Finding Sanctuary in Jerusalem - First Things

Finding Sanctuary in Jerusalem - First Things

I arrived in Jerusalem on the evening of June 11, but what was meant to be a four-day visit stretched into two weeks. When Israel launched missiles at Iran’s nuclear and military facilities on June 13, everything shut down: airports, airspace, checkpoints, even the gates into the Old City. But while my planned pilgrimage to the Holy Land imploded, I discovered a different aspect of pilgrimage: the key role of religious orders and houses in offer…

An unexpected extended stay in Jerusalem

It was to be our shortest trip to Israel yet – a quick two-week dash to see my precious elderly cousin, attend a two-day Technion Board of Governors meeting, and have five nights of spiritual uplift and reconnecting with old friends and family in Jerusalem. Indeed we dashed – but our paths ended up being to and from the safe room in our Jerusalem hotel! Arriving in Israel in early June 2025, the atmosphere seemed very comparable to that we had f…