The Jewish Quarter is more orderly
and modern than the other quarters.
Much of this area was destroyed during the fighting in 1948
or under the ensuing period of Jordanian occupation.
After they took control of Jerusalem in 1967,
the Israelis rebuilt this quarter.
While it's not convenient or economical
to live in this medieval tangle,
devout Jews find great joy living
and raising their families so close to the Western Wall.
The Damascus Gate leads
from the Old City into modern Jerusalem.
Joining locals in an afternoon stroll
down Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem's New City,
we appreciate this culture's fascinating mix
of east and west, secular and sacred,
modern and traditional.
About three quarters of all Israelis are Jewish.
But most of these are secular Jews -- non-practicing.
About 15% of Israeli Jews are Orthodox,
very religious and living conservative lifestyles
that require them to be apart in many ways.
Entire districts of Jerusalem are known as ultra-Orthodox.
And about 20% of the population is Arab Israelis,
generally Muslim Palestinians who never left
after the formation of Israel.
Christians, who are mostly Arabs,
make up a very small and shrinking minority.
The diversity of Israel's Jewish melting pot community
shows itself in the way people dress.
This is especially evident
at places of worship and in ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods.
With the help of a local guide, like Abie Bresler,
simply people watching
comes with fascinating cultural insights.
Walking down the street, there are so many different fashions,
different ways people dress.
BRESLER: Well, that's because they express
their belonging to a certain group
and following a certain rabbi.
Different rabbis set standards
of how their followers should be dressed.
STEVES: What does the block on the forehead indicate?
BRESLER: Well, in the Scripture,
it says you should always have the love of God on your mind,
so in that capsule,
they have a parchment with that Scripture.
STEVES: What's the significance of the yarmulke?
BRESLER: Jews wear yarmulkes
because they are constantly reminding themselves
that God is above them.
STEVES: Ah, so everybody who's wearing a yarmulke,
it's a constant reminder their Maker is up above.
BRESLER: Definitely.
STEVES: Now, you see a lot of Orthodox,
even the little boys, with long earlocks.
BRESLER: Regarding the earlocks, the Torah is very specific --
"Thou shalt not shave the sides of your face."
And these people take those words as it is written.
STEVES: You notice women are dressed quite modestly.
BRESLER: The Orthodox women are always dressed modestly.
But when they get married,
they take it one step upwards,
and they cover their hair in public.
STEVES: Now, most people wear black, among the men.
Why is that?
BRESLER: The dominant color amongst the men is black
because they're still mourning the destruction of Jerusalem,
nearly 2,000 years ago.
Regarding the hats, it's part of, actually,
the uniform defining which movement you belong to.
So, by looking at somebody,
you can tell if he's Ashkenazi
and which movement amongst the Ashkenazi.
Or Sephardi or Lithuanian, and so on and so forth.
STEVES: This man has a striped robe.
BRESLER: That's a declaration that he belongs
to a certain movement, which is considered very extreme
and also does not acknowledge
the legitimacy of the state of Israel.
STEVES: So there are many different stripes
of Orthodoxy in the Jewish faith.
BRESLER: Definitely.
In Jerusalem, 19 amongst the ultra-Orthodox.
STEVES: And it's like the rabbis are almost like pop stars.
They have their own following. These are the great teachers.
BRESLER: More than pop stars.
-More than? -More than pop stars, sure.
Put it this way, they're spiritual stars,
without the pop.