The Israel Trip, Part 3: Cardo, WOW, Caucus, Shabbat
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Friday, July 18
-----------------------
Raya and I "slept in" this day -- 'til all of 7:30. Then it was up in time for breakfast, and then off to the Old City.
We entered the Old City through the Zion Gate, observing the many bullet holes in the city walls outside the gate, from the 1967 Six-Day War when Israel reunited Jerusalem. After a short walk, passing through the Armenian Quarter, we entered the Jewish Quarter near the Cardo.
The Cardo is an ancient Roman boulevard uncovered during archaelogical renovations following the Six-Day War. The Cardo was a carriage and pedestrian thruway, with stores and restaurants. And, although street level of the current Cardo is a few feet higher (each successive civilization built on the ruins of the previous), not much else has changed!
The Cardo is still a shopping and eating area, and we enjoyed browsing and buying there. We were able to meet some of the merchants with whom Raya has worked for her Israeli market. In fact, some of them will be coming to Birmingham this October to sell their goods in person.
We enjoyed a fresh falafel for lunch after we shopped, and surprise surprise, I drank a Maccabee. Then, we continued walking through the Old City, stopping at an overlook above the Western Wall where Yoram discussed the history of the Jewish Quarter, and what a remarkable event it was in 1967 when Jews were again able to visit Judaism's holiest site for the first time in 19 years.
When the Old City was under Jordanian rule (1948-1967), Jews were forbidden to enter ancient Jerusalem, under penalty of death. Jordanian forces levelled most of the homes and synagogues in the Jewish Quarter.
Contrast this with the level of complete access Israel has always provided to Muslim holy sites. Indeed, despite the fact that Israel retains complete sovereignty over all of Jerusalem, the Islamic religious authority, or waqf, is allowed to control access to what Arabs call Haram al Sharif, what Jews call the Temple Mount. Despite the fact that the Temple Mount is the location of Solomon's Temple, the waqf puts very strict restrictions on allowing Jews access -- until recently, Jews were completely forbidden from ascending to the Mount.
After we had a chance to visit the Wall itself -- remember, for most of our group this was their first time at the Wall, at least on this trip -- we experienced a result some of these tensions in Jerusalem firsthand. We had been scheduled to visit the Davidson Visitors Center near the base of the Southern Wall, and learn about some of the excavations taking place there. However, the Visitors Center abruptly closed early that day. After making several phone calls, Yoram learned that the center had closed early due to "security concerns" over Muslims attending Friday prayers on top of the Temple Mount -- directly over the Southern Wall gardens, where the Davidson Center is located. I guess maybe there was a danger that we would have been stoned, or shot at, from the top of the Mount.
Anyway, after visiting the wall itself, we were treated to a fabulous presentation by a representative of Women of the Wall (WOW). WOW is a group that, for fourteen years, has been trying to get some rights for women to hold organized prayer services at the wall. The wall is basically treated like an Orthodox synagogue, with men's and women's areas separated by a mechitza. The men's area is about two-thirds of the outside area of the Wall, plus a large interior section to the right. The women are left with only the left-most one-third of the Wall, and a tiny interior cave.
Women are prohibited, and have been since 1967, to hold any sort of organized religious service at the wall. No reading from the Torah, no wearing of tallitot, no group prayer or singing of any kind. The men can (and do) hold many organized services on their side, but women have been restricted to silent individual prayers only.
WOW is trying to change that, and has been battling in Israel's court system and also creating "facts on the ground," simply by showing up and praying together there, smuggling Torah scrolls inside of a duffel bag to the Wall.
The first few times, there were riots, as the WOW participants were attacked and harassed by both ultra-Orthodox men and women at the Wall. Since then, the government has stepped in to provide a little bit of assistance, including providing police protection when WOW prays at the Wall. They hold organized services only 11 times a year, at each new moon, for Rosh Hodesh.
The situation seems to be improving. Earlier in 2003, the Israeli Supreme Court handed down a decision giving all sides one year to find an acceptable compromise solution. WOW's hope is that they will be permitted to hold their Rosh Hodesh services at the Wall, on every new month (except Rosh Hashanah). They're certainly a brave group of women, and have been persistent for 14 years!!
After leaving the Old City, we proceeded to Hebrew Union College, where we participated in a study session with Rabbi Shaul Feinberg. He had been a rabbi at Temple Emanu-El here in Birmingham. Although it was before we moved here, many other people enjoyed the chance to catch up with him, and hear his thoughts on the concept and symbolism of tzedakah.
We headed back to the hotel to clean up and change clothes, and then it was off to Kol HaNeshama, a reform shul in Jerusalem, for Friday night services. It was very strange to be at a service -- a Reform service, no less! -- where the majority of the proceedings were in Hebrew. But we knew some of the songs and some of the tunes, and didn't get too lost!!
We then headed back to the Inbal for one of the most meaningful experiences of the trip -- our "caucus." This was a chance for the group to get together and share their thoughts and reflections on the mission as it neared the end. I had a fear that this would be kind of corny and roll-my-eyes silly, but it really wasn't.
We gathered on the balcony of the penthouse provided to Jimmy & Sherri by the Inbal. 32 of us were able to gather on this huge balcony, the Old City visible in the background. There was just a slight nip in the air, and it was so quiet and peaceful up there. It felt almost as if the 32 of us were the only people in the world at that moment.
People said some very heartfelt and sincere things, about how much this trip had meant to them. Many of them (including myself) said that the trip had outstripped all of their expectations. It was especially moving to hear from the people on their first trip to Israel.
What I said at the caucus has been recorded, to the best of my memory, earlier in this blog and in the Federation Update, so I won't repeat it here.
We concluded our Shabbat eve with a dinner in one of the hotel's ballrooms. We didn't even sit down to dinner until nearly 10:00, and it was midnight before we were back up in our room. After a quick call to my dad, Raya and I crashed.
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Saturday, July 19
-----------------------
Our final day in Israel (sigh) started with a really neat experience. We met in the lobby at 5:20 AM with about half of our group, to take a sunrise walking tour of Jerusalem, led by Danny Siegel, founder of the Ziv Tzedakah Project.
What can be said about Danny Siegel? He's quite a character. He happened upon our group the day before, wandering through our hotel in search of a "free breakfast," as he put it. Raya and I happened to be eating with Rabbi Glusman, who knows Danny, and he stopped at our table to chat. Raya knew who he was as well, since her boss was the illustrator on one of Danny's books. So, we got to talking, and Danny mentioned this sunrise tour.
And so, that's how we happened to be walking around Jerusalem at 5:30 on Shabbat morning. We stopped at a plaza to watch the sun rise over the stone buildings of Jerusalem, and it was marvelous. Afterwards, the tour continued, with Danny pointing out places and telling stories about some of the "mitzvah heroes" in Jerusalem -- people who help make the world a better place.
After the tour, it was back to the Inbal for breakfast. Most of our group, including our friends, were leaving immediately after breakfast for an all-day tour to Masada and the Dead Sea. Raya and I had originally planned to go, but on Friday changed our minds. After such an exhausting and hectic week, the idea of using Shabbat literally as a "day of rest," perhaps lounging by the pool, was incredibly appealing. Besides, Masada and the Dead Sea haven't changed since we were there four years ago. We broke the news to the rest of the "six pack" on the bus Friday; I don't think they held it against us.
So, for the first time on this trip, we enjoyed the chance to have a nice, leisurely breakfast, first with Rabbi Culpeper and the Klinger girls; and then with Vicki Lewis. It was nice and relaxing, very stress-free. After breakfast, we went back up to our room, started to pack just a little bit, watched some Israeli TV, took a nap, and before we knew it, it was lunchtime.
Lunch had been arranged in the hotel for those of us not going on the Masada/Dead Sea tour, and then after lunch, there was a 1:00 walking tour of Jerusalem. Since we had done the early-morning walking tour, we didn't really need another, and so we changed into swimsuits and headed out to the pool. Rabbis Glusman and Culpeper were already there, and Raya and I spent about three hours out there, soaking up the sun, enjoying a "slushee," and recharging.
Around 4, we headed back up to the room to finish packing, Raya called her parents, and we got showered and dressed. Then, it was back downstairs to one of the hotel's meeting rooms for a one-man performance called "The Situation Comedy," about a man who loses his daughter in a Palestinian terror attack. (Israelis call the ongoing Palestinian terrorism the matsav, the "situation.")
I'm not going to write so much about this, because I'd like to forget it. The actor/director/writer was very talented, to be sure. But the performance was so disturbing and so depressing. It was a horrible choice for our last waning hours in Jerusalem, and I can only hope that the mission leadership didn't really know what it would be like. I don't want to think they would choose something like that on purpose for us to view six hours before leaving Israel.
Anyway, after that it was back to the Krell's balcony for Havdalah service. Havdalah literally means "separation," and it's the service that comes at the end of Shabbat, to separate it from the rest of the week. After that performance, we definitely needed some separation, and Rabbi Glusman, bless his heart, said exactly that. He said that we needed to leave that experience behind us. He also talked about how this Havdalah was particularly bittersweet -- not only did it mark the end of Shabbat, but also the end of our time in Israel. It was a very emotional moment -- again, with the backdrop of the Old City behind us.
After Havdalah service, we had one final dinner at the Inbal, and then it was time (after some last minute browsing in the hotel's gift shops) to get on the bus and head for Ben-Gurion Airport. The bus ride to the airport was quiet, everyone reflecting on the trip and not wanting to leave, I think.
After the standard security checks and baggage procedures, we waited at the gate area for about an hour before boarding our flight. Ran into Julee, always an experience. When Joycie told us that Julee was there, the first thing I asked was "Is she on our flight?" Joyce said no, and "Baruch Hashem" came out of my mouth before I knew it. Joycie smacked me on the shoulder for that one, but I bet she was thinking the same thing!!
So, we boarded the flight around 12:30 AM, a double-decker 747 this time. Again, Raya and I were almost all the way to the back, row 50 I believe. The flight left about 45 minutes late; there was some sort of medical emergency up front. The wait itself wasn't so bad, but it was so incredibly warm on the plane until we got going. I thought I was going to be sick, until I realized I could stand up, put my head near the ceiling, and get some cool air (before we were moving, of course).
We managed to sleep a lot more on the flight back than we had on the flight over. I guess we were exhausted on the way back, plus I was in the window seat, so I could lean on the wall and R. could lean on me.
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Sunday, July 20
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Bleary-eyed and dragging our feet, we got back to New York's JFK Airport around 6:00 AM, eastern time. We stumbled through passport control and baggage claim, saying goodbye to people as we saw them drag their luggage away. The trip ended sort of abruptly, no grand goodbye in either airport.
With Bruce and Asher, we headed outside to get a shuttle bus to LaGuardia. We happened to bump into Shira and Maggie on the way, so at least we got to say a proper goodbye to them!!
After riding the shuttle bus to LGA (and making like 10 stops), we were able to get Delta to shift us to an earlier, nonstop flight, saving us about 3 hours. Well worth the $25 per ticket. Margie was already on that flight; Joycie was on our original 1:40 flight. The two of them had gone into NYC with a friend of Margie's for breakfast, so we didn't see them until we got to the gate, and then it was too late for Joyce to join our flight. But, she later said that was basheert anyway, because it gave "her men" time to clean the house before she got home!!!
The flight from LGA to Birmingham was uneventful and on time, the best kind!! We had originally asked Matt to pick us up, but when we changed flights, I tried to call him, but was only able to leave a message. Apparently, he never heard it, so we took a cab home, and Matt unfortunately showed up at the airport at 4:30, since he hadn't been home to hear the message. Sorry!!
We got home, unpacked a bit, put the pictures on the web, picked up Taco Bell for dinner, and that's about it. I intended to try and stay awake until a "normal" bedtime, to get back on Birmingham time. But, by 6:30, I was snoring away on the couch, and Raya woke me at 7:30 so we could go to bed. :)
All in all, the trip was absolutely amazing. I'd never been on a group trip of any kind, so I really didn't know what to expect. And yes, there were times we were glad to get away from the group for a while, but we were allowed to do so, and so I think we struck the perfect balance.
I also think we made it to Israel at a perfect time -- a very quiet, calm, peaceful time in Jerusalem and all over Israel. Both Israel and the Palestinians are taking baby steps on the "roadmap" to peace, and I think there's a growing optimism that this one might take root. Israelis were out in the streets, shopping, eating, and partying. It was a fantastic thing to see.
Israel's the coolest place I've ever been because of this ancient/modern dichotomy. I mean, here you have Hebrew -- a language that for me is a language of prayer -- being used to advertise diapers and potato chips. For them, it's just a language.
You hear television programs being advertised -- "this Shabbat at 9." Shabbat, which to me is a religious term, is an actual, honest-to-goodness day of the week for Israel -- whether in a religious context or not.
Street signs in Jerusalem are named after Jewish philosophers, writers, rabbis, Zionists. You go from Hillel street to Bezalel, to Jabotinsky, to Yoel Solomon.
A black-hatter at the Kotel on Wednesday night chattered away on his tiny Nokia cell phone.
The cell phone we rented could be used in either English or Hebrew!
Within a span of 30 minutes on our first day in Israel, we drove past gleaming high-tech buildings in Tel Aviv -- bearing the names Microsoft, Cisco, Intel -- and then arrived at the ancient Caesarea theater, which has stood for centuries.
These are just some of the examples of the ancient/modern blend that is Israel. It's one of the most ancient, and yet one of the most modern places in the world, all at the same time.
Friday, July 18
-----------------------
Raya and I "slept in" this day -- 'til all of 7:30. Then it was up in time for breakfast, and then off to the Old City.
We entered the Old City through the Zion Gate, observing the many bullet holes in the city walls outside the gate, from the 1967 Six-Day War when Israel reunited Jerusalem. After a short walk, passing through the Armenian Quarter, we entered the Jewish Quarter near the Cardo.
The Cardo is an ancient Roman boulevard uncovered during archaelogical renovations following the Six-Day War. The Cardo was a carriage and pedestrian thruway, with stores and restaurants. And, although street level of the current Cardo is a few feet higher (each successive civilization built on the ruins of the previous), not much else has changed!
The Cardo is still a shopping and eating area, and we enjoyed browsing and buying there. We were able to meet some of the merchants with whom Raya has worked for her Israeli market. In fact, some of them will be coming to Birmingham this October to sell their goods in person.
We enjoyed a fresh falafel for lunch after we shopped, and surprise surprise, I drank a Maccabee. Then, we continued walking through the Old City, stopping at an overlook above the Western Wall where Yoram discussed the history of the Jewish Quarter, and what a remarkable event it was in 1967 when Jews were again able to visit Judaism's holiest site for the first time in 19 years.
When the Old City was under Jordanian rule (1948-1967), Jews were forbidden to enter ancient Jerusalem, under penalty of death. Jordanian forces levelled most of the homes and synagogues in the Jewish Quarter.
Contrast this with the level of complete access Israel has always provided to Muslim holy sites. Indeed, despite the fact that Israel retains complete sovereignty over all of Jerusalem, the Islamic religious authority, or waqf, is allowed to control access to what Arabs call Haram al Sharif, what Jews call the Temple Mount. Despite the fact that the Temple Mount is the location of Solomon's Temple, the waqf puts very strict restrictions on allowing Jews access -- until recently, Jews were completely forbidden from ascending to the Mount.
After we had a chance to visit the Wall itself -- remember, for most of our group this was their first time at the Wall, at least on this trip -- we experienced a result some of these tensions in Jerusalem firsthand. We had been scheduled to visit the Davidson Visitors Center near the base of the Southern Wall, and learn about some of the excavations taking place there. However, the Visitors Center abruptly closed early that day. After making several phone calls, Yoram learned that the center had closed early due to "security concerns" over Muslims attending Friday prayers on top of the Temple Mount -- directly over the Southern Wall gardens, where the Davidson Center is located. I guess maybe there was a danger that we would have been stoned, or shot at, from the top of the Mount.
Anyway, after visiting the wall itself, we were treated to a fabulous presentation by a representative of Women of the Wall (WOW). WOW is a group that, for fourteen years, has been trying to get some rights for women to hold organized prayer services at the wall. The wall is basically treated like an Orthodox synagogue, with men's and women's areas separated by a mechitza. The men's area is about two-thirds of the outside area of the Wall, plus a large interior section to the right. The women are left with only the left-most one-third of the Wall, and a tiny interior cave.
Women are prohibited, and have been since 1967, to hold any sort of organized religious service at the wall. No reading from the Torah, no wearing of tallitot, no group prayer or singing of any kind. The men can (and do) hold many organized services on their side, but women have been restricted to silent individual prayers only.
WOW is trying to change that, and has been battling in Israel's court system and also creating "facts on the ground," simply by showing up and praying together there, smuggling Torah scrolls inside of a duffel bag to the Wall.
The first few times, there were riots, as the WOW participants were attacked and harassed by both ultra-Orthodox men and women at the Wall. Since then, the government has stepped in to provide a little bit of assistance, including providing police protection when WOW prays at the Wall. They hold organized services only 11 times a year, at each new moon, for Rosh Hodesh.
The situation seems to be improving. Earlier in 2003, the Israeli Supreme Court handed down a decision giving all sides one year to find an acceptable compromise solution. WOW's hope is that they will be permitted to hold their Rosh Hodesh services at the Wall, on every new month (except Rosh Hashanah). They're certainly a brave group of women, and have been persistent for 14 years!!
After leaving the Old City, we proceeded to Hebrew Union College, where we participated in a study session with Rabbi Shaul Feinberg. He had been a rabbi at Temple Emanu-El here in Birmingham. Although it was before we moved here, many other people enjoyed the chance to catch up with him, and hear his thoughts on the concept and symbolism of tzedakah.
We headed back to the hotel to clean up and change clothes, and then it was off to Kol HaNeshama, a reform shul in Jerusalem, for Friday night services. It was very strange to be at a service -- a Reform service, no less! -- where the majority of the proceedings were in Hebrew. But we knew some of the songs and some of the tunes, and didn't get too lost!!
We then headed back to the Inbal for one of the most meaningful experiences of the trip -- our "caucus." This was a chance for the group to get together and share their thoughts and reflections on the mission as it neared the end. I had a fear that this would be kind of corny and roll-my-eyes silly, but it really wasn't.
We gathered on the balcony of the penthouse provided to Jimmy & Sherri by the Inbal. 32 of us were able to gather on this huge balcony, the Old City visible in the background. There was just a slight nip in the air, and it was so quiet and peaceful up there. It felt almost as if the 32 of us were the only people in the world at that moment.
People said some very heartfelt and sincere things, about how much this trip had meant to them. Many of them (including myself) said that the trip had outstripped all of their expectations. It was especially moving to hear from the people on their first trip to Israel.
What I said at the caucus has been recorded, to the best of my memory, earlier in this blog and in the Federation Update, so I won't repeat it here.
We concluded our Shabbat eve with a dinner in one of the hotel's ballrooms. We didn't even sit down to dinner until nearly 10:00, and it was midnight before we were back up in our room. After a quick call to my dad, Raya and I crashed.
-----------------------
Saturday, July 19
-----------------------
Our final day in Israel (sigh) started with a really neat experience. We met in the lobby at 5:20 AM with about half of our group, to take a sunrise walking tour of Jerusalem, led by Danny Siegel, founder of the Ziv Tzedakah Project.
What can be said about Danny Siegel? He's quite a character. He happened upon our group the day before, wandering through our hotel in search of a "free breakfast," as he put it. Raya and I happened to be eating with Rabbi Glusman, who knows Danny, and he stopped at our table to chat. Raya knew who he was as well, since her boss was the illustrator on one of Danny's books. So, we got to talking, and Danny mentioned this sunrise tour.
And so, that's how we happened to be walking around Jerusalem at 5:30 on Shabbat morning. We stopped at a plaza to watch the sun rise over the stone buildings of Jerusalem, and it was marvelous. Afterwards, the tour continued, with Danny pointing out places and telling stories about some of the "mitzvah heroes" in Jerusalem -- people who help make the world a better place.
After the tour, it was back to the Inbal for breakfast. Most of our group, including our friends, were leaving immediately after breakfast for an all-day tour to Masada and the Dead Sea. Raya and I had originally planned to go, but on Friday changed our minds. After such an exhausting and hectic week, the idea of using Shabbat literally as a "day of rest," perhaps lounging by the pool, was incredibly appealing. Besides, Masada and the Dead Sea haven't changed since we were there four years ago. We broke the news to the rest of the "six pack" on the bus Friday; I don't think they held it against us.
So, for the first time on this trip, we enjoyed the chance to have a nice, leisurely breakfast, first with Rabbi Culpeper and the Klinger girls; and then with Vicki Lewis. It was nice and relaxing, very stress-free. After breakfast, we went back up to our room, started to pack just a little bit, watched some Israeli TV, took a nap, and before we knew it, it was lunchtime.
Lunch had been arranged in the hotel for those of us not going on the Masada/Dead Sea tour, and then after lunch, there was a 1:00 walking tour of Jerusalem. Since we had done the early-morning walking tour, we didn't really need another, and so we changed into swimsuits and headed out to the pool. Rabbis Glusman and Culpeper were already there, and Raya and I spent about three hours out there, soaking up the sun, enjoying a "slushee," and recharging.
Around 4, we headed back up to the room to finish packing, Raya called her parents, and we got showered and dressed. Then, it was back downstairs to one of the hotel's meeting rooms for a one-man performance called "The Situation Comedy," about a man who loses his daughter in a Palestinian terror attack. (Israelis call the ongoing Palestinian terrorism the matsav, the "situation.")
I'm not going to write so much about this, because I'd like to forget it. The actor/director/writer was very talented, to be sure. But the performance was so disturbing and so depressing. It was a horrible choice for our last waning hours in Jerusalem, and I can only hope that the mission leadership didn't really know what it would be like. I don't want to think they would choose something like that on purpose for us to view six hours before leaving Israel.
Anyway, after that it was back to the Krell's balcony for Havdalah service. Havdalah literally means "separation," and it's the service that comes at the end of Shabbat, to separate it from the rest of the week. After that performance, we definitely needed some separation, and Rabbi Glusman, bless his heart, said exactly that. He said that we needed to leave that experience behind us. He also talked about how this Havdalah was particularly bittersweet -- not only did it mark the end of Shabbat, but also the end of our time in Israel. It was a very emotional moment -- again, with the backdrop of the Old City behind us.
After Havdalah service, we had one final dinner at the Inbal, and then it was time (after some last minute browsing in the hotel's gift shops) to get on the bus and head for Ben-Gurion Airport. The bus ride to the airport was quiet, everyone reflecting on the trip and not wanting to leave, I think.
After the standard security checks and baggage procedures, we waited at the gate area for about an hour before boarding our flight. Ran into Julee, always an experience. When Joycie told us that Julee was there, the first thing I asked was "Is she on our flight?" Joyce said no, and "Baruch Hashem" came out of my mouth before I knew it. Joycie smacked me on the shoulder for that one, but I bet she was thinking the same thing!!
So, we boarded the flight around 12:30 AM, a double-decker 747 this time. Again, Raya and I were almost all the way to the back, row 50 I believe. The flight left about 45 minutes late; there was some sort of medical emergency up front. The wait itself wasn't so bad, but it was so incredibly warm on the plane until we got going. I thought I was going to be sick, until I realized I could stand up, put my head near the ceiling, and get some cool air (before we were moving, of course).
We managed to sleep a lot more on the flight back than we had on the flight over. I guess we were exhausted on the way back, plus I was in the window seat, so I could lean on the wall and R. could lean on me.
-----------------------
Sunday, July 20
-----------------------
Bleary-eyed and dragging our feet, we got back to New York's JFK Airport around 6:00 AM, eastern time. We stumbled through passport control and baggage claim, saying goodbye to people as we saw them drag their luggage away. The trip ended sort of abruptly, no grand goodbye in either airport.
With Bruce and Asher, we headed outside to get a shuttle bus to LaGuardia. We happened to bump into Shira and Maggie on the way, so at least we got to say a proper goodbye to them!!
After riding the shuttle bus to LGA (and making like 10 stops), we were able to get Delta to shift us to an earlier, nonstop flight, saving us about 3 hours. Well worth the $25 per ticket. Margie was already on that flight; Joycie was on our original 1:40 flight. The two of them had gone into NYC with a friend of Margie's for breakfast, so we didn't see them until we got to the gate, and then it was too late for Joyce to join our flight. But, she later said that was basheert anyway, because it gave "her men" time to clean the house before she got home!!!
The flight from LGA to Birmingham was uneventful and on time, the best kind!! We had originally asked Matt to pick us up, but when we changed flights, I tried to call him, but was only able to leave a message. Apparently, he never heard it, so we took a cab home, and Matt unfortunately showed up at the airport at 4:30, since he hadn't been home to hear the message. Sorry!!
We got home, unpacked a bit, put the pictures on the web, picked up Taco Bell for dinner, and that's about it. I intended to try and stay awake until a "normal" bedtime, to get back on Birmingham time. But, by 6:30, I was snoring away on the couch, and Raya woke me at 7:30 so we could go to bed. :)
All in all, the trip was absolutely amazing. I'd never been on a group trip of any kind, so I really didn't know what to expect. And yes, there were times we were glad to get away from the group for a while, but we were allowed to do so, and so I think we struck the perfect balance.
I also think we made it to Israel at a perfect time -- a very quiet, calm, peaceful time in Jerusalem and all over Israel. Both Israel and the Palestinians are taking baby steps on the "roadmap" to peace, and I think there's a growing optimism that this one might take root. Israelis were out in the streets, shopping, eating, and partying. It was a fantastic thing to see.
Israel's the coolest place I've ever been because of this ancient/modern dichotomy. I mean, here you have Hebrew -- a language that for me is a language of prayer -- being used to advertise diapers and potato chips. For them, it's just a language.
You hear television programs being advertised -- "this Shabbat at 9." Shabbat, which to me is a religious term, is an actual, honest-to-goodness day of the week for Israel -- whether in a religious context or not.
Street signs in Jerusalem are named after Jewish philosophers, writers, rabbis, Zionists. You go from Hillel street to Bezalel, to Jabotinsky, to Yoel Solomon.
A black-hatter at the Kotel on Wednesday night chattered away on his tiny Nokia cell phone.
The cell phone we rented could be used in either English or Hebrew!
Within a span of 30 minutes on our first day in Israel, we drove past gleaming high-tech buildings in Tel Aviv -- bearing the names Microsoft, Cisco, Intel -- and then arrived at the ancient Caesarea theater, which has stood for centuries.
These are just some of the examples of the ancient/modern blend that is Israel. It's one of the most ancient, and yet one of the most modern places in the world, all at the same time.
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