Day 10 - L'hitraot

Rabbi Gerber wrote this final blog post for our incredible trip to Israel. Even just writing a wrapup post feels surreal; it’s hard to believe how fast this trip FLEW by. It’s been a wonderful “masa” - journey - but all good things must come to an end. Here’s the post for Day Ten:

Our final day in Israel began with a pretty long walk… which surprised no one. Walking was certainly a common activity in most of our days. Muki led us through the streets of Tel Aviv to join a Masorti (Conservative) congregation for Shabbat morning services. After a lovely stroll, we found ourseles at a small congregation in the Neve Tzedek neighborhood of Tel Aviv. Their rabbi was on vacation, so services were lay led. It just so happened that Shabbat coincided with Rosh Chodesh, the start of the new Jewish month of Elul. Whenever Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh fall on the same day (which generally happens a couple of times each year), a special Haftarah is read - and it was my Bar Mitzvah Haftarah a couple of decades ago. It turned out that they were happy for me to chant it, which I happily did. A couple of congregants even threw candy when I returned back to my seat! :-)

After a pretty comprehensive service, we enjoyed lunch in the synagogue building. Another definite non-surprise; it was another wonderful meal, with especially good pareve desserts! It’s been particularly gratifying for me to know that our food and wine tour through Israel has indeed produced some terrific culinary experiences. I had hoped to show our group some of the amazing things Israel has to offer, and the country has come through in spades! Amazing chummus, phenomenal watermelon, delicious cucumbers and tomatoes, surprisingly good sweet red wine (none of us could believe it either!), wonderful meat, fish, and chicken dishes, and so much in between. It really was a very successful trip!

Several of us walked back from synagogue, this time strolling along the boardwalk and seeing all the Israelis and tourists enjoying Tel Aviv’s beautiful beaches. It was a pretty hot day, but a most enjoyable walk nonetheless. Muki stopped to point out a monument, memorializing teenagers killed in a piguah, a terrorist bombing, in 2001. Many of them were Russian Jews, waiting on line to enter a discoteque on a Saturday evening. And then we kept walking along the beach in the warm summer sun. Truly a country of stark contrasts, and somehow you have to reconcile all of them. We felt incredibly safe meandering around the city - both in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem - and yet the threat of Israel’s enemies is never far away. How must it feel to live here and hold these polarities in balance EVERY day??

Back at the hotel, everyone enjoyed a lazy afternoon, taking naps and swimming in the warm Mediterranean. I met up with a friend who had made aliyah, so I sadly did not get to enjoy the water. But overall it was a wonderful way to savor our final day in Israel and just lounge by the beach like the locals do.

After packing up our bus and partaking of one final meal in our hotel, we all made our way back over to the boardwalk for Havdalah and our last farewells. To be honest, I was a little concerned about doing Havdalah by the beach. More than just worrying about keeping our candle lit in the wind (it was fine), I wasn’t sure how awkward it would be to hold a religious ceremony among beach-going, chiloni (secular) Israelis. As always, the locals managed to surprise me yet again. We gathered around in a circle, at a pretty busy intersection, and right away, a few Israelis came over and joined our group! It was so adorable. Unprompted, these young women made sure to first cover up their shoulders (which we found fascinating), and then they joined in with the Havdalah ceremony. And a few others would stop, cover their heads with their hands, and sing along with the tunes. It was already an emotional moment for our group, and now it was yet another reminder of where we were and how different Israel is from any other place on earth. What better way to end our wonderful tiyul (trip)?

After some final hugs and heartfelt thanks to our phenomenal driver, Meyer, and our beyond amazing guide, Muki, half our group got on the bus and headed to the airport. The rest will spend one more day on their own in Tel Aviv, and then return to Philly on Sunday.

I’m writing this final post at cruising altitude on an airplace, three hours away from home. Our “Milk and Honey” trip was over two years in the making. and was once thwarted, last summer, when Israel was in the midst of a war. We had high hopes and expectations, and I think it’s safe to say they were not only met, they were vastly exceeded. My heart is very full, I feel very honored to have spent 10 days with a group of wonderful people in the Holy Land… and I look forward to beginning the plans for our next trip in 2017! :-)

Thank you for reading our blog, and for virtually “joining” us on our adventure. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading it, and I ESPECIALLY hope you’ll consider joining us on a future trip.

For now, we won't say "goodbye," but rather "L'hitraot," which means "see you soon again."

Warm regards,

Rabbi Gerber

Day Nine - The Viv

The post for Day Nine was written by Heather Cole:

We began our day once again with an incredible variety of foods for breakfast, Oy vey, the food! A buffet filled with sweets and savories: from vegetables and vegetable salads; to varieties of cheeses and sour creams and fishes; to eggs and potatoes and French toast; to cereals and fruit, nuts and grains; to a wide variety of sweets! I'm sure I missed something, needless to say the breakfasts on this trip have certainly nourished us to begin our days of touring. 

From breakfast we rode the bus to an area of Tel Aviv which was filled with street art and carpenter shops mixed with a neighborhood of residences and cafés. It was here where I was almost run over by two bicyclists. Israelis bike like they drive, and like they walk: Fast and Furious. 

We met our guide, Guy Sharett, who walked us through the 'local life' of the community. Professionally, he works at Google in Israel, but he is also a teacher of modern Hebrew and culture. As he led us through the area, we were given mini lessons on streetwise Hebrew with his teaching tools being street signs, storefronts, and images within the graffiti art. 

As we strolled, he pointed out the works of various artists, some of whom even do work in other parts of the world, and Guy identified how they are recognized by their specific trademarks. One artist's theme is bandaides and monkeys- yup I said bandaids, another ducks, and a third - known as C-215 - has his signature placed inside a cube. The art, I thought, was fantastic. We ended in a small gallery where the artists put their work on canvas and such for the opportunity to be sold. We learned that this area was soon to be demolished and among many parts of Tel Aviv, to be apart of the gentrification of the city; and as Guy told us, the city that now wishes to be called 'The Viv.'

From there we traveled to Jaffa, where we explored the narrow stone streets filled with beautiful homes, galleries and boutiques. All while taking in the picturesque view of Tel Aviv lining the Mediterranean sea. Standing at a great lookout point, our guide, Muki, pointed out 6 cranes in one swivel, noting all of the new construction surrounding The Viv. 

Hot and hungry - Jeezz! How on earth could we be hungry again!?! - we moved on to the shuk where we had the most aaaaaamaaaazing hummus and shopped a bit. 

Back at the hotel, we  then had a few hours before Shabbat. Some shopped,  some rested, and some of us went to the beach or pool. Sarah and I walked the two city blocks to the beach and took our first swim in the very warm Mediterranean Sea. How much fun riding the waves in Israel!!!

We met as a group again and set out for Shabbat services. Our destination was Beit Tefilah Yisraeli, a boardwalk-type setting with plastic red chairs set up facing the Mediterranean. A most untraditional service more like an outreach, with song leaders, musicians, mass singing, and a bit of dancing and praying to all kinds of tunes (including 'Let It Be'!) and oh, kids riding a merry-go-round right next to us. It was incredible welcoming in Shabbat by watching the sun set over the sea with a group of people who had such energy. It was a beautiful sight to see, but even more beautiful to feel. The vibe was tantalizing. The feeling I would use to describe would simply be "ALIVE." 

As we made our way back to the hotel for dinner, walking along the shoreline, we witnessed the invigorating Friday night of Tel Aviv. We ate with a Lone Soldier, named Avi, who told us his story of moving from Chicago to join the Israeli army. He talked about army life, guarding the border and touched on his experience in combat last year on the front line. And he knew someone from Ohev! (Of course...)

To sum it up, another fantastic day in Israel!!

Day 8 - The Tastes of the Negev Desert

Thursday morning began with many of us feeling that we were not yet ready to depart, knowing we were leaving a little bit of our hearts in Jerusalem; and then just two hours later, we were being captivated by the contrasts and the depth of our experiences on "Day Eight: The Tastes of the Negev Desert." During our bus ride south, Muki gave us an informative tutorial on the curiously complex Israeli parliamentary system.

Our first stop was Kibbutz Yad Mordecai, a kibbutz originally founded in the 1930's and named in memory of Mordecai Anielewicz, a commander in the Warsaw Ghetto uprising.  This was the "honey" part of our milk and honey tour. Some of the kibbutz founders learned how to work with bees from two Australian soldiers, and they brought 19 hives for the kibbutz. 

Today, this kibbutz is the 2nd largest supplier in Israel, with over 4,000 hives spread across the country.  And the honey they produce here is a major brand in Israel and is, we can attest, quite delicious.  Several of us spent some time contributing to the Israeli economy, purchasing honey for Rosh Hashanah.

Even more tasty were the many varieties of tomatoes and also cucumbers we picked and sampled on what is known as "The Salad Trail," a unique touch-and-taste farm located in the Northern Negev.  We met here with an expert agronomist and were so impressed with what this agricultural community has accomplished, focusing both on the business of agriculture and care for the environment.  

And it was good to relate this day to another kibbutz visit earlier in the week, learning that this agricultural community utilizes the very same Bio-Bee system we saw developed at Kibbutz S'de Eliyahu!

In between these two stops was an extraordinarily informative, sobering, and inspirational visit to Moshav Netiv Ha'asarah. This moshav was originally located in the Northern Sinai for many years, but as a result of the peace treaty with Egypt in 1979, all of the residents had to be uprooted; and they had to start all over again, choosing their current location, literally on Israel's border with the Gaza Strip. The woman who spoke to us came to Israel from England as a child; she is now a mother of five and a grandmother of many, and the wife of an Egyptian Jew who is an agricultural specialist on the moshav, and whose work took the family to Egypt some years ago.  She now focuses on what she refers to as the "power of dialogue," speaking locally and sometimes internationally.  She told us about a Palestinian woman who is doing similar work but for whom it is more difficult to be so open about what she does. They text each other daily to check on each other.  

While being committed to the urgency of dialogue and problem solving, she was brutally honest about the very real, day-to-day security concerns on this Moshav: mortar shellings, rockets launched from Gaza, the tunnels, and the 15 seconds adults and children alike have to get themselves into a safe room or shelter when the alarms go off.  And those alarms have gone off more times than any of us would choose to count, and there has been tremendous damage.  She talked about being terribly frightened during one of the alerts last summer when she wasn't sure at first if her husband and some of her grandchildren were safe. And yet, her refrain was clear and unwavering that "we must learn to live side by side."  

Hearing about what the Moshav residents have endured the last 15 years was powerful; walking through the Moshav and seeing with our own eyes the many security precautions built to protect the pre-school children and seeing the houses that bore the brunt of the rocket attacks took us to another level of understanding the reality a community like this lives with all the time.  And perhaps most stunning was when our tour bus dropped us off at a spot in the fields of the moshav where we could literally see the tunnel built by Hamas, discovered in the war last summer. It was a tunnel that the Israeli soldiers had to re-bomb only two weeks ago, when they discovered that it was being rebuilt by Hamas.  It was within easy, easy walking distance. Some of our group experienced real tension, being so close to the border - and that tunnel - and we wanted our bus to come up and retrieve us.  Our guide explained that the reason our bus was some yards away from us and well below where we were standing was because they didn't want Hamas to see the vehicle; they know that the eyes of Hamas are always watching this Moshav. We could clearly see Hamas headquarters across from us with no need for binoculars.

And yet 71 new families will be joining the current 230 families in a very short time, and there are discussions underway about an additional expansion to Moshav Netiv Ha'asarah. The strength and resolve of this community who want peace, who accept a two-state solution and who live dual realities of striving for dialogue and peace and always waiting for the next alert made a lasting impression, no doubt, on all of us.

By late afternoon, we were leaving these three amazing Negev communities and traveling on to Tel Aviv, for just a brief introductory glimpse to this vibrant, cosmopolitan, growing city. We quickly checked into our hotel and then on to a most interesting dinner at Blackout, a non-profit restaurant where you eat completely in the dark and where the waitstaff is all visually impaired or blind.  

What a day and night of contrasts and new realities and just one memorable experience after another.  

This country is extraordinary.

Day Seven - Yad Yerushalayim

This next post is written by Annette Seflin, with input from Gary and Geena:

We slept a little later today, but still awoke too close to the crack of dawn.


Most of our activities today dealt with "The Yad" (hand).

Initially, we drove to Yad la Kashish;
"Lifeline to the elderly" (Extending a hand to seniors). Our guide, Lisa Oren, who is originally from Glasgow, Scotland, introduced us to the program designed to assist senior citizens and people with disabilities.  We had the opportunity to watch their intricate work with different art mediums (metals, ceramics, recycled paper, fabrics, etc.) and interact with some of the employees and then purchase their crafts in the shop.

The people there range in age from mid 60s to mid 90s and come from many different countries -- mainly former Soviet Union. Since they came to Israel after pension age, they fail to qualify for government assistance.  This program offers them the ability to feel productive and earn some money.

As the morning moved on, we went to the next "Yad" on the program list, Yad vashem... (Although Yad means hand, in this case, (our guide, Muki, taught us) it also means "sign" or "monument" - Yad Vashem: A Monument and a Name.

Although Israel had a Holocaust museum since 1965, 10 years ago the new Yad Vashem opened.  The museum tells the story through Jewish eyes and more perspectives.
Every detail is deliberate. For example, unlike most buildings in Jerusalem the building uses cement, not Jerusalem  stone.  The story is not of Jerusalem; but rather the Jewish People. Similarly, there is no carpeting on the floor until the very end, symbolizing that the story that is told throughout the museum is a tough one.

When you first walk in, you see the Avenue of the Righteous of Nations. Over 25,000 trees have been planted in this area, along with plaques, memorializing those Europeans that saved Jews during the War. The inside gives perspective on  the time line, differentiating culture by neighborhood and people.

When you leave the museum you walk through the memorial to the 1,500,000 children who perished. The tribute, is beautiful, yet haunting. The museum is a stunningly effective way of telling the story and of individualizing the Shoah.

Moving into the afternoon, the trip took on a much lighter (and sweeter) tone. It was an afternoon dedicated to food.  The hand was very busy helping us eat!

So we can call it "Yad La'Ochel - Hand for food."

Right after lunch we visited a Chocolate factory in a kibbutz, Kibbutz Tzoba. Sasha was our guide/instructor. We received spoons and tins, and allowed our creativity to take over. We even got to lick the bowl!!

We learned all about how the cocoa bean grows in Africa and the whole process involved to make it into what we know as the finished product, chocolate.    Very yummy.

Next we went to the market   (Shook) and our hand (Yad) continued active duty. The Market is called Machaneh Yehudah, where we saw, smelled, and heard the hustle and bustle of an actual market akin to our 9th Street Market... but on steroids.

First stop:

"The World's Greatest Rugalach" at a bakery called Marzipan. (We tried to set up a way to have it shipped to Wallingford, but couldn't arrange it. Sorry - we DID think of you)

Next shop was a techina (tahini?) on-site roasting store.  --  never knew there are so many different flavors of techina!

We then walked along a row in the Shook and made it to a Halvah stand -- different kinds of halvah.  Never will ask for plain halvah again when there are so many other varieties. We tried coffe flavored and cinnamon flavored...

Speaking of varieties - Muki then invited us to try exotic Middle Eastern ice cream. All different spices in each scoop. Ever try basil or saffron ice cream?  Surprisingly good.

We then walked back to the hotel with Rabbi Gerber in the lead as we viewed the "Great Synagogue of Jerusalem", as well as caught a glimpse of the official residence of the Israeli Prime Minister.

We then had dinner on our own, but about half our group toured the pedestrian mall of Old Ben Yehuda Street, and we ended up at Black Bar Burger and Grill for grilled burgers and beer.

Day 6 - Livin' it up at the Dead Sea!

Today's post was written by Libby (and, sort of, Marty) Cohen:

We began Tuesday yawning our way onto the bus just after dawn and ended it dancing in Jerusalem at midnight.  In between, we went down, then up, then down again, and then way, way down.

The contrasts are breathtaking:  the gracious Jerusalem home we visited Sunday night, and the impoverished Bedouin shanties by the roadside; Monday evening's beautifully presented dinner, and Tuesday's plentiful but odd boxed breakfast (a cucumber! a tuna sandwich! a tiny muffin studded with peas and carrots!); the clear air and cool breeze on Masada, and the dense, intense heat of the Dead Sea.

We boarded our bus at the preposterous hour of 5:45 AM and passed day laborers waiting for their rides as we left Jerusalem.  We passed Qumran, the site of the Dead Sea scroll discovery. After miles and miles of glistening water on our left, desert cliffs on the right, we arrived at Masada.

It's hard to make sense of Masada through twenty-first century eyes.  The plateau rises high above the desert; the stunning vista confirms that there are no other communities, no trees, no fresh water source, nothing but desert as far as the eye can see.  As a military fortress, it is imposing; as a vacation home, it's evidence of King Herod's arrogance and extravagance.  We tried to picture the Zealots going about their daily lives surrounded by the Roman camps, hearing the sounds of the construction of the ramp, and knowing there was no earthly way out.

We descended the cable car for some quick shopping, finally some coffee, and a visit with an inquisitive ibex.  We then bussed on to Ein Gedi.

Once again, we struggled to understand the significance of what we saw, riding into a desert oasis on an air conditioned, wi-fi-equipped bus.  As always, Muki provided us with a meaningful biblical and historical context, helping us to see through the throngs of tourists.  We learned an excellent Scrabble word:  hyrax (a desert animal); and watched 2 hyraxes resting in the shade.  After a quick dip in the waterfall we were back on the bus.

The thermometer at the Dead Sea read 45 degrees Celsius.  We slid and stumbled across the boiling hot beach into the thick, briny water, struggling to adjust to a new center of gravity.  In the Dead Sea everything you know about water is wrong - how you move in it, how it feels on your face, how it tastes and smells.  It's intriguing and threatening at the same time.  The novelty of floating like a beach toy is balanced by the fear of submerging.

Some of us closed the day's circle with a visit to the Israel Museum to see the Dead Sea scrolls.  Later, freshly showered and desalinated, we walked out to the restored Jerusalem Railway Station for an excellent dinner, dancing in the street, and shopping under the stars.

 

Day Five - Learning to Share in the Old City

Our first full day in Jerusalem was packed from the moment we arrived at a special section of the Western Wall for 3 B'not Mitzvah (plural of Bat Mitzvah) at 8 am, until we left the Western Wall Tunnel and returned to our hotel at 6 PM. Needless to say, our tour guide, Muki, related what seemed like a text book's worth of information, but in reality didn't begin to scratch the surface about the ancient city.  Everywhere you drive, walk and stand to look around has biblical significance and current political consequences.

Here are some of the impressions or highlights from this remarkable day.  Upon entering one of the gates of the walled city, we were immediately struck by the vibrancy of "living" Judaism.  As we were making our way to the place where Cathy Baum, Susan Cherner and Joanne Green would partake in their Bat Mitzvah ceremony, we saw a wedding with the bride, groom, and friends/family dancing under the Chuppah - such happiness and joy on a Monday morning!!!  

We soon came to the part of the Kotel where the non-Orthodox communities in Israel (including Conservative/Masorti) constructed a platform for egalitarian prayer services and lifecycle celebrations. We saw at least 4 or 5 other events going on, concurrent with ours.  Most of these families had to "rent" a rabbi, but we were privileged to have our very own Rabbi Gerber lead the service. Cathy, Susan and Joanne were stellar and we had the opportunity to witness it as well as pray in Jerusalem facing the Western Wall!!!!!

We then made our way around this particular section to see the ruins and how people functioned during the time of the Second Temple. It's amazing to view how daily life must have carried on with their conducting business in the market place and the exchanging money for correct currency, since people came from far and wide to make sacrifices and pray at the Temple, to name just a few.  It is unfathomable to understand how the Temple was built given its size and that the slabs of stones used in the construction each weighed ton(s) and were 50 feet wide (give or take).

Later in the day we did go to the section of the Kotel that we all know from pictures. Although this was my third time, the emotion I felt was just as intense. I managed to squeeze my messages in a few places and say a prayer.

As we meandered through the Old City, we walked on rooftops which truly gave a perspective about how the various factions live alongside each other.  It was interesting to see Israeli flags flying on top of houses in the Muslim section.  Muki explained how the purchases of the houses occur secretly for an incredible price.  The resulting political implications for these transactions are not known; however, the Jews who now live in these homes need constant protection.

Of course, there is nothing like taking a break from these academic lessons to have lunch and go shopping in the Cardo, which was the main avenue in Jerusalem in the 6th century. I think all of us did very well and supported the Israeli economy. I definitely know I did.

The day continued with a tour of the Holy Sepulchre where Jesus was crucified and buried. I think we all have a better understanding of the term "shared space" where different denominations may inhabit the space, but do not necessarily work together to maintain anything out of the specific area deemed theirs. We ended with a tour of the Western Wall Tunnels, which were discovered after the 1967 War, and continue to be excavated and expanded to this day!

What would a bus ride back to the hotel be without a photo of a camel and a soldier on a street corner!!  It's all part of the Israeli experience. 

Photos from Day Five

Narrative from our fifth day in Israel will be uploaded soon. But in case you wanted to see some of what we saw, here's a pictorial taste of our Old City excursions: