A Peek into Jerusalem’s Future

I have written before about Batim MiBifnim – Jerusalem Open Houses, both my general appreciation of the free event and about a tour I guided in a previous year. For those who are unfamiliar, this is an annual event that lasts three days. There are walking tours, entry into architecturally interesting private homes and public Read More

Fun Joel’s Shuk Tours Offer a Taste of Jerusalem

One of my more popular specialty tours has always been my Machane Yehuda tasting tour. And lately, following all of the posts I’ve written about the shuk, and the popular reception of my map of every stand in the market, these tours have become even more popular. Still, a lot of people ask me, “So Read More

Jerusalem Walking Tours for Sukkot

It is about time that I brought back my “Jerusalem: Meet Jerusalem” walking tour series. And while I am nearing completion on a few new ones that I hope to publicize and guide over the next few months, I want to reprise the first three I did. What better time to do that than when Read More

My Tour at Batim MiBifnim This Week

I’ve written here in the past about the always popular and equally awesome Batim MiBifnim event in Jerusalem. Though the name literally means “Houses from Within” or “Open Houses,” the annual event features so much more than just a peak into private homes. Numerous private institutions and historical buildings also open their doors to the Read More

All You Want to Know About Machane Yehuda – Part 5: The Shuk Calendar

Click Here for Part 4 of “All You Want to Know About Machane Yehuda” Now that I’ve covered the history and development of the Machane Yehuda Market, I want to focus on the “whens” of the shuk. The market is not the same every time you visit there. It shifts and changes with the hours Read More

All You Want to Know About Machane Yehuda – Part 4: Making Improvements

Click Here for Part 3 of “All You Want to Know About Machane Yehuda” The shuk today is much nicer, cleaner and developed than it once was. (I know some people still think it is too dirty or smelly, but I disagree. Not trying to convince anyone though!) The improvements began in the 1970s, and Read More

All You Want to Know About Machane Yehuda – Part 3: Building Permanence

Click Here for Part 2 of “All You Want to Know About Machane Yehuda” Following the early developments at Machane Yehuda Market through the first few decades of the 20th Century, the shuk found a permanent home in Jerusalem. This called for other changes that would solidify this permanence, over the decades of the mid-century. Read More

All You Want to Know About Machane Yehuda – Part 2: The Early Years

Click Here for Part 1 of “All You Want to Know About Machane Yehuda” In my last post on “the Shuk,” I gave you some of the background information. What the shuk is, why it is located where it is and where its name comes from. But I also mentioned that I see Machane Yehuda Read More

All You Want to Know About Machane Yehuda – Part 1: Background

One of my absolute favorite places in Jerusalem — and not just as a tour guide but also as a city resident — is Machane Yehuda, the outdoor market at the heart of the city. I’m a real foodie, and this market (commonly just referred to as “the shuk” — the Hebrew and Arabic word Read More

Jerusalem: A Walk Through Christian History

Recently, I have been preparing my next Jerusalem: Meet Jerusalem walking tour, which will focus on Christian Jerusalem for Non-Christians. In the process I have come to explore and discover many of Jerusalem’s churches. Obviously, Jerusalem is a very holy city to Christianity, and there are innumerable churches here, with each of them receiving countless Read More