Jerusalem

Jews around the world just celebrated the holiday of Purim, which is said to mark the survival of Jews in ancient Persia. In Israel, it is known for being a raucous holiday with parties, costumes, sweets and drinking. But for many Israelis, the war meant this year’s holiday felt different.

National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek has been recreating the journey, on foot, of the first humans. He tells host Marco Werman about his walk, in 2013, through Jordan into the Israeli occupied West Bank, lands that are both ancient and now part of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.

Neturei Karta is an Orthodox Jewish Haredi sect that takes an anti-Zionist stance. Its members who live in Israel say they do not vote, run for office or take assistance from the government, while openly supporting the return of all of Israel to Palestinians.

Noam Tsuriely is a 28-year-old Jewish Israeli hip-hop artist from Jerusalem He says he likes to rap in both Hebrew and Arabic to get Israelis and Palestinians to learn both languages, so they can understand each other better. Tsuriely’s story is the latest in The World’s summer “Planet Hip Hop” series.

The Razzouk family in the Old City of Jerusalem has been doing Christian-themed tattoos going back to the 1300s. Today, tattoo artist Wassim Razzouk and his sons carry on a Coptic Christian tradition of tattoo artistry, attracting people who come from all over the world to the family shop to get inked.