Jerusalem Tour Suggestion 1:
3,000 Years of Jewish History in Jerusalem
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Jaffa Gate and Tower of David Observatory
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In depth Tour: “The Jewish Quarter –Prosperity, Fall and Resurrection”
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The Kotel
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City of David : From King David, King Hezekiah and Jeremiah the Prophet – through Herod the Great and pilgrimage to the Second Temple
Other possibilities related to this theme:
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Davidson Archeological Park
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Kotel Tunnel tour (needs booking in advance)
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Old Yishuv Museum
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The Heodian Quarter and Burnt House Museum
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Tower of David Museum (re-opens Aug 2022)
The Jewish Quarter - Prosperity, Fall and Resurrection
Jews began to live in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City in the middle of the 15th century and they centered around the Ramban (Nachmonides) Synagogue. Over the course of time, there were periods of prosperity which saw the establishment of flourishing great synagogues such as Hurva and Tiferet Yisrael. There were also periods of calamity including disease and persecution which eroded Jewish life which culminated in the destruction of these synagogues during the 1948 War of Independence and the expulsion of Jews from the Old City. The unification of Jerusalem after the Six Day War in 1967 allowed for the return of Jewish life to the Old City, and for the uncovering of new archeological findings. These findings revealed life thousands of years ago which parallel this cycle of prosperity and calamity - such as the expansion of the city walls by King Hezekiah in the eighth century BCE and its destruction 200 years later or the luxurious neighborhoods of the Kohanim during the Second Temple period which were destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE.
In recent years, we are witnessing the rebuilding of both Hurva and Tiferet Yisrael Synagogues to their original splendor. Some believe that this marks the era of the return to Zion and the seeds of redemption.
Our tour will take us back and forth in a time machine of 3,000 years. Starting at the Zion Gate, we will share the stories of the brave soldiers who defended the Jewish Quarter under siege. After we pass the Byzantine pillars of the Cardo, we will see the remains of the city walls from the time of the First Temple and the Second Temple, at the exact point where they overlapped. At this same place, many layers above, is the guard-post where women and men of “Plugat Hakotel” protected the Jews on their way to the Kotel from Arab rioters.
We will visit the Herodian Quarter, the remains of Jewish life during the Second Temple where above us is the Hurva Plaza. We will visit the major synagogues of the Jewish Quarter and enjoy a breathtaking view of Jerusalem from the observatory of the Hurva Synagogue.
