From M. Jacobson

The one place that renews my soul and my spirit is Jerusalem. Whenever I travel to this magical city steeped in a history longer than time itself, I come away with a renewed spiritual vigor and an appreciation for life, community and culture. Jerusalem is a monochromatic city of beautiful golds that change every minute of the day as the sun shines on the indigenous stone that makes up every possible space in the city. Even the shadows glisten as the sun moves through the cracks and crevices that have been hiding for centuries. The sounds of Old City reflect cultures and religions that have endured the millenniums. The calls to prayer, the church bells and the ancient spoken Hebrew send chills up my spine whenever I open the window or wander the streets. The many smells of bread baking in a wall, falafel or shwarma floating out of a cafe and strong coffee being enjoyed by the citizens who inhabit this wonderous place always make me wish for more time to sit and ponder the lifetimes that came before me. The beautiful architecture of the cultures that exist, sometimes tumultuously, is awe inspiring. Brilliant blue tiles, dirty veined slabs of stone, bronze hardware, domes of gold and streets of pebbles all coexist in a wonderful disarray. The inhabitants of this City also coexist, sometimes not so peacefully either, along with the many foreigners that long to call this place their home. Even though I live thousands of miles away I long to consider Jerusalem my home. A giddy feeling overcomes me everytime I visit and a voice seems to say “Welcome Home.” I have so much still to discover in this amazingly spiritual place yet I feel I know it like the palm of my hand. Each visit is a new discovery of place and time. Each visit continues to renew and replenish my spirit and my soul.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to put into words something I have always felt but never acknowledged. It feels good to tell you my story.

Read a member’s dispatch from the Mideast: Israel and Egypt