Greetings from Jerusalem

Shalom! I have visited Jerusalem many times since my first trip in July 1978 – but it never fails to fascinate me. It is magnificent and beautiful – and it is perplexing, challenging and disturbing. It is a city of great contrasts: between east and west; old and new; rich and poor; religious and secular; haredi (ultra orthodox) and modern orthodox; orthodox and progressive; Jews and Palestinians; Muslim Palestinians and Christian Palestinians – and between Christians of every persuasion: Greek, Armenian and Syrian ‘Orthodox’; Roman Catholics and Anglicans. It is also a city of deep divisions: The boundaries between all the different communities are like the old city walls – except there are virtually no gates. It is an immensely diverse environment, but for the most part, only the visitors experience the diversity: Each constituency keeps to its own clearly defined enclave.

There are exceptions of course – but these are very telling: On Fridays, Jewish Jerusalemites of all types crowd into the market of Machaneh Yehudah, which is packed with wares of every description – mostly edible! But the market is not a meeting place; shoppers may greet their neighbours, but otherwise, everyone buys what they need and goes their separate ways.

The Jerusalem International YMCA, run by a team of Jews, Christians and Muslims is another exception. A city landmark, with a 152 foot observation tower, located across the road from the famous King David Hotel, the building, opened in 1933, is in a neo-Byzantine style and was designed by Arthur Loomis Harmon, architect of the Empire State Building. More important, every aspect of the decoration expresses a commitment to the three Monotheistic faiths, which inhabit Jerusalem. Three inscriptions are engraved on the building’s façade: ‘The Eternal our God, the Eternal is One’, in Hebrew (Jewish); ‘I am the Way’, in Aramaic (Christian); and ‘There is no God but God’, in Arabic (Muslim). In addition, the theme of 12 – 12 tribes of Israel, 12 disciples of Jesus and 12 followers of Mohammed – is expressed through the 12 windows in the auditorium and gymnasium and the 12 cypress trees in the garden. There are also 40 columns in the courtyard symbolising both the Israelites 40 years of wandering and the 40 days of the temptation of Jesus. But the only Jews, Christians and Muslims who use the YMCA’s facilities – which include a sports centre and pool, library, Arabic and Hebrew language centre, kindergarten, hotel and restaurant – are those who are committed to dialogue and are prepared to cross the boundaries dividing their communities. The YMCA is a symbol of what Jerusalem could become – but is not, yet…

There is much more I could tell you… I will write next from the Negev desert… L’hitra’ot!