Jerusalem Walks Leon's Walks

Not being an enthusiast of dark underground tunnels, usually I walk through a dry, well lit tunnel, actually older than Hezekiah's tunnel, being built by the Canaanites many years prior to Hezekiah, while my tourists walk, in Hezekiah's pitch dark tunnel, getting soaking wet up to their knees. The reason why Hezekiah built this tunnel, according to the Bible, is to ensure a steady, sufficient supply of water for the people in a time of siege, as a preparation of the coming on

Being forever short of time The tourists have left me in the lurch again and I’ve had to find new ways of amusing myself. I’m rushing hysterically into this search; not because I feel out of place being idle in the midst of a world of activity and change going on around me, but because, since childhood I’ve been beset by a feeling that there’s something I should be doing and I’m not. This feeling affects all my actions, namely any act that I perform is accompanied by the fee

I loved my father and as a kid I used to pray, every night as I settled down to sleep, that God should protect him. While I was about it I also put in prayers for the rest of the family, my mother, brothers, aunts and uncles, cousins, friends and cats and dogs. But it was admiration of his ability to pray that brought me to serious study of Rosh Hashanah and the recitation of prayers of Slichot (prayers of forgiveness). I especially admired my father on Rosh Hashanah because

If I forget thee O Jerusalem By 12 o’clock yesterday the snow had stopped falling. I was sleeping when it started so I can’t say for sure if it snowed continually for a certain amount of time, but enough snow had accumulated by the time I awoke and stepped boldly, smartphone camera in hand, towards the snow. I gulped a lungful of the cold, silent air, full of pitch darkness and brilliant whiteness. White is beautiful and it sets off the darkness. It didn’t take it away, as a

Last Sunday I went for an echo examination of my heart. I heard it beating and felt comforted. I took Ettie's car for a test that is required by the Israel dept. of transport to make sure the car wasn't a danger to other human beings on the road. They weren't satisfied because the old Renault was leaking gas and oil and was polluting the environment. Who ever heard of a 12 year old car polluting the environment? You can see pictures of Ein Kerem, one of Jerusalem's quaint nei

Shalom everyone, It seems that the last no newsletter I posted was in January, so it's about time I put you up to date with what is really happening in Israel, what the newspapers don't publish because telling it doesn't create sensations and doesn't sell newspapers. This period, since last writing, can be divided into three periods; the pre-Passover period, the Passover period and the post Passover period. The highlight of all the periods, of course were the tourists I guide

Shalom everyone The great writer of the beginning of the 20th Century, Herman Hesse, in his book, "Siddhartha" gives a beautiful description of a river as an allegory of life: "You have already learned from the river that it is good to strive downwards. To sink, to seek the depths. The rich and distinguished Siddhartha will become a rower; Siddhartha the learned Brahmin will become a ferryman. You have also learned this from the river." Usually we enjoy the brilliance of the