This content documents an attempt to navigate Jerusalem's Old City during Easter and Passover amidst wartime security lockdowns, highlighting the challenges of access, the unique atmosphere of the city during these holidays under restricted conditions, and reflections on cultural and religious traditions.
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Hello everyone,
welcome to the Israel Mega channel.
Today is Sunday, April 5th, 2026
, which is also Easter.
So we're trying to find a way to get
into Jerusalem's Old City to celebrate Easter
and attend Easter Sunday.
But because the Old City is under lockdown just like the day before yesterday,
the police aren't letting non-residents in.
So we need to find a way. The church
we're talking about
told us to take a bus,
so we tried
that underground garbage disposal area
, but it's broken and we can't get down there.
Actually, there weren't many people
along the way
, so we were wondering
if the police had already left.
Now we have two choices
: take a bus into the Old City,
or try the new gate with its metal barriers that we tried yesterday
(which were only put up today).
The bus I was supposed to take is over there...
go go let's... Because
of the ongoing war
, the police don't want too many people in the Old City.
During Passover, Jews usually
gather in the Old City
to pray at the Western Wall,
which is why there are restrictions
. In fact, there have been restrictions every year,
especially on Easter Sunday when
pilgrims from all over the world come.
In previous years, you needed a piece of paper
with your passport number on it
to enter the Old City.
Now, there are police at the new gate,
so we'll probably have to
take the bus to get in
. Yes, we should have chosen the bus.
The policeman blocking the gate
might have seen Kenny,
so we said we wanted to go to Christ Church,
and he said okay.
But before us,
he stopped someone else.
This is God's arrangement,
God's timing.
Look, there's nobody
here. The Old City is empty on Easter.
This area is the Christian area; they're
doing roadwork today.
Look, they're filling the cracks with
mud.
It's so interesting
to see them making progress every day,
and there are Easter decorations too
. Usually, on Easter Sunday,
Christ Church... There are always many children at the church
who can play with Jojo.
They will then search for Easter candy
hidden in various corners of the church.
This tradition is not based on the Bible
, but it is the tradition of finding Easter eggs.
However , they do not use eggs
, so you can also interpret it as like
hiding a crushed unleavened bread
during Passover dinner,
just like Jesus, who was originally hiding but
later revealed himself to everyone.
This is the situation at the Jaffa Gate.
So this story tells us
that perseverance is important.
If you have a will,
there
is a way
. Oh,
we're just joking.
This is the narrow gate;
only those who really work hard can get in.
This is the sound of bells from a nearby church.
Because today is Easter Sunday,
everyone is discussing
how they persuaded the police
and came in for the gathering.
Everyone is very happy
to be able to gather during Easter
.
Now it's time to find candy!
Nice Jojo,
give it to your sister! That's great!
Where else is there any?
Mommy,
yeah, good job! Jojo,
wow, you're so good!
Jojo, there are so many here!
Oh, you're good at finding them!
Same
! Where else is there any? Can
I see how many you found?
Wow, Jojo, nice!
What's on the JoJo tree
?
Oh wow,
JoJo? Is there more?
I found it again
! JoJo, I think
there's more
... Oh, where is it? Oh wow,
JoJo, why did you put this here
? You don't want this red one, right?
JoJo, there's more here!
Oh wow ,
your brother found something delicious for
you.
Your brother is so good to you , hahaha,
yeah!
So why is there a tradition of Easter egg hunt?
First, it's not based on the Bible.
Second, it's probably because...
in Europe at that time, winters were very cold,
and then spring came.
Easter was the first Sunday
after the spring equinox.
So, it was a tradition that
men and adults would go hunting, and
the children
would
hunt
for eggs.
Maybe eggs symbolize life,
so there was this tradition.
Now, we
're just walking around on the street,
I don't know if the police will stop us
and say, "Where are you going?
The old town is closed." Oh
, that's possible.
This is the Armenian Quarter.
The Armenian Quarter is connected to the Jewish Quarter.
Because today is Easter Sunday
, you can see shops... They're all closed,
but there are still people and cars on the road.
According to the schedule,
there was supposed to be a high priest's blessing
at the Western Wall today.
Jews would gather in front of the Western Wall
, and a rabbi would
lead everyone in prayer.
But because of the war,
it's not allowed
to take out the scriptures for that kind of prayer gathering
at the Western Wall . If you go privately,
it
's okay if there aren't more than 50 people
, but there can't be any formal gatherings.
So now in the Old City, you can see people,
but it's much quieter
than in previous years.
These are children who usually live in the Old City.
Is this one open?
All the museums are closed now.
I just saw there's no counter there.
Maybe you can go to someone else's house through the same entrance.
My guess is
that the museum is called Old... Yishuv
is about
the history of the Jewish community in the Old City
during the early Ottoman Turkish period.
It was originally a residential building converted into a museum.
This street
is the Jewish Quarter.
The place where the Iranian missile
warhead fell last week
is in the parking lot on this side.
If you haven't seen the video,
you can go back and watch it.
So we've arrived at the Jewish Quarter.
This is what the Jewish Quarter looks like during Passover.
You can see
the national flags are all up
because Independence Day is in three weeks.
Let's see if the shops are open.
There's a Cafe Rova, a
Jewish Quarter coffee shop
, but it's not open
. There should be a pizzeria here
, but I don't think it's open either
. Let 's see
... there is a pizzeria!
They have pizza
, bagels, fish
and chips
, and all Passover food! Ta-da!
Yeah, you could consider
it. Because of various restrictions
, the pizza dough used for
Passover isn't made with regular flour,
so it's more expensive
. Also, this is from an old video that was filmed
here. There's a museum here , but you
can't go now
, though when it opens,
you can see
the high priest's residence from Jesus' time
. Coming down
this street, most of the shops are closed.
We've already
seen quite a few beggars asking for money
, and they've said
"Good day!" to us
, and even told us in Hebrew, "Oh,
the Western Wall is from the front
, then turn right
, then left, like that.
" This sushi restaurant
isn't open today
, but it's usually open.
See, it's a sushi restaurant... Si and the pyramids
thought they'd try it out,
and if they had the chance
, well, these shops weren't open yet
. This gift shop was open
, and this supermarket was open too.
This is in the Jewish Quarter,
probably the supermarket closest to the Western Wall.
Let me show you.
Some things are
covered up, meaning you can't buy them
. Like this,
things covered with a white cloth are things you can't buy
because
of Passover. Things
not covered
here are things you can buy.
Look,
milk is okay to buy!
Hehe, of course
, so these biscuits aren't covered ; they
still look leavened,
but they're Passover food.
This is what the supermarket looked like during Passover
, and this staircase leading to the Western Wall
... We were blocked off
, and two policemen were standing there.
The policemen smiled at me
politely when they saw me.
I felt they didn't want to interfere
, but for everyone's safety
, they couldn't
show you what Passover looks like now. It
's still very special.
Although we can't go to the Western Wall,
you see, this area
used to be like this.
There's an area in the middle where
people can rest and so on.
Oh, this is a new community center, it's
very beautiful.
Someone asked me before why
the houses in Jerusalem are all the same color.
Well, this is Jerusalem stone.
So, to maintain
the color consistency of the whole of Jerusalem
, the houses in the new city area
are also required to use the same color.
Hmm, let's
see if we can see the Western Wall from here.
I'll show you.
The Western Wall is right here.
If I were standing there now,
I could show you.
Or you can see the Western Wall
from his balcony.
We came down to show you the observation deck.
And from the observation deck, we can see the Western Wall.
Then we found, um, there are policemen blocking
the way here too. We turned around to help this child
because he was very tired from playing in the morning,
so he didn't want to walk by himself. Did
you want to sleep?
So, from here,
we can see the Mount of Olives and the Rock Mosque.
And here is an observation deck.
This building is so beautiful, isn't it?
Look, it's like the entrance to a temple.
Okay, let's watch
JoJo Adventure.
Have you been here before? Yes
,
everyone
is praying here now
because they can't go to the Western Wall
. This is a new one, so
someone put up a shelf here
so people can put their prayer books here.
So these are
the Jews who went to Jerusalem for Passover.
I see the Western Wall is completely deserted. Oh,
and something interesting
is that the first day after Passover, which is
Sunday, is
the Feast of Firstfruits.
This is when barley is first ripe.
Aviv, in Hebrew, actually means
the state of first ripening barley.
And this year, it
happens to be Easter
. We know that in 1 Corinthians 15, it says that
Jesus is the firstfruits,
He was the first to rise from the dead.
So for the farmers,
they were able to
offer a sheaf of barley to God at the Feast of Firstfruits. The temple
represents his belief that
he will have a sufficient harvest,
so he offers the best
and first batch to God
because Jesus was the first to rise from the dead
. Paul, in 1 Corinthians, also says
that we see
Jesus first appear to his disciples,
then to more than 500 people, and
later even Paul himself
witnessed Jesus' resurrection.
This is the basis of our Christian hope,
because Jesus is the firstfruits,
He has risen from the dead
, and He has an incorruptible body.
Therefore, we also know
where we will go after death,
and that we will be resurrected with Jesus
. If you are interested in biblical plants,
like barley, etc.
, I have compiled a lecture note
that you can download.
However, the link is time-limited
and may not be available
later. Someone just mentioned... She was arguing with the police
because she wanted to go to the Western Wall
, and she got angry, saying why
she couldn't go. Actually, there were quite a few other people behind her who wanted to go too
. Oh, there's a line of people
wanting to go to the Western Wall . We said we wanted to go home,
so the police let us through,
and they were super nice.
So I think the police were in a bit of a dilemma, haha.
This is new .
What is he selling?
It says "Holy Jerusalem" on it
. Oh,
it's like an offering
, an offering (voluntary donation).
But right now, there's only water
.
There's coffee too!
hot water yourself
. I can even make milk,
haha. Not bad, so cool!
And there's writing here:
"May God bless you from Zion,"
Psalm 128:5.
Then we're going to push this child who doesn't want to walk,
hehe.
And you can see... Every district had police
and barricades blocking the way.
This year's Passover was really special.
In Israel, Passover refers to the entire seven days
, the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the Bible,
not just the day of Passover dinner.
Haha,
Jojo and I agreed that
this service only lasts until age 3.
Then, it was the police's lunch break,
and we wanted to find something to eat.
You see, there were police at every intersection.
We felt quite special because
we were just about to go to the viewpoint.
But now the police are blocking people again,
so we thought, "Hey
, should we eat something here
and make a purchase?
" This is the Muslim Quarter.
Since the Old City of Jerusalem is actually quite small
, this is the Arab version of
hummus,
and there's bread that's forbidden during Passover.
So, we walked through four districts like this.
Starting from the Christian quarter in the morning
, then the Armenian quarter,
the Jewish quarter, and now the Muslim quarter,
the Old City of Jerusalem is really small
. It's a pity we couldn't eat here
because we didn't have any cash
. It seemed like many
shops were open, about half-open, haha.
It's also Muslim prayer time now,
so you can hear
the call to prayer from the mosque.
Suddenly, the loudspeakers
go off
like that,
super loud!
And it's not just one mosque, there are many
, so everyone's voices are very loud
.
Just now, someone on a bicycle was really impressive
. Okay, we've left the shops,
and you can see the police
standing at the entrances blocking people.
Lots of soldiers are coming into the Old City.
Suddenly, so many people are coming in
—reporters,
and so many, many, many more people!
But many, many more are being kept out.
We feel very lucky to be able to enter the Old City today
. Now we're going to have a special lunch,
and another batch of people are coming in
—so many people!
Haha,
the police told him to walk,
and he walked
! Haha
, actually the police were going to help us carry the stroller,
but we felt
Jojo should walk a little.
Look at
all these people!
Seeing so many people standing at the Old City gate
makes you feel a bit disheartened.
Oh,
we can't go in. Let's look at the Passover shopping crowds.
Let's see what everyone is buying and eating.
There are jewelry stores and clothing stores.
This is a classic Jerusalem scene.
Muslims are queuing
, and Jews are queuing too.
The police...
And last time I said the violinist was very nice,
this song is super famous,
he's the violinist on the rooftop, he
seems very suitable to perform during Passover.
Wow,
someone just said hamoud is cute
, saying Jojo is cute!
People might think Israel
is a very strong nation
and will require children to be independent and walk on their own
very early
, but the reality is the opposite.
You'll see 4- or 5-year-old
children still sitting in strollers
, and maybe even... Pacifiers and such are common
in Israel because they cherish their children's childhood
, and they
want to extend that carefree childhood as long
possible . Right next to me,
there's a little kid
with a tablet;
he looks about three years old
and uses a pacifier.
It's quite common here.
They don't feel the need to prove anything.
Carrying guns while walking around is also very common
because their culture prioritizes survival.
They
don't care what others
say about their children's
age ;
they don't care at all.
As long as their children are happy
, they're happy.
You can see how incredibly busy
those two cafes are.
Children are happy to
wander around in the crowds, right?
The crowds here are truly astounding.
We originally wanted to eat here
, but we thought we might have a long wait,
so we joined the
crowd
and queued up with everyone else.
There were artists painting
and playing guitar.
There are so many people here , especially at
the ice cream stand.
They're selling balloons for kids
, I wonder how much they cost.
Haha
,
so cute!
Jojo just gave them both
a gift.
Do they like it?
Yes!
I ran into the air-raid shelter
here last time
, that's when I realized, oh
, the guards in Jerusalem are Muslims
because they have Muslim prayer times.
So I think celebrating Passover in Israel
is a very special experience
. Passover is only seven days
long, but businesses can't operate or work
on the first and seventh
days. You can see they've given up business opportunities
because on the other days, look at the crowds!
So I think this is
a great example of how
God blesses
those who keep His commandments.
The Israeli economy is still incredibly strong.
Suddenly, a toy car falls out!
Oh, it's this little boy playing with it.
This is what we want to eat.
This is the special Passover menu
; it says "Happy Passover."
And their pizza is a Passover version.
This place is called Happy. The fish
is available,
but I didn't find it particularly delicious. The pasta,
however, was amazing!
Look, the Jerusalem wall is over there
, and this is also an ancient site.
It has numbers on it
because
it was rebuilt piece by piece,
hence the numbers. It's quite unique.
This is the handwashing area.
Yeah,
we found a really interesting spot
where you can watch the crowds below. And
the Jerusalem wall is right there!
So cool! Oh, he's on the phone!
Anyone calling you?
Hehehe,
it's so much fun!
You can watch everyone walking around here.
Their fish and chips are delicious,
and their pasta is great too.
I was thinking of ordering
the Passover unleavened bread
with dipping sauce
, but hehe,
I ordered what I wanted first.
You can see the skin of this fried fish
is made with potato flour
because you can't use wheat flour for Passover.
And this gnochi is
made with potatoes.
Hmm,
this place's pasta... The pasta was really delicious,
and the view, atmosphere, and service were all excellent.
However, it's quite expensive,
so it's best to come on special occasions.
Just about ten minutes ago, there was a small boom
, and then suddenly a super loud boom!
I couldn't see anything
, but there was a very loud boom.
Everyone remained calm;
people continued shopping as usual
, and no one seemed nervous.
This is the salmon tartar we ordered.
It's like a cake;
today is a special day,
so it has sage
and
roasted onions on top
. But I thought the onions were a bit too strong
; it was a bit unusual
, but the pasta was still better.
This spot is great;
no one will notice us sitting here.
It's really expensive in Israel!
Our meal just now cost 330,
which is NT$3,300
, plus a 10% service charge.
Today's date is April 5th
, and it's about 80% full
. Okay, that's about it for today's video.
This is what Passover looks like in Jerusalem
this year. Due to the war
, the Old City is basically
closed, and
the police only allow people in
under very special circumstances.
Today, I showed you
what the Western Wall looks like without anyone there.
