Reclaiming Yerushalayim

B"H

I have, for the most part, put my blogging on hold so I can better prepare for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur but I felt it was important to post this now. Yerushalayim has been taken over by goyim. Everywhere you look there are tourists, Darfur refugees, Fillipinos and xians. When I am walking in the center of town or riding a bus, I don't even feel like I am in Israel anymore. Of course, what can we expect when many Jews are leaving Yerushalayim for places like Modiin, Maaleh Adumim or Beit Shemesh. Why are people leaving? Apparently a bigger apartment, a yard or a car are more important than the kedusha of Yerushalayim or the kotel or Har Habayit. So, how can we complain about the government wanting to give away Yerushalayim if we don't appreciate her?

I stopped going, for a few months, to daven in the Old City because it seemed like every time I went, I had to fight with goyim just to daven. It seems insane to me that I, as a Jew, have to fight with goyim to daven at our holy sights. When I go to Kever David, tourists push me aside so they can take pictures, they are obnoxious and rude. They have no respect and they look at us as if we are on display, even taking pictures of the women davening without asking permission. Kever David(the women's side) is a small place, 12 women could fill the place and the tourists wouldn't be able to get in. You would think there would be atleast 12 Jewish women davening there at all times but there isn't. It is even worse at the kotel. It is nearly impossible to actually touch the wall because the tourists all have to get a picture of themselves posing there. They don't understand that a Jew can't move during certain parts of davening so they just move you over with their bodies. Yesterday there was a group of nuns there. What possible reason could a nun have to go to the kotel. They don't believe it has any spiritual significance. Once a xian woman actually crossed herself next to me. Many years ago there were rules. Women must cover up their bodies. No crosses were showing. No pictures being taken of the worshippers. Now, apparently, anything goes and no one says anything about it.

The last place to daven in peace was the ezrat nashim off the kotel tunnels but that has even been taken over by tourists now. Yesterday morning a group of ten women tourists scantily dressed came into the ezrat nashim when I was leaving. Their tour guide waited outside which seemed strange to me. They were talking, completely oblivious to the fact that they had just entered a shul where people were davening shacharit. They opened the curtain to take pictures of the men davening below and one woman turned to photograph the women who were davening. This disrespect for our holy places and the sanctity of the intimate moments of our conversations with HaShem, enraged me. The tourists went out to the tour guide and I noticed she was speaking in English, so I interrupted her and told her that it was extremely rude and disrespectful to take pictures of people davening. She first denied it then apologized, obviously not caring.

We need to correct this chillul HaShem. We must reclaim Yerushalayim and demand respect before it is too late. This is our country and our holy places and no one is going to do it for us. Everyone should remember that not long ago, Jews cried and prayed and sacrificed for Yerushalayim. We have a great privilege, don't take it for granted.