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My Memoirs - Citizen of the World

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arriving in Jerusalem. There is no doubt in my mind that Israel has<br />

<strong>the</strong> best land security system in <strong>the</strong> world, which is understandable<br />

because it is a very small country in <strong>the</strong> middle <strong>of</strong> so many<br />

enemies.<br />

We finally arrived at <strong>the</strong> Holy Land, a place my wife and I had<br />

dreamed about visiting. We entered Jerusalem’s Old City Sacred<br />

gates. While walking through <strong>the</strong> four quarters <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> city, with<br />

winding cobblestone streets densely packed in an area covering<br />

less that one square mile, we were fascinated by <strong>the</strong> great symbolic<br />

importance and <strong>the</strong> confluence <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> faiths, Judaism, Christianity<br />

and Islam. We walked along <strong>the</strong> Via Dolorosa and entered <strong>the</strong><br />

Church <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Holy Sepulcher, <strong>the</strong> site <strong>of</strong> Jesus Christ’s<br />

crucifixion, burial and resurrection. It gave us goose bumps,<br />

observing that religious sacred location! We continued on to<br />

experience <strong>the</strong> solemnity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Western Wall; <strong>the</strong> Temple Mount;<br />

<strong>the</strong> Dome <strong>of</strong> Rock and <strong>the</strong> Church <strong>of</strong> St. Anne; and walked <strong>the</strong> path<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Stations <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Cross. We took a tour to <strong>the</strong> Mount <strong>of</strong> Olives<br />

for a panoramic view <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> city. We continued on to <strong>the</strong> Church <strong>of</strong><br />

Ascension and <strong>the</strong> Garden, where we viewed <strong>the</strong> Mount <strong>of</strong> Zion<br />

where we saw <strong>the</strong> room <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Last Supper and <strong>the</strong> Tomb <strong>of</strong> David.<br />

One <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> moments where we were much moved was when we<br />

travelled to Bethlehem, and entered <strong>the</strong> Church <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Nativity, <strong>the</strong><br />

birthplace <strong>of</strong> Jesus and <strong>the</strong> first church ever built. It is difficult to<br />

explain <strong>the</strong> sensation <strong>of</strong> that moment. On <strong>the</strong> way out, after many<br />

prayers for our families, I picked up a few stones from <strong>the</strong> ground<br />

and brought <strong>the</strong>m with me to be part <strong>of</strong> my collection <strong>of</strong> memories.<br />

We also purchased a handmade wooden sculpture <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Last<br />

Supper that we treasure in its place in our dining room. We went<br />

on a tour to visit Jericho, <strong>the</strong> Dead Sea and Cana where Jesus,<br />

miraculously, turned water into wine. It was one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> most<br />

fascinating trips we have ever made. I strongly feel that no one<br />

should die without visiting <strong>the</strong> Holy Land!<br />

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