The Four Quarters

We had a fascinating day in the old city. Our large group was divided in four smaller groups of 6-8 people, and we were turned loose on the four quarters of Jerusalem. We each went to a different quarter - Christian, Jewish, Armenian, and Muslim - to learn as much as we could about the place, the people, and the culture. My group went to the Jewish quarter, and we learned quite a lot despite today's being Saturday. Shops and restaurants were closed, but there were people everywhere. We explored on our own for a while and eventually met Abraham (or so he said!) who showed us around through the residential areas, the synagogues, the commercial areas, and much more. He told us some of the history of the Jewish Quarter, much of which has been rebuilt after being destroyed in the 1967 war. Some of the residential buildings are only 20 years old, but the older ones were rebuilt with stones used in homes 1,500 years ago. We ate lunch in the Armenian Tavern, an experience in itself. Our group actually spent time in and walked through every quarter, and although there are no clear boundaries, it is obvious that there are significant differences among the quarters. We exited at the Damascus Gate (entered at the Herod Gate) and made our way back to St. George's. We will share our experiences with the whole group in a few minutes. It was a great day - very hot and tiring, but a tremendous experience.