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"I remember that in my childhood, every summer,
when it came to school vacation time, we each packed a suitcase of
clothes and left for Jerusalem. There was a family in Jerusalem
with three children, just like us, and we exchanged apartments for
the entire summer. For them it was a chance to see the
Mediterranean, and for us it was important to my parents that the
elders of the family know us, the children, and for us to know
where their family lived in Jerusalem. I hated the old road to
Jerusalem - it took three hours by bus to get there, and that
didn't include the times we had to stop because I was sick and
throwing up every few minutes (because of the old winding road to
Jerusalem.) So though my parents wanted us to love going to
Jerusalem--it was supposed to be a great vacation--but for me I
remember how I hated the road to Jerusalem. Of course, once we
were there I loved it--the cool fresh air, the smell of the
freshly baked bread in the bakery nearby, the chickens in my
uncle's yard, and my being urged to eat fresh eggs for breakfast.
But, despite the road and being made to eat breakfast--I
loved being in Jerusalem. There was also a special sound to
Jerusalem, that was new to me-- the chanting, singing, bells. In
the quiet of Jerusalem you could hear the bells of churches, the
Muazin calls for prayers, and the chanting that emanated from the
Jewish synagogues. Then there were tradesmen pushing their carts,
all singing loud in order to be heard. To me, Jerusalem didn't
look much, but had the greatest sounds I ever heard. Actually, I
travelled a lot during my life, but I've never heard another town
that sings - the only one was Jerusalem. Compared to it, Tel Aviv
seemed to be very quiet." *
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