Comparing Haifa and Jerusalem -- by Avery

I have noticed many differences between Jerusalem and Haifa. Three of these differences are how religious the cities are, how touristy they are, and how tight security is.

Jerusalem is a much more religious city than Haifa. Nearly every restaurant in Jerusalem is kosher, with a large certificate in the window saying so. In Haifa, very few restaurants have certificates, but it seems like not very many restaurants are kosher. During Shabbat in Jerusalem, most stores are closed. But in Haifa, fewer stores are closed during Shabbat. Also, the people in Jerusalem are more religious, with most Jews wearing kippot. In Haifa, I have seen almost no one wearing kippot.

Jerusalem is a city full of tourists. There are many holy sites, so many tourists come to visit. More tourists leads to more tourist shops. However, there is almost nothing for tourists in Haifa except a few museums, the Baha'i gardens, and the Mediterranean Sea, and that is only open for swimming between the start of summer and the start of jellyfish season, two months later. And while Jerusalem has the Western Wall, the Dome of the Rock, and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the only religious site in Haifa is the Baha'i gardens (which are not even part of one of the three main religions). As such, there is not much for us tourists to do.

Security is much tighter in Jerusalem than in Haifa. In Jerusalem, most large buildings, such as malls and theaters, not to mention the holy sites, have security guards with metal detectors at each entrance, who search through all bags before allowing you in. Also, you can see soldiers with Uzis walking around in most busy places, and most locals have guns as well. In Haifa, however, while the guards are still there, they are much more lax. And I have not seen any soldiers in Haifa, or citizens with guns.

Three large differences between Haifa and Jerusalem are how secular Haifa is compared to how religious Jerusalem is, how tourism is much more low-key in Haifa than in Jerusalem, and how security is much more lax in Haifa than in Jerusalem.