Jerusalem, Israel

Our guide Chana is an orthodox Jew who toured us through the Old City, a highlight being a visit to the Holy Sepulchre Church. The church contains, according to traditions dating back to at least the fourth century, the two holiest sites in Christianity: the site where Jesus of Nazareth was crucified, and Jesus's empty tomb, where he is said to have been buried and resurrected.

The main denominations sharing property in the church are the Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox and Roman Catholic, and to a lesser degree the Egyptian Copts, Syrians and Ethiopians.  Fights for territory go back to the Ottoman Empire and continue to this day - even getting into fisticuffs.

"In the holiest place of all Christendom, a single Muslim holds the key, Christians fight with one another, and Jewish police intervene -- among the Christians -- to keep the peace. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the site of Christ's burial and resurrection, is also one of the most ironic places in all Christendom... Every morning, a monk must come to the door which is unlocked by a Muslim man who holds the keys to the church. Muslims have been entrusted with the keys since 1187, primarily because the various Christian factions which reside in the church cannot agree to nearly anything, and therefore to keep the church and its shrine open, the keys are entrusted to a Muslim family. According to historical records, and Adeeb Jawad Joudeh, who holds the keys, they have been handed down from one generation to the next, since being given to the family in 1187 by Sultan Saladin."  More here.

The Old City of Jerusalem is divided into the Muslim Quarter, Christian Quarter, Jewish Quarter and Armenian Quarter.

Inspiring moment:

Standing in the courtyard of the Church on Israel's Memorial Day, when sirens blared for two minutes while everyone stood in silent memory of those fallen in defense of Israel since 1860.

Chilling moment:

The recent shooting in the Temple Mount has fanned flames of unrest between Muslims and Jews, and resulted in a controversial closing of the Temple Mount and Old Jerusalem.  Reading articles about the interrelationships in the region (like this one) are so much more real now.

Fun Facts: 

• Waze and WhatsApp were both invented in Israel.
• Conservation in Israel: 80% of sewer water is sanitized, and used in the Negev desert - the next is Spain at 28%.  Solar water heaters have been required since the 1980s.

Not-So-Fun: 

Paper visas were issued upon our arrival in Israel - passports were not stamped.  Having an Israeli passport stamp does not allow return to most Arabic countries.  For more on the political intricacies of travel between Israel and Arab countries, read this article about President's visit to Saudi Arabia and Israel, which happened shortly after our return to the States.

Special thanks:

Chana was very practical in her knowledge, and willing to talk privately about the many political challenges facing Israel, which have increased with recent violence.  I am grateful that we maintain a line of communication, and I enjoy following her posts on Facebook :)  Highly recommended!

"Why should your [American] kids be sent to fight another country's war?  We are fighting for the survival of our country, so we don't mind fighting."

"Israelis are expert at psychological profiling."