There are a number of reasons to take your most reasonable shoes to the Middle East. That’s especially true in Jerusalem, where even well-traversed areas like the Old City require great care when walking. The time-worn stones – smooth as a marble in places – send inexperienced feet sliding off the edge of steps. Then … Continue reading Right shoes, good times
People ask me all the time about what it’s like to live in Jerusalem. It is a hard place on a day-to-day basis because you really have to work to find people you can relate to. As a white, American, female, non-Jewish, non-Christian, I had to really work. I found that some of the most … Continue reading Who belongs in Jerusalem?
If you are embarking on travel to Israel, Jerusalem, and the West Bank and you’re politics-averse…then maybe consider changing plans. Or buying earplugs or one of those sleep face-masks. It is a place where politics is life. The impact of policy decisions and international agreements has an often almost immediate impact. Take the embassy vs. … Continue reading Embassy vs. consulate
I once reported and wrote a story about street musicians in Jerusalem for a publication based in the Middle East that publishes in English. Not one word in the story had anything to do with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The street musician world of Jerusalem is prolific, varied, talented, and extraordinarily interesting. They have no politics … Continue reading Travel writing on the Middle East
People are always asking me what the big deal about Jerusalem is. I always ask them how long they have to talk about it. Jerusalem is one of those places that is like no other place, and the only way to begin to understand such a place is to experience it with your own eyes … Continue reading Jerusalem: Why Bother?
There is this fantastic group of book stores in East Jerusalem on Salah Al-Din Street called the Educational Bookshop. It’s a little oasis of intelligence, humor and free speech. Actually it is three oases – one location at 19 Salah Al-Din Street, one just across the street and one at the American Colony Hotel. I would … Continue reading Smart People at the Mercy of Idiots
If you’re anywhere near Israel or West Jerusalem during December, you are going to come across at least one doughnut. These tasty, beautiful little monsters can be found everywhere – in coffee shops, at the mall, wherever your heart desires. It’s all part of a Jewish tradition of eating fried foods to commemorate a miracle … Continue reading Bring the Doughnuts
