Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year in Judaism. On this “Sabbath of Sabbaths,” the entire country shuts down. As non-Jewish visitors to Jerusalem, we don’t always get to observe the religious side of holidays (and are conscious of appropriation as well); however, that doesn’t stop us from appreciating the secular benefits of a Jerusalem without any traffic

We, and several similarly-minded local families, took our kids bike riding down Begin Boulevard, Jerusalem’s major North-South artery.

Or in our case, scooter riding. Neither Bertrand and I nor the kids felt like dragging kids AND bikes down to the highway, and certainly didn’t want to have to carry them on the long walk home once the girls inevitably exhausted themselves.

It’s a special treat to be able to walk down the middle of a normally heavily trafficked highway.  The kids had a blast!