by Reb Akiva @ Mystical Paths

Part 1 of this photospread here, and Part 2 here.

No pictorial or visit to the Old City is complete nowadays without a stop at the rebuild Hurva synagogue.  This synagogue has the sad and now happy history of being both the largest in the Old City and having been destroyed twice and rebuilt 3 times.

For those who remember pictures of the Jewish Quarter from the past, this space was two crumbling walls and a single arch – which is the outer building arch you see below.  Today it’s an incredible huge beautiful synagogue…

It’s very hard to capture this synagogue in pictures…it’s shape just doesn’t fit a camera frame as it’s an open space many stories high with a dome above.  It was filled with worshippers for Jerusalem Day…

And here’s a video of them… (my camera doesn’t do it justice, the acoustics were incredible as was the singing.)

Most of the synagogue was carefully recreated from a few photos of it’s last incarnation, after which is was blown up by the Jordanians.

A couple of years ago the Temple Institute’s creation of a Golden Menorah according to the specifications of the Torah for the Beis HaMikdash (Holy Temple) was brought up from being hidden away in the Cardo to the steps down to the Kotel.  This is solid gold and worth some millions of dollars and is kosher for use in the Holy Temple (though there are differences of opinion on whether the arms should be curved or straight).

Standing in the Old City at sundown looking towards Har HaZetim (the Mt. of Olives) we get a clue of why Jerusalem is the City of Gold…

I’ll end our 3 part tour with a few pictures leaving the Old City.  Here is the Yemin Moshe neighborhood, right outside the walls of the Old City…

And the Jerusalem Old City walls south of Jaffa gate…

Whether you consider Jerusalem Day a holy day, a festival, or just take note of the blessing of a Jew being able to freely visit Jerusalem, Jerusalem is a blessing for the Jewish people and free for all who wish to visit or pray here.

Thank G-d.