This is what happened last weekend...

Well, on Friday several of us went down to the Old city near the “Ecce Homo” church (behold the man) where Christians gather on Friday afternoons to walk the “Via Dolorosa” or retrace the steps Christ took with the Cross. There are 14 stops where some monks read something in Latin or Italian, and then English, ending at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Some of the stops are recorded in the Bible and others are like “this is where Mary wiped Jesus’ brow.” It was cool. On the way there we passed a ton of people going to the Haram Al-Sharif or to the Dome of the Rock for Ramadan in the evening, along with shops set up to sell food and other trinkets to the worshippers. (Muslims don’t eat or drink during the day until sundown for a month during Ramadan, but then at night they feast.) As we were waiting for the Via Dolorosa to start, we found a great view of the whole temple mount, and all the people there for Ramadan getting ready to have picnics, or so it looked. Then we walked with the other Christians through the Via Dolorosa. After getting some pizza at Jacob’s pizza near Jaffa gate (it’s Christian so it wasn’t closed for Muslim Ramadan or the Jewish Sabbath), and looking over some overlooks just outside of it, we headed over to the Western wall to welcome in the Sabbath with the Jews.  Oh but before that we went up on a housetop walkway above Jerusalem and it was lots of fun to be able to just explore and walk over houses and look into streets. Lots of people use that way to walk but most probably don’t explore around like we did. When we headed toward the Western Wall, there was tons of differently dressed Ultra-orthodox Jews as well as other types of Jews walking through the streets toward the wall as well as at the wall. I really enjoyed being at the Wall, the Jews say that the Divine presence has never left the Wall, and I agree; you can really feel the spirit there. Being at the wall is defiantly one of the coolest things I looked forward to before this trip and one of my favorites here. I hope I can find time to go back but I don’t know if I will before I have to go home. L But what neat experience to be able to experience three of the world’s religions in just one afternoon and evening. That’s why I came here!

Saturday or the Sabbath we had church and later went to a fireside in which Brother Kearl, whose been the Assistant President of the Jerusalem Center since 1989 (the guy who’s in charge of this place back in Provo connected to BYU.) He talked about the Jerusalem center and how it got started. I’ll tell you more about that in a minute.

At night we had a “triclinium” experience, where a committee of students set up a triclinium (a three sided table much like the one Christ would have sat at during the Last supper.) We had one of our teachers talk about what a Jewish Passover would have been like at that time in this area, then we read John 13-17 about the last supper, as well as had severely musical numbers. It was fun and spiritually enlightening.

Hey by the way there are three fasts going on this week. Ramadan of course as mentioned earlier. Then this Sabbath was fast Sabbath for us Mormons (1rst Sabbath of every month), and then Monday night to Tuesday the Jews have the fast to commemorate the destruction of the temple which happened the 9^th of Ave (Also on the 9^th of August this year- the Jewish calendar and Roman one line up this year.) Anyway  some food for thought. J

So the History of the Jerusalem Center- (I always wanted to know the history but I was never able to find it out before I came). To start out you have to begin with Orson Hyde, who came here in October of 1841 to dedicate the Holy Land for the return of the Jews. He was called on a mission from Nauvoo to go to the Holy Land. His companion got to the East Coast of the U.S. and didn’t go any further, so Orson went alone.  It took him 18 months to arrive. When he arrived Jerusalem was a run down part of the Ottoman Empire, with only 20,000 people, all inside the “old city” walls. It was dangerous outside at night and they’d close the gates to protect against marauders. One day he climbed the Mount of Olives and dedicated the Holy Land for the gathering of the Jews. He did not, however, dedicate the land for MISSIONARY work; Brother Kearl pointed out and thought it important. Since then there were 11 dedications, 7 of which we have records and they’re all for the gathering of the Jews.

Things stop there until 1967, when BYU started branching out its study abroad programs around the world. Basically BYU started a study abroad in Israel in 1967 right before the war, and the students arrived just after the war. It was originally planned to be set in West Jerusalem (the Jewish side) and they’d take field trips to the Jordanian side. But with the war Israel gained the whole West Bank and East Jerusalem. By direction of President McKay, the prophet at the time, the program was to give equal time in effort to teach both Jewish culture and history as well as Arab and Muslim. Since then they’ve kept that directive. The program, which was housed in various locations, including a Kibbutz (Rabbat Rachel) and a little building still called the Mormon House even though no Mormons have been there in some time, lasted through 5 wars. In 1972 Harold B. Lee established the LDS church in the country and its first branch and district. In his talk to the congregation and later others he outlined three dreams he wanted to see happen: 1. The Book of Mormon translated into Hebrew, 2. A plaque or monument of some type on the Mount of Olives to commemorate Orson Hyde’s journey, and 3. A Place where the church could have a presence and have a permanent home for the study abroad. The first goal, translate the BOM, took place by a Jewish translator and was put in the 1rst Presidency vault and has never been published, and may never according to Kearl. The second took place when the Mayor of Jerusalem came to the LDS church and said they had a plot of land available on the Mount of Olives if they would like to buy it, make a park, and donate it back to the city. The church said it wouldn’t use tithing funds to do it, but started a non profit which quickly gained the money to buy, develop it, and give it back to the city to take care of. The church nor BYU takes care of the park today but is kept up by an organization that works for the Israeli government.

The third goal, having a building to house a study abroad program, started when the first presidency and several members of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles took a trip to the Holy Land. Apparently those who were here took President Tanner to several spots that were available for purchase. They came to one spot that President Tanner thought was good, but to get a better view of the temple mount walked out further to the spot just by Hebrew University, where the center now sits. President Tanner said “why not this?” they said “It’s not for sale!” He said well that’s fine, but bring President Kimball over here when you visit that other spot. They did and President Kimball said to build there. They said “it’s not for sale, we don’t even know who owns it!” Apparently the trust of a Palestinian clan owned it, but refused to sell it, but would allow the Church to build on it under a lease. So the church decided to build on it! It was constructed by the First Presidency, under their direction, not BYU or the usual church construction company. Things were going well until the Ultra-orthodox Jews found out who was building on the hill. Apparently there was bitter opposition by the busload with pickets outside for years: workers were spit on, and according to one of our service couples, people with baseball bats who came in wrecking the place. It was published in the newspaper that the man Eleazar Rahat who was building the building would never build another building if he continued to support the Mormons. The Ultra-orthodox had enough sway that they were going to confiscate the building. However, the U.S. Senate stepped in, and the vote in the Kinesset barely failed to confiscate the building. The church had some second thoughts about continuing when all this happened, of course, and sent the Elder Hunter and Faust to work things out. Apparently in one meeting with Mr. Rahat, Elder Hunter asked Rahat “Eli, are you going to stand with us?” and he said “the question is not will I stand with you but will you stand with me?” After that they pretty much went forward with things. They moved students in before the building was even complete, in 1987. However, they didn’t even have the lease officially! But it eventually came: a 49 year least renewable with other conditions for another 49 years. It was the most expensive building the church had ever built at the time except the San Diego Temple., and they didn’t even own the land! We still don’t. Also, part of working out a deal was the church agreed not to proselyte, the University as well, and they changed the building from a church to a University building, among other things. They have a closed congregation there as well. In 1989 they had a small dedication ceremony when it was finished, and it’s had student here until today with the exception of the 2^nd intifada from 2002-2007. Brother Keurl gave some lessons: one was how righteous Jews contributed and allowed the building to be built. Another was he complemented our current leader of the building, Mr. Hayet, who is Jewish and how much he loved and understands young Mormons.

He also talked a little about how the center has grown by “dumb luck” stuff. One was how the center won lots of awards and so people eventually wanted tours. At the hay day they were giving tours to 70-80 thousand people a year, now that number is more like 45 thousand. Kearl say they’ll return several times because “there is a feeling in that building that there is nowhere else in Jerusalem.” It’s true. J Also, with the immigration of Jews from Russia in the 90’s, there were many concert musicians who didn’t have anywhere to perform, so the center started a weekly concert series. That grew, as well as an exhibit that featured local artists. We feature the finest weekly classical music in Jerusalem and maybe the whole country. Eventually in the year 2000 for the 3000^th anniversary of David taking Jerusalem they asked the center to be lit up and selected as one of the great buildings of Jerusalem. That’s neat because it was a sign that the building had gone from a foreign intrusion to being an integral part the city.

Via Dolorosa walk

Posing Near Jaffa Gate in West J-Ru.

Triclinium night.

Psuedo-ancient Triclinium recreation

Also, the Jerusalem center, despite popular Mormon myth, is not designed to be instantly converted into a Temple. It’s not built like one, with most of the space being classrooms, offices and bedrooms. There are no secret things underground, as I can attest because I toured down there once. Also the whole building is built to be very open with very large windows and patios- just not a lot like a temple, something I realized when I got here. Probably, the Jews will build a temple here, and we one in the New Jerusalem in the Americas!