Jerusalem Stories and Tips

Quote: A couple of things I did for security before I left the U.S. to protect myself in the unlikely event that something happened like I get pick pocketed or I lost my passport.1. I took my smartphone and its camera and took photos of…

Quote: Here it is. My Pilgrimage reaches its peak today. Again, remember to retain your ISRAELI LANDING CARD you received in Day 6 along with your Sea Card and photo ID. Basic information and recommendations are the same here as it is for…

Quote: On April 1, 1925, Lord Arthur James Balfour stood on the summit of Mount Scopus (Har Hatsofim, in Hebrew) to dedicate the establishment of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Today, 85 years later, the university looks back proudly on an impressive record of accomplishment. As…

Quote: Based on my own memory, Ben Yehuda pedestrian mall in West Jerusalem has been the object of terror attacks--or attempted attacks thwarted--since the 1980s. One such incident occurred in December 2001, less than 3 months after the events of "9-11" here in the United States.…

Quote: We set out in the afternoon to get a first glimpse of the Old City, the historical and religious heart of Jerusalem. We entered through the Damascus Gate, one of the eight gates (of which seven are still in use) of the old city wall…

Quote: From that checkpoint at the edge of the West Bank where the Israeli airport taxi dropped us off, the way to Ramallah winded through dark valleys on the western slopes of the West Bank, through many new Israeli colonies (the so-called "settlements").We took a Palestinian…

Quote: Finally at the terminal, the "place of birth" on my American passport, and the seemingly innocent question of "How's your Hebrew", were enough to identify us and lead us into the infamous "Arab Room", now reduced to a small corner of the airport. Despite our…

Quote: It was a very long plane ride. Seven hours from the U.S. to Frankfurt, spending a few hours at the airport, then changing to another plane bound for Tel Aviv.Though Palestine is my homeland, I haven't been back for 5 years. The last time I…

Quote: For many, Ram Allah is the heart of Palestine -- it signifies the spirit of the Palestinian people. It is the financial center of Palestine as well as the seat of the Palestinian Authority. A city of around a half a million people, Ram Allah…

Quote: A circular bed of tulips gleams red and gold through the shining glass pane of the window, and the young man at the check-in counter has a smile just about as bright. "Shalom," he grins at us. "I hope you enjoyed your trip…