A Sunday in Jerusalem Get breaking news from Le Devoir

A trip to Israel is like no other. It's unique. And we come back touched to the core. To have traveled this holy land where the great names of the Bible are everywhere, but also this country with a complex geopolitics which gives rise to many positions. From Tel-Aviv to Haifa via the Dead Sea, Masada, the Sea of ​​Galilee, Nazareth, Rosh Hanikra, Akko… Where to start? Hey, why not, on this Easter and Passover weekend, by Jerusalem?

Night falls on Mahane Yehuda, Jerusalem's largest market. Tall faces painted in bright colors on the lowered iron curtains watch visitors pass by. Those of famous rabbis and unknown soldiers, politicians and activists who have marked history and influential Jews in the world, such as Steven Spielberg and Sigmund Freud.

Works drawn with a spray can and signed Solomon Souza, an artist in his twenties, grandson of Francis Newton Souza (one of the fathers of modern Indian art) born in London and having immigrated to Jerusalem then that he was young to study in a Talmudic school.

"It was at the request of traders who wanted a warmer atmosphere in the market that the graffiti artist began his project to tell in images, on the iron curtains, the history of the Jews and their people," explains Dado Shalom. , our charming guide.

Photo:Hélène Clément The Mahane Yehuda market is frequented above all by the local population.

The best time to admire this monumental gallery of characters from here and elsewhere, according to Dado, is Saturday, Shabbat day, when the Jerusalem market is at rest and the shutters of some 350 shops are lowered.

But it's Sunday and, despite the darkness that settles on the holy city, everything is still open.

Between the stalls overflowing with fruits, vegetables, nuts, olives, spices, tea, cheese, dried fruits, bread, halva, the paintings of the shutters waiting to open for the night observe us.

Bananas, mangoes, artichokes, strawberries, oranges, eggplants, apples, root vegetables… all of this reminds us that Israel is a champion of locavorism – this movement advocating the consumption of food produced within a radius of 100 to 250 kilometers from home – despite the desert, therefore, and the little water that predominates in the country. We are talking here about “agronomic miracles”.

Was it not an Israeli water management engineer, Simcha Blass, who discovered drip irrigation?

Noting that the water brought slowly and regularly by a succession of drops produced remarkable growth results, he developed the tube based on drippers, a form of watering which allows the cultivation of fruit trees, vegetables or flowers even in an infertile environment.

The famous process was produced industrially in 1965 by the company Netafim, based in Kibbutz Hatzerim, in the Negev.

Mahane Yehuda

And God we eat well in this small country in the Middle East bordered to the west by the Mediterranean, to the south by the Gulf of Eilat, and which shares its borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the northeast. , Jordan and the West Bank to the east, Egypt and the Gaza Strip to the southwest.

Mahane Yehuda is an exciting culinary journey. Between piles of pita bread, pickled kippers, hummus, sweets pop up espresso and smoothie bars, falafel stands and cute pubs where you can taste local wines — because the grapes are thrives very well in Israel's diverse microclimates — and local beers like Goldstar.

Photo:Hélène Clément On the Via Dolorosa, the famous pedestrian Stations of the Cross and its 14 stations, which follows the narrow streets of the old town to end in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

But also craft beers as original as the one created from chickpeas, dates and buckwheat in the hills of Galilee, where Jesus is supposed to have turned water into wine.

In Jerusalem, beer flows freely during the annual festival in August.

There is a saying that “in Tel-Aviv we play, in Jerusalem we pray”. Simple way to sum things up. Be that as it may, if I loved Tel-Aviv for its dynamism, its cool and modern side, its Californian joie de vivre, its restaurants, its nightclubs, its bars and its trendy cafes, its surfing and its cycle paths, its architectural heritage… I was bewitched by Jerusalem.

Among other things because everything that was theoretical and virtual in my old catechism classes and on Sundays at church becomes here a tangible and concrete reality. Whether you are a believer or not.

Last residence of Christ, third holy city for Islam after Mecca and Medina, place of return of the messiah for the Jews, Jerusalem is the crossroads of the three monotheistic religions. Its old town is divided into quarters: Armenian, Christian, Jewish and Muslim.

Photo:Hélène Clément The Wailing Wall

Complex, Jerusalem? Oh yeah. Enough to drown in the thickness of facts, dates, buildings and emotions. Here, Roman, Umayyad, Crusader, Mamluk, Ottoman walls… There, Sephardic synagogues, the Tower of David, the Al-Aqsa mosque. But where is the Holy Sepulchre?

Christianity sites

For Christians, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is built on the site of Calvary (or Golgotha), exactly on the spot where Jesus “was nailed to the cross, died and rose again”.

To reach it, we go up and down a few elevations — Jerusalem is more than 800 meters above sea level and all hills —, cross covered passages, cobblestone streets as old as the world, then pretty little squares with the smell of kebabs chawarma.

Photo:Hélène Clément In an alley of the Old City in Jerusalem

Here we are on the Via Dolorosa, the famous pedestrian Stations of the Cross and its 14 stations, 5 of which are inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Jesus is said to have taken this route as he carried his cross to Calvary. It takes an hour on foot to cover it from the first station, where Pontius Pilate is said to have condemned Jesus to death, to the 10th which is with the other four inside the Holy Sepulchre. The various stations are marked with round plaques on the walls and doors.

Here, the place where Jesus was loaded with his cross, where he would have fallen the first time, further, the meeting with his mother and that with Simon of Cyrene, here, the second fall, there, the third...

How To Restore Gut Flora After Antibiotics https://t.co/QyNpsPUNDA

— Jill Carnahan, MD Mon Apr 10 22:01:07 +0000 2017

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher sits in the middle of the souks, on the edge of the Christian and Muslim quarters, in a small, narrow square wedged between the houses of the old town, at the foot of a minaret. Odd ! Its appearance is nothing exceptional, but the immense fervor of the pilgrims contributed to making it sacred. No need to hope for a serene moment in this crowded place.

Photo:Hélène Clément A stall selling dried fruits, teas and spices at the Mahane Yehuda market

“The basilica is shared between several Christian Churches (Catholic, Armenian, Syrian, Coptic, Ethiopian…), explains guide Paule Rakower. That of the Greek Orthodox occupies the largest part of the building. They maintain the tomb. »

On the doorstep, worshipers touch and kiss the stone of anointing. It is on this pink slab that the body of Jesus would have been laid to prepare it before it was buried.

At the entrance to the Chapel of Calvary, upstairs, is the 10th Station of the Cross. Jesus would have been stripped of his clothes here. Then, right next to it, the 11th where he was nailed to the cross. The 12th station is in the Greek Orthodox Chapel. It bears witness to the crucifixion of Jesus. The rock of Calvary, on which an altar has been erected, nests in its center.

Photo:Hélène Clément The Holy Sepulchre. Crowds of tourists stroll through the multi-storey building, with its tombs, its crosses engraved in the walls, its art objects.

Small problem, however: contemplation is difficult in front of the rock where Christ was laid after the crucifixion. Hurried by the crowd waiting for their turn, the pilgrims spend only a few seconds in the narrow vault. A gruff-looking pope takes care of the flow of visitors.

To the left of this altar is the 13th station, where the body of Jesus is said to have been taken down from the cross and given to Mary. As for the 14th, the Holy Sepulchre, expect to queue there under vaults of all styles, in the smoke of incense and in the light of oil lamps.

Now head for the Wailing Wall, the holiest site in Judaism. The Jews there still mourn the loss of their second Temple. The men pray on one side, the women on the other. It looks like a large open-air synagogue. The Jews believe that the prayers and requests inserted between the stones of this wall erected 2000 years ago have a strong chance of being answered.

goosebumps

As the bars and bouis-bouis of the Mahane Yehuda market raise their metal curtains for the evening, as the restaurants fill up, as the walls of the old city light up, as musicians settle in the bars and around the ramparts, a dazzling sound and light show animates the walls of the Citadel of David, very close to Jaffa Gate.

Photo:Hélène Clément The Beer Bazaar for a tasting of craft beers

This nocturnal event, which uses 3D trompe-l'oeil technology, tells the story of Jerusalem, from the Canaanite period to the State of Israel, including the Israelite, Babylonian, Persian, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Muslim, Crusader, Mamluk, Ottoman and British.

Finally, the old adage that Tel Aviv celebrates while Jerusalem prays may no longer hold water. Jerusalem, although holy, yes, is also very festive, rather cool, gastronomic and creative. Certainly unique and touching to the soul.

The sun rises over the Mount of Olives. We are speechless before the thousands of graves in the oldest cemetery in the world still in use. Below, in the Garden of Gethsemane, olive trees would have provided shade for Jesus and his disciples who were going to rest there. It was in this garden that he was allegedly arrested.

in bulk

To sleep. At the Inbal Hotel (five stars) for its comfort, but also for its exceptional geographical location above Hapaamon Park and the old city, then within a short walking distance of the main sites of cultural interest. The breakfast buffet is excellent, like almost everywhere in Israel.

Eat. Israeli cuisine is divine, featuring a wide variety of vegetables, grilled meats and fish, chickpeas and buckwheat. Vegetarianism and veganism are very fashionable there. The choice of restaurants is great in Jerusalem, both in the old city and in the modern part. The Zuni restaurant, open 24/7, is a good brasserie-type address. The risotto and calamari are excellent.

The Mahane Yehuda market for a good coffee, for a beer tasting; to taste (and buy as a gift) Elie Mammam's halva. Impossible not to fall for the exquisite sesame paste stuffed with pistachios and almonds from this Moroccan of origin. It offers nearly a hundred flavors.

Bar life. At Nocturno, on weekday nights there are concerts, poetry readings, stand-up, conferences, film screenings, swing dancing... Both a bar and a café, Nocturno offers a milk menu, vegetarian and vegan.

Suggested reading. A trip to Israel is being prepared. You have to read about its history, its religions, its political issues… beyond articles that only cover a small aspect. Read then see to better understand this fascinating country with complex geopolitics.

Understanding Israel by Montreal author Elias Levy, published by Ulysses. Israel and the Palestinian territories, published by Lonely Planet, an excellent tourist guide which offers many addresses, sites to visit, safety to observe, ideas for activities with children, clear maps… Essential! The memory of Abraham, by author Marek Halter. This novel tells 2000 years of history of a Jewish family, scribe from father to son. Excellent ! My Promised Land, Israel, Triumph and Tragedy, by journalist and columnist Ari Shavit. This book examines the complexities and contradictions of the Israeli condition and draws on events from the past to shed new light on the present.

Direct Air Transat connection. From June 18 until October 29, 2017, twice a week, on Sundays and Wednesdays, Air Transat will offer a direct Montreal–Tel Aviv service. “Demand was strong, both for travelers visiting family and friends in the two metropolises and for those curious about discoveries,” explains Debbie Cabana, director of marketing, social media and public relations.

The traveler will have the choice between a panoply of packages ranging from a simple flight to organized stays: multi-city stays, such as the one combining Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem; circuits to discover the most sacred places in the country accompanied by a guide; combined tours for those who want to explore the two big cities at their own pace or any other historic corner of the country; or even two countries such as Israel and Jordan. airtransat.com

For more details, click here.

Our journalist was the guest of Air Transat and the Ministry of Tourism of Israel.

Happy Easter!

From June 18 until October 29, 2017, twice a week, on Sundays and Wednesdays, Air Transat will offer a direct Montreal–Tel-Aviv service.

“Demand was strong, both from travelers visiting family and friends in the two metropolises and from those curious about discoveries,” explains Debbie Cabana, Marketing, Social Media and Public Relations Director.

The traveler will have the choice between a panoply of packages ranging from a simple flight to organized stays: multi-city stays such as the one that combines Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem, a tour to discover the most sacred places in the country accompanied by a guide, a combined tour for who wants to explore the two big cities at their own pace or any other historical corner of the country, or even two countries such as Israel and Jordan.

To see in video