Touring Jerusalem

We began Saturday with a talk delivered by Rabbi Joel Oseran of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, a Reform Judaism international organization. According to Rabbi Oseran, one of the biggest challenges facing the government in Israel is involved in religion. As things now stand, the Orthodox movement has great political clout, and has exercised at clout to insure that it is only Orthodox rabbis in Israel who may officially marry couples, bury the dead, circumcise, etc. The Reform movement is seen as a maverick, underground movement, and it's rabbis are, at present, not permitted to officiate in these ceremonies.
According to Rabbi Oseran, the hope for Israel is that Israelis will come to know and appreciate that there are other alternatives to the Orthodox movement. Israel, he says, needs to be open to a more pluralistic Judaism.

After Rabbi Oserna's talk we went on a walking tour of the four quarters of the old city - Arab, Armenian, Jewish and Christian. The tour included the very crowded and hectic old market, where we had our lunch.





The Damascus Gate leading out of the old city.

After our tour of the old city we visited the Garden Tomb, an Anglican holy site located across the street from the Damascus Gate. Our tour was led by Martin, an enthusiastic evangelical Englishman who did his best to convince all assembled that the ruins on the site proved the truth of the resurrection.






A photo of the rock hill described in the gospels as Golgotha, or place of the skull. If you can look carefully and imaginatively you can make out facial features - eyes, nose and mouth - in the caves and rock formations - or so Martin said.
The Garden Tomb is outside the photograph to the left.





Visitors entering the Garden Tomb.





The burial chamber in the Garden Tomb.





The door into the Garden Tomb.

After our tour we had a brief Holy Communion service in the garden.

The Anglican site has a Roman Catholic competitor in the old city. A few of our number visited this site and the site claiming to be the upper room as well. As it was late in the day, some of us, including your correspondent, chose not to fight their was through the mayhem in the old city marketplace a second time.

Location:Jerusalem