An Ode to Jerusalem
“Jerusalem, if I forget you, let my right hand forget what it’s supposed to do…”
It’s hard to believe that this is my third week in the city of Jerusalem. Time is flying by as my classmates and I delve deeper and deeper into the complex realities of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. I must admit that while I expected this to be a challenging month of studies, I never anticipated just how mentally and emotionally draining it would be to study a conflict like this in such an immersive way.
That being said, when you study a topic as confusing and conflicting (after all, it is a conflict…) as this one, it’s important to find things to do in your free time to relax and unwind. My favorite part of Jerusalem to spend my free time at is—surprise, surprise—Mahaneh Yehuda market. This market is my favorite of all the markets I’ve been to in Israel, even though I prefer the city of Tel Aviv over Jerusalem. This market is huge, and it is open day and night. It has anything and everything you could possibly want to eat or drink, and it’s the most culturally immersive place to spend time. During the day, venders of all types come and sell fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, juices, and so much more. Delicious restaurants are hidden around corners and alleys and boast delicious Israeli cuisine. During the nighttime, when the venders pack up their vegetables and fruits and leave, the market converts into a strip of lively bars and restaurants. Exploring Mahaneh Yehuda market during the evening is a really good way to find some hidden gems of Jerusalem.
As this is already my third week in Israel, it’s safe to say I’ve experienced quite a bit. As a group, we’ve traveled to so many areas in Israel as well as in the Palestinian territories of the West Bank—and there’s still much more to see. One of the most challenging aspects of a trip such as this is keeping an open mind. For me, I came into this Dialogue with some background on the conflict, and with a fairly one-sided narrative. One thing I’m learning to do during my time in Israel is be able to sit and listen with an open mind to someone who you completely disagree with, and not let your anger or frustration stop you from trying to see their perspective. I had to exercise this skill during one of our visits to a refugee camp: during this visit we had to sit and listen to a man who runs educational programs at this refugee camp, and who preaches non-violence, but yet has posters of terrorists who blow up Israeli busses on the walls, as well as a photo showing children burning an Israeli flag. It’s safe to say that aside from appreciating his supposed desire for children to grow up and express their feelings in non-violent means, I disagreed with almost everything he said and portrayed. However, as a wise audience, I forced myself to sit and listen respectfully and open-mindedly to what he had to say. Doing this with every speaker and visit we have on this trip is allowing me to grow and learn so much more than I ever would otherwise.
