Jerusalem

Welcome to Israel! This photo was taken in a mall in a Jerusalem suburb. This is indeed the world's very first kosher McDonalds. Our friends told us that in the first years after it opened there were always huge lines of American teenagers waiting to get their first juicy bite of Mickey D's. We thought this story was kind of cute. Our Israeli friends thought it was pathetic. Questions of materialism, commercialism, globalization, and cultural and religious identity abound!

Our 4th of July celebration this year consisted of making our Servas hosts Vered and Rotem, and their Canadian-Dutch friend Natana, pretend to be fireworks. Can you feel the American pride?
We stayed with Vered for four days and not only did she provide us with an oasis of peace after hectic travels in Egypt and Jordan, she also cooked us wonderful, healthy Israeli meals that included lots of salads, cheeses, and yogurts.

We spent of couple days wandering around the Old City of Jerusalem. The small, walled area consists of tiny streets and alleys that wind up and down the hill and then dead end unexpectedly. It is also chock full of tourists and vendors ready to make the most out of every potential customer (if that "don't worry, be Jewish" t-shirt is the one thing you need to make your wardrobe complete, the old city is waiting for you). But if you can navigate your way through the chaos, you are rewarded with some of the holiest religious sites on earth.

The Western/Wailing Wall. This wall is venerated by Jews as the only remaining, exposed part of the Second Temple that was built on the Temple Mount. Among other things, the Temple Mount is believed to be the place from which God took the dust to create Adam and from which the universe was created. The exact place of the Holiest of Holies is unknown and, therefore, Jewish law forbids Jews from walking on the Temple Mount for risk of stepping on it. Jews come to this wall to pray and grieve. The cracks of the wall are crammed with wadded up pieces of paper and cloth upon which prayers are written. Men are on the left and women on the right. One had to go through a security checkpoint to enter the large, open space. The contrast between serious mourners and Jewish guards trying to catch all the inappropriately dressed tourists was interesting.

Via Dolorosa. Meaning "Way of Suffering," here it is written on a street sign in Hebrew, Arabic, and Latin. This is believed to be the path Jesus walked on the way to his crucifixion. The stations of the cross mark the path and the endpoint is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which supposedly contains the Hill of Calvary and Jesus' burial site. Unlike the wide open spaces of the Wailing Wall and the Dome of the Rock, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is nestled in the middle of the Old City and the interior is rather dark and cramped. While we were there the Orthodox and Franciscans priests were processing through the church at slightly different times. The chanting was incredibly beautiful and mesmerizing but it was also a bit hectic as you found yourself being kicked out of one space to make room for the one group only to turn around and be pushed out of that space to make way for the other group. According to the Lonely Planet, there is so much tension between the various Christian sects that a local Muslim family has the key to the church and are the ones responsible for the locking and unlocking.

The Dome of the Rock. Built in the center of the Temple Mount, on top of a stone which some believe to be the site of the Holiest of Holies for Jews, is the Dome of the Rock. Muslims believe this is where Mohammed ascended to heaven with the angel Gabriel. Non-Muslims are only allowed to enter at certain times of the day and you must go through a security check and then walk through a covered ramp that goes directly over the Wailing Wall (the ramp is just to the right of the photo above). The Dome of the Rock is stunning and the surrounding space lovely with trees and fountains and a great view over the city. We sat peacefully and took in the scene until a Muslim guard came up to us to make sure we were not praying. Apparently praying is not allowed . . . not sure exactly why.

An graffiti image of Handala on a wall in the Old City. Handala is most famous character of the Palestinian political cartoonist, Naji al-Ali. The character represents the 10 year old al-Ali when his family was forced to leave Palestine in 1973. Al-Ali, who was assassinated in 1987, said that he would not turn the character around until the liberation of Palestine is realized. The image has become a symbol of the Palestinian liberation movement and we saw it in all different forms (graffiti, stickers, t-shirts) throughout the West Bank and Jordan.