ERETZ THE MAGAZINE OF ISRAEL

Home ISRAEL 60 Subscribe Jerusalem Issue Tel Aviv Issue Customer Service

 
 
To order this issue click here
ERETZ Magazine

STAYPUT HOME

JERUSALEM

TEL AVIV

YOUTH HOSTELS

UPPER GALILEE

GOLAN

SEFAD, ROSH PINA

LOWER GALILEE

WESTERN GALILEE

TIBERIAS

ACRE

HAIFA

CEASAREA

SHARON

ASHKELON

JUDEAN HILLS

BEERSHEVA

EILAT

KIBBUTZ HOTELS

 

Stayput Jerusalem

Jerusalem’s history and its countless historic and religious sites will always overwhelm the fact that it also is a living and thriving city and population. But then, it is hard to compete with seven thousand years of settlement.

Since the coming of the new millennium, something has been happening in Jerusalem. The city is undergoing a revolution. The results of the major overhaul of its infrastructure are beginning to emerge from the scaffolding, new economic centers are surfacing, and a new wellspring of culture is emerging from the studios, theaters, and workshops of the city.
For the visitor to Jerusalem, its history and historic and religious sites will always overwhelm the fact that there is a living and thriving city and population.  It is hard to compete with seven thousand years of settlement. Ancient people whose name is unknown were the original founders of the city, settling sometime in the fourth millennia BCE around the large spring that emanated from the bottom of an easy-to-defend hilltop. By the time David arrived in the city, the spring was already hidden inside the hill and the city was surrounded with secure walls. Solomon and later the kings of Judah expanded the city to the north. After its destruction by the Babylonians, it was resettled and grew again – further north and to the west. Herod built the magnificent Temple, which stood complete for less than a generation before it was destroyed in the great Jewish Rebellion against Rome. But the Temple, originally built by Solomon, ignited many people’s imaginations; it lived on in their dreams. The Romans built their own Temple over its ruins, the Byzantines turned it into a church, and the Moslems turned it into the third holiest mosque in Islam.   
The Crusaders made it a church again; the Mamelukes turned it back into a mosque. It was the site of redemption, the city where the messiah of all faiths was to show up.
All this overwhelms the visitor to Jerusalem. Some even lose their sanity and are afflicted with what is called “Jerusalem Syndrome.” Making sense of all these layers of civilization, trying to understand what you are seeing while souvenir vendors hover around you and modern life flows in its normal pattern of traffic jams and cavalcades of visiting dignitaries, is not easy. It has to be left to the senses, it has to sink in, to built up in that place that has been known for generations as heavenly Jerusalem.
Next year in Jerusalem is a blessing that is recited every year at the end of the Passover Seder. Next years go by, again and again, and the time has come to resolve to make it this year in Jerusalem.

(Back to top)

 

Shopping

The Ben-Yehuda pedestrian mall may be the world’s biggest Jewish gift shop. It is lined with shops selling everything tourists to Israel could imagine buying as a gift for family and friends back home. Tourists who want to shop where the Israelis shop can head to the charming alleys below the main stretch to find the Ganz gift shop (8 Yosef Rivlin Street, Tel. (02) 625-1159) which has a wide selection of Judaica and cute gifts at affordable prices. About a 20-minute walk away from Ben-Yehuda is Emek Refaim Street, which has become main street for Jerusalem’s English-speaking population in recent years. In addition to numerous restaurants and cafes, Emek Refaim has some interesting stores. For jewelry, Judaica, and other unique items made by Israeli artists, check out Dalia’s shop (17 Emek Refaim Street, Tel. (02) 566-9498), where a large selection is artfully arranged in a surprisingly small space. (Dalia’s sister operates a similar store in Philadelphia.) At the other end of the street, the Olam Qatan bookstore (52 Emek Refaim Street, Tel. (02) 563-7507) has an interesting collection of both English and Hebrew books that focuses on religion and spirituality.

(Back to top)

 

Dining in Jerusalem

Jerusalem always has been full of holiness, history, and mystery. In recent years, however, an innovative culinary spirit has swept over the city, allowing visitors to experience the city in a new and refreshing way. Some of the more tasty delicacies on offer include lamb on a bed of herbed couscous at Cavalier (1 Ben Sira Street, Tel. (02) 624-2945, not kosher), a veteran and excellent French restaurant, and the duck breast with potatoes and caramelized endives served at the gourmet restaurant 1868 (10 King David Street, Tel. (02) 622-2312, kosher). A culinary tour of the city is not complete without a visit to Arcadia (10 Agrippa Street, Tel. (02) 624-9138, not kosher), a magnificent restaurant that offers classic Israeli dishes alongside original creations such as a seafood sambusak.

(Back to top)

 

Dress Properly – No Crocs

Jerusalem is full of sites that are holy to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Entrance to many religious sites is restricted to the modestly dressed. (For women that means skirts that are knee-length or longer and shirts with high necklines and elbow-length sleeves, for men that means long pants.) At other sites, the immodestly dressed are allowed in but may be subject to nasty looks or even harassment. In the ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods, large billboards on the main streets request that visitors dress modestly. The Knesset too has gotten into the “modestly dressed” act, though its dress code is more about preserving a formal atmosphere than protecting religious sensibilities. In addition to shorts and tank tops, jeans and brightly colored Crocs are barred at the Knesset. Navy blue and black Crocs are permitted though.
To make the most of your trip and avoid unpleasant situations, it is recommended to clarify the dress code before visiting sites in Jerusalem.

(back to top)

 

Itinerary


 

Day 1: Old City

Enter the Old City via the Jaffa Gate and visit the Tower of David Museum, whose main exhibit focuses on the history of Jerusalem. Then walk down David Street, the main souvenir market, to the first intersection. Turn left onto Christian Quarter Street and walk to the alley of Saint Helena that leads down to the Holy Sepulcher. Tour the assemblage of churches that have been built around the Tomb of Jesus since the third century. Exit by the small entrance to the courtyard that leads to the Muristan Market. Walk straight ahead until you reach the busy market street of Khan e-Zeit. Turn right and walk down the ancient Crusader markets. Once out of the market, make your way to Sisileh Street. Walk down the street to the street turning to the Kotel. Walk down to the Kotel. Take the Rabbi Yehudah Halevi steps up to the Jewish Quarter. Make your way to the Zion Gate, walk out the gate, turn right, and walk back to the Jaffa Gate.

(back to top)

 

Day 2: National Jerusalem

Start the tour with a visit to the Israel Museum. Then walk up to the Knesset (tours on Sundays and Thursdays, reservations required) and through the Rose Garden to the Supreme Court Building. Opposite it is the Foreign Ministry and behind it the Bank of Israel. The Prime Minister’s Office, Finance Ministry, and Interior Ministry are lined up to your left. Drive to Yad Vashem (reservations recommended) and then to Mount Herzl for a visit to the Herzl Museum (reservations recommended). To end the tour, drive north on the Begin Highway to the road leading up to Mount Scopus. Drive to the eastern end of Mount Scopus for a view of the desert. Continue to the Mount of Olives to view the Old City.

(back to top)

 

Day 3: Old Neighborhoods

Start at the Jaffa Street entrance of the Mahane Yehuda Market. Walk through the market, cross Agrippa Street, and enter the Ohel Moshe neighborhood.  Walk down  to Shilo Street and turn into Beersheba Street to view the Adas Synagogue. Cross Bezalel and walk down Even Sapir and Hirschenberg to the Sharei Hesed neighborhood. Make your way to Kahanov Street to the Synagogue of the Birkat Halevana – it has a huge sign outside with the blessing of the moon. Make your way to Keren Kayemet Street. Turn left on Keren Kaymet and right on Ussishkin Street. Turn left on Alharizi and walk through the heart of Rehavia. Turn left on Ibn Gabirol Street and right Keren Kaymet to reach the buildings of the Jewish Agency – the Jewish government of pre-state Israel.

(back to top)

 
 

Day 4: Masada

Leave Jerusalem on the highway leading east, toward Jericho and the Dead Sea. Stop off at Qumran to see the Essene settlement where the Dead Sea scrolls were found. Continue to Masada. Ascend by cable car and tour the fortress. Descend on foot and then drive back northward to visit the Ein Gedi National Park. From the entrance to Nahal David, continue to the entrance to Nahal Arugot. Hike up Nahal Arugot to the Hidden Waterfall. Descend to the waterfall and hike back along the riverbed through the small canyon. Bring a bathing suit, walking shoes, a hat, sunglasses, and water.

(back to top)

 

Day 5: Tel Aviv-Jaffa

Start by exploring Jaffa. Then take a taste of historic Tel Aviv by strolling through Neve Tzedek, Rothschild Boulevard, and the surrounding streets. Take a lunch break at one of the many cafes on Sheinkin Street and then check out the shops along Dizengoff Street. End the day with dinner on Ibn Gabirol Street.

(back to top)

 

Day 6: A Day in the North

Take Route 1 to Route 6 north. Go east on 65 to Megiddo Junction. Turn north and visit ancient Megiddo. Continue on 66 to 77 and take 65 to 85. Go right on Route 85 and left on 90. Take Route 89 up to Safed to tour the old city. Take Route 89 east to Route 866. Drive past Meron to 85 and drive west to Acre to tour the Old City of Acre. Take Routes 4 and 2 to Route 1, back to Jerusalem.

(back to top)

 

Dan Hotels in the Holy City

Though mayors of other cities may not like to admit it, Jerusalem has always been the main destination in Israel for tourists and pilgrims of all religions. Therefore, it is only logical that the Dan Hotels, Israel’s premier hotel chain, offers multiple options in Jerusalem for tourists and pilgrims.
The King David Hotel, the Dan Hotels’ flagship hotel, caters to visiting diplomats and dignitaries in a luxurious atmosphere with old-world charm. The Dan Panorama Jerusalem, which recently was renovated, provides families and tour groups with a comfortable, affordable temporary home in the heart of the city. Finally, the Dan Gardens Jerusalem, which is slated to open this winter, has a young, modern style that will appeal to travelers and businesspeople on a budget. All are located within walking distance of many of Jerusalem’s historical and modern attractions, from the holy sites of the Old City to the pedestrian mall at the heart of the “New City” to the Haas and Sherover promenades, which offer panoramic views of the city.

(back to top)
 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

   
Copyright ERETZ Magazine 2008