Jerusalem.

To be completely honest, I don't like Jerusalem all that much. Being non-religious, I guess I'm missing out on the whole spiritual experience. Over the few years, Jerusalem has turned into a much, much more religious city, and it seems as though if you are secular, you have no place there. The Jerusalem SlutWalk was held in the center of the city a couple of weeks ago. Before I left home to catch the bus to the city, I realized I felt uncomfortable in my short skirt. I felt uncomfortable wearing something that isn't "modest" in my own capital city, the city in which I was born.  

As a kid, I used to love Jerusalem. I used to love walking around in the city center with my mom, eating soup at my favorite Italian restaurant, window-shopping at all the beautiful stores built at the feet of ancient buildings, and wandering through the little art galleries. As I got older, Jerusalem lost part of its magic. 

Eventually I wore the skirt I wanted to wear, and the SlutWalk was incredibly empowering. I took some photos, but when I got home I realized I didn't like quiet a few of them. A few days ago I had a few errands to run at the recruiting office in the city, and I decided to take my camera with me. For about an hour and a half, I walked near the Ben Yehuda market, ate a delicious fruit salad at the Nachman coffee shop, and discovered an amazing second-hand bookstore. I hope that I'll be able to visit and rediscover Jerusalem this upcoming summer as well.

Alona