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Jewish tourists know that the Kotel is the western retaining wall of the Temple Mount, but for most, their understanding of the site stops there, Jay Levinson says.

That's why Levinson, a Newark native who holds a Ph.D. in Near-Eastern studies and has written about his experiences in more than 50 countries in a column called "Annals of a Traveler" (which occasionally appear in The Jewish State) gives tourists historical background on the Kotel as well as practical advice like the best times to go there for serious prayer (avoid days when bar mitzvahs lead to overcrowding) in his latest book, "Jewish Journeys in Jerusalem: A Tourist's Guide."

You won't find any churches or mosques among the sites in Levinson's book. Rather, he focuses on Jewish aspects of Jerusalem to give readers a better Jewish understanding of the city and a genuine Jewish experience when they travel there.

"They need a guide that tells them the Jewish background of a lot of these places," Levinson said in an interview with The Jewish State.

Levinson does include secular sites of general interest in his book. Prices and hours are provided, but not the hours for museums that are open on Shabbat. He said he doesn't give sites ratings on a scale from one to five stars, as is the case in some other tour books, because "There are certain places in Yerushalayim that don't need stars. The Kotel doesn't need a star." As far as what is worth seeing in Jerusalem, Levinson said "I don't want to be the one who makes that judgment" and would rather give readers as much information as possible to arrive at their own conclusions.

However, Levinson does give his honest opinion when a site doesn't provide much in terms of a Jewish experience, or if the site isn't worth more than the amount of time it takes to snap two or three pictures.

Levinson gives practical tips like what kind of shoes to wear when walking through Zedekiah's Cave, which experiences are enhanced by a tour guide, and halakhic reminders such as the prohibition of Kohanim visiting gravesites. Since virtually all rabbis forbid entry into the Temple Mount, Levinson writes about vantage points that offer impressive views of the location.

Many tourists might already be familiar with King David's Tomb, but Levinson also points out lesser-known places like the grave of Nicanor, who traveled from Alexandria to bring gates for the Second Temple. That grave was discovered during the construction of Hebrew University.

"The average tourist doesn't know about a grave like this," Levinson said.

While the typical Jewish tourist will visit the ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Geula and for Judaica shopping on main street -- Rechov Straus -- Levinson outlines the history of the street to give tourists a better understanding of the place. He explains that Rechov Straus was named in memory of New York City Parks Commissioner Nathan Straus, who increased his philanthropic work as a gesture of gratitude after he was slated to board the Titanic but didn't make it on time, thus avoiding the ship's sinking. His brother, Isidor, did board the Titanic and died with his wife Ida.

Learning those types of stories allows tourists to "at least know what is there and why," Levinson said.

Levinson also includes a number of libraries and centers of Jewish learning such as Yad Ben Zvi, where scholars can find unique items such as the copy of the first printing of the Zohar kabbalistic text from 1550 and take courses or tours on topics ranging from Jerusalem before the destruction of the Second Temple to more modern issues like settlements.

"Particularly for repeat visitors to Israel who have seen basic sites, these tours (or privately arranged tours) are a practical method to broaden understanding," Levinson writes.

Besides for the sites to see, Levinson provides useful information on transportation, kashrut, laws pertaining specifically to the land of Israel, and where to find a "minyan factory" -- a shul with continuous morning, evening, and afternoon services one after the other throughout the daytime and evening hours.

Levinson said he has personally visited every site he wrote about in "Jewish Journeys in Jerusalem"; he has lived in the city for more than 25 years.

"I've done the footwork, and I enjoy it," he said.

"Jewish Journeys in Jerusalem" is available on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and select Judaica stores.