One spring evening, a few years ago, I was privileged to be part of a small group of women sitting on the porch of Puah Shteiner in Jerusalem’s Old City, listening to her first-hand account of her exile from and return to the Old City. In her book, “Forever My Jerusalem,” she describes her childhood in Jerusalem’s Old City and its seige and surrender in 1948. She also recounts her feelings upon returning nineteen years later, after Israel’s miraculous victory in the Six Day War, the Old City once again in Jewish hands.

“The vaulted road shut out the sunlight. The sudden darkness caused my heart to to beat faster, just as it had when I was a little girl taking the 2a bus home from school. The street gradually widened and opened up tot the sun again. The further we walked, the more excited I became. Soon we would reach the turn in the road. Here the old bus used to slow down, scraping the wall of the narrow street as it squeezed through.

A few more steps, and there it was–Zion Gate. The gate was now wide open. Trembling, I walked up to it and leaned my head on the stones. I saw a newly scrawled inscription ‘Shema Yisrael…Hear O Israel, The L-rd our G-d, the L-rd is one!’

‘We left the Old City from here,” I whispered hoarsely, seeing in my mind’s eye the throngs of people pushing and pulling as they all tried to squeeze through the narrow opening in the blockade. It was a miracle that we had all managed to escape with our lives. I stood still and recited the blessing aloud: “Blessed art Thou…Who performed a miracle for me on this spot!””

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My family no longer lives in Jerusalem, but now my son has Rebbetzin Puah Shteiner’s son as his school principal!

When you love someone or something so much that words are limiting, there are pictures. You can find beautiful, professional pictures of Jerusalem online. These are a few shots of my Jerusalem:

A photo my 5 year old snapped of the Chords Bridge while taking a break from playing ball

A dove’s nest on our windowsill

Kanfei Nesharim Street the day after a snowstorm

The bus wishes people “Happy Chanukah”

cement block placed near a light rail stop to discourage terrorists from running over people waiting for the train, November 2014

And because this is primarily a food blog, you might be interested in this Arutz 7 article on Food in Jerusalem Today.

Happy Yom Yerushalayim!