by Masada Siegel

“Would you like to go to the ‘Ninja Park’?” former Arizona resident and Jerusalem based Rabbi Ian Pear of Shir Hadash asked my son Jacob on his first trip to Jerusalem.

Jacob enthusiastically responded, “Yes.”   

Moments later, after spending time at his warm and inclusive synagogue, he and his six-year-old son BJ dropped us off in the center of the new city.

Jerusalem is known for taking people to new heights, and our experience at Sacher Park, which has the best playground I have ever seen filled with rope bridges, sky high towers, stringy thingies and even a DJ booth was supernatural. 

Needless to say, much in the Jerusalem spirit, I reached new levels as I found myself wearing a dress, climbing up an intricate rope ladder and sliding down much to the delight of my son.

Jerusalem is filled with a myriad of historical sites, activities and adventures that capture the attention of all age groups. The city is constantly discovering new ancient sites and building new modern ones, making it is a multilayered city in every respect. 

The Old City of Jerusalem has always made me feel as if I was falling into a fairytale, walking through the pages of a living vibrant history that comes alive the moment I walk through the Jaffa gate.

There are a few ways to wander towards the Jewish Quarter, either walk through the Shuk, walk along the inside walls of the city, or try the Ramparts walk.

The Ramparts walk was built by Suleiman the Magnificent about 485 years ago and two areas are accessible to tourists. One side will take you towards the Jewish Quarter, where you will exit right near the Western Wall. The other direction leads visitors through the rooftops of the Muslim Quarter where you will exit right into the Muslim section of the Shuk.

The place to buy tickets is at a store right near the entrance of the Jaffa Gate.

Once you have entered the Jewish Quarter, there are a myriad of alleyways to wander and discover history right beneath your feet. 

Walk through the shops at the Cardo and head towards Hurva Square, a great place to relax and grab a bite to eat. The square provides plenty of places to sit as well as elegant jewelry stores and Judaica shops. Be sure to check out Esther’s Gallery store also known as Silver Point Judaica.

I bought a few items from the owner Esther who then gave me some red strings to bring back to Arizona. I asked her to also bless them, and all the recipients have reported unusual good luck after putting them on. 

I then stopped by Jeff Seidel’s Student Center right off the main square of the Jewish Quarter. Seidel caters to student travelers, and young people studying abroad primarily at Hebrew University, Tel Aviv University, and IDC University. If anyone wants a Shabbat dinner or to study more about Judaism, he is the man to speak with as he has been doing Jewish outreach for decades and his exuberance for all aspects of Judaism is inspiring and infectious.

As you make your way towards the Western Wall, stop in at Off the Wall Spice Shop. It is located in the narrow alleyway that takes visitors towards the Kotel and it has an excellent array of spices and teas and the packaging makes them travel friendly.

Mere steps aways and often overlooked is the Burnt House Museum which showcases an excavated house from the Second temple period. The museum takes visitors on a time travel experience with a short but poignant movie explaining the history prior and when the house was burned down. After a brief tour head down the steps towards the Western Wall where the world truly opens up and the intersection of history unfolds. 

One of my favorite activities was taking the Western Wall Tunnel Tours. I have walked through them at three different times, and each experience is vastly different because the excavations are ongoing and each day new discoveries are being made. It is truly remarkable to be able to touch the past. (Be sure to get tickets online or at least 24 hours before as tours sell out quickly.)

Visitors can hurl themselves back into the future when leaving the Old City, and a favorite way to travel was on the light rail, just be sure to get transit passes at a drugstore before you go for a ride.

There are a myriad of places to explore from the famous Mahane Yehudah, where the shopkeepers will tempt you with tantalizing treats ranging from fruits to the bakery Marzipan where the freshly baked goods are mouthwatering and the prices excellent.

Jerusalem boasts many meaningful places to visit, from the Israel museum which is always impressive to the somber 9/11 Living Memorial Monument that was created in 2009 by JNF-USA. It is the only memorial outside of the United States that includes all the names of the victims. This 30-foot bronze sculpture depicts an American flag waving and transforming into a flame, and a metal shard from the ruins of the Twin Towers is shown at the bottom of the monument.

No trip to Israel is complete without a visit to Yad Vashem. While incredibly sad, it is also a testament to the will, tenacity and true superheroes that emerged from the ashes of World War II, many of whom participated in fighting for the creation of the State of Israel.

Jerusalem presents endless activities for all ages; the hardest part is deciding what to do first.