Day 6: The Road to Tel Aviv

After leaving the Kibbutz beyond the group traveled onward to Tel Aviv, making several stops along the way including Akko, Haifa and Caesarea. Happily for the land it rained all day (we saw it a slightly different way). Our first night in this great city and the group has scattered in all different directions so those looking for photos of the crusader and roman ruins will have to wait just one more day :)

Day 5: Living Life on the Kibbutz

A few of us are having issues adjusting to life on the Kibbutz (myself included). The people are so friendly, the food is fresh and delicious, but the spartan like conditions are a bit harsh. Our rooms, however, have a view of the Sea of Galilee that would leave you breathless.

Our two nights here are coming to a close, and honestly we spent very little time exploring the Ein-Gev kibbutz. Today we drove down to the artist community of Tzfat (the pictures attached include details from the synagogues), had a lightening flash stop in Tiberias, and an interesting and informative :) wine tasting in the Golan Heights.

While driving through the Golan you can't help but notice two striking things. The first is the greenery, especially the trees. The second is the barbed wire fencing surrounding the roads with red triangles and yellow signs that warn of unexploded land mines in the area. Below are some notes that fellow traveller Donna was inspired to write after visiting a war memorial in the Golan.

Golan Heights Wars.(3 wars)
Site of 1967 war. 6 day war.yom kippur war. Syrians built bunkers near Jordon river and sea of galilee , put in anti tank metal barriers to prevent Israelis from climbing the hill. Many settlements and kibbutzes below hill in the valley at risk. Israelis bombed by air even though they knew there was no way to inflict damage on the bunkers. But the air cover kept the syrians inside the bunkers and allowed Israeli soldiers to clear the barriers to allow tanks and troops in,

Eli Cohen (Read Our Man In Damascus) was an israeli spy. He convinced syrian army to do what israeli's do and plant eucalyptus trees to obscure the view, except he told then to plant the trees where their installations were, so in essence, they planted a tree marking targets for the israelis to hit, which they did. He was hanged in syria.

Day 4: Yad Vashem

http://www.yadvashem.org/
To view photos and multimedia of this important museum please visit the link. Below is a selection of quotes from inside the memorial.


"And to them will I give in my house and within my walls a memorial and a name (a "yad vashem")... that shall not be cut off."
(Isaiah, chapter 56, verse 5)

“If we wish to live and to bequeath life to our offspring, if we believe that we are to pave the way to the future, then we must first of all not forget.”
(Prof. Ben Zion Dinur, Yad Vashem, 1956)

"It must all be recorded with not a single fact omitted. And when the time comes - as it surely will - let the world read and know what the murderers have done."
(From the "Oneg Shabbat" Archives)

Day 3: We Drove, We Climbed, We Floated

A day at Masada and a dip into the Dead Sea at Mineral Beach.
Photos Courtesy of Susan Greenberg Schneider

Ein Gedi

An ode to our morning expedition by Rachel Schneider and Trudi Rae, written on the bumpy tour bus through the desert.

Two roads diverged in Ein Gedi
And sadly we traveled but one (uphill).
Past the Hyrax
Hoping to live another day
As the path got steeper and the rock steps led the way.

Hand-in-hand we shlepped and sweated, leaving all flat ground behind.
But wait, what was that above on the hill past the DANGER sign?
A single traveler (our friend Neil, waving) beckoned the twins higher
As we watched in fear
The two bounded up like double-deer to a unanimous cheer.

But Raya’s will was ever-strong
(While half the group was surprise suddenly gone) -
A human-chain snaking down the dusty rocks
To the leaf-chewing Ibex waiting at the front gate
(Raya again reminds us we’re running late – Masada awaits).

When Brotherhood congregants bond
This all makes sense:
Two roads diverged in Ein Gedi—and we—
We took the hard path (us shtackas) and it made all the difference.

Day 2 in Jerusalem the Old

Being Shabbat, almost everything was closed, so a group of us visited the lively Christian Quarter through the Jaffa Gate, which was chock-a-block with visitors. Our first stop was the Tower of David. We climbed a plethora of steps and were rewarded with an outstanding view of the Old City and a picture-perfect view of the Dome of the Rock. While gazing at the Dome, Raya looked at us and joked that when Jesus and the Messiah return they will come arm in arm and ask each other “is this your first time here or your second?”

We also got a chance to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre; a site at which many Christians believe Jesus was both crucified and resurrected. Millions of pilgrims visit this holy site every year to see the rock where the cross was held in place and the stone slab that held the body of Christ after his death. The strong smells of incense filled the air and worshippers lit candles throughout the Church before falling to their knees in prayer. Fortunately, none of us were lost to conversion in the emotional display before us.

While religious sites are all well and good, not much can hold this group’s attention for long as the Church is on the boarder of the infamous Shuk. Sheltered within ancient labyrinthine archways, the Arab market is a riot of color, people, and the shouts of vendors to buy, buy. BUY!! Olive wood camels, crosses, leather sandals, spices, food, middle eastern clothes (belly dancing outfits make great gifts for those at home), and other assorted trinkets fill the narrow stalls. Bargaining here is a must, and as I have no talent for hondling, I left with only a cup of freshly squeezed pomegranate juice.

While walking back to the hotel from the Jaffa Gate, many sets of travelers (myself included) were almost run over by two children riding hell-bent down a narrow highway sidewalk on horseback. Before we left for this trip I had been warned to watch out for Israeli drivers, but I only thought I had to worry about the ones in cars.

An evening light extravaganza drew a crowd of us travelers back to the Tower of David after dinner. I’ll admit that the phrase “light show” inspired in me the expectation of Pink Floyd and lasers but sadly that wasn’t exactly what we saw. As photographs were strictly forbidden, you will have to use your imagination to envision the video display lighting the walls of the ancient citadel retelling the story of the history of Jerusalem.

Day 1-Jerusalem The Old

It is a Friday evening in Jerusalem and that means there isn't anything to do at 9:30 pm, so a group of rogue travelers are hiding in my room helping me write this post and recap the day in clear violation of Shabbat law.

The morning began with our 5:30 wake-up call. Depending on which room you woke up in you either heard Christmas Church bells, the Muslim call to prayer, or the Fox News channel you left on the night before. We headed down to the Western Wall site to tour the tunnels and learn about the history of the Temple mount. While passing through underground passages your mind begins to wander. How many people have walked this path before you? How many prayers have these stone walls heard whispered into their cracks? While some of us became overwhelmed by religious sentiment another remark how they saw a Western Wall Casino with little old Jewish ladies playing the dime slots.

I encourage you to click through all the photos of our day but below are the key highlights of our tour:
1. The biggest stone in the world was used to build the wall, 600 tons, and the 2nd Temple was built by King Herod
2. Since there is no archeological proof of the physical remains of the second Temple, some claim it never existed. Scholars and archeologists are certain if they were allowed to excavate proof would be found, but Muslims will not allow for any such work to be done underneath the Dome of the Rock.
3. Women's prayers have more meaning then mens (according to our guide Rabbi David)
4. God can find you a husband
5. The City of David: Where it all Began (as shown in 3D)
6. When given a choice order the falafel not the turkey shwarma

After our exhausting day of touring and walking we returned to our hotel to prepare for Shabbat. A few travelers quickly changed and ventured to the nearby Beit Knesset Moreshet Yisrael conservative synagogue while others attended a candle lighting ceremony at the hotel. Tomorrow we all get to sleep in and enjoy a quiet and mindful Shabbat in the Holy Land.

PS: Attn Brotherhood Hebrew School students: The close-up photo of the notes in the Wall are your messages.

We have arrived!

It started out rough in passport control (which I was warned about but didn't believe). My passport also put me at a disadvantage as several years ago I visited Nepal. I thought of my Nepalese visa was a bit of a lark, the entry stamp has the sign of the God Vishnu on it, which looks exactly like a Jewish star. The exit stamp has a well-recognized sign of Hindu prosperity, the swastika. Nerves arouse as the questions came, do you speak Hebrew? What is your Hebrew Name? Do you know anyone in Israel? When was your Bat Mitzvah? How do you celebrate Hanukkah? Oh well, I’ll call it a right of passage.

11 hours and several in-flight Harry Potter films later we arrive to meet our tour guide. The photo is a view from the back of the bus at 7:30 PM. Our guide Raya is very intelligent and entertaining so we are in for a real treat. We got to really enjoy the highway from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as we sat in a good amount of Christmas Eve traffic but after checking to in the Mount Zion we all sat down for coffee and fruit and learned that tomorrow's wake up call is set for 5:30am so we can explore the city before shabbat. That means I'm off to bed, Layla Tov!

what to wear..what to wear

In case anyone was curious the current temperature in Jerusalem is 59 degrees. Having a slight addiction to the weather channel is finally coming in handy! My mission: 12 days, 1 suitcase, and a 44 pound weight limit.

Layers are the key here, although maybe not for everyone. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1258489193200&pagename=JPArticle%2FShowFull

The Final Countdown

We have hit the final stretch with 15 days until take off. My Hadassah magazine this month included a special Travel Israel brochure, which I read cover to cover in anticipation. I never realized that goisrael.com (the official tourism website) had such a great slogan: You'll love Israel from the first Shalom.

This Friday evening the Brotherhood Synagogue is wishing everyone a special nesiah tovah (bon voyage) during services. I hope to see all my fellow travelers there!