Tours in Jerusalem with Yishay Shavit

When we hear the name Jerusalem it reminds us of history, holiness and mysticism, however Jerusalem is also a city of passion. For thousands of years it was a dwelling place for people made of flesh and blood who lusted, envied, yearned, longed and if they were lucky, even loved and were loved by others. The stories of love and lust that involve Jerusalem are told throughout history and go back at least to King David’s time. These stories of happiness, disappointments and broken hearts show us a different, human and intriguing perspective of Jerusalem. Today I would like to tell again the stories of three women who lived in Jerusalem and shared one name – Lea.

In the year of 1930, in Alexandria, Egypt, a Christian-Arab lawyer, Nasib Abkarius Bay and a daughter of a well known ultra-orthodox family from Jerusalem, Lea Tenenboim were wed.  Abkarius loved his wife with all his heart and did his best to be a loving husband and fulfill every wish, desire and caprice Lea expressed. He built a large house in Rehavia Neighborhood in Jerusalem and hired house maids and servants that will do her bidding. The house looked like a magnificent palace and showed some influence of the architectural international style. It was a combination of the practical and the authentic, straight lines and Jerusalem stone, a combination of simplicity and splendor. The problem was that although Lea Tenenboim was much loved she was not happy.  A year after she and Abkarius moved into “Villa Lea” (this is the writing that can be seen on the outer wall of the house till today) Lea Tenenboim sneaked out with a new lover to Egypt after spending a large sum of Abkarius`s money and left him broke and broken hearted. They divorced officially in 1945 and a year later Abkarius died poor and lonely. Villa Lea was rented out in the market. Some of its residents were much interesting figures. The exiled emperor of Ethiopia Haile Selassie lived there and so did some Israeli ministers. Moshe Dayan and his daughter Yael Dayan lived in Villa Lea. There were also some students living there for a few years. Today Villa Lea is a private house, however not long ago the house was opened to the public as a part of the “Houses from within“  project in Jerusalem. The long line of visitors we could see that day waiting to enter the house only emphasizes the power a story like Lea Tenenboim’s fictitious love has over people till today.

As opposed to Lea Tenenboim Lea Goldberg, the famous Israeli poet, lived a life of loneliness and heartbreak. Her life filled many diaries and some of the most beautiful poems ever written in Hebrew. Lea Goldberg never married though she fell in love with many men. At first she loved older men and in later years she turned her heart to men much younger than her. None of them ever knew about her secret love for them. Lea Goldberd moved to Jerusalem in 1950 after she got a position at the Hebrew University. She lived in Alfasi St. in Rehavia. From her small flat in Jerusalem she taught, wrote, drew a lot of paintings and loved. One painful love of hers was Jacque Adout, a young man who was teaching French and reported for “Kol Zion Lagola” (The voice of Zion to the Diaspora). This love, like all her other unfulfilled ones, left Lea Goldberg scarred, however it also resulted in a most fruitful and creative period in her life. Goldberg wrote in her privet diaries about Adout saying he has made his contribution to her writing. In these diaries we find a nice description of one magical day in Jerusalem with Jacque: “…That single day in Jerusalem, the golden light shining on houses, the rocks, the fields. Hopeless bliss, happiness as if you are standing in front of a lovely picture, a work of art. that magic of ‘A’ – it was like another revelation and made me happy. Because I know his heart is not intended to me I write this in order to remember I once had a day like that…”

Jacque Adout was the inspiration for Lea Goldberg when she wrote the cycle “Love of Tereza de-Mon”. One of the most known verses in the cycle seams as if it refers to the same golden day in Jerusalem:

From my window as well as from yours

The same garden and view can be seen

And I can love for a whole day

The things that were caressed by your eye

In front of your window as well as in front of mine

The same nightingale sings at night

And when your heart trembles while sleeping

I will wake up and listen to it to.

(Sonnet no.9 “Love of Tereza de-Mon)

Lea Goldberg lived her life alone and without hope and when we pass by her flat in Rehavia while touring Jerusalem it should be easy enough for us to imagine her sitting at the window thinking about another window – the one belongs to her secret love. At this moment we should remember what she wrote about herself in her diaries: “I am poor in this world, as I don’t have a single whole value. I am writing this for the first time in my life: I have no purpose, no love, no faith, I have nothing.” While reading this we get a sad filling but we can also consider ourselves lucky for being able to love back a great poet who was never loved in her whole life.

Our third Lea was the luckiest. Lea Abushded loved and was loved dearly. Her lover was Itamar Ben-Avi, son of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, the reviver of the Hebrew language (here is a nice Sesame Street cartoon about him)   (“Avi” in Hebrew represent the initials of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda. Itamar’s original name was Ben-Zion Ben-Yehuda and when he grew up he decided to changed both his first and last name to something more Israeli with a tribute to his father). Itamar met Lea Abushded when he was 26 years old and she was 16. The mutual love was not welcomed by Lea’s family because of the gap between classes. Itamar came from a poor family and was not considered a suitable husband for a girl from a respectable family like Lea’s. Seeing that the situation is hopeless Itamar started to use his father`s newspaper to publish some feverish love poems. The people of Jerusalem were thrilled by the public scandal and followed the papers eagerly. Eventually it seamed that things were going out of control when one of the poems that was printed had a clear threat of suicide in it:

My Pistol

Ever since I loved her and my heart aches

My pistol will never leave my sight

Between the books of my mind

On my beloved desk

It breaths death to me

As I am fed up with everything – even with my beauty,

Who chose to live like that without me,

Wait just a minute Oh my beauty

In a moment you shall weep endlessly

The song motivated the people of Jerusalem to help Itamar`s father to make a plea to Abushded family and this time he got the family’s consent. After another two years of engagement and surrendering to some financial blackmail they married each other. Their great love came to an end by Itamar`s untimely death in 1943. Lea Ben-Avi lived without Itamar for many years after he passed away. In an interview conducted by her grandson, Gil Chovav in “Kol Hair” newspaper she said: “Bension (Her way of pronouncing Ben-Zion) was really poor, but what would I get from the reach ones? One of them, Valiro was a big miser, the other, Shlush? His mother always tried to tell me what to do and I can’t stand her kind, the third went to Constantinople and lost all his money. Bension was poor but he really had a wide heart. Yes, he was generous. Don’t you think he made me miserable, even if I tend to complain. He was handsome he was like fire, the prince of Judea – this is what the women called him. This was until the poor man died”. Gil Hovav writes that until her death in 1982 he was reminded by his grandmother time and again that she renounced wealth and comfort but she always believed it was worth it.

The story of Lea Abushded and Itamar Ben-Avi is well known and a famous song called “The love of Itamar Ben-Avi” was written by Dudu Barak and Nurit Hirsch. The words of the chorus “…If my Lea you only loved me” refer us to another poem written by Itamar. In this poem Itamar used the fact that Lea`s name in transpotion of letters can be read Ela meaning goddess:

If only you loved me my Ela as I love you.

If only you were perplexed by day and crazy by night

If only was your heart was humming like a bloody tempest

And your eyes within your eyelids if only they became soaked by tears

I only you dreamt happiness for ever and awoke in panic

And in your weary mind if only lightning had pass

Hurrah, then you might understand me”

Three Lea’s, one city and such different stories. I have a friend who used to say that if we took a tear for every love story that was told in Jerusalem we shall not worry again for a shortage of fresh water in Israel. Who knows? Maybe he is right, however I do know that in a city like Jerusalem which is greater than life you could find love stories greater than life. You just need to take a tour in Jerusalem and look for them.

I would like to thank Pamela Salomon Benner for editing the English translation of this post

Outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem and east of Damascus Gate is a small green door. If you stand in front of it, you cannot imagine what lies on the other side. If you pass through that door, you will find a huge underground cave 300 meters long and 100 meters wide. The place was once a subterranean quarry used by the builders of Jerusalem in the Second Temple period. A persistent tradition says that King Solomon used stones from the same quarry to build the First Temple. The cave is linked to many traditions, and quite a few stories exist about it. The children of Jerusalem would tell you, for example, that this was the place where the Bible says Korach and his followers disappeared after the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them.

The most important tradition concerns King Zedekiah, the last king of Judea. According to Jeremiah 52, Zedekiah tried to escape from the city of Jerusalem while it was under siege. He managed to flee through a place referenced as the “gate between the two walls,” but “… the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and they overtook Zedekiah on the plains of Jericho, and all his army had scattered and deserted him….” (Jeremiah 52:8). Zedekiah was led to Babylon, but not before the Chaldeans killed his sons in front of him and then blinded him. He spent the rest of his life in exile, away from his city and country.

Now you probably asked yourself, “How did King Zedekiah get from ‘between the two walls’ to the plains of Jericho while the city of Jerusalem was under siege?” Well, the book of Jeremiah does not tell us anything about that; however, Rashi does supply us with an answer: “He [Zedekiah] had a cave going from his house to the plains of Jericho and he escaped through the cave. What did God Almighty do? He presented a deer to the Chaldeans and made it run above the cave’s roof. The Chaldeans chased the deer and as Zedekiah emerged from the other side of the cave, they spotted him and caught him.” You can easily guess the end of my story: An old tradition made the connection between the cave Rashi wrote about and the cave found near Damascus Gate. At the heart of the cave lies a small spring, and it is believed that its water comes from King Zedekiah’s tears—the tears he shed while watching the death of his sonsand the destruction of his city.

The only entrance to the cave was once barricaded by Sultan Suleiman I who feared while he was building the walls of the Old City that the cave might serve as a weak spot during a siege. For many years people told tales about a huge cave residing under the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, but the cave was found again only during the 1850s by James Turner Barclay. Barclay, who was a doctor and a Bible scholar, walked his dog one night outside the walls of the Old City. Suddenly the dog disappeared. It took Barclay a while until he found the dog barking from inside a hole in the ground. The hole led Barclay and his colleagues down to the heart of the earth and thus they discovered Zedekiah’s Cave again. Barclay was followed by interested Freemasons, who thought this was the quarry of King Solomon, the first Freemason according to their tradition. Freemasons continue to assemble secretly in the cave every once in a while.

Over the past few years the cave of Zedekiah has been open to all visitors. As a tour guide I take many of my groups to see this fantastic site. On a hot day in May 2012 we walked into the cave, trying to escape the blazing sun, and I was telling my group about various traditions related to the cave of Zedekiah. Nothing prepared us for the surprise that was waiting for us inside. All around we saw loudspeakers from which a soft, wonderful Indian singing voice emerged. At first I thought it was a new tourist upgrade intended to make our stay underground more pleasant; however, after walking farther into the cave we discovered the true nature of the music. At the great hall in the center of the cave sat hundreds if not thousands of Indians. In front of them, on a small improvised stage with the image of the god Hanuman in the background, sat the guru Sri Morari Bapu telling the tales of Rama, Sita and Hanuman in Lanka as they are told in the Indian epic Ramayana.

Sri Morari Bapu, a well-known guru in India, is particularly respected as a preacher who conducts special ceremonial readings of and commentaries on the sacred Hindu writings. These ceremonies are called kathe and last nine or ten days each. The readings are accompanied by traditional Indian music played live by Indian masters of traditional Indian instruments. This scene explained the music we heard when we entered the cave.

Sri Morari Bapu lives in the small village of Talgajarda in Bhavnagar, a district in the state of Gujarat, India. From his base he travels worldwide to perform nine-day kathe. As of this writing Sri Morari Bapu has performed at least 700 kathe around the world on land, at sea and even on air. The kathe are attended by huge crowds—sometimes thousands, sometimes millions.

This was Sri Morari Bapu’s first tour in Jerusalem. On his Web site he wrote that Jerusalem is an example of a small city where people of all religions learned to live together and didn’t have to compromise over their religion. The followers of Sri Morari Bapu with whom we spoke told us that in his katha he emphasized the need for compassion, love and reconciliation and thus, according to their belief, it is obvious that Jerusalem is a legitimate site for this kind of ceremony. They considered the katha in Jerusalem as a means to send a message to the entire world.

The sitar was playing, Sri Morari Bapu led the ceremony on, and the excited crowd sat quietly and observed every word. I led my group farther into the depths of the cave. As we returned to the main hall half an hour later it seemed as though nothing had changed. The guru maintained the same position, as did his followers. No one was in a rush. I thought to myself that they had all come to Zedekiah’s Cave to find their way into the heart of Jerusalem. Later, another thought occurred to me: Could it be that Sri Morari Bapu had transformed Zedekiah’s Cave from a way to escape from Jerusalem to a gateway into the city? Could he see in a place that symbolizes the destruction of the city the way to rebuild it? Could it be that through the stone that helped build the city two thousand years ago Sri Morari Bapu built a bridge between the hearts of all lovers of Jerusalem? Was this what Sri Morari Bapu intended, or was it my own wild imagination? I suppose I will eventually find the solution while touring Jerusalem.…

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Tours in Jerusalem - A morning on the Temple mount

The Dome of the Rock is the oldest Muslim monumental building still standing. It was built by an Umayy caliph named Abd al-Malec at the year 691.

Tours in Jerusalem - A morning on the Temple mount

The arches on the upper Mastaba are called in Arabic Al-Muazin – the scales. The Muslims believe that on the judgment day all soles will be weighed there for their actions in mortal life.

Tours in Jerusalem - A morning on the Temple mount

The upper plaza or upper Mastaba is filled with buildings donated by senior Mamluks during the period between the 13th and 16th centuries.

Tours in Jerusalem - A morning on the Temple mount

Al-Qus, the glass, is being used by Muslims to purify them selves before prayer. It was built by the Mamluc emir Tankiz who was a great builder of Jerusalem in the 14th century. Tankiz\'s heraldic symbol was a grail designed like Al-Qus.

Tours in Jerusalem - A morning on the Temple mount

Most researchers and Rabbis claim that the Foundation stone is situated under the dome of the rock today. These 17 meters of limestone are the reason why Jerusalem is holy for Judaism, Tradition tells us that from here the world was built, here the binding of Isaac took place and here was the Holy of Holies in the temple.

Tours in Jerusalem - A morning on the Temple mount

The gold for the Dome of the rock was donated by Hussein, king of Jordan on 1992. Just before the Israeli-Jordanian peace treaty, the government of Israel gave the king permission to fly with his private airplane over Jerusalem and see the results in person.

Tours in Jerusalem - A morning on the Temple mount

Manbar A-saif (the summer platform) was used by the Hatibs, the muslim preachers while asking for rain. The Manbar was apparently built at the time of Saladin and it contains a lot of motifs from the time of the crusades.

Tours in Jerusalem - A morning on the Temple mount

The turret on the gate of chain near the Mahcama is one four turrets on the Temple mount. Mujir A-din, a 14th century historian, claimed that it was used by the best Muezzins ever worked in Jerusalem

Tours in Jerusalem - A morning on the Temple mount

Some Single out the dome of the chain – Qubbat al-Ailaila in Arabic – as the model by which the Dome of the rock was built. The truth however, is that this is a structure that was built at the end of the seventh century. An Arabic tradition tells us that in that place, long ago, a magical chain hung. Whenever two people had a quarrel they would try and grab the chain and only the just one would be able to get it.

Tours in Jerusalem - A morning on the Temple mount

On the Temple mount, like in many other Muslim sites in Israel we find some impressive Mt. Atlas mastic trees

Tours in Jerusalem - A morning on the Temple mount

Trough the arches of the scales in the upper Mastaba a view of the mount of olives and the golden domes of the church of Mary Magdalene can be seen

Tours in Jerusalem - A morning on the Temple mount

A great sight of the dome of the rock, the dome of the chain and the scales.

Tours in Jerusalem - A morning on the Temple mount

A sight of the upper mastaba on the temple mount.

Tours in Jerusalem - A morning on the Temple mount

The dome of the ascent near the dome of the rock marks the spot where Gabriel stood when Muhammad ascended and met god.

Tours in Jerusalem - A morning on the Temple mount

The blue ceramic tiles that cover the walls of the Dome of the Rock were brought here sometime at the end of the ottoman period. The tiles served as a replacement for the original mosaic from the days of Abd Al-maleq.

Tours in Jerusalem - A morning on the Temple mount

Qaitbay Sebil was built during the 15th century by the Mamluk sultan Qaitbay, an great builder of Cairo. The Sebil was built as a drinking facility and till today it stands as an example for the mamluk architecture at it peak

Tours in Jerusalem - A morning on the Temple mount

The western passageway of the temple mount has a lot of Madrasas including Madrasa Al-Ashrafiya and graves of known Muslim leaders such as Hussein bin ali – Sharif of Mecca, Abd al-qadir al-Husayni and his son Faisal Husseini,

Tours in Jerusalem - A morning on the Temple mount

The little western wall is another remnant, quite small, of the supporting wall of the herodian temple mount. It is located near the iron gate and is accessible to visitors outside the temple mount.

Tours in Jerusalem - A morning on the Temple mount

The impressive sight of the golden dome as seen from the colorful streets of the Muslim quarter.

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This is just the way I am: Every time I travel in a foreign city I try to find Jerusalem in it. Rabi Nachman of Breslau once said that wherever he goes he always goes to the land of Israel. My traveling companions already know the every tour even to the furthest city is basically a tour in Jerusalem with small modifications of scenery and atmosphere.

Lately I took a short vacation in London with my wife Noa. Just make sure you understand that my vacations include about 10km of walking and one museum a day. Well, this is just the way I am. I wanted to be ready and prepared myself at home. I wanted to visit some London sites that left an impression on Jerusalem. I planned on visiting the grave of General Allenby, the man who conquered Jerusalem during World War I and lies today in Westminster abbey. I also remembered Sennacherib’s relief depicting the conquest of Lachish. The relief is displayed at the British museum and copies of it can be found at the Israel museum in Jerusalem and in the Institute of Archeology in the Hebrew university of Jerusalem. I even planned on visiting the Churchill war room. Churchill was the leader who “tore” the eastern bank of river Jordan from its western bank in his white paper from 1922. Reading my well prepared list I thought it was an impressive amount of Jerusalem sites in one city. As I discovered later I was not a bit prepared at that point for the real number of times I was going to remember Jerusalem during my time in London.

My first encounter was while walking on a lawn along the River Themes near the parliament building. Just around the corner I spotted a familiar figure. The black shiny figure was standing among a few other similar figures. One look at the statue took me back to Jerusalem. It was the statue known as “Les Bourgeois de Calais” by the famous Auguste Rodin. The statue depicts the surrender of the citizens of Calais to Edward III during the Hundred Years’ war. Till today, the Original statue is situated in the city of Calais and 12 replicas are spread across the world. As you can see, one can be found in Westminster, London and another in the Israel museum in Jerusalem

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As we continued our tour of London we visited the Big-Ben and watched the changing of the guard at the Buckingham palace, strolled in the St. James gardens and even found the statue of queen Boudica, the queen who burnt London to the ground. Then we encountered Jerusalem again. We were sitting in a place called Embankment not far away from a meander of the Themes. There, in the heart of a small garden we found a modest memorial. Examining it closely told us it was a memorial for the British soldiers, most of whom were Australians and New-Zealand citizens that served in the Imperial camel corps in Sinai. These people conquered Jerusalem and their dead are buried till today in the Commonwealth war graves cemetery situated on Mount Scopus in Jerusalem.

By the way, not far away from this memorial, on the bank of the river Themes you can find Cleopatra’s Needle, an obelisk given to Queen Victoria by Mohamed Ali, another famous conqueror of Jerusalem. The obelisk is more ancient then Cleopatra and is dated to the time of a Pharaoh known as Thutmose III. The same pharaoh that conquered the land of Israel in the 15^th century BC and thus brought a new era to the land: the late bronze period

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Our London tour was not over yet and I was haunted by Jerusalem. In Victoria and Albert museum we encountered a familiar glass exhibit. A similar one can be found in the Tower of David museum in Jerusalem and there is no wonder: The artist was no other than Dale Chihuly whose works were exhibited in Jerusalem during 1998-2000. The exhibition is considered the most successful exhibition of all times in Israel. Over a million people visited it. In Kensington gardens we passed a few gigantic statues. It was a temporary open exhibition of works by the artist Anish Kapoor. Born in India, Anish Kapoor graduated from the Bezalel academy of arts and design in Jerusalem and his work “Turning the world upside down” is standing in the Israel museum today.

We found quite a few signs in the city advertising for “Krav Maga” courses. We know those signs from the streets of Jerusalem. Feeling a bit haunted again we decided to take refuge in the nearest museum – The Tate Britain. The museum specializes in painting of the great British artists of the 18^th and 19^th centuries. There we thought there was no danger of finding Jerusalem again. Alas, I was disappointed again when among the wonderful works of William Turner I found Jerusalem once more. From a small painting a familiar tombstone peered at me. It was Absaloms tomb of the Kidron Valley just beneath the Mount of Olives. It was a bit of a surprise when remembering that Turner, although traveling a lot never got to Jerusalem. Not far away from this picture I found another friend from Jerusalem. A few works by the artist Holman Hunt, who lived in the Nevi’im st. in Jerusalem, were on display. This is how I learnt that Hunt is considered one of the most influential artists in 19^th century British art. I will remember him during my coming tours in Jerusalem while I will be sitting on bench built and dedicated to Hunt by his wife. A bench which still sits near Mar Elias monastery on the Hebron road in Jerusalem and shows a spectacular view of the Judean desert.

I could bring a hundred more examples proving that London and Jerusalem are twin cities with a strong and deep connection. I even thought about starting a Facebook group supporting the formalization of the connection. I had many more ideas but I suddenly realized that the connection to London can’t be unique. There must be so many other cities in the world having a similar affinity to Jerusalem – Cairo, Paris, New-York and many others. To make a long story short – doesn’t matter where I go, I can always find a snippet of Jerusalem there.

Tours in Jerusalem – The Parliament building

The connection between the parliament building in London and Jerusalem is obvious. Here, in 1947 a decision was made to terminate the British mandate in Israel.

Tours in Jerusalem – Greenwich Prime Meridian

Tours in Jerusalem – Greenwich Prime Meridian

Tours in Jerusalem – The conquest of Lachish

When Sennacherib conquered Israel Lachish was second in size only to the city of Jerusalem. The Relief depicting the conquest of Lachish shows the horrors of destruction.

Tours in Jerusalem – The Highgaet cemetery

Highgate cemetery is the last resting place of Karl Marx, Douglas Adams and others. Among the tombstones we found the grave of two lovers. A Christian and a jew who survived the holocaust. The writing from the Book of Ruth say “... your people shall be my people and your God my God…”

Tours in Jerusalem – A military atmosphere in the Portobello Market

You can find a lot of uniforms in the street of Jerusalem and apparently quite a few buyers for them in Portobello Market.

Tours in Jerusalem – Sky mirror by Anish Kapoor

Not in Jerusalem only! Anish Kapoor leave his mark on London gardens

Tours in Jerusalem – Chihuly at the V&A

Not only in the Tower of David museum! Dale Chihuly has an honorable place in the Victoria and Albert museum in London

Tours in Jerusalem – A Jewish date on the Themes

Now it really feels like Jerusalem. A Jewish Religious couple during a date sitting on a London bench near the themes.

Tours in Jerusalem – The Absalom grave by Turner

The famous William Turner shows his art creating an image of Absalom’s Tomb

Tours in Jerusalem – Krav Maga in London

A new fashion in London. The Israeli Krav maga technique is the latest hit on the streets of London

Tours in Jerusalem – The Free Masons

The Freemasonry fraternity was founded in London but there is a special honor in being a part of the Jerusalem branch. As you can see they found a few enemies in London.

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The Jerusalem Festival of Light, Takes place in the early days of the Israeli Summer. It is a celebration of light and Atmosphere combined with the magnificent ancient scenery of the old city of Jerusalem

Tours in Jerusalem - Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

A view of the Jaffa Gate during The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

Tours in Jerusalem - Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

A view of the Jaffa Gate during The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

Tours in Jerusalem - Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

A view of the Jaffa Gate during The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

Tours in Jerusalem - Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

A view of the Jaffa Gate during The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

Tours in Jerusalem - Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

The Zion Gate

Tours in Jerusalem - Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

Jerusalem festival of light

Tours in Jerusalem - Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

A view near Hurva Synagogue during The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

Tours in Jerusalem - Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

A view near Hurva Synagogue during The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

Tours in Jerusalem - Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

A view near Hurva Synagogue during The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

Tours in Jerusalem - Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

In the Cardo during The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

Tours in Jerusalem - Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

In the Cardo during The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

Tours in Jerusalem - Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

In the Cardo during The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

Tours in Jerusalem - Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

In the Muristan during The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

Tours in Jerusalem - Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

In the Muristan during The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

Tours in Jerusalem - Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

Lutheran Church of the Redeemer during the Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

Tours in Jerusalem - Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

A view of The Damascus Gate during The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

Tours in Jerusalem - Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

Outside the walls during The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

Tours in Jerusalem - Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

Outside the walls during The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

Tours in Jerusalem - Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

Outside the walls during The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

Tours in Jerusalem - Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

Outside the walls during The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2012

This Year I made a short Video of my tour in Jerusalem Festival of Light

Tours in Jerusalem - The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2011

A view of the Jaffa Gate during The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2011

Tours in Jerusalem - The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2011

The Jaffa Gate during The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2011

Tours in Jerusalem - The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2011

The Jaffa Gate during The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2011

Tours in Jerusalem - The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2011

The streets of the old city of Jerusalem during The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2011

Tours in Jerusalem - The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2011

The Lutheran Church of the Redeemer during the Jerusalem Festival of Light 2011

Tours in Jerusalem - The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2011

The Lutheran Church of the Redeemer during the Jerusalem Festival of Light 2011

Tours in Jerusalem - The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2011

The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2011

Tours in Jerusalem - The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2011

The Davidson Center during the Jerusalem Festival of Light 2011

Tours in Jerusalem - The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2011

The Davidson Center during the Jerusalem Festival of Light 2011

Tours in Jerusalem - The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2011

The Davidson Center during the Jerusalem Festival of Light 2011

Tours in Jerusalem - The Jerusalem Festival of Light 2011

The Davidson Center during the Jerusalem Festival of Light 2011

Tours in Jerusalem – Back to Home page

Jerusalem is a city full of surprises. Every time you open a door or peek through a window you may find a whole world inside. I never miss a chance to look through an opening in Jerusalem. This gallery reveals a few of those openings.

Pictures From Tours in Jerusalem - Openings

A gate in Ohel Moshe Neighborhood in Nachlaot. The Neighborhood went through massive renovation process and it’s impressive results can certainly be seen.

Pictures From Tours in Jerusalem - Openings

This is the entrance to the first Jewish neighborhood outside the old city walls – Mishkenot Sha’ananim Neighborhood. Sir Moses Montefiore wanted to make the residents feel safe and built a fortified wall with massive gates around the neighborhood.

Pictures From Tours in Jerusalem - Openings

Christ church which is located not that far away from the Jaffa gate has wonderful gardens hiding behind walls and gates. With a little luck you can find an open door, peek and enjoy the sight.

Pictures From Tours in Jerusalem - Openings

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words.

Pictures From Tours in Jerusalem - Openings

The four Sephardic synagogues are of the finest in the city. Boris Schatz, founder of Bezalel art academy, contributed and with grate talent designed the door for the synagogue named after Rabi Yochanan Ben Zakai.

Pictures From Tours in Jerusalem - Openings

The synagogue named after Elijah is one of the four Sephardic synagogues in the Jewish quarter in the old city of Jerusalem.

Pictures From Tours in Jerusalem - Openings

Half door half window in the four Sephardic synagogues in the Jewish quarter in the old city of Jerusalem.

Pictures From Tours in Jerusalem - Openings

As a son of the Turkish-Jewish community I am always excited as I enter the Istanbuli synagogue in the four Sephardic synagogues site in the Jewish quarter in the old city of Jerusalem.

Pictures From Tours in Jerusalem - Openings

The houses of the reach residents of Sheikh Jarrah are beautiful. The Mamluk influence can be recognized by the way the openings are styled. In the picture you can observe a horseshoe arc above a window in one of the neighborhood houses.

Pictures From Tours in Jerusalem - Openings

In the heart of Jerusalem, not far from the official residence of the Israeli prime minister is Terra Santa monastery. Don’t hesitate and walk inside whenever the door is opened.

Pictures From Tours in Jerusalem - Openings

The senāculum on Mount Zion is on top of the list of demands of the Roman-Catholic church from the state of Israel. The Diaspora Yeshiva that populates the place these days does not hide the current Jewish character of the place.

Pictures From Tours in Jerusalem - Openings

The St. Andrew’s church in Ketef Hinom is dedicated amongst others to the British casualties of World War I. The dominant blue color reminds us that this is a Scottish church.

Pictures From Tours in Jerusalem - Openings

Barluzzi’s Alabaster window contributes to the unique atmosphere in the church of all nations known also as the Basilica of the agony in Gethsemane.

Pictures From Tours in Jerusalem - Openings

Zichron Moshe neighborhood was once the residence of intellectual Zionists. Today it is a neighborhood of ultra-orthodox Jews. It doesn’t seem to matter to the windows of the neighborhood.

Pictures From Tours in Jerusalem - Openings

Believe it or not but this is the entrance to the toilets in the marvelous garden of Les Soeurs de Notre-Dame de Sion (The sisters of Zion) monastery in Ein Karem.

Pictures From Tours in Jerusalem - Openings

In the 60’s of the nineteenth century many orphans form the civil war in Lebanon were sent to the Sisters of Zion monastery in Ein Karem. In an attempt to cheer the girls up the nuns created heart-shaped openings in doors of the girls bedrooms.

Pictures From Tours in Jerusalem - Openings

In order to get to the Church of the visitation you need to climb a hundred and fifty steps. As you can see – it is worth it.

Pictures From Tours in Jerusalem - Openings

All glorious is the king\'s daughter within the palace. These are the ways of Judaism as well the Islam. The women in the Muslim quarter of Jerusalem could stare at the passers by through the Mashrabiya. The nice breeze is an advantage over there.

Pictures From Tours in Jerusalem - Openings

The Jewish cemetery on mount olives is the most ancient still active cemetery.

Pictures From Tours in Jerusalem - Openings

The barrier in Jerusalem envelope is made partially of massive concrete slabs. In Abu-Dis neighborhood you can still see the other side.

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