Farewell to Israel (for the time being)

                                                             Final Day and Departure

 

           Realizing it was our final day in Israel added a bittersweet note to Sunday.  We had two sites to visit, some time for shopping and packing, a wrap up session and a farewell dinner.  After that it was on to the airport for 29 of the 31.  Liz and Bernice would remain and travel on the own for another week.

 

          Our first site was the Military Cemetery on Mt. Herzl.  Uri began our visit by reading from a book about a fallen soldier, Guni, written by his mother. 

 

This was a way to connect to other soldiers who died protecting the country by becoming closer through the story of one man. We visited the grave of Yoni Netanyahu, the fallen hero of the Entebbe rescue in 1976, as well as the brother of the Prime Minister.  We stopped by the graves of the 35 young men in 1947 who were slaughtered in their attempt to assist and defend the four kibbutzim of Gush Etzion.  It was difficult not to notice the ages of the majority of the deceased, being in their early twenty’s as well as the egalitarian nature of both the grave stones and that a general could be buried next to someone of the lowest ranks.

 

          From there we made our way up the hill to the section containing the graves of the leaders of Israel.  These grave markers are different than the rest of the military markers.  The stones for Yitzhak and Leah Rabin, which were shaped differently, with one for Yithak and the one for Leah almost white.  Sitting in front of this grave I felt a feeling of despair thinking the he may have been the last hope for peace, at least for the near future.

 

          We finally went to the grave of Herzl, who requested not to be brought to the land.  Yet soon after the State was declared he was brought over to the special location. 

 

Nearby they were erecting bleachers for the ceremony held here on the eve as Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day) ends and Yom HaAtzma’ut (Independence Day) begins.  Nearby in the plaza there were many soldiers practicing their marching for the ceremony.  Uri joked that he arranged this, but in reality he felt that this was early for the preparation.  We noticed that the marching did not appear to be very precise.  In fact, beyond the crooked lines and erratic arm swings, I saw one soldier

pull out her cell phone and seemingly answer a call.  We should all be thankful the IDF might not be the sharpest most precise marchers but save that precision for the battlefield.

 

          Our next visit was to the Jerusalem Bird Sanctuary which is just down the hill from the Knesset.  We had an introduction about what they do and why this location was a fitting place.  We did not get into the birds themselves due to limited time.  We did planting of shrubbery that is attractive to different birds.  We also planted a tree in memory of Sidney Metzger (z”l) and held a short ceremony.  Sid desired to come to Israel with us and due to her untimely death we honored her memory. 

 

          We headed back towards the hotel but the majority of the group chose to be dropped off near Ben Yehuda Street for some last minute shopping.  In fact most of the trip had very little opportunity for gift buying.  Then back to the hotel to pack and clean-up for our flight.  We held a group meeting to review what we did and to share reflections of meaningful aspects of our journey.  It was nice to hear how many people appreciated the dynamics of the group itself; the niceness, kindness and willingness to help each other out.

          Our final dinner was held at the café near the entrance to the Israel Museum.  We were greeted with a glass of bubbly.  The food was excellent and plentiful and the sunset we viewed through the glass wall was breathtaking. 

 

          On to the airport for our journey home.  The trip was made even more special because of our wonderful tour educator, Uri Feinberg, and our helpful and skilled bus driver, Moody.  We thank you both of you.

 

                                    

A Day of Variety

On Saturday morning 2/3 of the group boarded a bus early to head down to the Dead Sea and Masada.  Of course at Masada Uri provided a great deal of context beyond seeing this magnificent desert mountaintop fortress and palace.  It was another of King Herod’s great building projects.  The cable car took the group up from the area of the visitors’ center.  No one had to make the difficult trek up the Snake Path.  Ultimately the question placed before the group was in regards to the mass suicide pact of martyrdom rather than being taken as slaves by the Roman armies.  Was this the right course of action?  Can we even make a fair judgment?

            Today Masada stands as a major tourist site and somewhat of a symbol for modern Israel.  The phrase Masada shall never fall again permeates the core of Israel’s survival.  It has become the place of many military ceremonies.  On its own it is a magnificent site to behold.

Thank goodness we took the cable car to the top of Masada...that winding path to the top sure looked long and tiring!  Uri definitely helped us see in our mind's eye the lavishness of Herod's fortress, but the monotone view that stretched endlessly in every direction made us wonder how anyone could tolerate living there.  We left Masada challenged to consider for ourselves whether the choice the Zealots made to end their lives rather than be captured was the correct one. (Thanks to Alice Rudolph and Masada pictures from Marcia Elwitt)

 

            The second stop was at the Dead Sea itself.  This natural phenomenon of the lowest salt water sea in the world has been shrinking due to a lack of water.  Years ago one simply went out of the public facility and walked into the water.  Today the walk is much longer and some even take a tram to the shore line.  Some of the group slathered the mineral rich mud on themselves.  The standard picture of sitting in the water reading a newspaper was taken. 

(Sorry no pictures available to protect the innocent)

            Those who remained in Jerusalem spent the morning enjoying Shabbat either by resting, visiting the renovated and updated Israel Museum or strolling around the Old City. 

 Those who visited the museum raved about it and wished they had a day or two to do it justice.  A few of us enjoyed a lunch of the best hummus (according to Rabbi Katz) in the city at Abu Shukri.  In the midafternoon we were treated to a wonderful tour of the Christian Quarter by Hana Bendcowsky

 

 

from the JCJCR (Jerusalem Center for Jewish-Christian Relations).  Her extensive knowledge and wonderful teaching style enthralled the group.  We learned of the many different communities.  Unlike the U.S. the Protestants have very little presence in this locale.  She spoke of the different groups breaking off from each other and forming their own approaches.  Our visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher was enriched because we are in the period of Lent before Easter. We witnessed processions of Copts,

Greek Orthodox

 and Syrian Orthodox as they left the Church.  We heard beautiful chanting and saw a variety of rituals.  Our final visit was to through the Ethiopian Church from the rooftop area where ancient living quarters remain in disrepair because it requires cooperation of more than one sect to make any changes.  The Ethiopians and the Copts won’t consider this path. Under Ottoman rule the church has 6 different sects that have a stake, The Roman Catholics (Latin), Greek Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, the Copts and the Ethiopians.  To make changes in shared areas not controlled by a single group there must be complete agreement.  This can often be difficult if not impossible. Hana provided incite and history that gave a more in depth picture to this quarter of the city but as usual left us with more questions than answers.

            Back at the hotel the group gathered for havdalah in a room usually used as a prayer room.  The mechitza was removed and we sat in a circle separating from the glorious Shabbat we had just spent.

Marathon and Shabbat

Marathon Day

            Our itinerary was partially determined today because of the Jerusalem international marathon.  Many roads were closed until the afternoon so it was impossible to get the bus to or from the hotel. Part of the route was directly in front and behind the hotel on both Keren HaYesod Street and King David Street. At one point when I looked out the window I saw a small group of African runners.  I turned to the TV and there they were just about a minute later. Our entourage left the hotel by foot, walked to King David Street, past the hotel of that name, through the Mamilla Mall right up to the Jaffa Gate to enter the Old City.

            It was exciting to look out from the plaza leading to the gate and see runners coming up the hill and running into the stone streets of the Old City. We were able to enter the city and turned off the main street to wind our way through narrow alleyways in the Armenian Quarter, ascend some steps and arrive on roof tops looking over the Jewish Quarter.

 

On one side we saw the domes of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Christian Quarter. Uri spoke about different aspects of the city from the time we entered and saw the Tower of David, constructed by Herod and now the Museum of Jerusalem.  Upon our descent we found ourselves inside the Jewish Quarter which was taken over by the Jordanians in 1948 and recaptured by Israel in 1967.

            As we made our way into the Jewish Quarter we stopped by the Hasmonean wall from the First Temple period. 

We moved on to the Cardo, the main drag from Roman days and serves as a lovely area to shop.

 We moved up to the main square and looked at the Hurva Synagogue.  For many years the large archway served as a sign that this great synagogue was destroyed during the Independence War.  Now the rebuilt synagogue stands and represents the renewed jewish life in the Old City.  

 

This was followed by a period of time when the group could either shop or grab a bite of lunch.  Guess what most of us did?

            At this point the majority of the group headed to the Wall, and the excavations near the Southern Wall and Robinson’s Arch.  They were able to see the platform that has been built in this area for egalitarian prayer.

            Back to the hotel to wash up and prepare for our Shabbat visit to Modi’in.  We drove on Rte 443, avoiding the traffic and longer trip on Rte 1, the main Jerusalem to Tel Aviv highway.  Rte 443 travels partially through the territories and at times we saw the protective walls and fences that keep the road safe.  We saw some of the newer Jerusalem, post-1967 neighborhoods as well as a number of Palestinian villages.  In about 30 minutes door to door we arrived in Modi’in to a nature preserve within the city, Titora Hill. 

 

 We were met by friends from the Partnership Together (P2G), Hana Sirkis Katz, Aviva Dvir and Hila Hadas. 

 They spoke about Modi’in and the activities of the partnership, including the Journey for Identity, Ramim (for mid-career adults), the Educational Bridge, Friends Across the Sea, cultural exchanges and more.  Some of the group had some connection to one or two activities but most were learning of the wonderful connections we have established on a people to people level with Modi’in.

            We drove through the city to Kehilat YOZMA, the Reform synagogue, for Shabbat services.  We were greeted warmly by the president of the congregation, the executive director, Rabbi Kinneret Shiryon, the rabbinical student who led our service David Laor and other members of the congregation, including Ron Newman’s cousin, Yuval Newman.  The music was lead by my cousin’s daughter, Noam Elsberg, who has spent summers at URJ camps in the US including Kutz and Jacobs.  Her beautiful voice and wonderful guitar playing were a treat.  She also honored Jan and me by playing one of our son Noam’s prayers, “Roll into Dark.”  That was the only English prayer either read or sung during the service.

            After the service we were split up to go to our host families.  Some of the families were from the congregation and some were connected through the partnership.  A few people, the Osowskis and Schachters went to families who hosted their children on JFI.

Everyone enjoyed the time with their hosts and returned from the dinners who new found connections in Modi’in.  We then drove back to Jerusalem. This was another example where personal encounters have enriched the total experience.

           

Real Life Difficulties and the New Zioism

Netiv Ha'asarah, Sderot, and Ayalim

Thursday was planned as a day that almost no other tour group might take. We were about to explore issues of real life, including the struggle to live under the constant threat and reality of bombardment from rockets, missiles and mortars from Gaza.  We would also meet some very special young adults who are creating and building Israel in what some view as new Zionism. 

We began by heading south towards the Negev and the Gaza Strip. 

Before we arrived at our first stop we were told by Uri that although he suspected we would not need this precautionary advice but better safe than sorry.  In the event of hearing an alarm called “tzeva adom,” red alert, we were to exit the bus calmly, lie face down on the ground and place our hands over the back of our heads.  While we were fortunate not to use this information directly, just being warned set an eerie tone for the day.

Upon our arrival at Moshav Netv Ha’asarah we were greeted by Smadie Shmilovitz 

who described life on this border community.  Last year when I visited this Moshav we met her son, Raz, who is also a tour guide for Da’at. 

Of course we were welcomed with some light refreshments before hearing Smadie’s story. She told us that Netiv Ha’asarah actually was founded in the Sinai.  After the peace agreement with Egypt they uprooted themselves and moved back into Israel’s pre-1967 border. Their hope was that never again would they need to move off their land.  They were resettled on the northern border next to the Gaza Strip where climate and soil conditions were similar to what existed in Sinai. They were mostly farmers.  Today the next generation of their children who have moved back and built house are not given the same land and water grants so they earn their incomes in other ways. The original inhabitants are still farmers. We sat in their mo’adon, clubhouse, and waited while a women’s stretching or yoga class was going on. When we entered we saw a closeup area map of the Moshav and the immediate surrounding area as well as two art pieces put together by children created as a form of outlet for them as therapy. Smadie spoke of life for the families and told us that even with the constant missile and rocket attacks everyone has remained despite the trying and dangerous conditions.  We saw a new shelter being constructed right next to the pre-school playground. 

We passed one house that as been hit by explosives more than a dozen times.

The army has recently removed soldiers from being stationed on the moshav and now security must be provided in other ways.  We drove to the border overlook and could see right into Gaza.  In the distance was Gaza City but we also saw other communities including two from which Israelis were moved out during the disengagement.  In the distance we spied the building that once was the synagogue.  We were no more than 150 meters from the border fence.

Our next stop was the city of Sderot which has become all too well known because it is the most targeted town in all of Israel.  Sderot was founded as a development town for new immigrants and unfortunately has continued to have its share of economic challenges. 

The danger of the bombs from Gaza has added to their difficulties.  A few years ago a group was created called the Sderot Media Center to publicize the plight of this area.  Not only do they bring visitors here to see films and see rockets but they also try to combat the distortions of media that only shows Palestinian suffering.  There are multiple psychological problems that go beyond the physical dangers.  Teenagers may still sleep in parent’s beds or wet themselves at night. Hearing the click of a sound system being turned on or anything similar brings immediate fear that the next sound will be the warning of incoming rockets or the rockets themselves. Sometimes the 15 second warning window is not enough.  We heard from Anat, a single mother who simply wants to live in peace.  We saw pieces of “iron dome” rockets which cost $50,000 a piece to try and intercept incoming fire.  Rockets from Gaza are often painted different colors signifying Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Al Qaeda or some other groups. In the Legacy Heritage Park of Good Wishes we observed a playground where many of the play areas are colorful bomb shelters. 

 

We heard a child’s letter to a child in Gaza hoping they could both live in peace and security.

Our third stop of the day was at another Moshav called Yachini.  Attached to this moshav is an area for a group known as Ayalim.  These are young adults, most who have finished their army service and now want to give back to create a better Israel like their parents and grandparents had done before them.  Some call them the new Zionist pioneers.  

Besides continuing their studies at nearby institutions of higher learning the do volunteer work to assist locals who are under privileged or in need.  They learn building skills and even build their own living quarters.  They exist in numerous communities in the Negev, the Galil (in the North) and in cities like, Ramle, Jaffa and Akko.  They are extremely inspiring and are hoping to build an Israel that makes us all proud. While there we not only met with some of the youths, but had a delicious catered lunch and celebrated Arlene Cooper’s birthday.

That night after arriving back in Jerusalem we went to dinner in various places.  Jan and I met with our friend from the partnership Aviva Dvir, who coordinates the Educational Bridge.  We had a lovely dinner with her and her husband Amos.

This day provided incite into parts of the real life of Israel and Israelis.  It was not filled with tourist sights.  It was a story of people and how they live their lives

Anat Hoffman, Yad Vashem, Machaneh Yehudah, and the Wall Tunnels

            Our day began with a short ride (actually 4 people walked with Jan and arrived a lot earlier) around the corner from the hotel to Beit Shimshon, part of the complex of Reform Judaism in Israel, which is attached to the Hebrew Union College.  There is also a hostel/hotel, many offices of different Reform institutions, a theater and great hall that is often transformed into a synagogue. We were met by Anat Hoffman, the director of IRAC (the Israel Religious Action Center). 

            Anat had been in Rochester a little more than a month ago and many in our group heard her speak then so were excited to hear her again.  She is a bright, articulate voice of civil rights in Israel for all.  She is also the chairperson of Women of the Wall.   Besides describing that truggle for equal access to the Wall, she spoke of other issues such as payment for non-Orthodox rabbis commensurate with what Orthodox rabbis receive.  Of course she mentioned that Rabbi Miri Gold finally received her first payment which was won through an IRAC petition on her behalf.  The case only took over 8 years.  She mentioned the groundswell t defeat a candidate for the chief rabbinate who is a self-declared racist and has incited discrimination and perhaps violence against Arabs.

            Liz Ornstein presented her with a picture of the plaque we have hanging at Temple Sinai when over 100 women wore a special WoW tallit and held a Torah in support of WoW’s struggle here.  At the end many in our group bought the special WoW tallit to wear proudly during prayer and to support their cause.

 

We then went to the Israeli Holocaust Museum, Yad V'shem. It is an incredibly powerful memorial, museum and research center. The majority of the group first learned about the origin of the name, yad for hand, and shem for a name. The message is that the Holocaust may have been six million Jews but each one had a name, so a hand, and a name, and a name, and...

We entered the complex by walking down the "path of the righteous" dedicated to over 18000 non-Jewish people who took it upon themselves to help the Jews while risking themselves and their families to do so. Think Schindler’s list.... And the 18000 mentioned are only the documented ones, there were likely many more...

Uri then took the majority of the group on a journey that followed the plight of the European Jews starting in the 1930’s, and taught us about just how methodical and thoughtful the intended dehumanization and condemnation was, leading to the destruction of the Jews, starting with restrictions that affected their ability to earn a living, dictating where they could live, with whom they could do business, and with whom they could interact. The Third Reich then followed that by corralling the Jews into overcrowded ghettos such that food, housing, and work would be in short supply as well as limited medical care. Over time malnutrition and disease caused large numbers to die, after which they were deported to concentration camps in Central Europe because so many other countries had closed their borders to Jews. In these camps they were forced to dig their own graves before being shot in cold blood. Ultimately the Germans found individual killing to be too costly and inefficient, and in order to meet strict deadlines they devised and built the death camps like Auschwitz. Again it was clear that the process was finely engineered for a single outcome. The story was told by the museum through pictures, artifacts, and testimonials from survivors, and left many of us feeling quite taken, empty, yet realizing that "there but for the grace of God go we." Had Hitler been more successful we may not be here today.

The memorial also emphasized that 1.5 million children were among those slaughtered that made up 25% of those exterminated in a separate exhibit. It was a walk through a dark hall that appeared to have a star against a dark sky for each of those children. It is actually a reflection of many mirrors and a few candles that seem to be as numerous as the stars. The sounds of names and ages as a backdrop played continuously. Upon exit was a sculpture of a Januz Korczak, a physician who dedicated his life to the Jewish children, ultimatelychoosing not to abandon them for his own safety and going to the death camps with them.

 The architecture of Yad Vashem combined with such impactful presentation overloaded the senses with the power of the atrocity, and left an indelible print on us all.

A small group of us who had been to Yad Vashem had another guide, Hazy, who took us to a few other areas. 

Hazy had led our teens this past summer in Poland on the Journey For identity trip with their partners from Modi’in. We had a whirlwind visit to the art museum, learning the story of only a few artists. Then we went into the Learning Center, saw a short film on the plight of children who were given to non-Jews to be saved and how they left their parents.  Later after the war some even left these new adopted families in the few cases when a parent survived.  We walked down to the Valley of the Communities

and walked a little way through a maze like hewn stone open are area that represented the map of Europe and all the communities that were brutalized by the Nazis. The entire group gathered outside the Children’s memorial for a short memorial service.

Our shift was then to move from Yad Vashem to life in Israel.  We drove to the Machaneh Yehuda market, the shuk, to have some lunch and explore the wonderful sensory stimulation of sight, sound and smell in the open air market.  Machaneh Yehuda has been changing over the years from almost entirely open air market stalls of all types of produce and food stuff, to more places to sit, eat and congregate.  It is now a mixture of the old and new.  Our group tried to empty the market of halva as numerous kilos of the delicious sweet sesame treat in all flavors was purchased.  There were also a few kilos of chocolate ruggeleh and some spices that went with us.

Back to the hotel for a short rest before we headed to the Old City of Jerusalem to enter the Wall plaza (The Kotel) and explore the Wall Tunnels.  A few people went down to the Wall and prayed or left notes in its cracks or simply had a close up look.  We entered the tunnel area where Uri once again explained what we were seeing in greater context.  What people think of as the Wall is actually only about 60 meters of a 480 retaining wall built to support the mount on which the Temple was constructed. 

By the end of the visit most of us were exhausted when we headed back to the hotel and went for our late evening dinners.  Some walked through the Mamilla Mall and others up towards Ben Yehuda Street, to eat and perhaps to shop.

(Special thanks to Ann Leonard and Michael Algase for their contributions ot this post)