In Israel on Yom Kippur in many communities and urban areas it is common that the streets are completely empty of cars. In my neighborhood for instance there was not one car that moved for 24 hours. Many kids look forward to the day because it means they can go out on bicycles and play in the streets. In our neighborhood one area was full of more than 100 kids playing. Some parents attended synagogue as the kids played and others stayed home or watched from the sidelines.

As I saw this unfold it made me think how nice it was to have a space for kids to feel free and protected and safe to do as they please. It also made me think that for thousands of years this is how life was for kids. Communities where everything was done on foot were not dangerous. Kids had the run of the public space. And communities were small because most things had to be within walking distance so they were organized around a courtyard or areas where kids felt safe and free to play.

In our modern society we have paved over this experience and everything is adult-centered. This doesn’t mean it’s better for adults. Adults mostly work all the time and there’s never space for seeing a public space with community. To find that space people have to go to a designated area, but in general life revolves around concrete and cars.

When you see, just for a moment, how nice it was in the era before cars and how people could play in freedom outside, it’s memorable.