zakshop24@gmail.com<\/a>. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nHis shop is very close to Josef\u2019s Emporium, and for not a lot of money, I delighted some children from our church at home with coins from figures mentioned in the Bible. \u00a0Be clear about what you want to spend, but Zak is honest and fair.\u00a0For fine Judaica, your best bet is the shops along King David Street and in the Ben Yehuda pedestrian mall area. \u00a0You can find everything from antiques to brilliant, modern interpretations of traditional Jewish objects and art. This area costs more, of course, and unlike the market, prices will be fixed unless you\u2019re buying a lot. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\u00a0Mamilla Mall<\/strong>\u00a0area between the Jaffa Gate and the New City, spanning the Valley of Gehinnom, has vastly expanded shopping options near the Old City\u2014this is a very upscale locale. \u00a0For more information on shopping options, search the Israel forum on TripAdvisor for \u201cshopping,\u201d and you will find whole threads of suggestions on that topic.\u00a0For the other days, possibilities include:\u00a0You can also walk around and see some of the other gates into the Old City\u2014there are seven altogether. \u00a0The\u00a0Damascus Gate and the Lion\u2019s Gate<\/strong>\u00a0are the most elaborate and interesting. \u00a0The\u00a0New Gate<\/strong>\u00a0is from 1889. \u00a0That\u2019s Jerusalem!\u00a0The Mount of Olives.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nThis site will be of interest to both Christians and Jews. \u00a0For Jews, it is the site of the massive\u00a0Jewish Cemetery<\/strong>, with graves going back to Second Temple times, and even modern luminaries such as former Prime Minister Menachem Begin are buried there. \u00a0For Christians, the Mount of Olives marks both the beginning of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday as well as the site of his anguish, betrayal, and arrest following the Last Supper, and according to at least one Gospel, his subsequent ascension into heaven. Several churches commemorate these events, but the main ones to see are\u00a0Dominus Flevit<\/strong>\u00a0(\u201cthe Lord wept\u201d) higher on the hill and the\u00a0Church of All Nations at Gethsemane<\/strong>\u00a0farther down. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe latter is a modern church, quite spectacular, and the olive grove and quiet garden outside is the probable site of ancient Gethsemane, which means \u201cplace of the oil press\u201d in Hebrew. \u00a0It is one of the most peaceful, moving places in Israel for Christians, much more spiritually affecting for me than more famous sites such as the Holy Sepulcher. Just try to time your visit to miss the tour bus crowds! \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally, if you can get into the breathtaking\u00a0Russian Orthodox Church of Mary Magdalene<\/strong>, that is a special treat, but its hours are quite limited, Tuesday and Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.\u00a0Note: \u00a0Sam Salem<\/strong>\u00a0(p. 56) has connections in the church and may be able to get you in outside of these times, so consider that when touring with him. \u00a0But check out the gorgeous, gilded onion domes on left, which are perhaps the most stunning visual when looking at the Mount of Olives!\u00a0By the way, a great resource on Jerusalem\u2019s array of Christian churches is\u00a0Aviva Bar-Am\u2019s book,\u00a0Beyond the Walls: Churches of Jerusalem<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0(Avha Press Jerusalem, 1998). \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nShe is a renowned travel writer and former correspondent for the\u00a0