At the Western Wall (HaKotel Hamaaravi)

No trip to Israel or Jerusalem is complete without being at the Western Wall -  a unique place of prayer for jewish and non -jewish visitors.  The wall , a fragment of the original Wall, is the only remnant of the Great Temple and therefore the most sacred structure to Jews who feel that the Divine Presence has not left the place with the destruction of the holy temple.

the golden Dome of the Rock in the background

the Wall seen from the main plaza 

elderly orthodox jew walking along the main square

I haven't been at the Western Wall (also known as the Wailing Wall) in a long while, and that has bothered me. 
So, a week before the arrival of December - last month of the year and the first month of winter, I finally decided to go to Jerusalem and visit the Wall, have some praying near the ancient rocks and insert a written wish in a crack between them ,absorb the spiritual atmosphere dominating the place, look around to see what's new or changed on the site, and take a few pictures.

Welcome poster

Me (my head covered with a cap) praying.....

slips of paper with people's written wishes in the crevices of the wall

philipino women at the wall

Besides the massive crowds of visitors from all over the world, there are soldiers and policemen at the spot, to ensure security; also a lot of white plastic chairs for the elderly to sit and pray in comfort.
However, what immediately catches the eye is the separation between men and women, both at the entrance security Check, and  at the Prayer site near the wall . 

women's prayer section (see the greenish separating fence)

lots of white plastic chairs

women of all ages (girl, young  female soldiers, elderly women).

I don't mind the segregation itself ( in crowded places like this one, it prevents opportunities of minor sexual harassment , and that's good). I do mind, though, the fact that the women's prayer section is smaller than that of the men's section. Why this inequality?  In fact,during my visit (on a regular day, in the early afternoon hours), there were more women praying at the wall than men.

both prayer sections and the greenish fence between them

men's prayer section

People leaving the prayer site usually do so with the face to the wall, out of respect. It reminds me of our family female doctor who has once told me this: 'your father is a most remarkable person; he never leaves my office with the back to me'.

Coffee Seal

The main street in my hometown  has several centers with shops and offices, one of them named Sharon Center. The front of this building, facing the street, is a double attraction: a McDonalds and a coffee shop named Hotam Hakafe (Coffee Seal - in english translation from hebrew).

Two things make the above cafe special: one, the owner is a known expert on coffee and everything related to it; two, the place regularly hosts cultural events (lectures and music performances) enjoyed not only by customers, but also by passersby.The facade, and one side of the cafe, are all glass, so this enables people to view and hear the singers and instrument players that perform inside.

The coffee shop is tiny, but well designed. 
The back, green wall has at its one end a high quality coffee machine, glasses, cups and  light food items (pastry, snacks); at the other end - built in wood boxes and shelves displaying a variety of coffee brands. Some tables and chairs inside and outside complete the arrangement.

I love coffee. When I was young, I used to drink black strong coffee; later on, I switched to Nescafe (red mug) with a little milk. I prefer the decaffeinated version, but it's very expensive in our parts.

When I'm out, I usually have a cappucino. Most coffee shops make a decent cappucino.

Coffe shops always remind me of the last military campaign we had some three years ago. I was in Tel Aviv city near a cafe, when the alarm started to 'yell' and people were running for shelter; three men were sitting around a table outside, chatting and drinking as if nothing was happening around.

I threw an inquisitive look in their direction; one of them said to me laconically "if I am to die at least it'll be at my favorite cafe".
I thought then, and I think now, it was stupid , conceited behaviour on his part.