Anabelle Harari: Return to Jerusalem

The last time I lived in Jerusalem I was interning at a human rights organization for the summer. I spent my days learning Arabic, commuting in and out of the West Bank and generally wishing I was tanning on the beach in Tel Aviv with all the other Americans on vacation, instead of going to political rallies.

I vowed never to come back.

Three years later I find myself in the city that brought me so much discomfort and disillusion- Jerusalem. I viewed Jerusalem as the place where religious fanatics go to hate each other; where religion dominated the cultural scene and a place where people were just too different to get along.

I brought these biases with me in September 2012. I spoke as little Hebrew or Arabic as possible (despite being able to speak both languages) and stuck to the Anglo-Hippie-Peace-Loving enclave of Nachlaot- the neighborhood I lived in. I chose to only hang out with my American friends, pretended not to know Hebrew when people were rude to me on the street and generally just tried to ignore the social and cultural pressures in order to survive.

Fast forward a few more months and I come across this organization called Ruach Chadasha: An organization whose main goal is to make Jerusalem more fun. They do this by hosting cultural events, parties, lectures and community gatherings. Turns out there were other people like me out there: people who wanted to build a community not necessarily focused on religious practice and/or political beliefs. It was made up of mostly young people who want to live, learn and generally enjoy life; a group of people that didn’t want to be labeled and categorized into any specific identifiable box.

Since finding about Ruach Chadasha, I’ve learned of a great many more exciting things happening in Jerusalem. For example, the community garden network in this city is truly amazing. People come and volunteer at gardens across the city in order to make Jerusalem greener. They also help to foster new and diverse communities and personal bonds.

My friends have also found inspiration and started small ventures like a weekly yoga class in my living room, a pop-up café (that was unfortunately busted) and a communal living room.

It’s these unceremonious but inspired activities that have made me really appreciate living in Jerusalem: creative and entrepreneurial outbursts by individuals and organizations alike. Sure, there’s no beach here, and if you walk around wearing short shorts and a tank top you WILL get stared at. But the city also has a different and alternative vibe. People walk to the beat of their own drum, and generally people are happy to sit outside on a nice day -we cherish those here -and drink a cup of coffee.

What I’ve come to realize -over many months and much frustration at times – is that Jerusalem is not just a place for religious zealots or those seeking spiritual enlightenment (though you can obviously find them here). Among the oldest and holiest cities in the world, it nonetheless is a place that welcomes all walks of life and encourages creative expression and community building.

 

It’s taken a while for me to come to a place of understanding and appreciation for Jerusalem, but now that I’m here I wouldn’t be anywhere else.

 

Anabelle Harari is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College. She is asustainable food blogger and the community attaché forBirthright Israel experts. You can find her in Jerusalem probably eating cheese in the shuk. You can connect with her@thelocalbelle.