Parliament Is in Session

Erev Shabbos Hagadol, I found myself at the American embassy “branch office” in Tel Aviv seeking to secure an emergency passport for a planned speaking tour in the States. Not having been out of the country for nearly three years, I had failed to note the expiration of my US passport.

I have probably averaged about one trip to Tel Aviv a decade since arriving on aliyah, so my antennae were on high alert to observe Israel’s largest city. The station from which I exited the Jerusalem–to–Tel Aviv train — my first time — is not in the best section of the city. But even as my cab approached the embassy, which is located closer to the fancier hotels, I could not fail to note how much more beautiful Jerusalem is, in large part because of the requirement that the exterior of very building be covered in Jerusalem stone.

After a relatively short wait, the clerk who was handling my case offered me the possibility of receiving my emergency passport the same day if I was prepared to wait around until 2 p.m., then almost four hours away. I’ve had enough experience with the Israeli postal service not to let my upcoming trip depend on receiving the passport within the next two weeks, and opted to wait around.

Across the street, at a store whose sole business appeared to be supplying lockers for checking all one’s bags prior to be allowed into the embassy, I was directed to a kosher cafe down the street, and to there I repaired. After purchasing my black coffee in a paper cup, I took my place in the far corner of a room completely surrounded by windows, with a full view of the adjacent street.