Friday 3 October 2014 Walk into the Old City on Yon Kippur

We walked into the Old City (about 15 min. walk) on the Eve of Yon Kippur.  Yon Kippur is their holiest Jewish day of the year.  It is their day of atonement where they repent of their sins.  Yon Kippur comes one week after the Jewish New Year which is Rosh Hashana.  Thus the Jews have a week after the new year to think about their lives and what they need to repent of.  There are no cars allowed on the highway on Yon Kippur.  On Sat. for church, only those who could walk to church came.  We couldn't drive to Bethlehem for church.  In the Old City, the roads were very quiet.

Walking through the Old City was quiet.

This is the road that runs in front of Jaffa Gate.  Notice no traffic.  It is usually bumper to bumper.



In front of the old municipal buildings across the corner from the Old City  was very quiet also.

Hardly anyone was out as it was the Eve of Yon Kippur.

The west side of the Old City is in the Jewish neighborhood and everything was quiet.

As we walked through the Palestinian area of Jerusalem, there was a lot of activity and many motor bikes were parked near Damascus Gate.


Shops were open at Damascus Gate as it is a Palestinian area.

This is inside the lower gate.  The grounds inside the center are immaculate.