Jerusalem!

I went to Jerusalem yesterday, and it was amazing!! I had been twice already, as we spent the first couple of days after we landed there, and I had also gone a couple of days later to visit the Kotel and the City of David. But this trip was different because I did it by myself, I took public transportation, and the purpose of my trip wasn't tourism. I was going to the Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance (JOH) for a meeting of the English Speakers Group.

Actually, I first went to visit the Merkaz, which is kind of like a community center for English speakers ages 19-35 (although they are pretty lose about this requirement.) I talked to one of the staff members there, and learned about what they offer and their programming. It should be a great resource for me in the future, and I am so glad they are so welcoming.

Then I spent some time walking around Jerusalem and getting lost. (Why would you put streets named Shlomtsyion HaMalkah and Shlomo HaMelech right next to each other, especially when the spelling is almost identical in Hebrew?) But I also recognized some streets, stores, and landmarks from my previous trips, which was very nice.

I arrived at JOH about a half an hour before the meeting, mostly because I had nothing else to do (I had already walked through the big outdoor concert promoting the Army on the street next to JOH.) The building that JOH is in has a pride flag hanging from the second floor window, so it was pretty easy to spot. I was greeted at the entrance by a very un-traditional security guard who looked through my bag (it was the fourth time that I had been searched that day.) JOH has space that includes two big hang out areas, a kitchen, two bathrooms, and some offices.

The meeting was just what I needed. It was mostly Americans who were studying at Hebrew University for the semester or year, but there were also people from France, Spain, and Canada, and not all the Americans were at Hebrew University (some were older.) We sat around a played games for most of the evening, and I asked lots and lots of questions. It was much like any sort of queer group, but it was a breath of fresh air for me, because it connected me to the community that I have been needing to find in Israel. I will definitely be back.