Heritage House

In the winding alleys and archways of Jerusalem’s Old City, heartbeats away from the Kosel, is the legendary Heritage House Women’s Hostel. A place for tired travelers to stumble onto, lay down their packs, and get their bearings. The place for sojourners to begin inner journeys that may transform their lives. Dena Estrin unsuspectingly walks into the Heritage House to meet her friend for coffee and ends up being hired to work there. For five years she serves as a night counselor, a job that includes impromptu counseling, tour guiding, nightly batches of popcorn, and late-night guitar-strumming shmoozes. Meeting thousands of travelers from myriad backgrounds, her only constant is the continual amazement when opening the front door. Under the sage, selfless, and enthusiastic guidance of Rabbi Meir Schuster, z”l, the Heritage House impacted the lives of thousands of people. Through Dena’s journal we experience the inside story of these young travelers’ dramatic and exciting launches into the world of Torah. We learn how a misdiagnosed broken leg leads Louise to teshuvah, how an accidental class in lost objects pulls Reva back to Jerusalem from the streets of Bombay, and how Stacy’s courageous call to the Miami Herald in the middle of the night becomes a life-altering decision. This fascinating account will inspire everyone who ever wondered what happens at the Heritage House.