This morning after a great breakfast we walked from our hotel thru Herod’s Tomb (garden). Leave it to corrupt Herod to have a beautiful garden. The garden connects to the Artist Colony that is lined with local artisans shops. It was still to early in the day for any to be open, but now I know where they are, I will be back. Then, up the hill to the Jaffa Gate, the western entrance to the Old City.
To fulfill one of Elizabeth’s requests we found bench in the Jewish quarter and listened to God of the City”. Watching young and old, business man and school passing before us where just 40 years ago the could not move about this city do free. Little children going about by themselves yet there were unseen eyes watching out for these children of the future. The synagogue that was was bombed in 1948 and became the grave of many innocent women, children and rabbis’ is getting closer to completion. I am glad that they powers that be decided to rebuild rather than turn the site into a memorial. It will be a truly beautiful building.
We had a pleasant chat with Rabbi Moshe, then an iced coffee slushy at a new shop in the square. A walk thru the Cardo and of course a little shopping.
After returning to the hotel we had a rooftop swim and some lunch. Hot dogs! Kosher of course.

Erez and Sharon (Roby’s daughter) came to Jerusalem to drop off a few things we needed.
After dinner many of the group headed to Ben Yehuda Street and outdoor pedestrian mall. It is a very lively place at night. Let’s see there was a string quartet, a harpist, street dancers, and several artist doing portraits. Regan Doss played with the harpist. Beautiful! Doug West, Don Schwertner, and Travis Howell sang and played and drew quite audience. They sang some folk songs, even some they had wrote themselves and Avery Ling (11 years old) sang “Waltzing with Matilda”. One young man from Russia took out his recorder and played along. His English was limited but not his music.
I am writing this at 5am. Today we visit the Western Wall. So those of you that gave me your prayers, I will be placing them in the Wall today.

Shabbat Shalom,

the beloved pilgrim