The famous Rabbi Akiva once said to his students that everything he knows, he owes to his wife Rachel. "My Torah is her Torah", those were his words. I can almost make the same claim. Not, that I owe it to any spouse but to the Heritage House in Jerusalem.
The first time I heard about the Heritage House was during a Shabbat meal in the Old City. Someone recommended it when he heard me saying that I am staying in an Arab hostel. "Arab hostel ? No, come to the Heritage House. First of all it is for free but they also offer great classes and send you to courses".
Basically this was what I was looking for. I was new in Jerusalem and looking for a Yeshiva or another place to learn. After I arrived, I ended up in an Arab hostel near Damascus Gate; just like so many other tourists. However, soon you find out that as a Jew, it is not too pleasant living near Damascus Gate in the Muslim Quarter. Most people don't care too much, as it is cheap and the environment seems to be attractive oriental. It was nice indeed but when Shabbat comes and you go to the Kotel (Western Wall) you definitely look for something Jewish. I got a Shabbat placement by someone called Jeff Seidel and thus, I heard about the Heritage House.
Today, some people make a big fuss on the Internet about being brainwashed in the Old City of Jerusalem. Be aware, as soon as you enter certain Jewish institutions, they never let you out and brainwash you ! That's a famous claim in the media. According to my experience, and I know the Jewish Quarter for many years, it is not so. What is happening is that some religious locals suggest different religious programs but they don't give you a brainwash. They give you advice and if you are interested, you can go and check out the program. If not, so don't go and say "Thank you very much". In case you are not interested, nothing is happening. You are a free person with a free choice. No one would ever refuse you because you don't show any interest. For me, however, it worked very different. I was one of those being grateful for advice. I was looking for some good classes and improve my knowledge about Judaism. And, by the way, there are many people like me.
The Heritage House is a basically free hostel (suggested donation during the week: 25 Shekels - 5.50 Dollar, suggested donation on Shabbat: 50 Shekels - approx. 12 Dollar) in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City in Jerusalem. The hostel consists of two separate buildings; a women's and a men's hostel. It is run by Rabbi Me'ir Schuster and his staff. If you want to check in, you have to fulfill a few conditions. First of all, the hostel is for Jews only. Especially today this is a great advantage, as many Christian missionaries are walking through the Old City and you surely don't want such people around, as in other hostels. So, you have to be Jewish or at least in a serious orthodox conversions course.
The second point is that you should belong into a certain age group. From the age of 18 - 35. I heard that if you are older, special arrangements can be made. But regarding this kind of acceptance, you should speak to the Heritage House management.
Both buildings are clean and the staff is very welcoming. It is always very special being in the Old City and especially from the windows in the women's hostel, you can see the sun rising over the Kotel (Western Wall) every morning.
Both hostels have a dairy kosher kitchen and free Internet for their guests. If you check in on a Friday afternoon, you will have Shabbat candle lighting and afterwards everyone goes down to the Kotel in order to meet Jeff Seidel and get a Shabbat placement. Usually with families.
I have to say that this way, I got to know great people and with many of them I became friends. We are still in touch and half of the people I know in the Jewish Quarter, I know through the Heritage House.
Years ago, when I checked in first, the Heritage House used to offer great classes in the evenings. Unfortunately this doesn't seem to exist anymore due to the lack of guests. There are times when there are just not enough guests. A few years ago, countless terror attacks took place in Jerusalem and tourists stayed away. Now, tourism is rising but still, more people should come and visit Israel. Especially Jews.
What people sometimes make consider checking into one of the regular hostels, even Arab, is that the Heritage House is closed during the day. There are different closing hours during the winter and summer period. But during the summer, the hostel generally closes from 9am - 5pm. After 5pm it is open until midnight. There are other times for Shabbat and you can check them out on the Heritage House website.
Despite the curfew, it is still an amazing thing that such a hostel exists at all. As I mentioned before, the head and founder of the Heritage House is Rabbi Me'ir Schuster who is originally from Milwaukee (Wisconsin). He went to Yeshiva and moved to Israel in 1968. When I asked him how he got the whole idea of establishing such a hostel he said that when he first came, there were so many tourists around and people didn't have enough places to stay. Thus, he got his idea.
Rabbi Me'ir Schuster
Since 1972, you can find him walking around in front of the Western Wall and asking Jews if they need a place for Shabbat. First, he used to send such people to different families in the Old City until in 1984, he finally opened up the women's hostel. A few years later, in 1988, the men's hostel was added.
Until now, thousands of Jews have stayed at the Heritage House. Young Jews from all kinds of backgrounds. Many went to programs, others didn't. Rabbi Schuster said that his main goal is sending young Jews to Yeshiva. Well, this might sound too much for the reform, conservative and especially the famous Internet critics. But Yeshiva doesn't mean everything. If a Heritage House guest decides to join a few programs, this already does help him thinking about his Jewish roots. In the US and in the UK, you have an intermarriage rate of 50 % and those young people coming here might think twice about intermarrying when they get back home. I think that this is the most important point. Not everyone is running into a Yeshiva but at least has something more to think about what it means to be Jewish. And in this context, the Heritage House is doing a great job.
When you check in and ask for Yeshivot or programs, they will give you a wide variety. From Aish HaTorah, to Ohr Sameach, to Machon Me'ir and for the women Neve Yerushalaim, Shearim, Nishmat, etc.
Rabbi Schuster would like to expand and open up more places in other parts of the country. They have already done so in eight places. This kind of program is called "Shorashim". The only problem is, as almost everywhere, there is not enough money. The Heritage House lives on donations and at times when there are more donations coming in, more can be done. Only through donations, the hostel can keep up its existence and its own High Holiday programs such as on Rosh HaShana, Yom Kippur and on Sukkot. And in case you have millions of Dollars and don't know how to spend them, the Heritage House is a great opportunity.
The Heritage House on the Internet:
http://www.heritage.org.il/
In our times, Kiruv is an important matter. Jews always have to think of their religion, heritage, history and task in this world. And those of us who haven't had the possibility learning about Judaism should at least make a small effort. It doesn't mean that next week you live in Boro Park or Mea Shearim and dress up as a Haredi. But it rather means to get a kind of awareness about what it means to be a Jew.
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