Jerusalem with a history of thousands of years

After a 2 hour delay due to two missing passengers and a fuel leak on the right wing, our 40-year-old El-Al Jumbo Jet took off. Honestly, this wasn’t one of my top flying experiences. But Cindy wanted to have the whole Israeli experience, and she certainly got it. I got it too.

An Ultra-orthodox man asked a woman to take another seat because he is not allowed to sit next to another woman than his wife. She refused to get up, so he had to find a different seat. There was a bit of theater around that. Our economy class didn’t serve wine with dinner. We had to ask for it. The ancient plane was as loud as a leaf blower and some of the skin surrounding the shell was coming down. But Cindy did feel safe (I did not). El Al has an impressive security record. I think one reason is the “interviews” they have with each passenger before boarding the plane.

After 11 hours of a smooth flight, we landed in the Land of Milk & Honey.

Jerusalem is a city significant in a number of religious traditions, including the Abrahamic religions Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, all of whom lay claim to this holy city. Many of the most sacred places for these religions share the same locations, the most famous being The Temple Mount. You don’t have to be very religious to be fascinated by the history and how important Jerusalem is to all those religions. For Judaism, Jerusalem has been the holiest city as well as both the ancestral and spiritual homeland of the Jewish people since 10th century BC. At that time, Jerusalem was considered the center of the world.

Within a short walking distance, we visited the Armenian section with Church of St. James, saw the Hall of the Last Supper, enjoyed the Jewish Quarter and went to the Western Wall. We also strolled through the Shuk or Machne which is the marketplace in Jerusalem with more than 250 vendors all selling fresh fruits and vegetables. Jerusalem is a city for the senses. The smell of the spices and the incense all around the markets are powerful and make a deep impression.

We also visited the Ramban Synagogue, The Hurva Synagogue and of course the Western Wall. The Wall is like an open Synagogue with many people deep in prayer and meditation. Other sites equally fascinating included The Holy Church of the Sepulchre, where you can visit Christ’s Tomb. The church is a massive and stunning structure.

One thing we knew we must see is Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum. In a way, we both were a little nervous about how we would feel. We wondered if we would be able to withstand the barrage of horrific images and stories. It was hard, but the museum is remarkable in its presentation. We loved that on the walk into the museum you are presented with names and stories of the ‘Righteous Ones.’ These are people who risked their lives to help Jews escape or hid them.

Very moving was the memorial for the 1.5 Million children lost in the Holocaust. You walk in silence and darkness through a narrow passageway, see thousands of candles reflecting in mirrors and then you hear the names and ages of the children died.
The architecture is a masterpiece. Designed by Moshe Safdie, an Israeli-Canadian architect. This new Holocaust museum, below, was opened in 2005.

copyright: nakbafiles.org

On the grounds of Yad Vashem is another museum I highly recommend. It’s the memorial Theodor Herzl, the founder of Zionism. The museum is experiential in that the Herzl’s story is told through live acting and film. Very entertaining and educational.

While Jerusalem is a city of religions, there’s more to see. One of the real pleasantries is strolling through the old city with its cobbled streets and absorbing the different atmospheres in the various quarters. Middle Eastern food is tasty. Discover the hummus, falafels, pitas, and fattoush. Makluba, the amazing upside down chicken, rice, and vegetables. However, when you arrive on a Friday, as we did, shops and restaurants are closed at sundown. Israelis observe the Shabbat, and it lasts from sunset on Friday to the fall of full darkness on Saturday. So you need to prepare for this unless you want to end up in an Irish Pub eating a Hamburger with French Fries. Cindy asked for cheese on her hamburger. Silly girl!

A visit to Jerusalem can’t be without a day trip to Bethlehem.
Our very knowledgeable Israeli guide Eric was not allowed to join us in Bethlehem. He had to drop us off at an Israeli checkpoint where we walked through high fenced gates. .It was a “Bridge of Spies” experience where we were met by our Palestinian guide.

As a tourist, you are free to enter Palestine, but you need your passport to re-enter Israel. You see it in the news, but we witnessed it in real-time. Before we entered Bethlehem, you are confronted with ominous red signs warning Israeli citizens that crossing into Palestine was dangerous to their lives. But, on the other side of the wall, people from Palestine were smiling and laughing, sitting outside in cafes and drinking coffee or tea. Palestine and Israel are at war with each other.

Seeing this, a Bob Dylan Song came immediately into my mind. (here is one part of it)
“Don’t you remember, Ma, when I went off to war
You thought it was the best thing I could do?
I was on the battleground, you were home . . . acting proud
You wasn’t there standing in my shoes”

“Oh, and I thought when I was there, God, what am I doing here?
I’m a-tryin’ to kill somebody or die tryin’
But the thing that scared me most was when my enemy came close
And I saw that his face looked just like mine”
(John Brown by Bob Dylan)

I’ll be honest. The barbed wire, the concrete wall lined with watchtowers and cameras blew my mind. Shocking and this in 2017. Shocking also that this is still ongoing after so many years.

Bethlehem was worth the visit as the birthplace of Jesus, and as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In our travels, Cindy and I have visited many of these treasured sites. Having an excellent guide was key to our getting in front of a long line to visit the chapel where it was believed to be the location where Christ was born. It was an Armenian church, so we witnessed a traditional Armenian mass.

We stopped at the Waldorf Hotel …. or better known as the “Walled Off Hotel” a play on words with the world-famous Waldorf Hotel in NYC. The view from each room faces the wall.

Banksy owns the hotel. He is famous is his street art. I wish we could have seen more. He visited Bethlehem in 2005 and 2007 where he expressed his views on the Israel/Palestine conflict through his art.

Visiting Jerusalem for the first time, you need a local tour guide. Eric was our guide, and he was knowledgeable about everything. In Israel, tour guides have to be licensed and spend a couple of years studying everything: art, culture, history, religions – you name it.

A second visit will be more leisurely, experiencing the Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Tel Aviv as the locals do. And drinking lots and lots of coffee. Which beats any coffee we’ve had in a long time!

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I hope you will join me on my next blog again when we will visit the Dead Sea and climbing Masada.