One of the things I have always wanted to do is visit Temple Mount.  On my prior trips, I never had the opportunity to do it for many reasons.  The first intifada.  The second intifada.  Jews not being allowed on Temple Mount.  A schedule planned during the limited time that it is open to Jews.  This time it was different.  Jews are allowed on Temple Mount from 7 am until 11:30 am during the week.  I had nothing planned for the day so I could get up early and go up onto Temple Mount. 

Every time I have seen the line to go up on Temple Mount it was long.  I expected a wait, so we left the hotel at 7:30 to we would make sure to have some time up on Temple Mount.  When we got there, there was one person in front of us.  I guess war changes everything, including those who want to go up on Temple Mount.  The man who was in front of us had on his tallis (prayer shawl) and tefillin (the boxes on his forehead and arm). The rules for Temple Mount are controlled by Jordan.  This has been the agreement since 1967 to attempt to limit conflict.  This is why access is limited for Jews and at times has been prohibited.  Of the rules is that we are not allowed to enter any of the buildings now, including the mosques.  There was a time that we were allowed to do that.  Another rules I that Jews are not allowed to pray on the top of Temple Mount or use obvious prayer symbols like this man was wearing.  He was arguing with security who would not let him through.  It was clear he wanted to provoke something.   We passed the first part of security and headed up.  There was an area with information and clearly could be used for prayer.  We decided to keep on going.  On our way up, we passed a large number of Israeli security forces.  It was far more than I have seen at any other site in Israel, including Jacob’s tomb in the West Bank.  One final security officer greeted us to go over all the rules of Temple Mount including the hours, so we knew when we had to leave.  A few minutes later we stepped on the ground of Temple Mount.   

It is hard to describe what it felt like to step on Temple Mount for the first time.  It was something I always wanted to do but never really expected I would get to do.  Knowing that I was standing on ground that was the center of Judaism from over 2000 years ago was incredible.  It was more powerful than being at the Kotel because I was actually even closer to the holiest place in Judaism where the actual Temple would have been.  I know that the Temple that Solomon built was smaller and likely in a different location on the mountain that the second Temple built by Herod, but it was likely in the area that I was now able to walk and explore.  I am not a religious person, but I had the urge to say a prayer now that I was up there.  My friends felt the same way, so we headed to a vacant area near the edge where we quietly said the Shema together.  It was a powerful moment and one that I will never forget.

The door to the Al Aqsa Mosque was open, so we went to try to take a peek inside.  My friend Michael got a little too close to the door and the people there thought he was trying to enter so he was shooed away.  It was clear this was no joke.  We wouldn’t walk that close to another open door the rest of the time on Temple Mount.  The Kotel is a retaining wall built by Herod to support the floor of the Temple Mount on which the Temple was built.  It is the holiest place we have to pray as it is the holiest place we have access to 24/7.  It made me sad and a bit angry that as a Jew, in Israel, I was limited where I could go on the holiest place we have. 

We continued to walk around and explore the Temple Mount.  Despite the security and having to use a special entrance to get there, for Muslims there were multiple easy access points.  All had Israeli security at them, but they are there to keep non-Muslims from entering.  A number of years ago, our tour guide showed us one of the entrances from the Arab shuk in the Muslim Quarter.  As we got close to the entry, we were quickly approached by security who told us not to enter.  The difference in access was palpable.  There was an open park with its own access to and from the Muslim Quarter.  I didn’t expect that either.  I thought that we would be able to stand on the top of Temple Mount and look down on the Kotel but learned that there were buildings that blocked that area. 

We still couldn’t believe we were actually on Temple Mount just walking around and exploring.  My friend Matthew took a picture that mimicked one from his family 50 years ago.  Michael and I did the Gator Chomp on top of Temple Mount (I don’t think we were the first to ever do that, but we wanted to make sure we did it). 

Then, with nobody around us, we decided to sing very quietly Am Yisrael Chai.  I guess another benefit of war is that so few people were on Temple Mount that we had the ability to be alone and do this.  We did it quietly because we didn’t want to offend anybody.  We also wanted to be Jewish on Temple Mount.  Maybe we shouldn’t have.  Maybe I shouldn’t be writing this.  To both say the Shema and sing Am Yisrael Chai on Temple Mount was very meaningful.  Since nobody saw it and we didn’t offend anybody, it was worth it.

We headed down from Temple Mount through the exit in the Muslim Quarter and in 5 minutes were standing at the Kotel.  We went to put on our own Tefillin and go to the Kotel to say our own prayers.  I had a note from a friend that she asked me to put in the Kotel so I did that for her and then began my own prayers.  I decided to try what Rabbi Palatnik told me from Maimonides and included all three components this time.  First, I acknowledged the presence of God and the greatness of God.  Then I asked God for what I wanted.  It felt a little weird to be doing this as I haven’t done this for a very long time.  Finally, I thanked God for everything in my life.  All around me there were different groups of people praying Shacharit, the morning service.  It was a cool way to spend the morning and when we finished, it wasn’t much past 9 am!

Off we went to the final stop in our morning exploration of the Old City.  Both Michael and I had been to Church of the Holy Sepulchre before, but Matthew never had and wanted to.  It took us a little longer to get there because we made a wrong turn but in a few minutes we were there.  It is a reminder of how close these three important places to Jews, Muslims, and Christians are.  For me it is a reminder that no matter what you believe, something happened here.   The church is nondescript from the outside and home to seven (7) different churches representing seven different types of Christianity.  Home to the spot of the crucifixion, the place where Jesus’s body was ritually washed and anointed, and the cave in which he was buried and then was resurrected, it was originally built by the mother of Emperor Constantine who converted the Roman Empire to Christianity on his deathbed.  If you want a detailed accounting of that, read Constantine’s Sword (spoiler alert – it is a very long book).  As we entered, once again I noticed how empty it was.  The Greek Orthodox church was preparing for a ceremony.   We stood to the side and watched the ceremony.  You can see some of it below.  It is the second time I have been there when there was a mass/ceremony by one of the churches and it was cool to watch. 

We stood by the area where Jesus’s body was washed and anointed as a nice, out of work tour guide told us about the church.  It was clear how much he was enjoying having somebody to share his knowledge with. 

We went upstairs to the spot of the crucifixion.  I have been up there a number of times but there was always a line to pray at the spot and I never wanted to impede somebody who found it spiritually meaning to just see something that I found interesting.  This time there were two people praying and when they left, I was able to walk up and see the spot undisturbed. 

We went downstairs and stood in line to enter the building that protected the cave where Jesus was buried and then the cave itself.  Usually, the line wraps around a number of times and it is easily a 15–30-minute wait to get inside.   This time there were two (2) people in front of me.  Two nuns then came up and we let them go in front of us to enter the cave where Jesus was buried so they could pray.  Then we entered one at a time.  It is a small area and the place where his body was laid was accessible.  The first time I was there, the line was long, so we were rushed.  This time there was time to look around and spend a few minutes there.  It isn’t what I believe and doesn’t have spiritual meaning to me.  It was very meaningful to be in such a holy site to so many of my friends and others in the world.  I realized how many of my friends would never have the opportunity to be right where I was at that moment.  Gratitude flooded me. 

We left the church and headed to Ben Yehuda Street to do some shopping.  Our trip was busy, and we didn’t have much time to buy anything.  I had requests to buy three things.  My oldest son wanted a Star of David necklace.  My younger son’s girlfriend wanted a piece of art to put on her wall.  And all three of them wanted the ‘cow chocolate’ from Israel (it is a special brand that is delicious).  Since it was still only 5 am at home, I shopped, took pictures and sent them for them to view when they woke up hours later so I could go back and buy what they wanted, and enjoyed a quiet Ben Yehuda Street. 

In 2019 I participated in a program called Encounter.  It takes Jewish leaders into the West Bank/Judea and Samaria for four (4) days to interact with members of Palestinian Civil Society.  It was a powerful trip for me.  You can read about it in my many blog posts starting here.  One of the people that I met at that time was named Mahmoud and during the day we spent together he said a lot of things that stuck in my head.  Some I agreed with.  Some I disagreed with.  Some just stuck and I have been chewing on for 4 ½ years.  I had reached out to him over the past four years a number of times to check on him during Covid and the start of the war.  Since I was coming to Israel I asked if he would be willing to meet and spend some time talking.  Today was that day.  Matthew came with me as this would be the first Palestinian that he would meet and listen to.  We walked from Ben Yehuda Street through a number of Arab/Palestinian neighborhoods until we got to the American Colony Hotel where we were meeting.  On the way there was a Palestinian Christian school letting out and we saw the kids with their backpacks being picked up by their parents.  It could have been any private school anywhere in the world and was a beautiful thing to see.  Matthew and I talked on the walk about how few people would do this out of fear, yet we felt safe as we walked.

My morning was a great and meaningful morning.  For my final day in Jerusalem, it was an amazing way to connect spiritually and appreciate how lucky I am to go to sleep in Jerusalem, wake up in Jerusalem, and walk the streets of Jerusalem.  This was a dream for my ancestors for 2000 years that I get to do on a regular basis.   I think prior to this trip I took that for granted.  I won’t any longer.

Rather than continue with my conversation with Mahmoud which would make this post far, far too long, I am going to stop here and my next post will be about that conversation.  This morning was about celebrating the beauty of Jerusalem and the freedom Israel provides to all religions.  The access I had today to these three sites has only been possible since 1967 under Israel.  I won’t ever take that for granted.