Postcard from the Future: A History in Jerusalem
The sun shines a lot in Jerusalem, they say.
There is nowhere in the world that I want to visit more than the City of Jerusalem. As the capital of Israel and the Jewish people, I have always dreamed of visiting the Holy Land and seeing the triumph of the Jewish people that is Israel after millennia of discrimination and multiple attempts at elimination.
My Jewishness is the center of my identity, and at the end of the day, that’s what I am…a Jew. I have always wanted to have a Jewish community around me, which is difficult to do in Oregon. While I have been to the East Coast and had a Jewish community at Johns Hopkins, it was only for two years. In the face of thousands of years of hate, isolation, and exclusion, it will be glorious to visit the Jewish homeland someday and share memories, community, and life with my fellow Jews.
There is perhaps nowhere more worth visiting than the Wailing Wall in the Old City. The Wailing Wall is a one of the holiest sites in Judaism and is where people bring their prayers to God and place written prayers between the wall's stones. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the wall is the remnant of the Second Temple which, when destroyed by the Roman Empire, forced the Jews out of Israel when they fled to Spain, North Africa, and other parts of the Mediterranean. Why is the Wailing Wall important to Jews? Larry Domnitch of myJewishLearning, an organization dedicated to offering education about Jewish history, sums it up well when saying "The Temple was destroyed, but a part remained. The Western Wall served as a reminder that the Temple could never be totally destroyed. The hope for its rebuilding remained strong in that era and over the centuries." The Wailing Wall represents the perseverance of the Jewish people to me and it would a great deal to me to write a prayer to put within its walls.
I want to see as much of the city as possible and take hours-long walking tours to absorb the spirit of the city and all of the sites that it has. There are many tours of Jerusalem available, such as The Highlights of Jerusalem Morning Walking Tour, which visits the Wailing Wall. The Shrine of the Book, which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls might be my top destination. The scrolls contain the oldest elements of books later included in the Old Testament.
For more information about touring Jerusalem, and Israel as a whole, visit Tourist Israel for guided tours, travel packages, hotel rentals, and other valuable information and opportunities.
I would also like to attend religious services and visit synagogues as well, to gain from my Jewish community. I have considered getting citizenship in Israel and becoming a dual citizen, if not emigrating someday.
The religious pilgrimage of Jews returning to Israel is called Aliyah and I have considered this since becoming an adult. The wailing wall, one of the holiest sites in Judaism, is where many go to make prayers to God and gather for religious ceremonies. Were I to visit the Wailing Wall (pictured above), I think that I would try to write a prayer for the Jewish people to put between the stones, as some do. I would also want to people watch and soak up the culture, noting the difference in clothing and manners of interaction between peoples.
There is also the National Library of Israel, which houses Jewish literature, historical documents, and cultural treasures. It has more than five million books in its collection. Pictured below are some of the windows in the library’s lobby. I would hope to buy a book from their bookstore as a mementos and a keepsake.
Another site worth pondering is Yad Vashem, Israel’s official Holocaust memorial. As a person with direct family members who died in the Holocaust, I have always been interested in finding some of the members of my family who were killed so brutally. The site emphasizes telling the stories of those who were murdered, those who survived, and those who aided people in escaping the Nazis. The museum states that one of its aims to bring to light the study of genocide to avoid similar calamities in the future.
As for art, there is the Nahon Museum of Italian Jewish Art, which features an intriguing exhibit of European Jewish art (pictured below). Jews have made many contributions to art throughout history, much of it looted, stolen, or hidden, and to see some of it in Jewish hands would be personally fulfilling.
As per food goes, I would definitely want to eat some kosher food, but I have no specific restaurant in mind. As an adventurous man, I think that I would like to walk around the city and happen upon a restaurant. What a story it will make!
Jerusalem is the symbol of Jewish people’s triumph over hate, bigotry and wars of destruction. I can think of few greater contributions to my fellow Jews than a visit to the Old City.
At-a-Glance:
Where: Jerusalem, Israel
What: Holy City of Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Samaritanism, and other religions.
Status: Open to most citizens of the world, though some require advance permission from the Israeli government.
Official website: https://www.jerusalem.muni.il/en/
Best way to get there: Jerusalem does not have an airport. Visitors can fly into one of Israel's other airports and taxi, train, or shuttle to Jerusalem. One airport is Ben Gurion Airport. If flying from the West Coast, then maybe stop a few days in a location along the way for a few days to reduce flight time.
Best way to get around: Train and taxi are definitely to most cost efficient way
Where to eat and stay: Many hotels and restaurants. Tourist Israel has 83 hotels in Israel, travel packages, Jerusalem city tours, and a list of sites to see.
What to see: The Old City, the Wailing Wall, Museum of Italian Jewish Art, Yad Vashem, Temple Mount, Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
There is nowhere in the world that I want to visit more than the City of Jerusalem. As the capital of Israel and the Jewish people, I have always dreamed of visiting the Holy Land and seeing the triumph of the Jewish people that is Israel after millennia of discrimination and multiple attempts at elimination.
My Jewishness is the center of my identity, and at the end of the day, that’s what I am…a Jew. I have always wanted to have a Jewish community around me, which is difficult to do in Oregon. While I have been to the East Coast and had a Jewish community at Johns Hopkins, it was only for two years. In the face of thousands of years of hate, isolation, and exclusion, it will be glorious to visit the Jewish homeland someday and share memories, community, and life with my fellow Jews.
There is perhaps nowhere more worth visiting than the Wailing Wall in the Old City. The Wailing Wall is a one of the holiest sites in Judaism and is where people bring their prayers to God and place written prayers between the wall's stones. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the wall is the remnant of the Second Temple which, when destroyed by the Roman Empire, forced the Jews out of Israel when they fled to Spain, North Africa, and other parts of the Mediterranean. Why is the Wailing Wall important to Jews? Larry Domnitch of myJewishLearning, an organization dedicated to offering education about Jewish history, sums it up well when saying "The Temple was destroyed, but a part remained. The Western Wall served as a reminder that the Temple could never be totally destroyed. The hope for its rebuilding remained strong in that era and over the centuries." The Wailing Wall represents the perseverance of the Jewish people to me and it would a great deal to me to write a prayer to put within its walls.
I want to see as much of the city as possible and take hours-long walking tours to absorb the spirit of the city and all of the sites that it has. There are many tours of Jerusalem available, such as The Highlights of Jerusalem Morning Walking Tour, which visits the Wailing Wall. The Shrine of the Book, which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls might be my top destination. The scrolls contain the oldest elements of books later included in the Old Testament.
For more information about touring Jerusalem, and Israel as a whole, visit Tourist Israel for guided tours, travel packages, hotel rentals, and other valuable information and opportunities.
I would also like to attend religious services and visit synagogues as well, to gain from my Jewish community. I have considered getting citizenship in Israel and becoming a dual citizen, if not emigrating someday.
The religious pilgrimage of Jews returning to Israel is called Aliyah and I have considered this since becoming an adult. The wailing wall, one of the holiest sites in Judaism, is where many go to make prayers to God and gather for religious ceremonies. Were I to visit the Wailing Wall (pictured above), I think that I would try to write a prayer for the Jewish people to put between the stones, as some do. I would also want to people watch and soak up the culture, noting the difference in clothing and manners of interaction between peoples.
There is also the National Library of Israel, which houses Jewish literature, historical documents, and cultural treasures. It has more than five million books in its collection. Pictured below are some of the windows in the library’s lobby. I would hope to buy a book from their bookstore as a mementos and a keepsake.
Another site worth pondering is Yad Vashem, Israel’s official Holocaust memorial. As a person with direct family members who died in the Holocaust, I have always been interested in finding some of the members of my family who were killed so brutally. The site emphasizes telling the stories of those who were murdered, those who survived, and those who aided people in escaping the Nazis. The museum states that one of its aims to bring to light the study of genocide to avoid similar calamities in the future.
As for art, there is the Nahon Museum of Italian Jewish Art, which features an intriguing exhibit of European Jewish art (pictured below). Jews have made many contributions to art throughout history, much of it looted, stolen, or hidden, and to see some of it in Jewish hands would be personally fulfilling.
As per food goes, I would definitely want to eat some kosher food, but I have no specific restaurant in mind. As an adventurous man, I think that I would like to walk around the city and happen upon a restaurant. What a story it will make!
Jerusalem is the symbol of Jewish people’s triumph over hate, bigotry and wars of destruction. I can think of few greater contributions to my fellow Jews than a visit to the Old City.
At-a-Glance:
Where: Jerusalem, Israel
What: Holy City of Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Samaritanism, and other religions.
Status: Open to most citizens of the world, though some require advance permission from the Israeli government.
Official website: https://www.jerusalem.muni.il/en/
Best way to get there: Jerusalem does not have an airport. Visitors can fly into one of Israel's other airports and taxi, train, or shuttle to Jerusalem. One airport is Ben Gurion Airport. If flying from the West Coast, then maybe stop a few days in a location along the way for a few days to reduce flight time.
Best way to get around: Train and taxi are definitely to most cost efficient way
Where to eat and stay: Many hotels and restaurants. Tourist Israel has 83 hotels in Israel, travel packages, Jerusalem city tours, and a list of sites to see.
What to see: The Old City, the Wailing Wall, Museum of Italian Jewish Art, Yad Vashem, Temple Mount, Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
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