Saturday, July 31, 2010

Day 7 - Bethlehem, Jerusalem


I have been rather reluctant to post this time - seeing as how this is/was my last day in Israel, posting makes me feel a certain sense of finality to the whole experience, and I don't want it to end!! Then again, part of me also realizes that the actual processing of this once in a lifetime experience will continue for months, if not years.


So... after breakfast on this our last day in Israel, we made a few stops to get some panoramic views of Jerusalem, particularly what was the original "City of David". What we realized is the absolute illogic of the City of Jerusalem - it just shouldn't exist - it has no water supply, no worthwhile farmland and no strategic value - no reason at all for anyone to set it up as a place to settle down. And yet....


From there, we travelled to the town of Bethlehem, controlled today by the Palestinian Authority. This was the most uncomfortable I felt the entire trip. Security checkpoint in and out. To avoid the hassle, even Yoram and our bus driver did not accompany us. We had a different bus drive and transport and met our Bethlehem guide once we entered the town. First stop was a store - lots of great stuff, made a lot of purchases and lots of haggling. Yes, even though there are prices on the items, you still bargain the price. I got a chalice listed at $75 for $40 and a whole bunch of other things for 35% off. Most of it was made of Bethlehem olivewood, created right on the premises; you could see the pile of olive wood out back of the store. And for those of you environmentally conscious, it's only the pruned parts of the olive tree; they do not cut down olive trees just to get the wood. We bought so much that we had to leave our purchases there instead of 'schlepping' (good Yiddish word) them around.


From there, we travelled to the Church of the Nativity. The entrance is extremely unassuming, very small and very low, you have to bend down to enter - on purpose, it's a sign of humility. This church was the site of a 2002 takeover/hostage situation by Palestinian terrorists; even today you can still see the bullet holes in the church walls. There are parts of the floor opened up where you can see the original mosaic tile floor. Like all the churches we visited, this one was built over the ruins of a previous one, and so on and so on. This particular building dates back to 529 CE, built over the ruins of the church built by Emperor Constantine's mother in 327 CE. Essentially it is built over the site of the cave where Jesus was born. Like the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, this site is supervised by 3 different Christian branches - Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian - although it does not seem as contentious as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.


There was a very long line to get down the stairs to the actual spot marking the cave. Our Arab guide, however, thought he could perhaps circumvent the long line by us going in thru the exit - he made it sound like he had never tried it before and we would end up being very impressed and appreciative of his efforts (translate that to - he would like a big tip!!!). Anyway we did get in through the exit and made our way down to the original floor. There, marked by a silver star, was the site of the manger; most pilgrims kneel and kiss the site so Jeff and I both took turns snapping each other's picture.


From there, we moved to the attached Church of St. Catherine. In the vestibule, there is a gorgeous bronze bas-relief of the Tree of Jesse, donated by Pope Benedict in 2009. The church itself is a modern Gothic style, very beautiful stained glass windows (check the pics on facebook). In the courtyard, there is a statue of St. Jerome who is buried below the church.


Afterwards we headed back to the store to retrieve our purchases and headed out of Bethlehem. However this trip was not as easy. The PA decided we all needed to exit the bus and we all had to individually go through a maze of security checks, scans and interviews, before we could leave. It was uncomfortable, a bit scary and definitely unpredictable, wondering if we had done something, would we be allowed out, etc. I am glad we saved Bethlehem to the last day - I would not have wanted to do this early in the trip and then continue thinking about it.


Once we returned to Jerusalem, we had our last lunch at Aroma's, a little sandwich shop. And then we took one last stroll through a neighborhood near the hotel. We learned this was where the first community settled outside the city walls back in the 1850's. It was simply beautiful, lots of gardens and flowers. This was also the area where Sr. Frances, Esther and I had our Shabbat dinner with Bernie and Fran. And now we know that each of these homes are worth more than $1 million.


From there, we headed back to the hotel to pack; we left at 6pm for one last dinner at the Colony Restaurant before we travelled to Tel Aviv and the flight back to Chicago. Dinner was, of course, wonderful, and we had our first chance to de-compress and share some of our experiences with the entire group, as well as thanking Lisa, Linda, and Yoram for an amazing experience.


It was then off to the airport for a relatively uneventful trip back home. Of course, lots more Israeli security, especially for Jeff who constantly had to explain what he was doing with the big Shofar, not to mention his hookah. Jack, laying down on the floor in the middle of the baggage claim certainly drew some stares. Unfortunately photos were not allowed; otherwise that would have been my last pic of the trip.


And, no, I don't think I am done yet. I think am going to keep posting some random thoughts and remembrances as they come to me. Hope you have enjoyed this journey; of course, I have only conveyed the bare bones of the experience but I will continue to try to add to it. Any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to ask!!


thank you for joining me on this adventure:)

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Day 6 - Masada, Dead Sea, Revisiting Old City


After breakfast, we boarded the bus for the ride south to Masada. Almost the entire trip, the Dead Sea was right alongside the road. And the further south we rode, the more desolate it became. We enter the Visitors Center at the base of Masada; I had no idea that Masada was so close to the Dead Sea; I thought it would be even more remote than it is. If you want, you could hike up the path to the top; we wisely chose to use the aerial tram, 3 minutes to the top. I did take video but still have to figure out how to link it to the blog - working on it:) although I doubt Ginger even wants to view the tram ride, oh well.


Masada is essentially 3 levels of living quarters, storage rooms, a synagogue, hot baths, and of course a palace or two for King Herod, not to mention huge cisterns for storing water. From above, you can see for miles and miles and you can still make out the outlines of the Roman army camps as well as the ramp the Romans built to get to the top. If you don't know the story, after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70CE, the remaining Zealots and their families fled here and the Roman army laid siege to Masada for over 3 months. When the ramp was finally completed and they reached the top, they found that all 960 inhabitants had committed suicide rather than surrender to the Romans. You cannot imagine the sweeping views from the top - even the pics don't do it justice, a real WOW moment. We took the tram back down for some serious shopping in the store at the Visitors Center and then headed for the Ein Gedi Beach on the Dead Sea


FYI - the Dead Sea has a salt content of 35% not to mention a lot of other minerals which apparently make it (and its mud) good for skin and complexion; lots of skincare products are sold at the Visitors Center. The Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth, 1385 feet below sea level. In fact, when we were on the top of Masada we were actually at 0 feet sea level, go figure. I chose to simply wade into the Dead Sea, while 3 of us actually dove in for the full experience. Air temperature was about 106 degrees, water was not warm, though not really cool either. But the stuff left on your skin after going on really feels uncomfortably slimy, because of all the other minerals in the water. My flipflops are still icky to the touch. And the actual walk down to the beach was dangerously slippery.


We then re-boarded the bus and headed back north to Jerusalem. Along the way, you could see countless hills with caves. Even though we didn't stop, we did see the actual caves at Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, very cool!!


We headed to the 3 Arches YMCA in Jerusalem for lunch with Bassem Eid, Executive Director of the Palestinina Human Rights Monitoring Group. I can'e begin to tell you how rounded our overall experience of Israel has been - we have had the opportunity to speak with a variety of sides and points of view - Jewish, Christian, Arab and now Palestinian. It just goes to show how difficult the political situation is in Israel and how elusive a solution that addresses all sides can be. The discussion was eye-opening, how dis-united the Palestinians are, not that any other group is. The biggest disservice we could do is assume any group, Arab or Christian or Jewish, are all united on all fronts or to lop all people into 'one size fits all' categories. It just doesnt work - there are Palestinians who are happy to live in Israel and those who arent, there are Palestinians who work in Israel and other Palestinians who resent any other Palestinian who associates with Israelis. And the same goes for all sides - this is a multi-layered country that demands a multi-layered solutions to the problems that exist. Very very complicated!!
The lunch itself was definitely the low point for food - very poor service, long waits for very mediocre (and that is being kind) food. We even skipped dessert, better that we didn't even try it. Ugh! I am sure Linda has crossed this place off the list for future visits.
Once we returned to the hotel, actually check that, everyone else rode back to the hotel. Jeff and I struck out on our own and walked back through the Jaffa Gate into the Old City. There we re-visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where I got the chance to take all the pics I missed out on the first time when my camera died. This time, however, I got the chance to really notice the people so there are a few human interest shots as well. I think that is something we all do - when we visit somewhere for the first time, we focus on the big picture - the building, the view, that sort of thing. When you go back, you get the opportunity to focus on the people and what's going on. We then headed to the Arab Quarter for more shopping and haggling. You learn things like the bagel man with the pushcart apparently has interests in several local shops as he just left the cart and ushered us through a number of shops. I think this is the time Jeff bought his hookah - this is how it works, you do some small talk (where you from? Chicago, oh yes Wheaton College! huh??, you pick out something you like, and then you "talk" price. Such a beautiful sensory overload walk through all the little alleys and paths. I bought a couple of scarves, but only after Jeff had brought down the price on the ones he bought!!!
We went back through the Jewish Quarter as well and saw the Wailing Wall again. Such an emotional experience to stand there touching the wall and slipping slips of paper into its cracks, hard to put words to the event. From there we made our way out the Zion Gate, I think, and "eventually" found our way to the Church of Notre Dame for 6:30 Saturday mass. What a true experience. I told everyone, only in Jerusalem, can you go to Notre Dame for Mass with a predominately Filipino and Indian congregation, with American and British lectors, where the 7 foot tall French priest does a homily about Opus Dei (really, 7 foot - Judy had to raise her hands over her head for communion), and, in the midst of saying the Canon in Latin, he gets to the Consecration and you can hear the Muslim call to prayer through the windows. WOW!!!
After that, we did a bit of shopping in the Church's religious store; the place also houses kind of an international religious hostel. Esther and I cabbed it back to the hotel where I proceeded to crash for the night.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Day 5 - Yad Vashem, Machaneh Yehuda, Church of Holy Sepulchre, Old City


After breakfast, we departed for Yah Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem, a most sobering visit. The main building is shaped like a triangle, soaring to a point overhead, an open space right in the middle with separate galleries on either side. You make your way back and forth. The walls were simple concrete but you would think the walls were weeping with all the sadness and tears I saw, teens, elderly, there was no age limit. You finally get to the Hall of Names, a circular room with a dome above with pictures of 600 victims symbolizing the 6 million.. The walls themselves are lined with shelves holding books and books listing every documented death in the camps. There are computer rooms nearby where you can research your family names to insure they are included. The very middle of the room looks down on a seemingly bottomless hole - it partly feels like the world has cracked, shattered in grief. There is a separate Hall of Remembrance built to look like a tent, housing the names of all the camps and an eternal flame; all men are required to don the yarmulke out of respect. There is also a separate children's memorial, a building lit by a single candle but the walls are lined with mirrors so it feels like there are thousands of them. As you walk through, you hear the names of all the children, roughly 402,000; it takes 3 years to go through the list entirely. Between the buildings are a number of gardens, one, the Garden of the Righteous, set up to honor the those non-Jewish individuals who helped in any way to save lives. You can also see from the pics on Facebook, a lot of exterior sculptures; on in particular, the set of upstanding columns that look cut off or unfinished - reminds me of the children, whose lives were cut off long before they had a chance to live.


We then travelled to Machaneh Yehuda, the open market in Jerusalem, a very lively place, especially when its getting close to sundown on Friday, Sabbath. We had falafels for lunch, yum, and I thought I knew what a real falafel tasted like!! We then strolled through the market, marvelling at the variety of fruits, vegetables, baked goods (yes, my chocolate rugelachs) and everything else you could imagine. If you ever get there, go to the Marzipan Bakery -its the best!!!


We then met up with Daniel Rossing, Director of the Jerusalem Center for Jewish-Christian Relations for a walking tour of the Christian Quarter, Via Dolorosa and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, starting at the Jaffa Gate. He took us to the top walkway of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for some really spectacular panoramic shots of the city as well as some shots down into the Church from above. When we actually got down and entered the Church itself, my camera died so for this day I have no interior shots. Not to worry, Jeff and I returned the next day and I made up for it. Suffice it to say, the Church is presided over by 4 different branches of Christianity which makes for some picky and interesting jurisdiction battles. For instance, you will see an outside shot of the Church with a ladder up on the second story - its been there for decades. One branch is responsible for the windows, another for the ledge. So when they wanted to wash the windows, no, no said the other branch so the ladder just remained. Inside, you will find 3 separate religious sites, upstairs the rock of Golgotha where Jesus was crucified, downstairs when you immediately enter the Church - the stone on which Jesus' body was prepared for burial, and then further on, the rock that served as His Tomb. A very crowded reverent place.


After that, we continued on and toured and shopped in both the Christian and Arab Quarter. Hint - you have to know how to haggle. You pick something you like, THEN WE TALK!! That means, let's discuss price. I have to admit the Arab Quarter was amazing, narrow alleys with little shops, all of them inviting you bluntly to talk to them, make you a deal. And the aromas of herbs and spices and incense are heavy and fragrant. We ended up in the Jewish Quarter and the Wailing Wall. As I headed to the Wall, I was approached by this old white-haired and bearded old Jew who asked my name, my wife's name and then proceeded to tell me my future - only in Jerusale. I had brought a note with me with prayers for all my family and friends which I, of course, pressed into a crack in the Wall - what an amazing amazing experience. I did not realize that to the left there is an interior room decked out like a library, bookcases filled with prayer books. To stand at the Wall and to look up and see the Dome of the Rock just above me - priceless!!!!


We then headed back to the hotel to prepare for Shabbat dinner with a local family. By that time, the hotel had set one of the elevators on Sabbath mode - it automatically stops at every floor so you don't have to push buttons (no work on the Sabbath). Sr. Frances, Esther and I walked to our hosts' home, very close to the hotel - Bernie and Fran Alpert. Also joining us for dinner was their daughter, son-in-law and 10 year old granddaughter, visiting from Boston. Bernie and Fran are both archaeologists; in fact Bernie for a time was head of the government's dept of archaeology, a wealth of experience and information. Turns out they are originally from Chicago, up around Morse and Ashland, where Ginger and I had only just gone to see a play at Lifeline Theater, which amazingly they are sponsors of - very small world. Bernie, just in the last few years, has started this new project called "Dig for a Day" - a chance for tourists to participate in an actual archaeological dig sit, for an hour, a day, whatever!! Sheesh, why couldn't I have come for 2 weeks instead of one??


Anyway, the actual Shabbat dinner was wonderful, prayerful, thoughtful. And with 3 generations of the family there, I got a real sense of how the religious traditions are continuing to be passed along. The food, obviously, was delicious and, of course, there was plenty and then some. Our gracous hosts explained everything every prayer as we went along and it was such an honor and a privilege to be included in their family for this occasion. Too often, we microwave our meals, eat alone or in such a hurry that there is no such thing as conversation. When was the last time any of us had a real family meal, much less one that we would do regularly once a week, every week.


One small point, but it speaks such volumes. What water there was left after the meal, Bernie used to water all of the flowers and plants in the house. In a country where the weather is more desert-like and water is precious, it was a simple reminder that all water is sacred and should never go to waste!!!


Lila Tov

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Day 4 - Kiryat Gat, Moshav Shekef, Jerusalem at night


After breakfast, we had 2 separate chats with guest speakers. First, Gershon Kedar, Minister Counselor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, took us through an enlightening hour on the relationships between Israel, US, Palestine, Iran, Turkey, you name it. Talk about complicated - when you are geographically surrounded by so many countries, not all of whom are necessarily friendly, friendly relations are definitely problematic and complicated

Next we met with Gadi Wolfsfeld, political science, communications and journalism professor at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem for a discussion on Israeli politics, the news media, and the political system. What a MESS!!!! Very down to earth and insightful. Essentially national elections mean you cast a vote for a political party, not an individual, and there are a number of political parties, mayabe 12-17 at a time. Each party publishes a list of their party members in order, #1 being their party leader, and so on. The Knesset, their governing body, has 120 seats. When elections are over, and say your party won 25% of the vote, that means you get 25% of the 120 seats. Obviously everyone wants more than 50% of the vote but, with so many parties, that never happens. So no matter who wins, that party has to form a coalition, makes deals with other parties in order to have a majority. And the #1 spot in the party becomes Prime Minister. And, of course, there are political parties that are something right out of Monty Python, like the Ex-Husband party. And no matter what, they all get time on TV to promote their agenda. wacky!!!!

We then rode the Kiryat Gat, a city of about 50,000 west of Jerusalem, near Gaza. There we visited an Absorption Center, one of many centers in Israel set up to acclimate new immigrants upon arriving in Israel. This one was specifically set up for Ethiopian immigrants. We met with the director, himself an Ethiopian immigrant, as well as visited a couple of classes, one where they were learning to read, write and speak Hebrew and a computer class, their first-ever intro to the computer. It turns out that there has been a group of Ethiopian Jews faithfully practicing the religion for over 2000 years and they never knew there were more outside of their country, nor did anyone in the world know they existed. Imagine - they neither read nor write, so for 2000 years, they kept up an oral tradition of remaining faithful Jews. Now they are being welcomed into Israel, acclimating themselves to life in a moden world with modern conveniences. Sometimes the stay at the absorption center can last 1 1/2 years. And this is only one of some 23 centers throughout the country.
We then had lunch with a group of Chicagoland college kids working at the Center as counselors for a couple of weeks through the organization called Kefiada. They got to share their experiences as well as what they missed about being away from home.
From there, we rode to Moshav Shekef, a farming community southeast of Kiryat Gat; it grows mostly grapes and cherry tomatoes, even ships them overseas. Meeting with Gadi, its leader, we got a real sense of how much he and his family were pioneers when the Moshav was started back in the 1980's and how much it has grown since then to a community of over 300 people. We also talked about security - there is a Palestinian town, Beit Awwa, in shouting (unfortunately also shooting) distance. A wall was erected for protection but there were times in the past where the kindergarten on the Moshav did come under fire. While we were standing outside looking out on the town, we did see and hear shots, not a pleasant experience. Gadi did brush it off as "they are always celebrating something". The relations between Israelis, Palestinians and Arabs in the area are definitely strained at times. The Moshav is surrounded by fencing and alarm systems to protect it from thefts.
From there, it was back to Jerusalem and the hotel for a chance to catch one's breath before we headed out to dinner.
Dinner was at Joy, an absolutely beautiful restaurant in the hip part of Jerusalem, great decor and the food was superb, definitely a top of the line restaurant in every respect. During dinner, we met with Yossi Klein Halevi, writer and correspondent for the New Republic for a lively discussion on why there is still no peace in the Middle East. Some real down to earth examples of the interaction of Christians, Jews and Muslims in the Holy Land. Still trying to decide if one should be hopeful for peace or not.
Walked back to the hotel and passed a memorial for 8 people riding on a bus killed by a terrorist in 2004, a sobering reality of the difficulty of trying to get people to just get along. Instead of going straight back to the hotel, Jeff and I decided to climb up a path to the Old City and enter the Jaffa Gate to see the Old City at night, very cool, very quiet, a calming end to a long day. good nite:)

Friday, July 23, 2010

Day 3 - Golan Heights, Jerusalem


After breakfast, we checked out of Kibbutz Lavi Hotel. Be sure to check the photos on Facebook; interesting one of the bearded guard at the hotel, yes, he is carrying an Uzi!


We travelled to the northern edge of the Sea of Galilee, beautiful country, to the Mount of Beatitudes, the site of the Sermon on the Mount. Lovely octagonal Church of the Beatitudes and surrounding gardens and you can see Capernaum in the distance. Helps you realize that walking anywhere, generally, in this country was/is not that big a deal, much less travelling by boat from one side of the Sea of Galilee to the other.


From there, we travelled south along the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee along the Jordan Valley; definitely the country is becoming less green and a bit more desolate. We stopped at a vantage point along the Golan Heights, formerly held by Syria. During the 6-Day War, Israel re-took the Golan but before that, Syrian constantly shelled the kibbutzes down in the valley along the Sea of Galilee. Israeli children would spend a good deal of time in bomb shelters to stay safe. From the Golan Heights, you can actually see the entire Sea of Galilee, north to south, east to west.


We then travelled a rather treacherous road south along the Jordan border, lots of hair pin turns and switchbacks, not for the faint of heart. We then met with Judith, a 80-some year old Israeli pioneer at Hatzer Kinneret, an agricultural and educational community, founded back in the 1930's, a real pioneer community. She gave us a unique perspective on life in the very early days of Jewish settlements. And thanks to Kibbutz Lavi Hotel for our box lunches!!


From there, we headed to Jerusalem, about 140 kilometers, two hours or so. The closer we got, the more the landscape changed to real desert. Please note - a desert is defined more by temperature than terrain. The Judean desert is a rocky wasteland, not sand!!


We enter Jerusalem through a mountain tunnel, all dark and then suddenly the city is there before you, the Mount of Olives, the Old City, the golden Dome of the Rock. Breathtaking does not do it justice. We made our way up Mt. Scopus to a scenic view, looking down on the Old City and an ancient Jewish cemetery. Yoram provided wine and prayers, the Shechecheyanu, a blessing of celebration and thanks for very special occasions. Experiencing Jerusalem for the first time certainly qualifies.


From there, we made our way down to the Garden of Gethsemane. A short stroll around the garden, you can't actually enter it. Although Jeff and I did jump and grab a few olives. We then visited the Church of All Nations, right next to the Garden. Beautiful exterior mural and stained glass windows. The interior near the altar includes the rock on which Jesus prayed on Holy Thursday night.


We then checked into our hotel, Mount Zion Hotel on Hebron Road, right alongside the Old City, an easy walk to enter one of the gates. Some very panoramic views since the hotel is built right on the hillside. FYI, you, obviously, enter the lobby from the outside but you quickly realize the lobby is on the 6th Floor - all the rooms/floors are BELOW the lobby, down the hillside. A fabulous courtyard and garden too, at least one wedding took place while we were there. No worries about rain; it does not rain at all from April to October.


Spent some time unpacking and chilling and then out for dinner at Beit Hamaayan Restaurant in Ein Kerem, a community on the outskirts of Jerusalem. I dont know how Lisa or Linda pick our meals/restaurants but wow!!! They are all upscale establishments, fabulous food and service. I had the salmon and too many salads and desserts to remember. Dinner was with Prof. Paul Liptz, a South African scholar and historian at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem. He led a lively informative session on the variety of religious groups within Judaism in Israel, typically 5 different groups, not to mention all the sub-groups. We certainly realized that it is impossible to just lump all Jews into one category, just doesn't work. And it also adds to the complexity of the religious and political climate in Israel.


Back to the hotel - long day and long night!! Lila Tov!!!

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Day 2 - Tiberias, Capernaum, Tabgha, Hurfesh, Fassouta, Moshav Amirim


Boker TOV (good morning)!!

After a much needed rest and a wonderful buffet-style breakfast at Kibbutz Lavi Hotel, we headed out for the Yigual Allon Museum near Tiberias. The centerpiece of the museum are the remains of a 2000 year old fishing boat discovered on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, a most remarkable exhibit, not to mention the time and effort to preserve and restore the boat, the only example of a typical fishing boat from the time of Jesus. The museum store was phenomenal, got more than a few items:) Jeff got a shofar, which gave him no end of problems when we returned home to Chicago. We also spoke to the researcher you can see in the pics (facebook) underneath the boat. e.g. how much of the boat is the original? how much is repairs done over the years?

From there, we travelled to Capernaum, home of Peter and in many ways Jesus' home town after growing up in Nazareth. There is a beautiful church built over the ruins of what is purported to be Peter's home - it does date to the right period. The church itself has a section of glass floor from which you can view the ruins from above. There are also lots of windows that provide a gorgeous view of the Sea of Galilee. The white limestone ruins of a synagogue date back to the 4th century but it was built over the ruins of the darker basalt stones of another synagogue built in the first century. There are also the remains of the ancient city, including a number of basalt grinding mills used to make flour - they look like jars.

From there, we travelled to the Church of the Loaves and Fishes in Tabgha. While the current church is modern, it is built over the remains of a 4th/5th century church so the mosaic floor is original. Some believe the mosaic of the loaves and fishes here is the first instance of that particular symbol.

We then had lunch at a restaurant close to Fassouta, along with George Ayoub,former mayor of Fassouta, a completely Arab Christian town in NW Israel. Besides another endless succession of dishes, we had a very interesting discussion of what it means to be Arab and Christian in Israel. It raised a lot of questions about identity!! Arab? Christian? Israeli? What comes first? In spite of no longer being mayor, George still has a very obvious influence in his town and area; in the past he has met with President Obama and Cardinal George. A very welcoming and open personality. ps - the food was amazing, these little fried doughs of cheese, way better than cheese sticks. I thought they were the dessert but then they cameout with lamb chops and ground lamb skewers - to die for!!!

From there, we travelled to Hurfesh to meet with an Arab Druse family. Druse is a small secretive branch of Islam, they marry only within the religion and all rituals are kept secret. Their home was absolutely beautiful, felt like an Italian villa. And, of course, the food continued - a variety of fruits and beverages - where am I putting all this food? Again a great discussion of what it means to be Arab and Druse (a very small minority) in Israel. The whole family was involved. We then travelled to Fassouta and did a short walking tour of the town, 99% Christian Arab, and visited George in his other occupation - doctor, at his clinic.

Making our way back to the hotel, in a roundabout way, we went north and travelled along the Lebanon/Israel border where, a few years ago, gunfire and mortars would have been passing over our heads - a sobering thought. I am beginning to understand how small a country Israel is and how surrounded by other nations to the point security is a constant issue and concern.

We stopped for dinner at Moshav Amirim, a completely vegetarian community with a restaurant named Stupps!! Frances was most pleased that the personable owner, I forget her name, spoke French. Wow, each meal just gets better and better. An assortment of breads - sourdough, onion and hyssop (very tasty), tahini, eggplant and ginger, mushroom lasagna, onion quiche and a to-die-for chicken liver pate. Desserts included berry cheeescake and a hot chocolate cake. Are you hungry yet??
From there it was back to the hotel for some much needed sleep in order to tackle the next day of activities.

Lila Tov - good night:)

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Day 1 - Tel Aviv, Jaffa, Nazareth


OK, here we go:)


We landed in Tel Aviv Monday morning at 7:30am and boy did we hit the ground running. Getting through Israeli customs is not the easiest thing to do, everyone gets interviewed individually. I had no real problems, but Jeff, our youngest teacher, sure did. Basically the fact that he is young and male singles him out as someone to check thoroughly. The plane was even delayed almost an hour, go figure. Anyway, we met up at the baggage return with Yoram, our tour guide (that doesnt do him justice) for the week. He is amazingly knowledgible, personable and really makes all the sights and visits come alive. FYI, all tour guides in Israel must go through 2 years of training in order to do the job!!


We immediately headed into Tel Aviv and, after a short stroll down Rothschild Blvd, we visited Independence Hall, the building where David Be Gurion declared Israel's independence on May 14, 1948.


From there, we went on a tour of Jaffa, essentially the older part of Tel Aviv. Some really breathtaking views of the Mediterranean coast as we visited the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter. The pic I posted on the previous blog is what I am talking about - a Turkish minaret on the Mediterranean Sea, looking down from the heights of Jaffa. From there we hit the open air market in Tel Aviv and had lunch. I LOVE SHAWARMA!!! Basically it's like a gyros but so much more tasty and flavorful, lots of tahini sauce and real, not processed, lamb. yummo!!


After lunch, we boarded the bus and headed north to Nazareth, a very pretty little town near the Sea of Galilee. We visited the Church of the Annunciation, beautiful courtyard with a variety of murals of Mary, each one donated by different countries from around the world. Religious history has come alive!


From there, we travelled to our hotel near Tiberias, on the western side of the Sea of Galilee, Kibbutz Lavi Hotel, very modern and comfortable. After a brief time settling in, we headed back out for dinner. We went to the Ein Gev Fish Restaurant, literally on the shores (eastern) of the Sea of Galilee, just as the sun was setting - spectacular!!!!! We did not walk away hungry, not from this meal or any other. All meals started with water, oj and lemonade (with lots of fresh mint). And yes, I drank lots - guess I have gotten over my aversion to mint. Anyway, you then have this huge assortment of plates of different salads - hummus (the real thing, wow), tabouleh, olives, different types of breads, and it all just keeps coming. Main course for me was grilled St. Peter's fish, yes, fresh from the Sea of Galilee, a type of tilapia.


During dinner, we met with Muki Tzur, author, historia, lecturer, and born in Kibbutz Ein Gev in 1938. He provided us with a down to earth perspective of Kibbutz life and the early settlement period in Israel's history. It was also the first time the Hebrew word - Aliya - came up. Literally meaning "ascent", it refers to the journey to Israel, especially Jerusalem, ascending the hill to the Old City and the effort it takes to accomplish it. For all of those, this entire week was our "aliya"


Back to the hotel after dinner, and a much needed night of sleep after a very long and busy first day. FYI, I have posted Day 1 pics on my facebook page!

Monday, July 19, 2010

Home Again, Home Again


Hi All!!!!!!!!!!!!!! just got home about an hour ago. Please don't ask me what time it is, much less what day it is, been travelling for almost 19 hours so the brain is just a bit fried. As Ginger posted, internet access was available at times but it was in Hebrew and I could not figure out how to switch languages. Not to mention the rather lengthy packed days left us all rather wiped out every night.

Soooooo, here is what I am going to do. I am going to post separately each day as it happened so you will still get the flavor of everything that happened. and believe me, there is a lot to tell, a real trip of a lifetime, where you literally reached out and touched history and religion.

For now, I may just rest a bit so hang in there:) To whet your appetite, the airplane ride there lasted 10 hours straight, not to mention a 2 hour ride from O'Hare to Newark and then on to Tel Aviv. We Christians (Catholics) were definitely in the minority on the plane. Lots of families, Orthodox men with the long curld, black hats and suits. Lots of teenage Jewish youths also, travelling to spend a week or two of their summer doing service in Israel. Definitely lots of kosher meals served on the plane. And then there's the Jewish men standing in the aisle at sunrise, bowing with their prayer shawls and saying their morning prayers. Israeli security is very very thorough, not scary just very efficient, no nonsense, and therefore, for anyone really worried, I felt extremely safe!!!

more to come.........

Friday, July 16, 2010

Journey Update

Bill has been texting to let me know his whereabouts, but the travel schedule is making it impossible to find the time and computer access to update the blog. He has been keeping notes and promises to publish a day-by-day account of his adventures as soon as possible after he returns. Stay tuned!

Mrs F. (Ginger)

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Safe Arrival

Well, Bill landed safely. He's been to Nazareth and is headed to Jerusalem next. No computer access yesterday and, unfortunately, the Blogger interface only came up in Hebrew today. But keep checking back, as we found a way around that little roadblock!


Mrs. F. (Ginger)

Sunday, July 11, 2010

off i go, leaving on a jet plane!! next stop, Tel Aviv!!!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

On Sunday, July 11, 2010 (very early), I will be embarking on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Holy Land. Along with 5 other teachers from the Archdiocese of Chicago, I will be visiting Israel from July 11-19, touring Tel Aviv, the Galilee, Nazareth, Capernaum, the Dead Sea, Jerusalem, Masada, the Golan Heights and Bethlehem.

I hope to update this blog on a daily basis, filling you in on the day's events and sights. Of course that will depend on time and internet availability, not to mention my energy level:)