Judaism in Context: Rick Steves’ Documentary on The Holy Land

Rick Steves’ Documentary on The Holy Land
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Rick Steves’ Documentary on The Holy Land
The rich history and culture of the Jews date back to more than 4000 years during the time of the patriarch Abraham and his two sons. In Israel, there lies the oldest monotheistic religions, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism (Rick Steves’ Europe, 2014). Rick Steves’ The Holy Land: Israelis and Palestinians Today documentary showcased how the people with major differences in beliefs coexist in the world’s Holy Land. There is a lot of information about Israel and Palestine, such as way of life, beliefs, and traditions. Still, the focus of this paper will be on religion, specifically the Jewish religion, and the three things that can be discovered about it in the documentary.
“For so many people, Jerusalem is the closest place on earth to heaven” (Rick Steves’ Europe, 2014). Jerusalem is known to have the world’s holiest sites, namely the Dome of the Rock of the Muslims, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre of the Christians, and the Western Wall of the Jews. According to the documentary, the Western Wall is an open-air synagogue where people pay their respects and pray. The Jewish also have this practice of writing down their prayers and wishes on paper and putting it in the cracks and crevices of the Western Wall in the belief that it will be granted to them. People can also be seen focused, eyes closed, and deep in prayer with their foreheads touching the wall. The Western Wall is an important religious site and is considered the most sacred site for the Judaism faith.
Another thing about Judaism shared in the documentary is the unique way that the Jews dress. When asked by ...