Shachar

Dateline Jerusalem — This week I took a trip to Tsfat (also known as Safed).

It is one of the four holiest cities for Jews. The holiest city is Jerusalem. The other holiest cities are Hebron, which is where the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were buried, and the city of Tiberias, which is the home of the Jerusalem Talmud and is a famous center of Jewish learning.

Dateline Jerusalem — I can understand why the entire world fights over the right to Jerusalem. It is more than just the spiritual, religious, political and historical nature of the city. It is the most beautiful city in the world.

I have walked its neighborhoods, every one with a unique character of its own.

Dateline Jerusalem — I often make comparisons between Israel and California. Israelis who have visited California agree that the two places are similar. For example, it is said that the only place to find Joshua trees, inherent to the Mojave Desert and in almost every backyard in the Antelope Valley, is in Israel. In Palmdale/Lancaster (Antelope Valley), it is illegal to uproot the Joshuas without transplanting them elsewhere. Sort of like an endangered species of plants.

Dateline Jerusalem — One of my great fears is an earthquake.

Growing up in California makes one earthquake conscious, but I have never been comfortable because of the Big One looming out there.

Dateline Jerusalem — The time difference between Israel and California is 10 hours.

My family and friends tend to forget this.

Right now it is 9 a.m. Thursday for me and 11 p.m. Wednesday for you. I have been awake since 3:45 a.m. when my daughter called. She did not think that I would be asleep. “Mom, I knew you would be up,” she said.

If only she knew I had been speaking with her brother and sister on calls between midnight and 1:30 a.m. They also “knew” I would be up.

I have a great telephone system that allows me to have a California phone number that rings in Israel.

Dateline Jerusalem — Today I took a train to meet friends in Tel Aviv, and from there we went by car to Herzliya.

­ Most people in Israel use public transportation. The cost of a car, insurance, gasoline and parking is more than most can afford.

­ Dateline Jerusalem — I went to the Kotel (koh-tell, also called the The Wall, Western Wall and Wailing Wall) on Tuesday. It is the holiest place in Judaism because it is the sole remnant of the Holy Temple. It is said that G-d’s presence rests on the Wall. I am an absolute believer.

Dateline Jerusalem — What would you do?

I ask that question of all of you, as well as of myself.

As a former peace officer and then defense attorney, I have seen and heard horrible things, murder, mayhem, child abuse. Sometimes they were beyond imagination.

For the last year I have been writing about my aliyah experiences here in Israel.

Initially I wrote to close family and friends.

One of them suggested that the editor of this newspaper, Ari Noonan, read my material. As a result, I have a weekly column. Thank you, Ari, for your encouragement and support.

Dateline Jerusalem — Israel is so beautiful.

The beaches along the Mediterranean Sea are clean and the water is a clear blue.

In Tel Aviv, hotels line the streets with views of the sparkling sea.