'I went to Rome and Found Jerusalem'

The person who wrote this reminiscence is Rachel Sharansky Danziger.
According to Ms. Danziger’s bio which appears in the side bar of the blog, she “is a lifelong resident of Jerusalem and a keen observer of its colorful spiritual and human scene. She recently completed her M.A in American History, and continues to explore questions of religion, emotions, and social relations both in history and in real life.”
So why is she focusing on Hadrian? Since Ms. Danziger has an M.A. in American History, one would think she would apply herself to writing about American history, such as the lives of the American Presidents. Perhaps the life of ‘honest’ Abraham Lincoln would interest her.
According to Naphtali J. Rubinger, in his book titled, “Abraham Lincoln and the Jews” Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise gave a eulogy on Lincoln wherein he stated, “Brethren, the lamented Abraham Lincoln believed himself to be bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. He supposed himself to be a descendant of Hebrew parentage. He said so in my presence.” (pg. 42, Jonathan David Publishers, New York 1962)
On that same page also appears the following: “Another interesting insight into Lincoln’s regard for the Jews is evidenced by a conversation that he had with a certain Henry Monk, who approached the President on the idea of establishing the Jews in Palestine. Lincoln’s response was: ‘I myself have a regard for the Jews. My chiropodist is a Jew, and he has so many times ‘put me on my feet’ that I would have no objection to giving his countrymen a ‘leg up'”.
According to the American Jewish Archives (dot org), “Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise (1819-1900) was the leading organizational genius behind the rise of American Reform Judaism in the late 19th century. He played a central role in the founding of three major Reform Jewish institutions that still exist today: The Union of American Hebrew Congregations [1873], now the Union for Reform Judaism, the parent body of Reform synagogues; the Hebrew Union College [1875], the Reform movement’s rabbinical seminary; and the Central Conference of American Rabbis [1889], the Reform rabbinical association.”
As for Henry Monk, I presume it is Henry Wentworth Monk described by Wiki as a “Canadian Christian Zionist, mystic, Messianist, and millenarian. Some have credited him with predicting the formation of the United Nations and both World Wars, although these claims are of questionable scholarly merit.
Perhaps this era of American history would be more suited to Ms. Danziger’s erudition.
Here is an article dated Feb. 23, 2015, from Israel Today on which Ms. Danziger may wish to expound.
http://www.israeltoday.co.il/NewsItem/tabid/178/nid/26112/Default.aspx
Or perhaps this article on the sayanim would arouse Ms. Danziger’s interest:
http://www.shapell.org/exhibitions/with-firmness-in-the-right-lincoln-the-jews/issachar-zacharie/