Preface

Jews
of Montreal

A Christian
in Israel

- Preface
- Table of contents
- Gallery
- Jerusalem
- Conclusion

Whole-In-One
Golf Book

Montreal’s Sherbrooke
Street

Walking
Aventures
in Europe

Photographs
of My World

Memories and Profiles of McGill

About the Author

Throughout our lives the word Church always has had a meaning; for some, it is their life, for others it is just a building; there are many shades of observance between the two.

Capernaum, Jordan River, Dead Sea, Jerusalem are all places that most people have heard of, while there are a lucky few that have visited them. They come to life and gain new meanings when you travel to the Holy Land.

In 1099 the armed pilgrims of the First Crusade arrived thirsty for revenge, slaughtered all the Muslims and Jews, and had Jerusalem all to themselves.

I arrived 900 years later, an unarmed pilgrim, thirsty for knowledge in a teeming city of Muslims, Jews and Christians who jammed the main streets and souks.

Returning home, I realized I had enough information to write another book. Here would be not a guide, not an academic work, but a work combining all interesting aspects of Palestine and Israel.

My interest in biblical scholarship slowly dried up after weekly divinity classes at boarding school. Occasionally, at church, I remembered place names and personalities, so when I decided to go to the Holy Land, I realized I would finally be able to see and touch these historical, even mythical, sites.

And at the same time try to answer the questions, that had formed during my research, about the political situation between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and the critical problems that the Israel and Palestinians have – caught between warring religious and cultural groups.

It would be an adventure.

The balloonist Bertrand Piccard said after he circumnavigated the globe: "Adventure is something out of the usual pattern, a point at which you cannot avoid confronting the unknown – so that you have to dig deep within yourself, to find the courage and resources to deal with what may lie ahead, and to succeed!"

Luckily for me, my great friend Neil Caplan received a fellowship and would be in Jerusalem. He invited me to stay for two weeks. I phoned my old university friend Danny Kingstone in Tel Aviv and was invited there for three days. For the rest of my trip I would be travelling without reservations, taking buses and hitchhiking throughout Israel and the Occupied Territories.

The objectives of the book are simply put but questionably attainable – only you can decide: to make the readers realize that the Holy Land and places in Israel are important places to visit, and that such a trip will have a significant impact on your life. You can re-educate yourself about Christianity, study history and present-day events, and realize you can have a great time at a realistic low price.

The Holy Land has been idealized. It is as much as a symbol as an actual place. A Christian, Jew or Muslim all look upon the area as a place to revere, everyone's Holyland.

For a Christian, every moment is an excitement – there is so much to see. From awakening until sleep, your mind tries to comprehend the dynamics of the Holy Land.

Here you cannot be just a tourist; you must be an adventurer. It is best to arrive with hours of study behind you, your camera at the ready and your mind open to the shock of seeing three separate, vigorous cultures sometimes in harmony, sometimes at odds, sometimes at war with each other.

It was an experience that has helped me continue to shape my life.

The trip crystalized my concept that I am not a born-again Christian but have always been a never-died Christian.