Bethlehem Lutheran Church

On Wednesday, we walked on the ramparts—the wall around the Old City. We also visited the Dome of the Rock, one of the most distinctive landmarks in Jerusalem. It is the third most holy place for Muslims, where they believe Mohammed ascended to heaven. It stands on the site of the Jewish temple that was destroyed in 70 AD.

The rest of the day was open, so some of the group visited Tel Aviv, Jaffa, and the Mediterranean Sea. Others went to the Israel Museum to see the Dead Sea Scrolls (the ones that didn’t make it to the Minnesota Science Museum!).

Wednesday was also Jerusalem Day when Jewish people celebrate the end of the 1967 Six-Day War when Israel reunited East Jerusalem (which had been Palestinian-controlled) with West Jerusalem. Many Muslim shopkeepers chose to keep their shops closed, and we witnessed marches, Israeli flag waving, singing (especially near the wailing wall), and fireworks. Through our conversations with taxi drivers, shop owners, and others, we heard a range of perspectives from people on what this day signifies.

For those still in Jerusalem, traffic was a disaster because of Jerusalem Day road closures—but we still made our way to the Lutheran World Federations headquarters on the Mount of Olives. A group of Lutherans and other internationals living in the area gather each Wednesday for a potluck and volleyball. After an evening of fun, we wandered through the Old City streets a bit longer before group devotions and reflections.

(Betsy Hoium, Bethany Stolle)