Not Your Grandpa's Jerusalem: If I forget thee, oh Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its cunning

From Psalm 137 of the Hebrew Bible:

"By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
Upon the willows in the midst thereof we hanged up our harps.
For there they that led us captive asked of us words of song, and our tormentors asked of us mirth: 'Sing us one of the songs of Zion.'
How shall we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land?
If I forget thee, oh Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its cunning
May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember thee, if I set not Jerusalem above my greatest joy."

Those of us of a certain age, might find this ancient psalm - written over 2,500 years ago lamenting the Babylonian destruction of the First Jewish Temple and subsequent banishment from Jerusalem - a bit familiar. Here's why;

Though not Jewish, was Bob Marley a Zionist? He certainly sounded mournful when singing about "remembering Zion." Regardless, Jerusalem has always captivated the yearning hearts of Jews. So much so, we conclude our Passover Seder with the phrase, "Next Year in Jerusalem!"

There is something incredibly moving about entering the Old City of Jerusalem and setting one's eyes on the Kotel (Western Wall) for the first or thousandth time. Built by Herod in 516 BCE, the Second Temple was the holiest Jewish site until it was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. Only one retaining wall of the Temple Mount remained - it's Western Wall - which was inaccessible on and off for 2,000 years through Ottoman, British and Jordanian rule. From the birth of Israel in 1948 to 1967, the Old City of Jerusalem remained under the control of the Jordanian government which barred access to the Western Wall and allowed the vandalization of many Jewish Holy sites. When Israel reclaimed Jerusalem in 1967, Jews the world over sang, danced and rejoiced - and then allowed everyone - Christians, Jews, Muslims, to worship at their own holy places.

Today, the courtyard leading up to the Kotel gleams and the stones of the wall seem to vibrate with emotional intensity. The quote, "There are men with hearts of stone and stones with hearts of men" pertains to this place. All kinds of people - Jews and non-Jew alike - approach reverently. I joined many who crammed notes with personal prayers (mine were for the health of ill friends) into its many crevices.

Women's Side of Western Wall
Jerusalem, Israel

There are four "Quarters" within the walls of the Old City; Jewish, Arab, Armenian and Christian - all living cheek by jowl in the nexus of World Religion. I took this photo near the Dung Gate entrance, and you can see how close everything is; just above the Western Wall you see the Muslim's holy site, the Dome of the Rock on the border of the Arab quarter. To get into this area, everyone - Jewish, Muslim, Asian, black, white, purple - must go through security - a checkpoint, if you will (in the photo's foreground). A small price to pay for safety.

Overlooking the Kotel (Western Wall) and Dome of the Rock
Jerusalem, Israel

Within the Old City itself are a labyrinth of streets, shops, apartments, restaurants; citizens of Israel going about their business, trying to make a buck from the millions of tourists and pilgrims who visit every year. It was a beautiful day and quite serene on one random February Sunday. And this is how it should always be.