Birmingham-Israel Group 2009

Ruminations

2009-05-10T06:02:00.000-07:00

What a day!!! snorkelling in Eilat...ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!
Little points: Lest you think everything has been hunky dory, we have had our fair share of sightseeing from round-abouts or rotaries as they are sometimes called. Around and around we'd go until clarity of direction surfaced. Even our GPS we named Avishay hasn't always been helpful as well as directions given by passer-bys.
Particularly frustrating was trying to see the Ba'hai Gardens in Haifa and the more sacred Shrine, home, and gardens of Bahaula north of Haifa. The gardens in Haifa were closed when supposedly open (but we did finally get into the domed building) and the Shrine to Bahaula was closed when supposedly open.
It's been good we (not Steve) take turns being frustrated and philosophical about it. We can count on Steve to be easy-going, and Janet is so good at seeing through the BS.

Learning to function and just -be- "on Israeli time" has been a good experience: kind of a slow down, "be here now" attitude.

I've found it surprising to find The Rebbe's picture (Rabbi Schneerson of blessed memory) all over Israel and in unusual places--clearly beloved.

Yehudia again, sunset from Beerotayim, + Negev pictograph

2009-05-09T07:49:00.000-07:00

Rosh Hanikrah + Upper Yehodia Waterfalls

2009-05-09T07:45:00.000-07:00

Rosh Hanikrah

2009-05-09T07:43:00.000-07:00

over Ritzpe Ramon, above Alma Cave, in Tsfat

2009-05-09T07:41:00.000-07:00

2009-05-09T05:43:00.000-07:00

Shalom Y'all!

We're in Eilat & just recently back from hiking, jeeping, and riding camels for a couple of days, etc in the desolate but beautful Negev desert. We watched sunrises and sunsets over the desert with silouettes of Egyptian and Israeli watch towers in view; we saw how busy the Nabataeans (later Byzantines etc) were there so long ago and everywhere else they've been; and saw the beautiful chalk formations in the Nizzana Hillocks in the Negev--evolutionists say around 55,000 years old or so while Bible literalists might attribute the ocean fossils to Noach's flood. We also were close to where Moses and the Israelites wandered for 40 years in the Sinai desert and settled for a time at Garnesh Barnea (in the Sinai--so unavailable).

Oh & on our way to the Negev, Ronan, a neighbor of Margaret Dudanvani, who works like a Canadian Mounty by jeep for Karen Kayemetz LeIsrael (largest Jewish Nat. Fund forest) took us through ruins and forests.

Well, you know, we've been to Jerusalem, City of David, Mt. Carmel, Church of the Holy Sepulchre & also walked in Jesus's footsteps; Yad Vashem; Ha Kotel (the Wailing Wall); been to the origins of mystical Judaism, town of Sefat where Jerry spent several hours conversing with Goren who we nicknamed "sparkley man" because of the love or spark of Torah in his eyes; Masada; Dead Sea, the ruins in Caeserea where I ran into a class from the Epstein School and director, Myrna Rubin, as well as, a mother (maybe "Heather" and her child) in the bathroom and discoverd they know Rabbi and Joyce Tradburks. What a world--and small! And then there was the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, and so much more that it boggles our minds and feet. Like Jem said, there are ruins of ancient civilizations literally everywhere--under every step...utterly remarkable. Jem, loved your blog :O)

Speaking of feet and steps, my feet were bugging me enough today (plantar faceitis & some new muscle pull) that I didn't join Steve and Janet for the trip to Petra--work of the Nabataeans again. I KNOW, it's the 8th wonder of the world--totally awesome & incredible. It won't be the same, but Steve takes fantastic pictures (many on this site are not his unfortunately). Janet sweetly worked on my foot but the warning about LOTS of difficult walking scared me off.

While Jerry did some blogging and exploring on the beach, I investigated birding here. Just like for the spice route of old, Eilat happens to be THE migratory crossroads for raptors, waterbirds, and many more for Europe and Africa. I must say that after all the investigation of ancient civilations, tombs, ruins and such, breathing the fresh sea air, watching families frolicing, and birds was invigorating. Jerry and I later drove to the International Birding and Research Center in the Eilat bird sanctuary. It was amazing--we saw many new birds in reclaimed areas with wonderful blinds--raptors, bee-eaters, terns, herons, cranes, storks, etc. Like in all of Israel where service in the military is seen everywhere-like the pottery shards of the past-such service is part of the fabric of life as one also see memorials to fallen soldiers. So too in the bird sanctuary--where an outdoor educational facility has pictures of young men blown up beside pictures of the birds in the water before you.

Steve just called from Petra, and all is well. Janet & he will be back in a couple of hours. Our Amigo phones that also work inside Israel as walkie talkies have been indispensable.

Later friends....
with love, devorah

2009-05-09T00:35:00.000-07:00

3 days -Negev-"Beerotayim" (2 wells)

2009-05-09T00:26:00.000-07:00

"goodbye Sandy"-leaving Ramat Ishay

2009-05-09T00:22:00.000-07:00

Rosh Ha Nikra-on Border with Lebanon

2009-05-09T00:16:00.000-07:00

hiking Upper Yehodia - Golan Heights

2009-05-08T23:59:00.000-07:00

entrance to Dahliat Carmiel-Druze Village -near Haifa

2009-05-08T23:42:00.000-07:00

We spent a few hours shopping in this Druze village & then ate a lamb/rice extravaganza where the Arabic/Druze woman is seen making their bread.

Catching up with our readers

2009-05-06T11:42:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
Some of you have asked why there haven't been any recent posts, so I just wanted to let you know that it's because we moved from our aprtment in Jerusalem to the house rented outside of Haifa, and the house has no internet access. Everyone is fine, and Duncan and I have arrived safely back home in the States, but it may take Jerry a while to scrounge up some internet access in a cafe or someplace where he can make further posts about the final week of the trip that he, Debra, Steve, and Janet will experience. Not to worry, though -- Jerry is still able to download all our pics onto his computer, so I'm sure there will be more to come. The blog is misleading because we have probably taken hundreds of pics per day, but can't get them all up at once, so you'll see more soon...

After the blur of travel, it's hard to remember what all we did since the last pics taken at Caeserea. We tried to visit the Chagal windows at the famous Hadasa hospital and the Baha'i Gardens in Haifa, but both were closed due to religious holidays :( We did get to see the Carmelite Monastery in Haifa, with it's altar built on top of the cave in which the prophet Elijah was said to have lived. We also visited the Ashkenazi Synagogue in Sfvat built by Rabbi Akiba (?), the founder of the Kabbalah (please excuse my spelling if it's off -- I've really been thrown for a loop because the English translations of Hebrew are phonetic, so the names of street sings may be spelled differently than what's on the map, etc).

Our last two days in Haifa we spent exploring the beautiful country side of the Golan Heights with two guides from a touring company called Israel Extreme. (This terriroty is technically disputed with Syria, but there has been no recent aggression). We went to a National Park called Yehudiya and hiked down into a gorge formed by the earthquakes that occur about every 200 years. We hiked over huge volcanic rocks and rapelled down a 2 story waterfall (and when I say "we" I mean everyone but me, who chose the ladder). Then back up the steep canyon and through the ruins of a Turkish village which looked like a bunch of stone square rooms without roofs, and with huge thistles growing out of the window openings). Besides the amazing boulders and beautiful vistas full of wildflowers, there were tiny ancient pottery shards everywhere! Pottery seems to be just part of the dirt all over Israel. They are as ubiquitous as the army -- at several points, we could hear the Israeli army having target practice in a neighboring valley.

On the way home we crossed over the river Jordan, which looked like a weed-choked fifteen-foot wide stream at that point, and visited Cappernaum, the Church built on top of the Synagogue where Jesus supposedly preached by the edge of the Sea of Gallilee, and where he reportedly walked on water. Seems like all of Israel's holy sites just have layer upon layer of monuments and houses of worship built on top of each other -- it's boggling.

The next day another guide took us to Alma Cave, where he had us swing out on a Tarzan rope over the gaping stone pit in the ground and slink down into a pigeon-dung covered pitch-black cavern below (and when I say "us", I mean everyone else -- I hung out in the warm, windy field above to soak in more scrubby trees, volcanic rocks, and wildflowers). Then it was up to the border of Lebabon, where there are huge caverns carved by the Mediterranean into towering chalky white cliffs. It was called Rosh Hanikra, and it's a tourist hot spot for a good reason! We were supposed to kyak into the grottos from the Sea, but the water was too choppy, so instead we walked down into them and saw how the turquiose water carved out unpredictable chambers that looked like places where pirates might store their treasures. (There is a legend that a bride who was set to be married against her will cast herself off the cliffs there and you can still hear her sighs, and Debra noted that this type of legend seems to appear in many places where there are impressive cliffs, such as the waterfalls in Hawaii, or even at Noccolula Falls in good old Alabama!) We ended the adventurous day by heading back to Tiberias to a restaurant on the Sea of Gallilee where we sat on the water and had a great meal of locally raised lamb, duck, and fish grilled traditionally over open charcoal pit fires. A yummy way to end Duncan's and my trip!

So now we're glad to be home -- I missed our kitties and American burgers :) I'm noticing that even though Americans might be on "orange alert" in terms of security these days, it's nothing like the intensity of perparendness you sense everywhere in Israel. It is a huge relief for me to be back in a part of the world (Alabama in particular) where people can generally assume others are friendly, smile and say hi to strangers, and go about their business with a relaxed kind of freedom that perhaps only we Americans have the luxury of taking for granted. It's also a stark contrast in terms of religion -- as Duncan put it, even if America has a Bible Belt, Israel is the real Bible Belt Buckle!

OK, that may be my last post, but I hope to hear more from our fellow travelers soon. As most of you may know, however, they are headed into the Negyev Desert to pow wow with the Bedouins, so don't worry if they don't post here for a few days. Love to all!! Jem

caesarea

2009-04-30T13:21:00.000-07:00

independence day/Tel-Aviv& Moroccan Meal-Darna

2009-04-30T12:51:00.000-07:00

Shalom y'all!!

2009-04-29T09:51:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
Jem here -- I haven't posted much due to technical impairment, but I think Dunc downloaded some of our pics. Of course, our camera is now on the fritz (!) so we're relying on everyone else to take pics; but there's no way pics can really transmit the experience of travel anyway. Neither can words, but suffice it to say that standing in so many places that are mentioned in the Bible is beyond surreal...
Even though I'm not Christian, some of my favorite places we've seen so far are those significant to Christians. I saw TWO-THOUSAND-YEAR-OLD olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane. To me, these short, thick, gnarled, dusty, silver-green trees inspired the same awe as a Sequoia might in the U.S. They seem so peaceful and wise that it's easy to see why Jesus might have rested beneath them when they were young.
Another serene place was Our Lady of the Arc of the Covenant, a convent/ church built on the top of a mountain above an Arab town. This is where the Phillistines are supposed to have brought the Arc to get rid of it when they thought is was bringing them bad luck :) I could imagine an ancient temple of Athena perched there. Sitting in the garden underneath the three story statue of Mary, you could see all the way back to Jerusalem. In this part of the world, it's a new culture and city from one hilltop to the next.
Finally, I got some small olive wood souvenirs for Christian friends at home, and took them to be blessed by touching them to the Rock of Unction (where Jesus' body was washed after his death). Kneeling there on the ornate floor of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, I was shocked to experience a jolt of energy as I touched the slab of stone where so many worshipers have come to pray.

The really amazing thing about Jerusalem to me is how the three major religions all claim it, yet disagree so stridently on what it all means. Pope John Paul II reportedly donated a statue of a three-limbed olive tree that stands at the Tomb of King David. The three limbs represent Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, and all the branches growing from the limbs represent the various sects and denominations that have sprung forth over the centuries; but the point is that the tree has only one trunk that leads to the same roots. 'Nough said!
Anyway, I'm really looking forward to getting on to Haifa and learning more about the Ba'hai (sp?) religion -- I like the idea of a faith that is famous for it's gardens! Love to all at home -- J

tel-aviv yaffo 4/28/09

2009-04-28T21:25:00.000-07:00

10:40 a.m.- Bussed ourselves to train station- to Tel-Aviv "Salvidor" stop to begin our marathon circumnavigation of the 100 year old city of Tel-Aviv and much older sister city of Yaffo. New York on the Mediterranean? Great food- fun beaches with esplanades stretch out...
Late in the afternoon we shop and browse as we transit Neve Tzedek ,the oldest neighborhood of Tel-Aviv and cross over into Yaffo which becomes increasingly Arab, as we progress. Eat fresh caught seafood at Marina ....taxis back to Rabin Square to join huge crowds in front of a stage for folk music, hip/hop/reggae/funk and fireworks. Taxis back to Cental Bus Station and then exhausted, pooped, and spent (literally) we take a sheyrute van back to our apartment in Jerusalem@1a.m. to "pltoze"-(yiddish for fall-apart).

2009-04-28T21:19:00.000-07:00

Herodium, the City of David, Yom HaZikaron...

2009-04-27T13:58:00.000-07:00

Another rich day--some highlights = 1. visiting another of Herod's castles - Herodion near Bethlehem in the West Bank (the first being his palace on Masada). It's an active archaeological site and the place where the Bar Kokhba rebellion against Rome took place(133ish CE) . Climbing up through the secret cistern shaft was interesting. Two pictures, one inside and one outside are here. 2. the Church of All Nations; 3. the excavations at the City of David; 4. the fabulous Morrocan restaurant Darna--a feast for the eyes and stomach; and then 5. Memorial Day or Yom HaZikaron at HaKotel, the Western Wall, where Janet, Jerry, & I saw and heard Shimon Peres, prayed Mourner's Kaddish for soldiers lost in the many wars and conflicts since independence in 1948, and sang HaTikvah (National Anthem meaning The Hope). Tomorrow we'll wake up early again. We're tunneled out, so we're trashing our reservations for The Tunnel Tours to catch the train to the Tel Aviv area to celebrate Independence Day (Yom Haatzmaute), hang at the beach, and walk as usual til we drop.

2009-04-27T13:43:00.000-07:00

2009-04-27T13:19:00.000-07:00

2009-04-26T21:40:00.000-07:00

Each day brims over. Our group is still adjusting, resettling, learning how to live together, but happy together...glad we're on our own-living in an apt in a neighborhood, mingling, taking buses, walking, being a part rather than apart of everything.
Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum, was grueling, overwhelming, touching, gripping, full of anguish and hope, triumph, death, devouring but at the end you walk out into the Light with notes of music composed in the camps on your ear and before you, over a balcony, sits Jerusalem.
Hmm, we woke up at 2:30 am to reach Masada in time to hike up the mountain in time for sunshine and to beat the crowds. Grueling comes to mind again--what a climb! Jennifer Chauvin, an old student of mine in 2nd and 6th grade has been living in Israel (she's around 18 now), and she spent the night b4 to join us for the day. We also delighted in dipping in the pools at Ein Gedi, the mud bath & float at the Dead Sea, Qum Ram where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, & then home. Avishay, our guide, is in a picture with Jerry.
Heading back to the Old city today--Cave of Zedechiah (the last King) under the city and more awaits. Be well our friends and family....

ein gedi&dead sea "treatment"

2009-04-26T20:47:00.000-07:00

sunup masada

2009-04-26T20:40:00.000-07:00

goin' to israel museum

2009-04-26T10:46:00.000-07:00

Belated Pics from Jem & Dunc -- Paris to Israel

2009-04-26T08:53:00.001-07:00

2009-04-22T20:41:00.000-07:00

The long flight over from Newark gave us some indications of the breadth of culture we were entering. Lots of Orthodox Jewish parents from the New York area working continuously to corral, entertain, and control their many infants and toddlers. Crying, praying, ipoding, movie watching while our professional airline hostesses worked non-stop to keep us fed, watered, entertained- and at times just seated. 4 bathrooms & 250 denziens waiting for the right moment to make a dash thru the tight aisles. Of course, it was a long flight and nightfall and sunrise were opportunities for the more religious Orthodox men to move to the front corner of the cabin facing east so that they could doven, swaying back and forth, to mutter the scheduled prayers.
The 5,000+ mile trp came to an end and we landed at Ben Gurion Int'l Airport on time at 9:22am Wednesday morning, Israeli time. We had been checked vigorusly by Israeli security at the airport back in Newark, so the processing thru customs at Ben Gurion was minimal and 30 minutes after landing we had gotten a "shayrute" (shared taxi) for the 1 hour's drive from the outskirts of Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem. The driver dropped us off directly in front of our apartment building. We had been forwarned that the building looked a bit shabby. It was. But the apartment itself is great! Modern, fresh and clean with a nice kitchen, wi-fi for our computer and a large maple kitchen table, pull out couch and TV in a common room off the kitchen. We cleaned up a bit and conferred with Duncan & Jem who had showed up on an earlier flight. Then it was off for a lenghty walk all the way into the heart of the modern city of Jerusalem. We could have taken bus or taxi but chose to walk 7-8 miles for the round trip. The day was warm and lush with Spring flowers and exotic vegetation everywhere. The city is in a dry climate, but irrigation is in all the public spaces, kinda like L.A. The buildings encompass a full range of heavy limestone block construction which has hues of rose and gold and is why Jerusalem is known as the city of gold. Although the buildings vary greatly in age, there is a uniformity in stone construction and general sense of style that gives Jerusalem a very distinctive style. The newer part of the city had 5-6 large construction cranes looming over the uptown area (Jerusalem is built on a hill). The bustle and traffic and people on the streets of all ages , from many different levels of Jewish tradition creates a hum of vitality and purpose.
We enjoyed our 3-4 mile stroll into town observing beautiful flowers and vegetation: orchids, bouganvillea, date palms, cedars, cactus, and lots of olive trees. We spotted lemon and orange trees around neighborhood dwellings throughout, many heavy with fruit.
Getting tired, we were running out of steam and settled in at a coffee/pastry shop for nourishment, rest, observation and reflection. Recovering a bit some small time shopping was next-up. The ladies shopped for scarves and hats (mostly scouting out for future purchases) and Duncan, Steve, and I bought Keppot (a.k.a.Yamulkes-the skull cap that male Jews wear ...some for religious reasons and some for more cultural reasons). It feels very good and right to be so openly Jewish, not being so assimilated into the wider culture of the non-Jewish world that makes up the largest part of our social experience. We put them on and wear them. We are Jews in our own land that openly declares that we belong here.
We confer as a group about getting a bus home, but the day has been too good and we don't wish to leave hurriedly, so we walk back as the day is dimming to our neighborhood, katamon, slightly below the German Colony. Jem & Duncan order pizza and the rest of us order combinations of pita, salads, hummus, grilled veggies. We eat at small tables set out on the sidewalk. Pretty exhausted, but no longer hungry. We make our way the last few blocks to our apartment and after minimally sketching plans, phone calls, email,&etc.- we collapse.

We walk thru Liberty park full

3am ...hebrew words & dreams are surfacing..some after 33 years.

2009-04-20T01:00:00.000-07:00

The 6 of us will ,connected by varying circles of fate, find our way to Eretz Yisrael, over the next 24 hours. We will convene not in a hotel, but in the apartment of an observant Jewish family in an older neighborhood that is popular with Western immigrants who have made "aliyah" to Israel. The apartment is owned by a Jewish family from Atlanta who made their aliyah in the last 10 years. I found this apartment on"for rent by owner." The world is our oyster...

I bear a lot of responsibility for this journey. I've been a strong motivating force behind this pilgrimage. It is so much more than a vacation. In fact, it is the opposite of a vacation. To vacate -is to leave, but I am returning to the source of much that is the root of my strength and who I am.

This is my 3rd trip to Israel. My last trip was 33 years ago in 1976- I was 23 years old. I was not going to visit. I quit my job in the U.S., boxed up my bit of furniture and possessions and shipped them all to Haifa. I went with a new wife and 23 new friends from all over the U.S. who shared a common goal- to be part of developing a small kibbutz, Kibbutz Gezer. I studied hebrew and apprenticed as an electrician. I loved the chavura- the sense of community that was the foundation of my new existence. Dahlia, my wife, became pregnant, but lost our child to a miscarriage in the 5th month. Dahlia was an unhappy person. She would not find happiness with Israel, with me, or -worst of all with herself. We returned to the U.S. I met Debra, my true life mate, life-line, best friend. We celebrate 30 years of marriage this sumer...

I brought my desire for building community back with me. My present chosen family- called "Common Ground" nutures all of my hopes and dreams of what a community can be. Our home on 80 acres in north Alabama is a dream made true- that resonates outward to find a way we can connect with the larger universe- and live a life closely connected to the Earth- and to be a small part of the "healing" that finds itself expressed through many of the lives of "my generation."

This journey will be something different for each of the 6 of us. I must tamp down my expectations and excitement that I am bringing together not only myself with the dreams and ideals of my youth, but also sharing this experience with folks who are primary in my present life. I'm the only one in the group who has already experienced first-hand Israel and claims a strong emotional presence and comfort level with the land & the people.

American Jews rarely understand why Israelis see them as their "weaker cousins." The vitality of Jewish culture grows more assimilated into mainsteam American culture- more so with every generation- in spite of the best efforts & intentions. After returning from Israel in 1979, I taught Hebrew language and culture to 4th-7th graders for 12 years. Debra, my wife, has taught at a Jewish Dayschool for about 20 years. We and our cousins have done our best to instill in our children the importance of continuing their adult lives as Jews. Most of our kids attended Jewish Dayschools. But, now that our kids are adults, the importance of "keeping ourselves as a distinct people" has grown less urgent and perhaps even irrelevant in their lives.

But I believe that destiny and fate will play her hand... German Jewish society was largely viewed as a succesfull and assimilated society that had climbed to the heights of the best circles in German culture. We may wish to forget...but the world will not let us. How provoking we are to the world that we insist on not just occupying our 5 thousand year old homeland after challenges and setbacks and dispersals that have continued over 5 thousand years. We thrive and grow and remember.

I wish to share the words of a chidrens' song- that every toddler Israeli learns+plus Jewish kids world over. The tune is recognizable anywhere on the face of this planet. It is one line- and it is sung again & again with more & more energy, a ruach ve-hazak-gadol. It tells about our continuity as a people from ancient times- who til this very day, in spite of all odds, Just as God promised, we live and sing and celebrate life.

Da-vide, Melech Yisrael, Chai, chai, ve-kayom....(repeats ad nauseum, ad hysterium).

"David, King of israel, lived-lived long ago.

B'yom ha-bah b'Yerushalim-next day in Jerusalem! Yaacov

Jem's first attempt at blogging. Mark your calendar!

2009-04-15T19:39:00.000-07:00

Duncan is making fun of me b/c this is the first time I've ever tried to use/ post on a blog. He thinks he's so smart and that it's self explanatory; well, he is, but it's really not! So here goes: I haven't been outside the US in 20 years (Canada doesn't count, right?), so I am really excited and nervous and manic and not ready. But it's all good, too, right? PS: What does one wear for a ten hour lay over in Paris??

To Israel - April-May 2009

2009-04-15T17:10:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the blog.... with some luck, you'll find some posts here recording the adventures of our travel group!