Touring Again, Finally! Scenes from a recent Old City Tour

How wonderful. After nearly 20 months, I have actually toured the Old City with friends and international tourists. On November 1st Israel opened up its gates to vaccinated tourists. What a joy to see familiar faces and sites in the glorious November. weather. This is a great time to visit. Sites are pretty quiet and accessible and locals are happy to see tourists. I want to share some of the places we saw on our walk from the Jaffa Gate along the Ramparts to Damascus Gate - one of my favourite routes. The colours, the sights and even the smells are tangible through the wonderful pictures taken by my friend, Viva Press, who visited from Tel Aviv. Apart from the Ramparts, we wandered through the Muslim Quarter savouring the sights, tastes and smells. We toured the Haram eSharif - The Holy Sanctuary housing the beautiful 7th-century Dome of the Rock - a Muslim shrine marking the site of Mohammed's ascent to heaven, and in the Jewish tradition site of the First and Second Temples, the place of the Foundation Stone and the Binding of Isaac by Abraham. Below are views from the ramparts: the bustling market streets, fresh sesame breads and delicious foods, and views to the Western Wall and the Mount of Olives from the Haram. We ended up in the iconic Mahane Yehuda Market at Rachmo where we ate Kurdish kubeh soup. Yum! We hope to see you here soon!

A Hidden Gem in the Old City - "Wujoud"

Jerusalem is filled with hidden gems. Last week, I visited, together with a number of other female guides, Wujoud - "Presence" in Arabic - a museum and cultural centre of Palestinian heritage situated just a few steps down David Street the main market street from Jaffa Gate. Established only two years ago, Wujoud offers visitors glimpses of Palestinian life in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The inspiration behind this project is Nora Kort, a member of the Greek Orthodox Church, who grew up in a cosmopolitan Jerusalem family. She is an amazing entrepreneur and the driving force behind a number of Old City projects aimed at assisting the Palestinian community and in particular the women.

My group of "girl guides" were inspired by Ms. Kort, her determination against all odds - city bureaucracy and the indifference and even animosity of local shopkeepers - and her belief that Wujoud can become a place where people of all faiths can meet others and share stories.

The project began in 2009 when the Greek Othodox Church donated a 650-year old building to the Arab Orthodox Society of Myrrh Bearers. A group of engineers and architects were commissioned to rehabilitate the building which had been sitting in disrepair for most of its existence and have turned it into a beautiful cultural centre.

Wujoud is situated in the heart of the Christian Quarter overlooking Hezekiah's Pool or the Pool of the Patriarchs which was an important source of water for the city during the 1st century. Now dry, the city has cleaned up the area and Nora has ambitious plans for this site.

View of Hezekiah's Pool from the roof of Wujoud



(Left: Nora Kort, the Holy Sepulchre Church can be seen in the background)

Girl Guides enjoying the museum

(pictures: Carol Ann Bernheim)

If you have a few moments to spare, stop by Wujoud for a cup of coffee or tea and visit the small ethno-museum in this beautiful building. Donations are gratefully received!

Other projects supported by Nora include: the Melia Center, established in 1992 by the Arab Orthodox Society, which gives Palestinian women an outlet to sell their embroidered goods and earn an income. This is situated close to the New Gate.

Adjacent to this is Bint al Balad - or "Daughter of the Country",  which prepares traditional Palestinian dishes including pies, pastries, and salads. In addition to the shop itself, the employees provide catering services for parties and other celebrations. This and the embroidery shop constitute the only stores in Jerusalem staffed entirely by women.



Scenes from above - rooftop views of Jerusalem

There are many ways to visit Jerusalem. However, the best way to get a sense of the city is to see it from above.  There are a number of excellent options including the Mount Olives - probably the number one viewpoint best seen early in the day, the rampart walk around the Old City, the rooftop of the Austrian Hospice in the Muslim Quarter and the YMCA tower on King David Street. I was recently interviewed for Israel21cdotcom showing me guiding some of these sites. You can watch it here -Rooftop Tour with Madeleine

Old City Personalities - My Mate Yousef

If you happen to be walking along Christian Quarter Road and pass by number 30, stop in and say hello to my friend Yousef Natshe whom I have known for over twenty years. He comes from the esteemed Natshe family of Hebron. To this day his family still produces the hand-blown glass for which the town is famous..
Born in 1958 in the village of Silwan just south of the Old City, Yousef is one of 8 children - 5 boys and three girls. He learned his trade through his late father, a fabric merchant.  Despite hardships - the family lost two homes in Katamon and Baka and a shop in Mahane Yehuda in west Jerusalem after 1948 - he is always positive and has a ready smile.

Yousef has owned his store on the Christian Quarter Road since 2003 but has traded in the Old City since 1973. A father of 4, he lives with his wife, three girls and a boy in the village of Anata close to the northern Jewish neighborhood of French Hill.
While I was sitting with him and drinking a refreshing glass of mint tea, I asked him what his dream was. He told me that he'd like to live on a mountain, somewhere green away from the city.
Feel free to pop in and view some of the rugs and fabrics. His honesty, fair prices and good quality have made him popular with his loyal, local clientele.  There is no pressure and you will always be greeted with a warm smile especially if you tell him that I sent you!

A few of my favourite things

Beyond the tourist shops and restaurants, the Old City is filled with hole-in-the-wall eateries offering authentic and tasty local delights which add to the fun of wandering around the alleyways.

One of my favourite areas are the three Crusader market streets which make up the Cardo of the ancient Roman-Byzantine city.  These are Butchers' or Meat Market, Spice Market and Engravers' Market.

Butchers' Market

Descending from Jaffa Gate along David Street to the bottom of the hill, make a left on Shuk HaTzorfim (engravers' street) to Arafat Restaurant. The only sign is a large pot of freshly-made hummus and a tiny cave filled with hungry customers. There is a daily special which usually lasts until 1 p.m. so get there early.

For those of a strong disposition, take the first left along Butchers' Street - Shuk HaLahamim in Arabic and Katzavim in Hebrew - walk past animal heads and entrails and walk almost to the end. On the left side is Abu Taher, a small restaurant run by Taher and his male cooks. Ask to see the daily specials simmering on the stove. The hummus is also good.

Za'atar spice mountain, spice market

Walk to the end of Shuk HaAttarin, Spice Market - the most aromatic of the three streets which contains another secret - grilled lamb kebabs. For over 70 years the family has been making this delicacy served in a pita with grilled tomatoes and onions for only 9 shekels. The tiny cafe is usually crowded so take it to go and eat it around the corner near the Holy Sepulchre Church and watch the world go by.

Follow me around Jerusalem!

Take a virtual tour with me around Jerusalem. My thanks to Harvey and Margie Wilensky for their report.