of the camera. People just don’t look. But it is what it is, I just keep filming and try and get their attention. I did not film in the central market, good thing I didn’t bring the camera, it was packed wall-to-wall people, not to mention the 90 degree heat. But I did capture a still from the IPhone.
The problem with saturday is it is the Sabbath and in Jerusalem cabs, busses, its all shut down. That means you walk everywhere, I actually can use this time to a great advantage because I need to back up everything and a second set of hard drives. It may not be too bad, I only have slightly over 200 gig in video files and 10 gig picture images. I do need some down-time and also how much video can you really shoot?
Rabbis greet the Sabbath
Tonight was a special night on a rooftop overlooking the Dome of the Rock. The most famous Islamic site in Jerusalem is the Dome of the Rock. An impressive and beautiful structure, the Dome of the Rock can be seen from all over Jerusalem. The Dome of the Rock is not a mosque, but a Muslim shrine, it is built over a sacred stone. This stone is believed to be the place from which the Prophet Muhammad ascended into heaven during his Night Journey to heaven. The welcoming of the Sabbath was with music, food, singing, praying and lighting of candles. It was a special night for those who observe the Sabbath, and a great night for visuals.
The Dome of the Rock