Here, O Israel

Temple Mount's "Dome of the Rock" above the Kotel, Jerusalem

Jerusalem, once hometown to prophets and Kings, has evolved into a modern day freak show.  Roiled by bitter conflict for more than 3 millennia, it's the focal point & ground zero for bad religion.  You've got ultra-orthodox Jews, Christians from all denominations, Muslim missionaries, pilgrims, mystics, tourists and raving lunatics all mixed together with their spiritual baggage in tow.  Loads of brainwashed simpletons dressed in costume come to Jerusalem to spread the "good word of God" while the Israeli Defense Forces stand ready to keep these Men of Love and Peace from killing each other.  And although I deem this place a festival of ignorance, paying homage to its majestic religious sites feels enriching; it's the wild cultural diversity that is Jerusalem's lifeline.

Jerusalem is built to last, they just don't make 'em like they used to.  The first time I laid my eyes on the Wailing Wall I cried.  Forever a photo of a place far away, the chance to know it is indescribable.  At 11 million, the Jews are but a tiny fraction of the global community yet the whole world knows them.  They are the Lions of Zion.  They have averted extinction more times than the Yanks have won the pennant.  Every nation that has set out to destroy the Jews, be it Ancient Egypt, the Philistines, the Assyrian Empire, the Babylonian Empire, the Persian Empire, the Greek Empire, the Roman Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Crusaders, the Spanish Empire, Nazi Germany, & the Soviet Union, have all been eradicated.  Is Iran next?

Being Jewish is exclusive.  Recognized only as someone born of a Jewish mother, there are only a finite number of Jews in the world and all are a spark of the soul who were present when Hashem gave the Torah to Moses at Mount Sinai.  Today, as I stand in awe of the Western Wall, (the 2,500 year old ruined remnants of the Second Temple built by King David's son, Solomon,  and gutted by the Romans), a massive Torah has been unveiled from its cloak and is carried around like a rugby trophy.  Everyone comes to touch & kiss it.  The Jewish Holy Bible is in the middle of a mosh-pit.  This place embodies the spirit of the Jewish people and their spirit is strong, alive and well.  It's powerful to see.