The Israel Trip, Part 2: F-16s, RH Friends, Kotel, Ben Yehuda
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Wednesday, July 16
-----------------------
Day number three of our trip began with Shacharit service, and another delicious big Israeli breakfast.
Then, it was off to Afula. "They have pancakes and hot dogs in Afula, Batia!!!" (No, I can't explain this. No one but my wife understands, and she only does because we share a brain, I'm convinced.)
Afula:
Anywho, our very important reason for going to Afula, which is less than two miles from the Jenin refugee camp, was to visit HaEmek ("The Valley") Medical Center. Because of its location, HaEmek has seen firsthand many victims of terrorism, and indeed many terrorists.
HaEmek treats them all equally, with high-quality medical care, Jews and Arabs alike. Indeed, the hospital physicians and staff are a blended mix of Jews and Arabs.
We saw a presentation on the history and mission of the hospital, heard from some of the staff, and then took a short tour, getting a chance to speak with a few patients.
Ramat David:
Afterwards, we journeyed to Ramat David Air Force Base, home of Israel's Northern Command. This was my favorite part of the trip so far. After getting to sit in a briefing room and watch video and telemetry from a recent training flight, we got back on the bus and got to see four F-16's streak down the runway and take off.
We then got to go in one of the hangars and actually walk all around and underneath an F-16. We even got to peer into the cockpit!!! (No pictures, of course.)
Afterwards, we had lunch in the mess hall and marveled at the soldiers and pilots around us. All of them were younger than I am, some of them a full decade younger. I don't think I saw a single person as old as myself. These young, brave, beautiful people defend the State of Israel every day; without them, there would be no Israel. It made me proud to see these young, strong Jews in action.
Rosh Ha'ayin:
We left Ramat David and headed to Rosh Ha'ayin, a city of some 40,000 south of Tel Aviv. Rosh Ha'ayin is sort-of a sister city to the Jewish community of Birmingham, "ha Partnership 2000 city shehlanu." Although not officially a sister city to Birmingham (yet!), the Jewish community here has had a relationship with Rosh Ha'ayin for 20 years.
We arrived at the Kimerling Community Center (!) in Rosh Ha'ayin, and were treated to a few songs by the city's mandoline choir, which has been to B'ham several times and is in fact coming next month. As a special surprise for us, they sang "Oh Susannah." Raya presented the community center with a "quilt" made up from handkerchiefs decorated by Camp LJCC kids.
After a short reception where we enjoyed Yemenite delicacies like jacqnoon and mullawach, we watched a video about the history of the Yemenite Jews and how they came to Israel. Rosh Ha'ayin will soon have a standalone Museum of Yemenite Jewry, the first of its kind anywhere.
Then, it was back on the bus for a tour of the city led by the mayor. Ah, here's where things got a bit interesting.
Because of the relationship between Rosh Ha'ayin and Birmingham, RH sends an Israeli counselor -- a shlicha -- to Camp LJCC every summer. Over the six summers that we've been in Birmingham, Raya and I have become friends with the Israelis who have spent their summers in Birmingham. Through email and cell phone calls once we got to Israel, we had arranged to meet up with four of the five former shlichim, plus deliver and pick up some items for this summer's shlicha from her mom.
Anyway, we had arranged for all of them to come to the community center -- the matnas -- sometime around 6:00, when we were supposed to be back for dinner, per our original itinerary. And yet here it was 5:45, and we were getting on the bus, leaving the matnas.
The bus was already in motion before Raya and I kind of figured this out, and realized that this city tour was intended to be around 90 minutes!! We started making some frantic phone calls, but realized we didn't have a way to get in touch with all of our friends, and worried that some of them would get to the matnas and leave before we got back.
After Raya discussed things with Karen Allen, we decided to get off the bus at the first stop -- a retirement center -- and Raya called Dorit, who was in her car and could come pick us up. (Dorit was a shlicha during the summer of 2000).
We left the bus, feeling a bit like escapees from a prison camp, and waited at a cute little playground for Dorit to pick us up. She came shortly, and we went back to the matnas, catching up with her and looking at pictures. A while later, Shimrit arrived at the matnas, and eventually Zahavit and her husband and Hila came by as well. Hila couldn't stay long, and Shimrit had to leave before dinner, but the others joined us at our table and ate with us.
It worked out very well, because each table at dinner was supposed to have a few Rosh Ha'ayin "natives" mixed in with us Birminghamians. Since we had a few that we already knew, it was a fabulous time to get to catch up with them.
We left RH about 10, and headed for Yerushalayim.
Jerusalem:
Something annoying happened on the bus ride from Rosh Ha'ayin to Jerusalem. Our original itinerary had us heading straight for the Kotel -- the Western Wall -- as soon as we got to Jerusalem, before even stopping at our hotel.
Because it was later than scheduled when we left RH, there were some mutterings that we might skip the Kotel and instead call it a night when we got to Jerusalem.
The leadership of the mission decided to put the matter to a vote, and presented us with two choices. The first was to stick with the original plan, and go right to the Kotel. The second option was to stop the bus and walk to an overlook near the hotel, where we could see the walls of the Old City, but not the Kotel itself, say a prayer, sing some songs, and call it a night. Because of the logistics, the second option would be about 45 minutes quicker. Because everyone was tired and it was late, the leadership was definitely leaning towards option number 2.
Raya and I, however, were most definitely NOT. When I first saw this itinerary, I thought it was very cool that we were going to the Kotel before doing anything else in Jerusalem. The Kotel IS Jerusalem -- I liked the symbolism of going their first. Also, the wall is a very special, very sacred place at night. The plaza is so quiet, and yet the wall is a hubbub of activity. And, particularly in the summer, the plaza near the wall is HOT during the day -- it's kind of hard to be solemn and reflective when you've got sweat running into your eyes.
Also, we just happened to be coming into Jerusalem on the eve of the 17th of Tammuz, a minor fast day and holiday. This meant that there would be more activity than usual for a Wednesday night at the wall.
Anyway, Raya and I definitely wanted to go to the wall, regardless of how late it was, and we convinced our friends likewise. After a few abortive attempts, a vote was taken on the bus, and it was 17-13 in favor of sticking to the original plan and going to the wall. The mission leadership than proceeded to turn off the lights and "discuss" the issue. I was sure they were going to overrule our vote, since it didn't seem to come out the way they wanted. But no, they said we would go to the wall, and anyone who didn't want to could be dropped off at the hotel on the way, though they wouldn't have their luggage 'til we got back.
Fine. Except 30 minutes later, the plan changed again. We wouldn't be going to the wall after all, it was announced, because they hadn't reminded us to dress appropriately. (Women have to be dressed modestly, knees and shoulders covered, to go to the wall).
This was total BS. The stop at the Kotel had been in the itinerary from the beginning, and everyone should have been prepared. The women I cared about -- Raya, Shira and Maggie certainly were prepared -- we were planning to go. We're all adults, capable of reading the itinerary, and if anyone wasn't prepared, it was their own damn fault. It's not like this was an unplanned stop.
But no, the decision had been made. We would go to the overlook above the Old City for 15 minutes or so, then check into the hotel.
I steamed on the bus for a few minutes. This whole situation, and how it was handled, was really pissing me off. Not how I wanted to be feeling as we entered Jerusalem.
Then, the idea hit me. "What if the six of us just took a cab to the Kotel?" I asked Raya. "Maybe it will be more special if it's just you and I, Bruce, Asher, Shira, and Maggie anyway."
Raya agreed, and we discussed it with the rest of the six-pack as we got into Jerusalem. After we stopped the bus and said Shehecheyanu, sang "Yerushalayim shel Zahav" and drank some wine at the Old City overlook, we checked into the Inbal Hotel. Maggie asked Dani, our security guard, what he thought about the six of us going to the Kotel (it was after 11:00 at this point).
Dani thought about it, then said he thought it would be OK, as long as we got a taxi from the hotel, asked them to take us right to the gate outside the wall, and asked the cabbie to wait for us. After hearing Dani say he thought it was safe, we all felt better about going. We dragged our luggage up to the rooms, the girls changed, and we went back downstairs to the lobby. We caught two cabs and went.
I am soooooo incredibly glad that we did. The wall was incredible that night. The plaza itself was quiet, but the wall area was alive with energy, mostly black-hatters, murmuring and davening to themselves, 10 different streams of language going on at once. There was a full moon overhead, and a little nip in the air, and this huge wall standing above us, the most sacred object in Jewish history.
I leaned on the wall, said the Shema, put my prayer in between the stones, and walked back out to the plaza with Bruce and Asher. We stood there in companionable silence watching the wall, and then saw the girls come back from their side of the Kotel, obvious that all three of them had been crying. It was a very special moment.
I think the group really missed an opportunity for a powerful experience. Although it was cool to stand with the group and overlook the Old City, and I did get a bit of a chill up my spine, it wasn't the same as it would have been at the Kotel.
Raya said it was probably more special for the six of us to be there with each other, without the group. As usual, she's right.
We rode the cabs back to the Inbal, ran into Todd, walked around and peeked in the gift shops a little bit, sat in the courtyard with him for a while, and went off to bed.
-----------------------
Thursday, July 17
-----------------------
Another busy day, this one started with breakfast and then a trip to the Pardes Institute in Jerusalem. Pardes is a non-denominational yeshiva, where women study and learn next to men, Reform Jews next to Orthodox.
We had a short Shacharit, then a study session about the Messiah, and then we paired off to do some "chevruting" about the whole concept of the Messiah. I of course paired with my favorite Jewish Educator, and we discussed some cool topics among ourselves, then got back into the group to hear everyone else's cool ideas.
I'm not all that comfortable with the whole Messiah concept, probably a leftover from my Catholic upbringing. Too much emphasis on the Messiah is why I left Catholicism. Still, it was neat to hear everyone's take on it.
Afterwards, we went to a senior day care center in Jerusalem, to learn about some programs for the eldery and others sponsored by the JDC, the "Joint Distribution Committee."
We had lunch in Ein Kerem, at a home-based caterer, similar to the place we ate in Sfat. Afterwards, the group was scheduled to visit Yad Vashem, Israel's national holocaust memorial. Because we've already been, and because we were ready for some time away from the group, Raya and I had already decided to skip out on the Yad Vashem visit and head to Ben Yehuda street for some eating and shopping.
When Rabbi Glusman heard this, he asked if he could join us, and we agreed, but said he had to be the one to tell Karen. He told her, and she was fine with it. I was glad we didn't have to make a scene over that, as Raya and I had specifically asked Rabbi Glusman about leaving the group for a while when we met with him, months ago, before we committed to this trip.
Anyway, the bus stopped just before Yad Vashem and let the three of us out, along with Michael and Adam. The two of them decided they were walking, but it was hot and far, so Raya and Rabbi and I got a cab to take us to Ben Yehuda.
We tried to find Strudel, the cool Internet cafe/coffee house/bar that Raya and I spent a couple nights in last time, but it seemed to be gone. Too bad. We walked up and down Ben Yehuda for a while, sticking our heads in shops and people-watching, and ended up at an outdoor table outside a cafe, watching the street.
This was my absolute favorite time of the whole trip. First of all, we had a blast with the rabbi, getting to know him as more of a real person and less of just "The Rabbi."
But even cooler was the fact that we got to watch Israel walk by, right in front of us. No one seemed scared, or worried to be out on Ben Yehuda, which has been a target for terrorist attacks in the past. The street was crowded and alive, and these beautiful Israelis, in different colors and styles, walked by. A black-hatter exhorted American tourists to wrap tefillin, barely-dressed teenagers sauntered by, soldiers walked confidently down the street, weapons slung across their backs. It was amazing.
And, at some point in the middle of this, Dr. Marsha Bryan Edelman walked down the street. Dr. Edelman was (and still is) a professor at Gratz College, where Raya got her master's degree. So, Raya gets up and greets her, and we realize that Rabbi Glusman knows her as well. After putting the pieces together, we realize that Rabbi was at one of the shuls in Philadelphia the first year that we were there, and he and Raya know some of the same people, including Dr. Edleman. Jewish geography is fun!!!
Around 5, Bruce and Asher and Shira met up with us, still a bit affected by their trip to Yad Vashem. We shopped some more up and down Ben Yehuda, bought a gorgeous painted wood Havdalah set and matching Shabbat candlesticks, and then we ran into Rabbi Culpeper for the first time. Later, we ate outdoors at a little Italian place on Yoel Solomon, along with Martin & Hannah & Karen Klinger, enjoyed some more Maccabee, and Maggie met us after her yoga session at the hotel.
That night, the official group itinerary had a couple more programs on the agenda for after dinner, but the "six pack" decided to skip them in favor of spending some more time on Ben Yehuda. There had been preparations underway for a huge concert at one end of the street, and we kind of wanted to see what that was all about. I think all of us were enjoying being out among Israel and real Israelis for once, and didn't really want to see any more presentations or spend any more time on the bus.
So, after saying goodbye to the rest of the group, the six of us walked back down to Ben Yehuda, and the place was an absolute zoo. The concert was in full force on stage, and after going through a security check, we found ourselves in a mass of humanity on Ben Yehuda. There were, literally, people as far as the eye could see. It looked like Mardi Gras or something.
We marvelled at the scene for a while, then went down one of the side streets so we could breathe a little bit, and sat on the terrace at this little coffee shop to have coffee and ice cream.
It was a fabulous day and night, definitely my favorite of the trip.
More to come...
Wednesday, July 16
-----------------------
Day number three of our trip began with Shacharit service, and another delicious big Israeli breakfast.
Then, it was off to Afula. "They have pancakes and hot dogs in Afula, Batia!!!" (No, I can't explain this. No one but my wife understands, and she only does because we share a brain, I'm convinced.)
Afula:
Anywho, our very important reason for going to Afula, which is less than two miles from the Jenin refugee camp, was to visit HaEmek ("The Valley") Medical Center. Because of its location, HaEmek has seen firsthand many victims of terrorism, and indeed many terrorists.
HaEmek treats them all equally, with high-quality medical care, Jews and Arabs alike. Indeed, the hospital physicians and staff are a blended mix of Jews and Arabs.
We saw a presentation on the history and mission of the hospital, heard from some of the staff, and then took a short tour, getting a chance to speak with a few patients.
Ramat David:
Afterwards, we journeyed to Ramat David Air Force Base, home of Israel's Northern Command. This was my favorite part of the trip so far. After getting to sit in a briefing room and watch video and telemetry from a recent training flight, we got back on the bus and got to see four F-16's streak down the runway and take off.
We then got to go in one of the hangars and actually walk all around and underneath an F-16. We even got to peer into the cockpit!!! (No pictures, of course.)
Afterwards, we had lunch in the mess hall and marveled at the soldiers and pilots around us. All of them were younger than I am, some of them a full decade younger. I don't think I saw a single person as old as myself. These young, brave, beautiful people defend the State of Israel every day; without them, there would be no Israel. It made me proud to see these young, strong Jews in action.
Rosh Ha'ayin:
We left Ramat David and headed to Rosh Ha'ayin, a city of some 40,000 south of Tel Aviv. Rosh Ha'ayin is sort-of a sister city to the Jewish community of Birmingham, "ha Partnership 2000 city shehlanu." Although not officially a sister city to Birmingham (yet!), the Jewish community here has had a relationship with Rosh Ha'ayin for 20 years.
We arrived at the Kimerling Community Center (!) in Rosh Ha'ayin, and were treated to a few songs by the city's mandoline choir, which has been to B'ham several times and is in fact coming next month. As a special surprise for us, they sang "Oh Susannah." Raya presented the community center with a "quilt" made up from handkerchiefs decorated by Camp LJCC kids.
After a short reception where we enjoyed Yemenite delicacies like jacqnoon and mullawach, we watched a video about the history of the Yemenite Jews and how they came to Israel. Rosh Ha'ayin will soon have a standalone Museum of Yemenite Jewry, the first of its kind anywhere.
Then, it was back on the bus for a tour of the city led by the mayor. Ah, here's where things got a bit interesting.
Because of the relationship between Rosh Ha'ayin and Birmingham, RH sends an Israeli counselor -- a shlicha -- to Camp LJCC every summer. Over the six summers that we've been in Birmingham, Raya and I have become friends with the Israelis who have spent their summers in Birmingham. Through email and cell phone calls once we got to Israel, we had arranged to meet up with four of the five former shlichim, plus deliver and pick up some items for this summer's shlicha from her mom.
Anyway, we had arranged for all of them to come to the community center -- the matnas -- sometime around 6:00, when we were supposed to be back for dinner, per our original itinerary. And yet here it was 5:45, and we were getting on the bus, leaving the matnas.
The bus was already in motion before Raya and I kind of figured this out, and realized that this city tour was intended to be around 90 minutes!! We started making some frantic phone calls, but realized we didn't have a way to get in touch with all of our friends, and worried that some of them would get to the matnas and leave before we got back.
After Raya discussed things with Karen Allen, we decided to get off the bus at the first stop -- a retirement center -- and Raya called Dorit, who was in her car and could come pick us up. (Dorit was a shlicha during the summer of 2000).
We left the bus, feeling a bit like escapees from a prison camp, and waited at a cute little playground for Dorit to pick us up. She came shortly, and we went back to the matnas, catching up with her and looking at pictures. A while later, Shimrit arrived at the matnas, and eventually Zahavit and her husband and Hila came by as well. Hila couldn't stay long, and Shimrit had to leave before dinner, but the others joined us at our table and ate with us.
It worked out very well, because each table at dinner was supposed to have a few Rosh Ha'ayin "natives" mixed in with us Birminghamians. Since we had a few that we already knew, it was a fabulous time to get to catch up with them.
We left RH about 10, and headed for Yerushalayim.
Jerusalem:
Something annoying happened on the bus ride from Rosh Ha'ayin to Jerusalem. Our original itinerary had us heading straight for the Kotel -- the Western Wall -- as soon as we got to Jerusalem, before even stopping at our hotel.
Because it was later than scheduled when we left RH, there were some mutterings that we might skip the Kotel and instead call it a night when we got to Jerusalem.
The leadership of the mission decided to put the matter to a vote, and presented us with two choices. The first was to stick with the original plan, and go right to the Kotel. The second option was to stop the bus and walk to an overlook near the hotel, where we could see the walls of the Old City, but not the Kotel itself, say a prayer, sing some songs, and call it a night. Because of the logistics, the second option would be about 45 minutes quicker. Because everyone was tired and it was late, the leadership was definitely leaning towards option number 2.
Raya and I, however, were most definitely NOT. When I first saw this itinerary, I thought it was very cool that we were going to the Kotel before doing anything else in Jerusalem. The Kotel IS Jerusalem -- I liked the symbolism of going their first. Also, the wall is a very special, very sacred place at night. The plaza is so quiet, and yet the wall is a hubbub of activity. And, particularly in the summer, the plaza near the wall is HOT during the day -- it's kind of hard to be solemn and reflective when you've got sweat running into your eyes.
Also, we just happened to be coming into Jerusalem on the eve of the 17th of Tammuz, a minor fast day and holiday. This meant that there would be more activity than usual for a Wednesday night at the wall.
Anyway, Raya and I definitely wanted to go to the wall, regardless of how late it was, and we convinced our friends likewise. After a few abortive attempts, a vote was taken on the bus, and it was 17-13 in favor of sticking to the original plan and going to the wall. The mission leadership than proceeded to turn off the lights and "discuss" the issue. I was sure they were going to overrule our vote, since it didn't seem to come out the way they wanted. But no, they said we would go to the wall, and anyone who didn't want to could be dropped off at the hotel on the way, though they wouldn't have their luggage 'til we got back.
Fine. Except 30 minutes later, the plan changed again. We wouldn't be going to the wall after all, it was announced, because they hadn't reminded us to dress appropriately. (Women have to be dressed modestly, knees and shoulders covered, to go to the wall).
This was total BS. The stop at the Kotel had been in the itinerary from the beginning, and everyone should have been prepared. The women I cared about -- Raya, Shira and Maggie certainly were prepared -- we were planning to go. We're all adults, capable of reading the itinerary, and if anyone wasn't prepared, it was their own damn fault. It's not like this was an unplanned stop.
But no, the decision had been made. We would go to the overlook above the Old City for 15 minutes or so, then check into the hotel.
I steamed on the bus for a few minutes. This whole situation, and how it was handled, was really pissing me off. Not how I wanted to be feeling as we entered Jerusalem.
Then, the idea hit me. "What if the six of us just took a cab to the Kotel?" I asked Raya. "Maybe it will be more special if it's just you and I, Bruce, Asher, Shira, and Maggie anyway."
Raya agreed, and we discussed it with the rest of the six-pack as we got into Jerusalem. After we stopped the bus and said Shehecheyanu, sang "Yerushalayim shel Zahav" and drank some wine at the Old City overlook, we checked into the Inbal Hotel. Maggie asked Dani, our security guard, what he thought about the six of us going to the Kotel (it was after 11:00 at this point).
Dani thought about it, then said he thought it would be OK, as long as we got a taxi from the hotel, asked them to take us right to the gate outside the wall, and asked the cabbie to wait for us. After hearing Dani say he thought it was safe, we all felt better about going. We dragged our luggage up to the rooms, the girls changed, and we went back downstairs to the lobby. We caught two cabs and went.
I am soooooo incredibly glad that we did. The wall was incredible that night. The plaza itself was quiet, but the wall area was alive with energy, mostly black-hatters, murmuring and davening to themselves, 10 different streams of language going on at once. There was a full moon overhead, and a little nip in the air, and this huge wall standing above us, the most sacred object in Jewish history.
I leaned on the wall, said the Shema, put my prayer in between the stones, and walked back out to the plaza with Bruce and Asher. We stood there in companionable silence watching the wall, and then saw the girls come back from their side of the Kotel, obvious that all three of them had been crying. It was a very special moment.
I think the group really missed an opportunity for a powerful experience. Although it was cool to stand with the group and overlook the Old City, and I did get a bit of a chill up my spine, it wasn't the same as it would have been at the Kotel.
Raya said it was probably more special for the six of us to be there with each other, without the group. As usual, she's right.
We rode the cabs back to the Inbal, ran into Todd, walked around and peeked in the gift shops a little bit, sat in the courtyard with him for a while, and went off to bed.
-----------------------
Thursday, July 17
-----------------------
Another busy day, this one started with breakfast and then a trip to the Pardes Institute in Jerusalem. Pardes is a non-denominational yeshiva, where women study and learn next to men, Reform Jews next to Orthodox.
We had a short Shacharit, then a study session about the Messiah, and then we paired off to do some "chevruting" about the whole concept of the Messiah. I of course paired with my favorite Jewish Educator, and we discussed some cool topics among ourselves, then got back into the group to hear everyone else's cool ideas.
I'm not all that comfortable with the whole Messiah concept, probably a leftover from my Catholic upbringing. Too much emphasis on the Messiah is why I left Catholicism. Still, it was neat to hear everyone's take on it.
Afterwards, we went to a senior day care center in Jerusalem, to learn about some programs for the eldery and others sponsored by the JDC, the "Joint Distribution Committee."
We had lunch in Ein Kerem, at a home-based caterer, similar to the place we ate in Sfat. Afterwards, the group was scheduled to visit Yad Vashem, Israel's national holocaust memorial. Because we've already been, and because we were ready for some time away from the group, Raya and I had already decided to skip out on the Yad Vashem visit and head to Ben Yehuda street for some eating and shopping.
When Rabbi Glusman heard this, he asked if he could join us, and we agreed, but said he had to be the one to tell Karen. He told her, and she was fine with it. I was glad we didn't have to make a scene over that, as Raya and I had specifically asked Rabbi Glusman about leaving the group for a while when we met with him, months ago, before we committed to this trip.
Anyway, the bus stopped just before Yad Vashem and let the three of us out, along with Michael and Adam. The two of them decided they were walking, but it was hot and far, so Raya and Rabbi and I got a cab to take us to Ben Yehuda.
We tried to find Strudel, the cool Internet cafe/coffee house/bar that Raya and I spent a couple nights in last time, but it seemed to be gone. Too bad. We walked up and down Ben Yehuda for a while, sticking our heads in shops and people-watching, and ended up at an outdoor table outside a cafe, watching the street.
This was my absolute favorite time of the whole trip. First of all, we had a blast with the rabbi, getting to know him as more of a real person and less of just "The Rabbi."
But even cooler was the fact that we got to watch Israel walk by, right in front of us. No one seemed scared, or worried to be out on Ben Yehuda, which has been a target for terrorist attacks in the past. The street was crowded and alive, and these beautiful Israelis, in different colors and styles, walked by. A black-hatter exhorted American tourists to wrap tefillin, barely-dressed teenagers sauntered by, soldiers walked confidently down the street, weapons slung across their backs. It was amazing.
And, at some point in the middle of this, Dr. Marsha Bryan Edelman walked down the street. Dr. Edelman was (and still is) a professor at Gratz College, where Raya got her master's degree. So, Raya gets up and greets her, and we realize that Rabbi Glusman knows her as well. After putting the pieces together, we realize that Rabbi was at one of the shuls in Philadelphia the first year that we were there, and he and Raya know some of the same people, including Dr. Edleman. Jewish geography is fun!!!
Around 5, Bruce and Asher and Shira met up with us, still a bit affected by their trip to Yad Vashem. We shopped some more up and down Ben Yehuda, bought a gorgeous painted wood Havdalah set and matching Shabbat candlesticks, and then we ran into Rabbi Culpeper for the first time. Later, we ate outdoors at a little Italian place on Yoel Solomon, along with Martin & Hannah & Karen Klinger, enjoyed some more Maccabee, and Maggie met us after her yoga session at the hotel.
That night, the official group itinerary had a couple more programs on the agenda for after dinner, but the "six pack" decided to skip them in favor of spending some more time on Ben Yehuda. There had been preparations underway for a huge concert at one end of the street, and we kind of wanted to see what that was all about. I think all of us were enjoying being out among Israel and real Israelis for once, and didn't really want to see any more presentations or spend any more time on the bus.
So, after saying goodbye to the rest of the group, the six of us walked back down to Ben Yehuda, and the place was an absolute zoo. The concert was in full force on stage, and after going through a security check, we found ourselves in a mass of humanity on Ben Yehuda. There were, literally, people as far as the eye could see. It looked like Mardi Gras or something.
We marvelled at the scene for a while, then went down one of the side streets so we could breathe a little bit, and sat on the terrace at this little coffee shop to have coffee and ice cream.
It was a fabulous day and night, definitely my favorite of the trip.
More to come...
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