European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 24, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                To the holiest City tews Al the wailing Well recite preyers end stuff written offerings into the creeks of the Stone Structure. Some find the Label demeaning end prefer to cell it Quot the Well. E r u s a l e continued from Page 5 began to take shape at the beginning of this Century. Oddly the jewish Quarter is the most modern after being rebuilt following 20th-Century warfare and restoration to Israel s control after 1967, the trek into the jewish Quarter and then the Christian and Muslim sections presents the visitor with a series of religious places and histories that speak most clearly to the heritages and contemporary worship of the Christian jewish and Muslim faiths. The key Symbol of the jewish Faith and object of jewish pilgrims from All Over the world is the Western Wall the remains of the Western retaining Wall of King Herod s Temple  Wall was the special place of worship for jews during the almost 2,000 years the jews lived in exile from Israel. Allowed Back into the old City Only once a year the jewish exiles prayed at the Wall for the Day of a More permanent return. That time arrived during the 1967 Arab Lar Deli War when Israel troops captured and reunified All of Jerusalem. The City remains under israeli control today and visitors to the Wall at any time Day or night will find jews reciting prayers and stuffing written offerings into the cracks of the Stone Structure. Because it was the scene of so much attention the Wall is often referred to As the wailing Wall a Label some jews find demeaning. Quot we Don t like the word wailing Quot said Blum. Quot we Are not wailing Here. We Are praying. Just Call it the Wall there is no Effort by israelis to hide the explosive tension Between Many arabs and jews especially during the recent years of palestinian unrest throughout the country. The sight of an israeli Soldier toting an automatic weapon in one hand and a shopping bag in the other is a common one whether on a resort Beach or outside a military installation. And the same show of military strength is present in the holiest of old City places. Visitors to the Wall pass through israeli troop checkpoints where handbags and backpacks Are routinely inspected and the papers of arabs Are examined closely. Westerners get a better understanding of the concern for Security when a column of israeli schoolchildren Heads to the Wall guarded front and rear by dads carrying automatic and semiautomatic rifles. From the Wall the tour enters the area of the old City shared by the christians and muslims. A turn to the East brings you into the world of islam an exotic and ancient Community of narrow meandering alleys and lanes encased Between High Stone Walls. It is Home mostly to arabs the largest old City population. Crisscrossing passage ways Are jammed with merchants who operate specifically to take in your tourist dollars As Well As markets that sell the food and Basic necessities of life to the inhabitants. Vendors offering Rock in Roll cassettes operate next door to souvenir shops hawking classic Arab headgear and across a narrow Alley from Citrus and Olive brokers. Follow the Calls to worship and you la end up at the Gateway into the Temple mount also known As dome of the Rock the most universally sacred of the old City Sites. For the jews this is where Abraham nearly sacrificed his son Isaac where Solomon s Temple once stood where the Ark of the covenant holding the ten commandments was housed. For the muslims the Temple mount is the site from which Mohammed ascended to heaven. The Muslim Quarter is also Home to the largely symbolic via Dolorosa Quot the Way of sorrows Quot that is said to be the Road Christ walked As he carried the Cross to the site of his crucifixion. The path is broken Down to 13 Points of the final journey and moves from the Muslim to the Christian Quarter ending at the Church of the holy sepulchre which houses the places of Christ s death and entombment. The religious Sanctity of the via Dolorosa is based on religious Faith not history a result of Competition among churches All seeking a special closeness to Christ. The dispute Over the final Days on Earth of Christ extends to the Stone Tomb guarded by the Creek orthodox priest in the holy sepulchre. Though the priest nods affirmation without any Trace o uncertainty that beneath his feet Christ was buried after being taken from the Cross others say Jesus was buried near Damascus Gate on the Northern Wall to the City. Some say Jesus was buried Here Quot said Blum outside die Tomb. Others say outside Damascus  i say whatever you believe is True is  stripes Magazine december 24, 1992