All you need is Blog....

:: Tuesday, July 29, 2003
:: The Israel Trip, Part 3: Cardo, WOW, Caucus, Shabbat

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Friday, July 18
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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!!

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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!!

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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.

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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
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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.

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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 S----er, 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. :)

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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.
:: Eric 1:50 PM [+] ::
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Wednesday, July 16
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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Thursday, July 17
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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...
:: Eric 2:35 PM [+] ::
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Sunday, July 13
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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.

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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.

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Monday, July 14
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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.

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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.

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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.

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Tuesday, July 15
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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.

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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.

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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!!

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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.

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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....
:: Eric 9:57 AM [+] ::
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Raya and I returned yesterday from a week-long mission to Israel, sponsored by the Birmingham Jewish Federation. 32 of us toured Israel for a week, and it was an absolutely amazing experience.

I'm still processing some of what we saw, and will probably blog once or twice more about the trip later this week. For now, I'll just include the sort of "wrap-up" that I provided to the Federation for their email update, with links to a few pictures. All of our pix from the trip can be viewed at http://www.rzeszut.com/israel).

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Like many others have said, my wife Raya and I didn't know what to expect from this mission. We knew we wanted to come to Israel, and come with our dearest friends -- Bruce, Asher, Shira and Maggie. However, not knowing what the situation on the ground -- the matsav -- would be, we felt safer coming with a large group, rather than by ourselves as we have in the past.

Knowing we would have our own bus and our own security guard made us feel much more confident about coming to Israel, and so we signed up for the mission. But when this trip started with us doing vodka shots for our "Shehecheanu" prayer on the streets of Zichron Ya'acov, I knew that it was time to throw my expectations out the window!

There have been some unique experiences on this mission, some that can only be enjoyed on a trip like this. The visit to Ramat David Air Force Base was absolutely incredible. It was amazing to see these brave men and women, who defend the state of Israel every day, and yet some are 10 years younger than I am!

And, it was just so cool to be able to stand next to an F-16, to walk under the wings, look in the cockpit -- we wouldn't be able to do that on an American air force base!!

The visit to Rosh Ha'ayin, our sister city, was definitely a highlight for me. We had never been to Rosh Ha'ayin before, and although I knew of its relationship to Birmingham, I didn't know what the city itself was like. Now, I feel connected to Rosh Ha'ayin and its people.

The LJCC summer camp gets an Israeli counselor -- a shlicha -- each year, and Raya, who is the Jewish educator at the LJCC, and I have become friends with them over the past five summers. To be able to visit their city, and visit with four out of the five Rosh Ha'ayin friends that we have, sitting in the Kimerling Community Center in Rosh Ha'ayin was remarkable.

The memory from this trip that I will cherish most, however, is sitting on Ben Yehuda Street, with my wife and my rabbi, watching Israel walk by. I had this fear before we came that Ben Yehuda would be deserted, shoppers staying away out of fear of terrorist attacks. I expected to see boarded-up shops and empty streets.

Yet, the street was crowded, and it was a perfect example of the melting pot that is Israel. Very religious Jews in black hats trying to convince tourists to wrap tefillin as gorgeous teenagers in belly shirts and low-slung pants walked by. Uniformed soldiers strolled down the street, their machine guns slung over their backs. Ethiopians, Yemenites, Europeans, Asians, Americans, Israelis.

Later that night, Ben Yehuda was even more crowded, for a nighttime concert set up at one end of the street. The street was a teeming mass of humanity, solid people wherever you went, like Mardi Gras or something. It was absolutely amazing to see Israelis in the street, not afraid of terrorist attacks, not living their lives cowering in fear, but being out there, alive and well.

That, for me, is the most compelling memory from this trip.

:: Eric 9:47 AM [+] ::
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