Israel Reflections

Rabbi  Goldstein has asked those of us who recently traveled to Israel to take a moment to write a little about our experience.  Not being a travel writer, I am not sure how to best capture the incredible vividness of our time there.

  I can certainly try to convey some of the impressions I had, starting with the sight of the hot, shiny-bright Mediterranean sea washing the shores of Tel Aviv, with drowsy Joffa in the background, as I sat, drugged with jet lag, on the porch of a beach bar scarfing down some of the best seafood and salads I have ever tasted.  Later I learned that the “Manta Ray” was no beach bar, but was one of the trendiest restaurants in town, and Joffa may look like a sleepy town now, but was the landing site for many of the country’s Zionist pioneers.  Nothing here is only what is seems, I learned…Our amiable tour guide, gently herding us like a flock of slightly wayward ducklings, was actually a tough former military man.   The lovely hills above peaceful kibbutz K’far Blum were actually a menacing threat to the kibbutzim when the Golan Heights were under Syrian control.  There we visited a tank battalion and learned a little about the rigors of modern military life from a shyly modest young man who looked more like a scholar than a tank gunner.  Two hours after climbing on dusty tanks in a hot dry desert, we were floating down the Jordan River among lush vegetation, waving at picnicking families on the banks.  Talk about mental whiplash trying to reconcile such diverse landscapes and experiences.

            Our time in Jerusalem began in the loveliest of ways, as we arrived at a site overlooking the old city just in time for the last rays of sunset to glow off the Dome of the Rock and make the city shine just for us-or so it seemed.  The next day our family nearly missed one of the best experiences of Jerusalem, though.  Tired and footsore, we really didn’t want to walk! back! to the Western wall, on Friday afternoon.  Charles, my husband, had experienced Sabbath at the Kottel on a previous trip and he urged us to put our fatigue aside.  “There’s something about it, I just can’t explain”.  As I have never known my scientist husband to lack an explanation, I thought “Well, maybe we should go”.  Of course he was, as always, right.  Welcoming the Sabbath looking over the Wall, surrounded by hundreds of people in a chain of Sabbath prayer dating back thousands of years, was truly a special experience and an unexpected highlight of the trip. 

            One of the most special experiences of the trip, for our family and I imagine for at least 3 other families, was the service we had on top of Masada, at which our son became a Bar Mitzvah.  I was so proud of all four of the kids, who despite the heat and unfamiliar surroundings read their Torah portions with composure and grace.  We owe so much to Rabbi Goldstein for making such a wonderful experience possible. My husband and I hoped that this experience, and visiting Israel at this important time in his life, would help our son to have a better understanding of what it means to be Jewish in a modern world, and I think our experiences on this trip far exceeded that hope and expectation.  On this trip we experienced both the wonders of the ancient Jewish world and the passion and commitment behind the founding of the modern Jewish state, not just in the sites we saw, but with the people we met.   

            Writing about every wonderful experience would turn this into a truly lengthy article.  If you want to know more about: Petra, scuba diving, working in a archeological dig, Caesarea, floating in the Dead Sea, getting lost in the Arab market, Jewish rock concerts, kabuki peanut candy, feral cats, the Dead Sea scrolls, or pomello farming-just ask the Rabbi or one of the 30 of us who went on the this trip.  Or better yet, start saving your pennies for 2009 and find out in person!

 

The Doll Family

Israel Impressions

I had been to Israel just once, in 1990, for just three days. My husband and I did a quick gulp of as much history as possible and vowed to come back for more—but didn’t.

This trip fulfilled my wish and added so much depth and meaning. The first time I was a tourist. This time—as Rabbi Goldstein said at the start of the trip—we were pilgrims. And that made an enormous difference. It gave me the opportunity to view this profoundly spiritual place through the lens of another faith. I saw, I learned, and—most importantly—I felt.  Rabbi Goldstein had made ours a true pilgrimage by planning readings, prayers, and short ceremonies to mark important places and events. I didn’t understand the Hebrew, but the meaning was always clear. 

 

Spiritual high points were many. We entered Jerusalem at dusk as the lights were winking on; stopping at an overlook as long-ago pilgrims did for a prayer and a blessing. On Friday evening we welcomed “the bride of the Sabbath” (What a lovely phrase!) at the Kottel, or Western Wall. Rabbi Goldstein led our service on an overlook where we could see a sea of worshippers below, many dressed in ultra-Orthodox black; others in their Sabbath best or in Army uniforms, all praying together. On Sabbath it seems as if the city holds its breath for a day. This pause in daily life is something we seldom honor in America, which is too bad. The crowning experience, for me, was—of course—hearing my grandson Aaron read his Torah portion on the summit of Mount Masada, along with three other young people in the congregation. At that moment my grandchild truly seemed to be a young man. All the young people did wonderfully well, despite searing heat and flyovers from the Israeli air force. It was a joyful ceremony with proud parents, flashing cameras, and a shower of candy at the end.

 

Other high points for me were learning more about the modern state of Israel. We saw the mine fields on the Golan Heights, visited an Army training installation, and walked quietly through Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial and museum in Jerusalem, a profoundly moving experience, as was the Palmach (Israeli strike force) Museum in Tel Aviv, where a multi-media presentation brought to life the struggles to establish the modern state of Israel..

 

Historical high points: Walking through a huge tunnel along the western wall where archaeologists had peeled back some of the many layers to reveal ancient buildings on the site, and walking through an incredibly beautiful canyon to enter—through a deep narrow clef in the rock--the rose red city of Petra in Jordan, where ancient buildings are carved into the rock walls.

 

Of course, the trip also had lots of just-for-fun high points: kayaking on the Jordan; snorkeling in the visually rich waters of the Red Sea; strolling, snacking, and shopping in the bazaars and old quarters of the cities; swimming in the warm waves of the Mediterranean; digging for pottery shards at a working archeological site (Aaron found some; I didn’t); eating  lots of great Middle Eastern food; and getting to know some of the warm, wonderful members of Temple Beth Shalom. It was a great trip, and a great group of travelers--and I was so happy to be part of it.   Patricia Robbins

 

 

Rabbi  Goldstein has asked those of us who recently traveled to Israel to take a moment to write a little about our experience.  Not being a travel writer, I am not sure how to best capture the incredible vividness of our time there, but I can certainly try to convey some of the impressions I had, starting with the sight of the hot, shiney-bright Mediterranean sea washing the shores of Tel Aviv, with drowsy Joffa in the background, as I sat, drugged with jet lag, on the porch of a beach bar scarfing down some of the best seafood and salads I have ever tasted.  Later I learned that the “Manta Ray” was no beach bar, but was one of the trendiest restaurants in town, and Joffa may look like a sleepy town now, but was the landing site for many of the country’s Zionist pioneers.  Nothing here is only what is seems, I learned…Our amiable tour guide, gently herding us through the sites and restaurants and making sure that everyone had enough to eat, enough rest and enough potty stops, like a fond poppa, was actually a tough former military man.   The lovely hills above blooming Kibbutz K’far Blum were actually a menacing threat to the kibbutzim when the Golan heights were under Syrian control.  There we visited a tank battalion and learned a little about the rigors of modern military life from a shyly modest young man who looked more like a scholar than a tank gunner.  Two hours after climbing on dusty tanks in a hot dry desert, we were floating down the Jordan river among lush vegetation, waving at picnicking families on the banks.  Talk about mental whiplash trying to reconcile such diverse landscapes and experiences.

            Our time in Jerusalem began in the loveliest of ways, as we arrived at a site overlooking the old city just in time for the last rays of sunset to glow off the Dome of the Rock and make the city shine just for us-or so it seemed.  The next day we nearly missed one of the best experiences of Jerusalem, though.  Tired and footsore, we really didn’t want to walk back, again, to the Western wall, on Friday afternoon.  Charles, my husband, had experienced Sabbath at the Kottel, previously.

 

Shalom again from Eretz Yisraeil

 Shalom again from Eretz Yisraeil,

Once again, it has been a few days since I last wrote so I will try to do some catching up.
On Sunday, we set out on a day of remembrance.  It all began at Yad Vashem, the newly renovated Holocaust museum.  Trevor Doll shared with us what the Holocaust meant to him in conjunction with what the modern state of Israel.  From there we visited the Chagall windows at Hadassah hospital and then we paid our respects at the place where almost all of the deceased prime ministers, and the visionary pioneer, of Israel are buried, Har Hertzl.  And then, we finsihed off the day with dinner at an Arab village in the town of Abu Gosh.

Monday was more of a spiritual, historical, and comfortable day.  It began at Qumran where Aaron Goldblum shared with us insights and messages about the Dead Sea Scrolls, followed by a tour and Bar Mitzvah atop Masada.  Now, that was quite a moment.  Being present as Aaron, Trevor, Sydney and Amanda read and chanted the Torah portion was truly extraordinary.  And, to top it all off, the Torah portion, Balak, actually took place just a "stone's throw" away from where we were - the mountains of Moav.   From  Masada, we relaxed and floated in the Dead Sea .  Finally finishing up back in Jerusalem as we joined together in a traditional Morroccan dinner.

So, here we are on Tuesday.  I write this note from Eilat, looking back on an  incredible day which was highlighted by an archaeological dig at the ancient Hasmonean city of Beit Guvrin.  Who knows?  Perhaps we found some pottery pieces that will truly be a contribution to academia.

More to come as many people go to the ancient Nabbattean city of Petra tomorrow while the other hike through the mountains of Eilat.

B'shalom from the land of milk and honey,

Rabi Ari Goldstein

kayaked down the Jordan river

Shalom again from Israel. Since my last entry, we have kayaked down the Jordan river, visited an Israeli tank base, and toured the Golan Heights. (All in one day)
Then we visited the ancient city of Beit Shean, swam in the natural pools of Gan Hashelosha, and rode camels to a bedouin style dinner.

And now, here we are in Jerusalem - "The City of Gold." Our first full day here was spent in the Old City as we visited the Western Wall and all of the newly excavated sights around it. In the evening we ate a delicious Shabbat dinner on the rooftop of Hebrew Union College overlooking the Old City.

Today (Saturday) has been a day of leasure and relaxation as we prepare for the the next few days of intense touring. I look forward to blogging more in the next few days.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabi Ari Goldstein

Rabbi's Blog Entry from Israel

Shalom Temple Beth Shalom,

Our first full day got off to an amazing start.  We began by driving to the ancient port of Caesaria, built by King Herod, one hour north of Tel Aviv.   From there we continued north to Haifa and overlooked the entire city from a beautiful promenade.  This, of course, followed our first Falafal and Shwarma of the trip.  After Haifa, it was on to the mystical city of Tzfat (Safed) where Sydney Forman shared with us her Bat MItzvah speech in anticipation of the group Bnei Mitzvah on top of Masada on Monday.

After some touring and some shopping, we checked into our new hotel called Kfar Blum ( a Kibbutz guesthouse) and many of us hopped into the pool after dinner for a late night swim.

So far, all is terrific here in Eretz Yisraeil.  The 32 of us are already creating fun and meaningful relationships as we go on this spiritual pilgrimage together. 

More blogging and pictures to follow.

Shalom from Israel,

Rabbi Ari Goldstein