Reflections on Israel

Dome of the Rock:



It’s been a couple weeks since I left Israel, but the two weeks we spent there was a very intense time of learning about the conflict there as well as looking at the relationships between the three Abrahamic faiths that hold Jerusalem up as such an important city and of course the obligatory touring of all sights deemed to be holy.

We lived along the Via Dolorosa in the Arab Quarter of the Old City, a fascinating location as there was a mosque across the street, Jews bustling through to get to the Western Wall, and many Christian pilgrims that were there, traversing the path that Jesus is thought to have taken to Golgotha. The first week we had a lot of speakers, explaining to us their perspectives on the different issues in the Israel-Palestine conflict: from the settlement movement, to the security barrier/wall, to the refugees, to the role of Christianity, etc. It was a lot to take in in such a short amount of time, but hopefully now we’re a little better informed. In many ways it was discouraging to hear about so many obstacles to a lasting peace and see little likelihood of change in the near future.


We did a lot of touring around the holy sites of Jerusalem as well as some trips around Israel a bit. These included Tel Aviv, Masada, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Galilee region, Capernaum, and more. One of the days I enjoyed the most was going to Bethlehem where we met with Palestinian Christian university students and they showed us around the city and we got to hear more about what the reality of their life is. It was hard to walk out of there and realize what freedom I have to go where I like, while they must obtain a pass for every time they wish to leave the walls.

Wall Along East Jerusalem:


New Friends in Bethlehem:


Probably my favorite day was Palm Sunday when we climbed part way up the Mt. of Olives and watched the procession of thousands of Christians from around the world singing and praising God as they followed the path Jesus took on that day. From the Africans dancing and drumming to the Poles in their fancy fur outfits, it was a small taste of what heaven could be like. More sobering though, as I reread that story in the Bible with new eyes, I realized that Jesus wept as he came down that hill and looked over Jerusalem. After the parade, I sat at the Teardrop Church with a beautiful view of the Old City and mourned for a place that has been so torn.

Poles dressed up for the parade:


Little kids in monk habits:



Good Friday was a crazy day as we tried to weave our way through the crowds to get back to the hostel. The Christians were out on the Via Dolorosa from at least 6 am (I definitely woke up to people singing “Were you there…” outside my window). Muslims were heading to mosque for Friday prayers. And the Jews were in the midst of Passover as well as closing up their stores for the beginning of Shabat (Sabbath) in the evening. Such a fascinating (and crowded) day, walking through the streets, as essentially everyone was celebrating some kind of holy day.

In the Church of the Holy Sepulchre:


After living in close-quarters (try living in one room with 17 other girls and 3 bathrooms for 2 weeks!), we were eager to get back to Cairo. For me, it was wonderful to be back in our flat again in a place that had begun to feel like home. More on that later.