Journey to Jerusalem by Guest Blogger Karen Telleen-Lawton

February 24, 2010

karens 1 300x225 Journey to Jerusalem by Guest Blogger Karen Telleen LawtonWhat do Rabbi Benjamin of Tudela, Theoderic, and Al-Harawi have in common? These men each made a religious pilgrimage to Jerusalem within a twenty year period around 1173, keeping journals which survive in part to this day. All three wrote eloquently about the buildings and monuments, met with the people of their Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths, and acknowledged the Holy City as being home to many faiths.

These same impressions await the modern traveler, whether their main purpose is religious, historical, cultural, or just plain curiosity. My own journey was a Christian pilgrimage I organized for my church, as well as a chance to meet with Palestinian Christians in their churches. The “living stones” of Christ, Palestinian Christians have dwindled from 20-30% of the population from the third through the 19th centuries to barely under 1 ½ percent now.

Our itinerary was planned for a group of about twenty ranging in age from 20-somethings to active 70-somethings. I based it on my own two previous journeys plus the advice of our guide, Iyad Qumri, a warm and deeply knowledgeable Palestinian Christian from Jerusalem. I commend this trip to anyone, of any or no faith, who wants to learn more about the religious center of the world, and why it continues to have such an impact on history and politics. Here is an abbreviated version of our itinerary, followed by contacts.

karens 2 300x225 Journey to Jerusalem by Guest Blogger Karen Telleen Lawton

The Wailing Wall, Jerusalem

  • DAY ONE:
    ARRIVE TEL AVIV / TRANSFER TO JERUSALEM 
    Walk to Damascus Gate
  • DAY TWO
    MT. SCOPUS / MT. OF OLIVE’S / CITY OF DAVID /
    ISRAEL MUSEUM
  • DAY THREE   WESTERN WALL / DOME OF THE ROCK / POOLS OF BETHESDA / TAYBEH (The only all-Christian town left and home to Taybeh beer factory, the only beer factory in the Middle East.)
  • DAY FOUR   EIN KEREM / SHEPHERD’S FIELD / PEACE CENTER / BETHLEHEM
  • DAY FIVE   RAMALLAH / SABEEL / CHURCH OF THE HOLY
    SEPULCHER. GUEST SPEAKER ON CONTEMPORARY ISSUES, AN ISRAELI PERSPECTIVE
  • DAY SIX   RAMLA / NAZARETH
  • DAY SEVEN  MT. OF BEATITUDES / CAPERNAUM / TABGHA/BOATRIDE ON THE SEA OF GALILEE
  • DAY EIGHT  SHEFA-AMR / SEPPHORIS
  • DAY NINE  MT. TABOR / NAIN / JERICHO
  • DAY TEN  BETHPHAGE /MT. OF OLIVES GEHTSAMANE / STATIONS OF THE CROSS

  • DAY ELEVEN STATIONS OF THE CROSS / EMMAUS 

Other Information

Food

Middle Eastern food is so savory and delicious I almost didn’t miss my home favorite, Mexican. Breakfast buffets typically include rich coffee, scrambled or hard boiled eggs, sliced tomatoes, cucumber, oranges, olives, breads, humus, a dishes of spices like za’tar. Lunch and dinner included some of the above and added a sumptuous main dish such as Ma’lube, made with various meats and vegetables. It is characterized by cooking the rice on top of the other ingredients and then serving with a flourish by tipping the deep-dished pan upside down to form a tower of rice and savory veggies.

Safety

We felt warmly welcomed by everyone in this mix of cultures. There were some difficulties traveling in an occupied country, but we felt safe the entire trip.
After the main trip, half of us took the public bus down to Egypt to spend time at St. Katherine’s Monastery by Mt. Sinai. I have included contact information for this portion.

Contacts

Iyad Qumri, Licensed Tour Guide
St. George’s College
P.O.Box 1248 Jerusalem 91000
E.Mail: isqumri@bezeqint.net
Home: 972+2+5851210
Cell : 972+505-216280
Fax : 972+2+6569047

Ali Qleibo – anthropology professor at Al Quds University, author of several books including Jerusalem in the Heart and Before the Mountains Disappear

Saint George’s College
Tel: ++972-2-6283302 Fax: ++972-2-6282253
Egypt: Dr. Rabia, Abanoub Travel ‘abanoubt@menanet.net’

karen 4 300x225 Journey to Jerusalem by Guest Blogger Karen Telleen LawtonKaren Telleen-Lawton graduated in engineering from Stanford University and economics and environmental policy from University of Colorado. After a few entrepreneurial ventures and teaching economics, she began writing. Telleen-Lawton publishes articles on environmental, economics and financial planning, travel, and social justice in regional and national publications including Family Fun, Westways, Santa Barbara Seasons, and alumni magazines including Stanford, UCSB, Purdue, and University of Richmond. Her first book, Canyon Voices – the Nature of Rattlesnake Canyon, is available through Amazon.

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