The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Latin: Sanctum Sepulchrum), also called the Church of the Resurrection by Eastern Christians, is a Christian church within the walled Old City of Jerusalem. The site is venerated by most Christians as Golgotha, (the Hill of Calvary), where the New Testament says that Jesus was crucified, and is said to also contain the place where Jesus was buried (the sepulchre). The church has been an important pilgrimage destination since at least the 4th century, as the purported site of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus. Today it also serves as the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem. (Wikipedia) It’s a fascinating spot to …

Although I’ve lived in Jerusalem most of my life there’s still so much about this city that I know nothing about. Ever since I took first took interest in exploring Jerusalem a few years ago I keep discovering something new about Jerusalem almost weekly. This Saturday it was the Rockefeller museum, north of the old city in what’s considered “East Jerusalem”. For the life of me, I can’t understand why such a jewel, a truly impressive museum – world standards, stands deserted and unvisited by both locals and tourists. The Museum of Israel in western Jerusalem that took over the operation doesn’t even bother with the place much any more - admission is free, the treasurer …

I love what they did with Mamila. Going from the center of town up to the Jaffa gate of the old city is now the renewed Mamila. A gorgeous preserved neighborhood turned a relaxing shopping district with a combination of the traditional Jerusalem stone architecture with modern coffee hangouts and expensive shops. In the evening time, it’s just a terrific place to walk around in with the lighted walls of the old city behind.     …

Walking around my parents’ neighborhood, I come across endless ads for real-estate. I thought of sharing with you a few ads I saw the other day which represent what’s been happening in this neighborhood during the time I’ve been away :    It’s in Hebrew, so I’ll help you out. This neighborhood is hardly Beverly-Hills, but the prices on the houses in those …

Jerusalem’s special. A person can spend a lifetime living here and still not grasp the depths of this city, the vast history, the diverse culture, the impossible politics, the spirit of what Jerusalem is. This Saturday I joined the municipal tour through the old city of Jerusalem towards the Kidron stream valley in East Jerusalem and on the way back through the old city my dad suggested we go up the Tower Of the Church of the Redeemer, …

Through TaiwanTony, I found out about the English CNN interview with Ma Ying Jiu in “Talk Asia”. It’s the easiest most sympathetic interview Ma could have hoped for and although it was a bit shallow, if not naive, it was still very interesting to watch. At the beginning Ma seemed held-back and shy, which keeps surprising me. At times, like at the Tainan KMT rally I went to, Ma seemed almost uncomfortable with the attention. But …