After much worry that my university would close to in-person classes this fall, I’m very relieved that for the time being, I’ll be moving back to campus. Of course, moving back to campus means I have to do quite a bit of online shopping. While online shopping has its benefits, there’s something I miss about being in person- which brings me to the topic of today’s post: the Shuk, also known as Machane Yehudah, in Jerusalem. The Shuk is an outdoor market that sells everything from spices to fresh produce to necklaces.

When I was in Israel, I had the chance to visit the Shuk multiple times. As much as the sights will stay with me, it’s the smells and sounds of the market that are truly memorable. The Shuk is constant- activity never stops except for Shabbat and other holidays. From the moment you step into the tightly packed maze, the smell of fresh fruit, potent spices, and warm baked goods surrounds you. The air is filled with playful bartering, families deciding which babka to purchase for Shabbat dinner, and carts on uneven cobblestone. The Shuk is magic.

In order to give you a glimpse of the magic, I’d like to take a close look at a couple paintings featuring the Shuk: first, an Anna Zarnitsky piece which illustrates the diversity of people within the market. A careful eye can spot a bunch of different people represented- parents with a young child, a pair of rabbis, and a small huddle of tourists in the background.

In contract to Zarnitsky’s bright colors is Allan Hirsch’s muted, but enchanting, watercolor piece titled “Shuk At Night”. “Shuk At Night”, as the name suggests, shows several shops closed for the night and two that are illuminated by hanging lights. There’s also something to be said about the technique Hirsch used with the watercolor- all lines are slightly fuzzy which could be an allusion to way the Shuk is always changing.