The Israel Trip, Part 1: Vodka Shots, Sfat, The Decks
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Sunday, July 13
-----------------------
Raya and I left our house about 8:30, Matt picked us up and drove us to the airport. Once there, we checked in, grabbed some McDs, and met up with Bruce and Asher when they arrived.
After heading down through security and to the gate, we met up with some other people from our group. The direct flight to LaGuardia was uneventful, except that Raya and I had to be moved from our original seats, because her arm was in a sling and that's a big no-no for sitting in an emergency exit row.
Anyway, we got to LGA and claimed our luggage, then caught a shuttle bus to JFK. Because there were nine of us, we were able to have our own shuttle to JFK for only $48 total, much cheaper than usual.
When we arrived at JFK, we were supposed to meet our representative from Gil Travel, who had all of our El Al tickets. Problem was, we were too early, and so we had to sit on the floor near the check-in counters inside JFK's international terminal for about an hour and a half. We saw others from our group drift in, including Shira and Maggie, and by 3:30 we were able to get our tickets and get in the El Al line.
After going through the standard El Al interrogations, ("Do you know anyone in Israel?" "Do you speak any Hebrew?" "Do you have any electronic devices in your bag?") we checked the luggage, got our boarding cards, and went through security to the gate side of the airport.
We were all starving by then, so we grabbed lunch and a drink at this airport bar/grill. When Rabbi Glusman arrived (he'd been on vacation, so none of us had seen him for a couple weeks), he was greeted with a large cheer. Too funny. (Oh yeah, and I'm pretty sure this was the first time Shira showed us her new belly button ring!!)
We made our way to the gate after lunch, and our El Al plane was already there waiting for us. There is nothing cooler than seeing a 777 proudly painted in the colors and the logo of the State of Israel. Rabbi said that his four-year-old son saw an El Al plane at the airport once and pointing to it, said, "Look Daddy -- Jewish plane!"
We boarded the plane on time, and left on time (at 7:45 PM) as well. What can you say about a ten and a half hour flight?? It's really, really, really long. We ate two meals, watched a stupid stewardess movie, didn't sleep much, walked around and visited with our friends, and everyone applauded when we landed.
-----------------------
Monday, July 14
-----------------------
After we reset our watches (we landed about 1:40 PM Monday, Israel time), went through Israeli passport control, changed some money into sheqalim, and claimed our bags, we boarded our tour bus and met our tour guide, Yoram, for the first time. He was an amazing guide throughout the entire trip -- knowledgeable, entertaining, and easy to get along with. We also met our bus driver, Yorel, and our security guard, Dani, who was with us the entire trip.
This was also the first time Karen Allen lead us in our "count off," to make sure everyone was on the bus. I was number 24.
We left Ben-Gurion Airport and headed to the north. Our first stop was intended to be Zichron Ya'acov, but because we were ahead of schedule, we made a short detour to Caesarea.
Caesarea:
As one might guess from the name, Caesarea was a city built during the Roman occupation of Eretz Yisrael, and it's directly on the Mediterranean Sea. There is a huge Roman theatre standing at Caesarea, one that is still used for concerts and performances. In fact, while Yoram talked to us about Caesarea's history, workers were setting up lights and equipment for an upcoming show. Here we were, standing in this centuries old stone theatre, while workmen dragged extension cords and spotlights into position.
This is just the first example of the ancient/modern blend that is Israel, and it's a theme that we returned to often throughout the trip.
We continued down to the promenade along the water, and Yoram pointed out the remnants of a Crusader-era fortress and city walls, as the Mediterranean crashed over the rocks in the background.
After that, it was time to pile back on the bus and head for our next stop.
Zichron Ya'acov:
After piling off the bus in ZY, Karen led us to a small town square where Yoram explained some of the history of this town to us.
Oh yeah. But before that, we did vodka shots as part of our Shehecheyanu prayer. For those who don't know what Shehecheyanu is, it's a prayer that is said the first time something is experienced. For our group, it was the first day some had ever spent in Israel, certainly the first time we had all been together, etc. So, Karen had been in Moldavia the week before, and bought some really excellent vodka, that we all enjoyed.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: it was then that I knew this was going to be a very different trip from what I expected.
We were given just a bit of free time to roam the town, and then went to the Carmel Winery for dinner and wine-tasting. Raya and I both ate Denis fish, which we had tasted on our last trip to Israel, and it was excellent. Bruce was a bit distressed to find that Denis is served as a whole fish, bones and head and all. On the other hand, Asher didn't seem fazed by it, as he ate one of the fish's eyeballs after being dared to do so by the rabbi.
After spending a little time shopping in the winery's store, we piled back on the bus and headed to Kibbutz Lavi in the Galeel, where we spent the first two nights of our trip. Raya and I checked in, showered, and were asleep shortly after our heads hit the pillow.
-----------------------
Tuesday, July 15
-----------------------
It was up and early Tuesday morning, about 6:00 AM. We showered and dressed, and then the group met in a small room at the hotel for Shacharit -- the morning prayer service. How cool to be in Israel, within shouting distance of Jerusalem, as we said our morning prayers. Rabbi Glusman, with his guitar, led us in some spirited songs.
We then enjoyed a hearty Israeli hotel breakfast -- Raya and I had been looking forward to these breakfasts immensely. They put American-style "continental" breakfasts to shame. We had pastas, fresh lox, lots of bread, eggs, all kind of vegetable choices, about 20 different cheeses, and of course really strong coffee.
Fortified by breakfast, we piled into the bus and headed for our first stop.
Mt. Meron:
At a height of over 1200 meters (nearly 4000 feet), Mt. Meron is the second-highest mountain in Israel, and was the highest peak prior to the Six-Day War, when Israel captured the Golan and Mt. Hermon.
We hiked the Peak Trail of Mt. Meron, enjoying the spectacular views from the top as Yoram pointed out various sights. From the peak of the mountain we could see Sfat, the mountains of Lebanon and Syria, and the border with Jordan.
Sfat:
After leaving Mt. Meron, we drove up the winding, twisting road to Sfat. At a height of nearly 3200 feet above sea level, Sfat is the highest city in Israel. It's a mystical place, its reputation flourishing during the 16th century when rabbis and scholars fled to Sfat from Europe and the Inquisition.
Sfat is what Raya and I would call a "hippie-dippie" sort of town, a place steeped in spirituality and mysticism.
We toured the town a bit, to get our bearings, visited an old Sephardic synagogue, and then enjoyed a presentation from a man who has spend 20 years designing and building a "shtender." What's so special about this shtender, or lectern, is that it has hidden components containing all the Jewish ritual items needed on a daily, weekly, and yearly basis. Everything from a kiddush cup, to a lulav holder, to a chanukiah were contained inside.
We all enjoyed Bruce's joke about a "shtender extender" for the remainder of the trip!!
The group was treated to a fabulous lunch in the home of Chef Ronen Bar-el and his wife Genine. The Bar-els run a catering business from their gorgeous Sfat home, and everyone enjoyed their food and their company.
After lunch, we were fortunate enough to have a short while to do some shopping before leaving Sfat. Raya and I bought a candle, and both Bruce and Raya bought their very first tallitot!!
Tiberias:
The bus proceeded to Tiberias, on the shores of Lake Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee). We stopped at the Tiberias Absorption Center to learn how the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) helps new immigrants become accustomed to life in Israel.
We heard presentations from several recent olim (immigrants) to Israel, and were musically entertained by one as well. Afterwards, we broke into small groups with some of these olim, to get a chance to talk more personally with them about their experiences. Most of them had come from Argentina or Uruguay, desperate to escape the crippling poverty in their homelands. Because they are Jews, they turned to Israel, which welcomed them with open arms.
JAFI (in Hebrew it's called simply the Sochnut, the Agency) helps these new immigrants learn Hebrew, find jobs, and find a place to live. The Tiberias center includes dormitories where new olim live until they can get on their feet in Israel. It was an incredible experience, and we could tell how grateful these new Israelis were for the State of Israel, and for JAFI's help.
Afterwards, we headed to the Kinneret Cemetery and learned about the Israeli poet Rachel, who is buried there. Many of her poems have been made into songs, including "Uri" which has been recorded by Israeli singer Noa (Achinoam Nini). In fact, we saw Noa perform that song at the 1998 General Assembly. A group of teenage girls were also visiting the cemetery, and after some gentle convincing by Yoram, agreed to sing a few of the songs for us. It was a neat moment, to be standing on the shores of the Kinneret while these young, beautiful Israelis sang these poignant and touching songs for us.
We next headed down the road to the Decks Restaurant for dinner. The Decks, still in Tiberias, is right on the water and has a large wooden boardwalk extending out into the Kinneret. That's where we ate dinner.
What can I say about this night? This was the first chance on our visit to really let loose a bit, to have some fun. And everybody certainly did.
This was also the first chance I had to drink some Maccabee beer, and I think I finished four before the night was over. Still, I was one of the least-drunk people there, I think. To give you an idea, our group of 32 people drank 16 bottles of wine that night, and many of us (like myself) didn't have a drop of wine.
At some point during dinner, the restaurant began playing "Gone with the Wind" music at high volume. Then, we see a large "party boat" come pulling up the dock. Standing on top of the bridge is a man holding flaming red sparklers in each hand, his arms extended out to his sides. As the boat docks, a young couple begins making their way down the boardwalk to get on the boat, and we learn that the young woman is celebrating her 19th birthday. Meanwhile, people in the restaurant are singing "Happy Birfsday to you."
That's what kind of night it was. For the rest of the trip, just mentioning the word "Decks" was enough to make people giggle, or issue strong denunciations that they "weren't really drunk that night," they just had "two glasses of wine." Yeah. Right.
On the bus ride back to Lavi, some people got a bit silly on the bus. See: Brucie, Joycie, and four crazy girls.
More to come....
Sunday, July 13
-----------------------
Raya and I left our house about 8:30, Matt picked us up and drove us to the airport. Once there, we checked in, grabbed some McDs, and met up with Bruce and Asher when they arrived.
After heading down through security and to the gate, we met up with some other people from our group. The direct flight to LaGuardia was uneventful, except that Raya and I had to be moved from our original seats, because her arm was in a sling and that's a big no-no for sitting in an emergency exit row.
Anyway, we got to LGA and claimed our luggage, then caught a shuttle bus to JFK. Because there were nine of us, we were able to have our own shuttle to JFK for only $48 total, much cheaper than usual.
When we arrived at JFK, we were supposed to meet our representative from Gil Travel, who had all of our El Al tickets. Problem was, we were too early, and so we had to sit on the floor near the check-in counters inside JFK's international terminal for about an hour and a half. We saw others from our group drift in, including Shira and Maggie, and by 3:30 we were able to get our tickets and get in the El Al line.
After going through the standard El Al interrogations, ("Do you know anyone in Israel?" "Do you speak any Hebrew?" "Do you have any electronic devices in your bag?") we checked the luggage, got our boarding cards, and went through security to the gate side of the airport.
We were all starving by then, so we grabbed lunch and a drink at this airport bar/grill. When Rabbi Glusman arrived (he'd been on vacation, so none of us had seen him for a couple weeks), he was greeted with a large cheer. Too funny. (Oh yeah, and I'm pretty sure this was the first time Shira showed us her new belly button ring!!)
We made our way to the gate after lunch, and our El Al plane was already there waiting for us. There is nothing cooler than seeing a 777 proudly painted in the colors and the logo of the State of Israel. Rabbi said that his four-year-old son saw an El Al plane at the airport once and pointing to it, said, "Look Daddy -- Jewish plane!"
We boarded the plane on time, and left on time (at 7:45 PM) as well. What can you say about a ten and a half hour flight?? It's really, really, really long. We ate two meals, watched a stupid stewardess movie, didn't sleep much, walked around and visited with our friends, and everyone applauded when we landed.
-----------------------
Monday, July 14
-----------------------
After we reset our watches (we landed about 1:40 PM Monday, Israel time), went through Israeli passport control, changed some money into sheqalim, and claimed our bags, we boarded our tour bus and met our tour guide, Yoram, for the first time. He was an amazing guide throughout the entire trip -- knowledgeable, entertaining, and easy to get along with. We also met our bus driver, Yorel, and our security guard, Dani, who was with us the entire trip.
This was also the first time Karen Allen lead us in our "count off," to make sure everyone was on the bus. I was number 24.
We left Ben-Gurion Airport and headed to the north. Our first stop was intended to be Zichron Ya'acov, but because we were ahead of schedule, we made a short detour to Caesarea.
Caesarea:
As one might guess from the name, Caesarea was a city built during the Roman occupation of Eretz Yisrael, and it's directly on the Mediterranean Sea. There is a huge Roman theatre standing at Caesarea, one that is still used for concerts and performances. In fact, while Yoram talked to us about Caesarea's history, workers were setting up lights and equipment for an upcoming show. Here we were, standing in this centuries old stone theatre, while workmen dragged extension cords and spotlights into position.
This is just the first example of the ancient/modern blend that is Israel, and it's a theme that we returned to often throughout the trip.
We continued down to the promenade along the water, and Yoram pointed out the remnants of a Crusader-era fortress and city walls, as the Mediterranean crashed over the rocks in the background.
After that, it was time to pile back on the bus and head for our next stop.
Zichron Ya'acov:
After piling off the bus in ZY, Karen led us to a small town square where Yoram explained some of the history of this town to us.
Oh yeah. But before that, we did vodka shots as part of our Shehecheyanu prayer. For those who don't know what Shehecheyanu is, it's a prayer that is said the first time something is experienced. For our group, it was the first day some had ever spent in Israel, certainly the first time we had all been together, etc. So, Karen had been in Moldavia the week before, and bought some really excellent vodka, that we all enjoyed.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: it was then that I knew this was going to be a very different trip from what I expected.
We were given just a bit of free time to roam the town, and then went to the Carmel Winery for dinner and wine-tasting. Raya and I both ate Denis fish, which we had tasted on our last trip to Israel, and it was excellent. Bruce was a bit distressed to find that Denis is served as a whole fish, bones and head and all. On the other hand, Asher didn't seem fazed by it, as he ate one of the fish's eyeballs after being dared to do so by the rabbi.
After spending a little time shopping in the winery's store, we piled back on the bus and headed to Kibbutz Lavi in the Galeel, where we spent the first two nights of our trip. Raya and I checked in, showered, and were asleep shortly after our heads hit the pillow.
-----------------------
Tuesday, July 15
-----------------------
It was up and early Tuesday morning, about 6:00 AM. We showered and dressed, and then the group met in a small room at the hotel for Shacharit -- the morning prayer service. How cool to be in Israel, within shouting distance of Jerusalem, as we said our morning prayers. Rabbi Glusman, with his guitar, led us in some spirited songs.
We then enjoyed a hearty Israeli hotel breakfast -- Raya and I had been looking forward to these breakfasts immensely. They put American-style "continental" breakfasts to shame. We had pastas, fresh lox, lots of bread, eggs, all kind of vegetable choices, about 20 different cheeses, and of course really strong coffee.
Fortified by breakfast, we piled into the bus and headed for our first stop.
Mt. Meron:
At a height of over 1200 meters (nearly 4000 feet), Mt. Meron is the second-highest mountain in Israel, and was the highest peak prior to the Six-Day War, when Israel captured the Golan and Mt. Hermon.
We hiked the Peak Trail of Mt. Meron, enjoying the spectacular views from the top as Yoram pointed out various sights. From the peak of the mountain we could see Sfat, the mountains of Lebanon and Syria, and the border with Jordan.
Sfat:
After leaving Mt. Meron, we drove up the winding, twisting road to Sfat. At a height of nearly 3200 feet above sea level, Sfat is the highest city in Israel. It's a mystical place, its reputation flourishing during the 16th century when rabbis and scholars fled to Sfat from Europe and the Inquisition.
Sfat is what Raya and I would call a "hippie-dippie" sort of town, a place steeped in spirituality and mysticism.
We toured the town a bit, to get our bearings, visited an old Sephardic synagogue, and then enjoyed a presentation from a man who has spend 20 years designing and building a "shtender." What's so special about this shtender, or lectern, is that it has hidden components containing all the Jewish ritual items needed on a daily, weekly, and yearly basis. Everything from a kiddush cup, to a lulav holder, to a chanukiah were contained inside.
We all enjoyed Bruce's joke about a "shtender extender" for the remainder of the trip!!
The group was treated to a fabulous lunch in the home of Chef Ronen Bar-el and his wife Genine. The Bar-els run a catering business from their gorgeous Sfat home, and everyone enjoyed their food and their company.
After lunch, we were fortunate enough to have a short while to do some shopping before leaving Sfat. Raya and I bought a candle, and both Bruce and Raya bought their very first tallitot!!
Tiberias:
The bus proceeded to Tiberias, on the shores of Lake Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee). We stopped at the Tiberias Absorption Center to learn how the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) helps new immigrants become accustomed to life in Israel.
We heard presentations from several recent olim (immigrants) to Israel, and were musically entertained by one as well. Afterwards, we broke into small groups with some of these olim, to get a chance to talk more personally with them about their experiences. Most of them had come from Argentina or Uruguay, desperate to escape the crippling poverty in their homelands. Because they are Jews, they turned to Israel, which welcomed them with open arms.
JAFI (in Hebrew it's called simply the Sochnut, the Agency) helps these new immigrants learn Hebrew, find jobs, and find a place to live. The Tiberias center includes dormitories where new olim live until they can get on their feet in Israel. It was an incredible experience, and we could tell how grateful these new Israelis were for the State of Israel, and for JAFI's help.
Afterwards, we headed to the Kinneret Cemetery and learned about the Israeli poet Rachel, who is buried there. Many of her poems have been made into songs, including "Uri" which has been recorded by Israeli singer Noa (Achinoam Nini). In fact, we saw Noa perform that song at the 1998 General Assembly. A group of teenage girls were also visiting the cemetery, and after some gentle convincing by Yoram, agreed to sing a few of the songs for us. It was a neat moment, to be standing on the shores of the Kinneret while these young, beautiful Israelis sang these poignant and touching songs for us.
We next headed down the road to the Decks Restaurant for dinner. The Decks, still in Tiberias, is right on the water and has a large wooden boardwalk extending out into the Kinneret. That's where we ate dinner.
What can I say about this night? This was the first chance on our visit to really let loose a bit, to have some fun. And everybody certainly did.
This was also the first chance I had to drink some Maccabee beer, and I think I finished four before the night was over. Still, I was one of the least-drunk people there, I think. To give you an idea, our group of 32 people drank 16 bottles of wine that night, and many of us (like myself) didn't have a drop of wine.
At some point during dinner, the restaurant began playing "Gone with the Wind" music at high volume. Then, we see a large "party boat" come pulling up the dock. Standing on top of the bridge is a man holding flaming red sparklers in each hand, his arms extended out to his sides. As the boat docks, a young couple begins making their way down the boardwalk to get on the boat, and we learn that the young woman is celebrating her 19th birthday. Meanwhile, people in the restaurant are singing "Happy Birfsday to you."
That's what kind of night it was. For the rest of the trip, just mentioning the word "Decks" was enough to make people giggle, or issue strong denunciations that they "weren't really drunk that night," they just had "two glasses of wine." Yeah. Right.
On the bus ride back to Lavi, some people got a bit silly on the bus. See: Brucie, Joycie, and four crazy girls.
More to come....
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