Jewish Geography in Jerusalem

@EstherK on Twitter

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"So? Where did you meet [Jew in question]?"

The longer you spend in the Jewish non-profit/Jewish communal world, the harder it becomes to be able to answer the question. Except for certain people, whom you've known your whole life, or others, whose arrival in your life comes with a story you'll never forget.

Since arriving here in Jerusalem, Lindsay and I have had more random meetings and weird connections than you'd ever believe could happen in one place. True, we just encountered 120 Jewish innovators from around the world, but that's not random. Finding Twitter buds at Shabbat picnics in the park are a little random, but somehow not altogether unexpected. But what's interesting about Jewish geography in general, and in Jerusalem especially, is how closely people are linked--people you never thought could ever co-exist on the same plane.

We had an apartment set up through the end of June, but were beginning to worry about July. We put out the word, on Facebook, via email, on Craigslist and Flathunting, we started checking Janglo and Homeless, etc. We asked everyone and their parents, but there was nothing for under $1200 a week, unless it was sharing a room in another apartment. Then a friend Facebook messaged me. He and his wife, whom I've known since she was about 6 years old, were moving out of their apartment at the end of June and it was going to be empty for July. Another couple was coming in for August. Precisely the time we needed, a great space, and considerably cheaper then the other listings we'd seen. It's also about two blocks away from my cousins. Over. Done.

On the way back from picking up the keys, I saw a familiar figure on the horizon--Rebel Sun from Coolooloosh, who also lives a block away, walking with his girls on the street, en route to a local park. We talked about the upcoming video shoot, scheduled for when our cameraguys come back from cavorting in Morocco for the Four Corners Project, and how wonderful it was to have that opportunity to reunite the team from the Israelity Tour.

The next day, I met up with "son Joshie" and "ex-husband Meir," and they helped me move some of my stuff from the old apartment to the new one, because that's what family--even fake video family--is for.

Small connections, in a small geographic radius, linking almost three decades and myriad worlds of my experience on this planet. Living in Jerusalem, everyday provides at least one "who are the people in my neighborhood?" moment.

Sometimes, your connections come in handy. And sometimes they're just plain fun...just like what you'd expect in a place that plays "Xanadu" and various remakes of Britney Spears songs in heavy rotation on the radio.

It reminds us that we're all connected, and that there may only be a street separating us from other people we know and other experience. Perhaps it cautions us to guard our tongues and inspires us to connect to others and their vast unseen social circles.

These characters, from different stages in your life, flit in and out, so near each other, and only finding their nexus in you and in Jerusalem. And I wouldn't have it any other way.