The Pilgrimage Road: We Will Always Pass This Way

In their 1973 hit, Seals & Crofts coined the phrase “we may never pass this way again” as an expression of the importance of embracing life’s fleeting moments.  Through my personal travels, this phrase has often come to mind when experiencing a place that, though amazing and memorable, represents only a singular moment in my life’s journey.

I have never had this feeling, however, when visiting the State of Israel. Israel has always been a place where I have felt senses of belonging and a connection to history.

These feelings were as strong as they have ever been during my recent visit to The Pilgrimage Road, an excavation that opened in February of 2026 at the City of David National Park.

The Pilgrimage Road is the main pedestrian thoroughfare through which worshipers traversed the nearly half mile route from the Siloam Pool to the Temple Mount during the time of the Second Temple. When walking through this marvel of archeological technology, we can literally retrace the footsteps of those who ascended to the Temple during pilgrimage festivals of Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot two thousand years ago.

The story of how this road became accessible to today’s visitors is long and fraught with improbabilities. From the time of the destruction of the Second Temple, when evacuees hid in the drainage tunnel beneath the road before being discovered and slaughtered, to the centuries of conquest, during which time the road was buried and forgotten, to recent decades, which saw the excavation of this site delayed by those who continue to deny the Jewish connection to the City of David, there have always been obstacles (for the whole story, I highly recommend Doron Spielman’s excellent book, When the Stones Speak). And yet, in 2026, we can again walk this path and connect to our past in a truly tangible manner.

This is, of course, the pure essence of Zionism. Through years of exile and longing, we have returned to reclaim, reconsecrate, and renew our homeland.

So, in the end, when visiting The Pilgrimage Road, one reaches an inescapable conclusion. Walking this path today is not improbable. As long as the spirit of Zionism persists, we will always pass this way again.