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The messiah’s shrink

Dr. Pesach Lichtenberg, the psychiatrist to Jerusalem’s aspiring redeemers, talks about Jerusalem Syndrome as a Jewish phenomenon.

Dr. Pesach Lichtenberg
Photo by: Courtesy
Walking down a winding alleyway in Jerusalem’s Old City on any given day, one has a pretty good chance of spotting one of the capital’s many “messiahs.” Afflicted with what is popularly known as Jerusalem Syndrome, these poor souls believe that they are inextricably bound up with a redemptive process centered in this city.

While the diagnostic construct of Jerusalem Syndrome has not been clearly defined, Dr. Pesach Lichtenberg says it can be loosely explained as “any kind of redemption fantasy with Jerusalem playing a role.”

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