The Sparrows’ boisterous song reverberates through the narrow winding stone streets of the Old City of Jerusalem, and seems to grow louder as you approach the Kotel. Its lively sound is nearly as ever-present along the shores of the Yarkon River, near where the River flows into the Sea, part of a loud, mixed chorus […]
Tag Archives: Israel

Every spring, the Swifts return to nest in The Kotel. It is an incredible story, as the Common Swift is an uncommonly remarkable bird! They are superb aerialists – they eat, sleep and even mate on the wing. This spring I just missed the Welcoming Ceremony (see video below from 2012), but was fortunate to […]

My first encounter with Rabbi Shlomo Katz was in a class at Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo in the charming Nachlaot neighborhood of Jerusalem. He began and ended the shiur with a niggun, and his voice and guitar were beautiful to hear. Not long after, I saw Katz perform before a huge crowd at the 15th Annual […]