July 23rd and 24th: Jerusalem, Natan and Khalif

Natan and Khalif are on their way home. I spent two wonderful weeks with these two impressive young men, and it makes my whole being warm to just think of them. We ended our time together with two days in Jerusalem.

The Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall

I think this image best portrays Jerusalem. The Dome of the Rock is the second holiest site in the world for Muslims (after Mecca), the site of Mohammad's Miraaj, or Night Journey to heaven. It was built between 689 and 691 CE, making it the oldest existing Islamic building. It was built over the Foundation Stone on the site of the Second Jewish Temple. Below the Dome of the Rock is the Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall or Kotel. The Foundation Stone is considered the holiest site in the world for Jews, the rock where Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac, as well as the location of the Holy of Holies of the Second Temple, destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE. The Western Wall is the closest site to the Holy of Holies, the inner sactuary of the First Jewish Temple where the Arc of the Covanent was kept.

Damascus Gate, one of the main 4 gates to enter the Old City of Jerusalem. We spent our entire time in Jerusalem in the Old City, for we arrived just before Shabbat, and everything Jewish closes. Only the Muslim and Christian quarters are open.

View of the Old City from the roof top of Jaffa Gate hostel where we stayed.

The Old City of Jerusalem is about one square mile. There has been continuous habitation in Jerusalem for more than 5000 years, making it one of the oldest cities in the world. It is divided into 4 quarters. The Muslim quarter is by far the largest, with around 20,000 inhabitants. The Christian Quarter has 4,500 inhabitants. 3,000 people live in the Armenian quarter, and about 2,500 in the Jewish quarter (We were told that The Dome of the rock is the 5th quarter - that especially makes no sense to a math teacher - comprising about 1/5 of the total area of the Old City).

Street scene in the Muslim quarter. There are no cars in the Old City, though there are a few tracker-like vehicles, used to collect garbage and make deliveries.

Christian Quarter street scene

Another street scene

It is a little difficult taking photographs in the Old City, for you can only get extracted images, and what is so impressive about the place is the whole view and the whole feeling of the place. And then it occurred to me that our personal realities are, in some ways, like photographs. We can only take a picture of a small part of the whole, and then, after some time, the whole begins to fade, but we still retain the fixed image of the photograph. Events happen, and we reflect upon them and react to them, forgetting that nothing occurs in isolation. There is no other place we could possibly be at this moment than the place where we are, for it is the multitude of experiences that brought us to this experience.

Some good laundry shots in Jerusalem

Vegetable market in the Muslim quarter

Sabra, a delicious cactus fruit

Pyramid of spice. I ate delicious food in Jerusalem - maybe the best hummus ever!

Shopping for a kufiya

Delicious bread snacks, and really large falafel balls (top right corner)

Natan, Khalif and I at breakfast before we went on a free three-hour tour of the Old City

It seemed to me that in Jerusalem, more than any other place I had been in Israel, the Israelis - both Muslim and Jew - very clearly stated who they are by the clothes they wore

Orthodox Jews on their way to the Western Wall

Natan really wanted a picture of the Orthodox Jews wearing this huge, cylindrical fur hat, but I was too embarassed to take a picture up close, especially on Shabbat. this is the best I could do.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre (also known as The Church of the Resurrection)

Of course, Jerusalem is also holy to Christians. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the location of Jesus's tomb, which, of course, is empty due to the Resurrection.

Natan and Khalif inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was built in 326 CE, only 30 years after Rome officially became a Christian nation, making it is one of the oldest churches in the world.

A service inside the Church

One of the coolest things we did was on our final evening in Jerusalem, when we went on the Ramparts walk.

Khalif and Natan on the ramparts walk

The boys "looking thoughtful"

The boys "looking sincere"

The boys "looking away"

So Natan is the director of these shots. "Okay, look away. . . . Now, arms crossed, angry face. . . . I need to tilt the hat more. I got to get these photo shoots down."

I think we are supposed to be "thoughtful" here

Natan and Khalif at the airport, just before we parted (I couldn't follow them through "Passport Control." I so much enjoyed getting to know Khalif - he has such a gentle soul. And, or course, it was wonderful spending time with Natan after almost one year apart.

A public/private message/reminder:

No one can tell us who we are.

No one has that right.

We know it in our heads.

And even more so in our hearts.