A TALE OF TWO CITIES: TEL AVIV AND JERUSALEM
Photos and article by Eleanor S. Morris

ISRAEL - Almost as wondrous as a Biblical miracle are two such different cities not an hour apart in one small country. Jerusalem, rising golden in thesunshine, weathered stones and arches layered in tiers up the hills of Judea. Tel Aviv, all glittering bright neon and glass, spreading flat as a pita bread along the Mediterranean Sea.

Whichever city you choose to see first, the contrast will be inescapable. Although Jerusalem is divided into the "new city" and the old, there is no denying the past anywhere. Wide boulevards may lead to modern museums and other sights in the new section, but always from the heights you'll look down on the older areas, the narrow streets of stone, the walls and arches. A large outdoor model of Old Jerusalem, hand constructed beside the Holy land Hotel by a talented artisan, makes it easier to understand the area, so it might be a good idea to go there before setting out for the real thing.

The Old City, focal point for the world's three main monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Moslem, is usually most visitors' prime objective. But first go beyond, up on the Mount of Olives, and look down upon the ancient Jewish Cemetery and over to the narrow winding streets and secluded courtyards of the Old City, revealing archaeological treasures thousands of years old. From here on a clear day you can see all the way to the Dead Sea. The olive trees in view are more than 2,000 years old and still bearing. Camels are at the lookout and for two shekels--about a dollar--you can mount one of the rocky animals. The driver will lead your camel in a brief circle and then you'll be glad to dismount. "You don't pay to get on, you pay to get off," is the local joke. Souvenir vendors are there in droves, as well.

Inside the Old City walls storybook sights become a reality: the Dome of the Rock, with its blue-mosaic-rimmed golden dome bright in the azure sky; the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (where you wait in line to enter the cave, only three at a time, and there may be a rather grouchy old Greek Orthodox trying to control the traffic as he sells you a taper to light in the small space); the Western Wall of the Temple (divided to separate men and women who come to pray and perhaps to cram paper prayers into crannies of the stone); the Cardo, ancient Roman Byzantine steppingstone walkway now lined with merchants selling brass and copper artifacts, jewelry, antiques, pottery and clothing.

Camel skin, sheepskin, furs, woven rugs and artworks-- here is the authentic flavor of an ancient bazaar. Buyers and sellers haggle here and everywhere inside the Souk, the crowded alleys of the Old City inside the Jaffa Gate. The very walls exude history and there is a Ramparts Walk atop them; you can look down on Old Jerusalem on one side and on the other the golden hills of Judea terraced by huge slablike apartment dwellings built of limestone. The Judean hills are covered with limestone and during the British mandate it was a British ordinance that everything must be built of local limestone. New on the old wall, at the Citadel and David's Tower, is a very well-done museum spanning Jerusalem history from the second century B.C. to the 17th century A.D.

A good beginning to the "new" part of Jerusalem is a trip up to the giant Menorah sculpture, symbol of the State of Israel, in front of Knesset, the Israeli Parliament. The huge candelabra is a Sabbath Menorah and has seven branches for the days of the week, and the Knesset has 120 members, following an ancient tradition of a gathering of 120 rabbis. The Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum displays the Dead Sea Scrolls and the newly discovered 2,000-year-old jug filled with oil now extinct. Yad Vashim, which means "Remember the Name," is the national and world authority memorial to the Holocaust, with permanent exhibitions and archives, an Eternal Light, and a Garden of Righteous Gentiles (who tried to save Jews from the Nazis). The new Children's Memorial, a cavernous black space lit by thousands of small twinkling lights and sounding with the names of each murdered child, is both awesome and heartbreaking.

Tel Aviv is quite a contrast. "New York, Barcelona--and Tel Aviv--are the three most lively cities in the world," say Tel Aviv dwellers. While there are fine museums--the Tel Aviv Art Museum has the largest collection of Alexander Archipenkos in the world and one of three principal collections of Edvard Munch; Ha'aretz Museum is a comprehensive storehouse of archaeological, anthropological and historical findings (you'll find the excavation revealing the bases of Sampson's pillars awesome); and Beth Hatefutsoth, the Museum of the Diaspora--the city likes to be known for its culture, its nightlife, and its shopping. "Wherever you go, you have something to do, concerts, opera, cabarets, dance," boast the city dwellers.

In summer the beachfront bustles with bikinis and water sport activity on what the Israelis claim is the cleanest beach in the world; in winter, visitors stroll along the mosaic-patterned beachfront promenade, stopping for delicious steaming Turkish coffee at one of the many cafes. The promenade of swirling mosaic pattern is a triumph over what fifteen years ago was a "red zone," a disreputable area, and now is a safe seaside walk along the Mediterranean all the way south to the ancient port of Old Jaffa, now a Tel Aviv suburb.

Art galleries, fashion boutiques, exquisite jewelry, internationally known swim and beachwear, all can be found on Dizengoff Street, leading to Dizengoff Circle with the brilliantly colored and dancing waters of Fire - Water Dizengoff Fountain. On Saturday, the Sabbath, when all else seems to close down, Dizengoff is crowded with strolling families, vibrant teenagers, happy couples all out taking the air, snacking at the cafes and enjoying the play of colors on the fountain.

High rise office buildings and hotels line the beachfront promenade; neon signs and clear plate glass windows display modern merchandise on Dizengoff and Ben Yehuda streets, snack foods, cafes and delicatessens attract smartly dressed or bluejeaned crowds--the locals are right, you could be in New York or Barcelona. But keep on heading south and you're back in ancient history again, in Old Jaffa, The beguiling Mediterranean setting is a recreation of walls which were standing when Ramses III took the city from the Philistines in the eleventh century B.C. A remnant of the gate of Ramses II is standing today, along with another ancient excavation along the waterfront. Jaffa, or Yafo in Hebrew, historically a port, is now a fisherman's wharf and it's a treat to lunch on the quay at an outdoor cafe, sampling some of the very fresh local catch.

The restored quarter offers charming hole-in-the-wall antique and jewelry boutiques, and the flea market in the Turkish section is an adventure. Real bargains, real antiques, real finds? "If you like it, buy it--but don't listen to the story the shopkeeper tells you!" is sound local advice.

So which is the best of the contrasting cities, Tel Aviv or Jerusalem? It's all a matter of preference; both have tremendous appeal. "Jerusalem is holy, Tel Aviv is human," says a local prophet. "If you want to be holy, stay in Jerusalem. The pulse of life is in Tel Aviv." Due to the country's enormous courage and restraint during the Gulf War, and the tenuous hope of accord with the Arabs, Israel's international esteem is at an all time high.

There is a new and vibrant spirit in Israel, a stronger-than- ever commitment to show the visitor what stuff Israel is made of. So, Jerusalem or Tel Aviv? By all means see them both!

Copyright Eleanor S. Morris