last update: May. 26, 2003

Report from Israel (very delayed)
There is no doubt that our trip to Israel and our five weeks there were a highlight of the sabbatical tour. We made many connections in Jerusalem with friends both past and new. Our Shabboses were filled with invitations and wonderful davenning: there is a hip, happening shul on every corner in Jerusalem! The whole country was quiet and though there were still piguim (suicide bombings) life went on. It was somewhat like being in any large city in North America after a maniac goes into McDonalds and shoots up ten people. People are shocked but life goes on. We don’t mean to invalidate or make light in any way of the seriousness of these attacks, but it was a continual blessing to see how Israelis pick up the pieces (literally) and move on. It was even weird that some tourists seem to want to see Israel as more of a victim than she sees herself. For example, when we visited the Chagall windows at Hadassah hospital, the guide told us that she had just had a group who were angry-ANGRY!- that there were no recent bombing victims to visit and cheer up. “What a blessing”she said, “no victims! But all they wanted to see was victims, not plain old Jewish people in the hospital for any number of normal troubles…”
We learned many simple lessons; perhaps the most important one was how vital it is to be able to speak Hebrew. If you are a Jew, it boils down to this: learn Hebrew-and make sure your kids learn modern Hebrew along with prayerbook Hebrew! First of all, in almost every country where there was a shul and we couldn’t speak the language (e.g. Greece and Italy) we found someone who could speak Hebrew, and there was an immediate connection. In Athens, we didn’t have our passport and the security guard wondered if he could let us in to the shul, but when the shammas came out and we started speaking fluent Hebrew with him, we were all cleared. And of course, in Israel, speaking Hebrew made us feel at home. We watched how our kids were able to integrate quickly in Israel by speaking the little modern Hebrew they had, and they learned all the necessary slang to get along with Israeli kids right away. We were able to experience real life so much more fully because we spoke the language. As simple a thing as talking to taxi drivers became a lesson in the daily life of Israel. We were able to shmooze with shopkeepers and found the average Israeli so much friendlier and warmer than we remembered from just a few years ago. The lack of swells of tourists seems to have mellowed the tourism sector, for sure, and we felt overly appreciated all the time. Taxi drivers, hotel receptions, shopkeepers would assume we were from Israel because there just were no other families with kids hiking around! But when they found out we were tourists, they inevitably all said “kol hakavod”- meaning, how great that you came. The economic despair is palatable, because the economic situation is terrible, and people fear for their daily bread. Everywhere the best stores and restaurants have closed and gone out of business temporarily. We heard of two terrible double suicides of flower growers while we were there because they were in debt of millions of shekels. No volunteers on the kibbutzim means having to hire foreign workers everywhere. It is as bad as the fear of a bomb in its own way, this fear of never returning to the “good old days” of booming tourism. We felt lonely for other tourists, to tell you the truth, though the attention we received was certainly gratifying! The general spirit for peace in Israel was hopeful, more hopeful than in the last two years. Maybe this road map will work, despite the extremists on both sides. The average Israeli is behind it and just wants to get on with life. And life is certainly beautiful there- the hills, the Kinneret, the desert- there is no place like it on earth for sheer pleasure in all the ingredients necessary for touring: hiking, art, culture, archaeology, history, and relaxation all in one place easily toured from top to bottom in a few weeks.
And we saw it all- the north and especially the south, where few ten-day tourists get to go. We saw it all, from Tel Dan in the north, to Tel Aviv on Yom Haátzmaut, to Eilat, the “Hawaii” of Israel! We loved the silence of the desert, and the great hiking of the north.
Some (of the many) highlights: -The constant flow of Shabbat and holiday dinner and lunch invitations that come from every direction (sometimes even complete strangers). There is a real culture of Shabbat visiting here, even among the "non-religious" because there is simply not a lot to do in Jerusalem except be with friends and family on Saturday. It seems like an automatic question: 'where are you for Shabbos- maybe you'll join us?' Regardless of the shul or people's religious 'denominational' label, it's just something everyone does, which we found so wonderful.
-At some shuls, an announcement is made EVERY week that Shabbat lunch is available -for anyone who would like, with family X or Y (each week another family- it probably means a once a year commitment) so NO ONE who came alone to shul needs to go home and be alone. (Meet the designated family at the Aron Kodesh!)
-Pesach: very low key compared to what we're used to. Partly because it is only seven days, and partly because people don't go crazy- dishes can be kashered on every corner in big tubs, and everyone seems to eat kitniyot. Being in Israel over Pesach also feels very organic, as spring is really in the air, and the words of Shir Hashirim are really understood as you go for walks and see olives and grapes and pomegranates beginning to flower.
-We had a wonderful experience at the Kotel during Hol Hamo'ed. The Ethiopian Jewish community gathers from all over the country, and we met a few women in beautiful embroidered white robes and we watched the men conclude their holiday service with a beautifully handwritten Torah codice in Amharic. They attracted the curious stares of the Hasidim - some of them were quite fascinated by the sight of black Jews, who have an authentic, ancient, but very different set of traditions. Some were also confused about whether these Jews were in fact Jewish! We went to the old city for a festival and met many 'meshugah' characters who colour the old city - everything from N-Na-Nach-Nachman to the builders of the Third Temple.
-Sitting and just listening to the silence all around us at Amram's Pillars way down south.
-Seeing a flock of eagles soaring in the air at Gamla.
-Walking in an ancient water cistern in Mei Kedem.
-Rafting in the Jordan river.
-Participating in an archeological dig at Beit Guvrin and finding real ancient jar handles!
-Shabbat at Kibbutz Yahel, being so warmly hosted in such a relaxing atmosphere ( and they have a great pool!)
-Every Shabbat in Jerusalem
-Yom Ha atzmaut in Tel Aviv and the crazy party they have there in Kikar Rabin, with great music, jugglers, etc.
-The Rabin memorial in Tel Aviv, and seeing Golda Meir's grave
-and on and on and on
We left Israel sadly, resolved take a group tour in the coming year. Anyone ready to reserve now to come with us?

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