"Keep calm, security radiate."

Markus Flohr decided in an exciting country to live. At home in Hamburg, nobody wanted to understand. And an Israeli friend said: "Do not go to Jerusalem, because we can not breathe." What the student saw there, shortly before the Gaza losbrach war - a diary.

 

Saturday, 6 September

Road flea market in the Hamburg Schanzenviertel, I propose my household go. The St. Pauli-shirt? Three euros. The CDs? Five to eight. In the evening, the annual ritual: the "black block" of the riot-maker proposes dealing with the police.

Amit Shabi / Laif
Were on the scooter feel safer: Mark on the bus on the way to the university

I think of Israel, at the extremes of each immediately to invade this country: There is almost daily with rockets shelled, lives in hot peace with its neighbors. Suicide bombers blow up buses in the air in bars to detonate bombs. The army holds the occupied West Bank and the government builds a wall around.

The election was my study at home to little sympathy: "Why Israel? Are you Jewish?" Asked a friend. No. Why? "Well, your nose ..."

Hamburg but was also nice to find my mother. Robert next door would go to Ramallah, for him, the Palestinians are the good guys. What do I want in Israel, as a German? If I would be Jew, I would have enough of Germans.

Saturday, 13 September

The last days in Hamburg. "Laaangsam will be careful!" Cries my friend Till. He is afraid for his Vespa - I'm scared, in Jerusalem bus ride. My roommate room is unfortunately far from the university. I have every day one hour in the public transport spend, even across the city. I have this image in your head: an Israeli bus, torn apart, as if he were made of paper. Shards, blood, rescuers in white suits. Then prefer to drive.

I dream of a scooter, with which I Uni Sauser, the Dome of the Rock once from the angle of the eye angeblinzelt the grave church, the Damascus Gate. But first I am still a round with Stills Vespa.

Friday, 3 October

"See you soon" nobody has to say farewell, or "Bye". But rather: "Be yourself. Really!" Jerusalem is a crisis area? I do not go to Gaza.

During the flight I still think that this machine is just a terror target could be. Everything goes well, of course. "Keep calm, security viewers," Ronald was on the way to the airport said.

Saturday, 4 October

I land in the middle of the night, three o clock. In Greater taxi from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, it is almost a thousand meters up in the mountains judäischen, to the East. In a very strange city. The air is thin up there, like a tower trutzigen festivals appear the yellow sandstone walls in the night sky.

"Do not go to Jerusalem," was my buddy Eilat from Tel Aviv said. "Because you can not breathe. This is all about religion."

Sunday, 5 October

Approximately 4,000 years of history are in this city. King Solomon built the Jewish Temple, and later came the Romans. Jesus was nailed to the cross and is risen, as stated in the Bible.

Then came the Arabs, the Crusaders in the Middle Ages. Jerusalem is the Holy City of the Jews who drittheiligste of Islam and a place of pilgrimage for all Christians. It was burned down, rebuilt, overwhelmed, destroyed and rebuilt again. Seljuks, Fatimids, Mamluken, Ottomans and Templers prevailed - and then, until 1948, the British. Then David Ben Gurion called the State of Israel.

Hardly a century in which Jerusalem would have no war experience. The last was the 1967th Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and a Palestinian state that does not exist. The armistice line, 50 meters east of my bed. Jerusalem, which is called "city of peace".

Tuesday, 7 October

In my WG we are four: Esther and Shuki, Israelis with American roots, Charlotte and I am from England. We have a garden, a living-dining room, the kitchen is kosher. The main rule: separating meat and milk! There are two ovens, two sets of cutlery, pots, pans, plates. Everywhere are small stickers on which "chalavi" so milky, or "basari" so fleshy, stands. I'm unsure: Was that really the right dish for cheese bread? The right knife?

Wednesday, 8 October

"Are you going also to the synagogue?" Charlotte keeps me out Kipa. Today begins Yom Kippur, the highest Jewish holiday. Before Esther goes through the house and turns off all lights on - "Do not ausknipsen!"

UNIblogs 6 / 2008

TITLE
Crisis. What Crisis?
The rebuilding of the University of Frankfurt for the elite school of high finance

Content

On Yom Kippur, the most pressing Jews no light switch, do not drive the car, do not work, do not eat, do not kiss. You rest. They fast. I'm content with. The evening is mild, the city is still there. All go into the synagogue, now even the Israelis who are not religiously. The children move with their widespread use of bicycles on the empty streets. I have to constantly push my Kipa cope.

In the synagogue I am on the edge and do everything according to what the others do. Whenever someone curtain raise before the Torah, and we pray and sing standing on. I Brumme with: "Baruch ata Adonai elohenu melech haolam ...", which means" Blessed seist you, eternal our God, King of the World. "

The Chasan, the Vorprediger goes to me. I will be the curtain in front of the Torah to withdraw. I mix the head, the Kipa falls down. I think now he throws me out. When I watch him again, he asked another. Later I lay in bed, my skull buzzing, I'm hungry and thirsty. Damned fast! That should I hold out until tomorrow the sun goes down again?