Yad Va-Shem and Machane Yehuda Market

Day 10 (as observed by Herm and Eve Leibovich)



Today we went to the Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, Israel’s central memorial to the victim’s of the Holocaust. The younger children went with Sruli to the Children’s Memorial. Before going into the historical Museum, we walked along the Avenue of the Righteous Gentiles, honoring Christians who risked their lives to help Jews. The exhibits in the Museum were especially moving because they included actual movie footage, photography, videos of interviews with survivors, and diaries of victims and survivors. We went from room to room, recalling the historical events leading up to Hitler’s rise to power, and how the Nazis, step by step, increasingly persecuted the Jews, until the final solution of the death camps. We were moved to tears several times during the visit. Outside, we all gathered together and Rabbi Caruso led us in the Kaddish prayer for the six million Jews who were murdered.

[Editor's Note: By happenstance, the group ran into Jennifer Gertman, Cantor Sager's daughter, at Yad Va-Shem. Rabbi Gertman (Jennifer was ordained this past May) was leading a group of teenagers through Israel What a treat!]



After such a down feeling of the Yad Vashem, we went to the open-air Machane Yehuda market, where bustling crowds were eating, shopping and hurrying to get ready for Shabbat. We had lunch there on our own and enjoyed seeing the vibrancy of life in Israel, which was a strong demonstration that “Am Yisrael Chai,” The Nation of Israel Lives.

In the early evening, we went to Shabbat services at Kehilat Kol HaNeshamah, one of the few Reform Synagogues in Israel. In Reform Synagogues, services are in the vernacular, the native language. In the U.S., we pray mostly in English, but in Israel, the native language is Hebrew, so all of the Service was in Hebrew. The synagogue was packed and they did a lot of singing.

[Editor's Note: We were fortunate enough to meet up with Fairmount Temple's own Edith Paller, who recently made aliyah to Israel. It was wonderful to pray with her, and top share dinner with her back at the hotel].

After services, we walked back to the hotel and had a delicious Shabbat dinner.
This trip to Israel was so special for us because we experienced it with our son, daughter-in-law and our three beautiful grandchildren.

If You Will It, It Is Not a Dream

Day 9 (as observed by the Katz family)





My family and I woke to the noises of the bustling street just below our room and were happily greeted by the morning Jerusalem sun peeking through our window shades. We try to get up and get dressed to no avail, but were happily pleased when we went down to breakfast to find that we were not the only family to sleep in and take an extra half hour to get ready. So one could say that our day started off a little late. We then quickly loaded the bus and hightailed it out of there to the Jewish National Fund Forest to plant trees. On our hike down the path David was telling us that in the 60 some years since the first tree was planted, the forest now boasted a whopping 244 million trees, making Israel that much greener. Planting the trees was probably one of the most rewarding experiences on this trip. Everyone was really able to dig their hands into the very land of Israel and plant a piece of themselves that will be with the country for years to come; so everyone will have left a piece of themselves behind.

Since our whole day started off a half hour late we had to quickly get back on the bus and head to our next destination, leaving behind our baby trees to enjoy the beautiful mountain scenery. We drove another 20 minutes down the winding roads and made our way to the Herzl Museum. The museum was a fun and interactive experience that really brought the essence of Herzl to life. Although the actors in the movie were somewhat comical, the character of Herzl came across loud and clear. He was a man who persevered and went above and beyond the limits of any one man to help find a home in Israel for all his ridiculed people living in Europe. It was sad to know that he would not live to see the day that Israel would announce its independence; yet also comforting to know that at least he wouldn’t have to learn that instead of talking to leaders of countries to get the land, that instead it took killing 6 million Jews to finally send the message across to be able to get a homeland in Israel. But I would like to believe that Herzl would be proud of what has become of Israel, the land he sought after for his entire life. After a quick trip up to see the grave site, we were whisked off to the tunnels of the Western Wall

Though I would like to say that the highlight of the trip was either going to the Western Wall to pray or seeing the old city, the highlight for some namely the boys was being able to track down Amare Stotlmyer of the New York Nicks and get a picture with him. It’s not every day you see a famous basketball player in Israel, especially one who is there to learn Hebrew due to the fact that his mother just realized she was Jewish. Go figure. Anyways after a sandwich lunch we made our way down into the tunnels of the Western Wall. It was heartwarming to know that there was a part of the wall that both men and women could pray at together instead of being separated, as if the tunnels were the only place where the laws of equality really shined through. It was also interesting to learn about the history of the wall and the Great Temple. It was humbling to know that a wall could hold so much power over a vast group of people. At the end of the tunnel tour we made our way through the back streets of Jerusalem to get to our bus. But on the way there, in one of the alleyways, we came across some momentous and important holy christian sites like the Fountain of Bethesda where Jesus was said to have healed the blind, and the place where the Virgin Mary was born.

After finally making it to the bus and one hour later we found ourselves sitting in a circle listening to the stories of the Ethiopian Jews who made the aliyah from their native Ethiopian Villages to the city of Jerusalem. It was humbling to hear of their struggles to reach their holy city, the place they had been dreaming about for years, and the hardships they had to face; like the one woman who got married at 13 and had her first baby at 17 three weeks into the trip to Sudan and how she only got 30 minutes before they had to keep on walking. After listening to the stories and asking our questions, we went upstairs to where the kids were singing and dancing, and started handing out all the presents. It was invigorating to watch the children’s faces light up with each new gift they were handed, and it was a rewarding experience overall. Then we all went out to watch them play soccer, where we cheered on Matt in the goal, and Nate, Aiden, Daniel, Ben, Claude, and Lev as they tried to score while they played alongside the other Ethiopian children.

Then it was time to say our goodbyes as we boarded the bus to dinner, and then somehow cart ourselves off to bed, with the words of Herzl still fresh in our minds. “If you will it, it is not a dream”.

Mitch, Yitah, Sydney, and Evan

Jerusalem's Old City

Day 8 (As reported by David, Carolyn, and Steve)

Dateline Jerusalem. 28-7-10 (as our guide David said, the whole world does their calendar as day/month/year except for those Americans!). We decided to be "slow moving" Americans today. After our exciting action packed 18 hour day yesterday, the entire group was late for breakfast. The huge buffet at the hotel had everyone going up for seconds--just the thing to get us going for our first full day in Jerusalem.















We started off by going to see a 3-D movie about the City of David, the original Jerusalem. Afterwards we entered the 2700 year old water tunnels under the city. They are dark and still have the spring water running in them. One enters the tunnels in water shoes and shorts so that you can Wade through the cold and up to 75 cm (30 inch) deep water. It is very cool literally and figuratively. The kids each carried a light stick to light the way and enjoyed the 1000 meter walk--especially watching their parents having to crouch through the low sections as they scooted right through.




























The group entered the Old City and had lunch on their own. Afterwards our guide took us to the courtyard of his home-a 500 year old place. He was surprised by his four year old son as he spoke--the boy was very cute. We then did the ancient Jewish custom- shopping in the Cardo. Then the main highlight--the Kotel (Western Wall). It was a moving experience for the first timers and for those who have been there before. We all put our notes in the wall in this beautiful and Holy setting.















Afterwards we listened to a talk by Rabbi Stacy Nolish Blank, who grew up attending Fairmount and is now a rabbi at Congregation Darchei Noam in Tel Aviv. She spoke about the Reform movement, and issues in Israel.















In the evening, we heard from Rabbi Richard Kirschen, director of the Anita Saltz International Education Center in Jerusalem. Rabbi Kirschen is an old friend of particpant, Liz Krantz, and a colleague of Rabbi Caruso. He spoke about the challenges and joys of living in the State of Israel.















Another exciting day in Israel!

Your correspondents David, Carolyn and Steve

Masada, Ein Gedi, and the Dead Sea in 112 Degree Heat!

Day 7 - Tuesday July 27, 2010 (as observed by Debbie Singer, and the Breitenbach and Utley families)
























































































We started the day with a 4 am wake up call and a 5:30 am arrival at Masada to trek up to the top. Complete with huffing and puffing, we all arrived at the historical sight in one piece and watched the breathtaking sunrise. After an emotionally moving prayer service, we all stood in a circle and each shared one word to describe what we were feeling at the moment. Some of the words that came to mind were “speechless, historical, beautiful, breathtaking, spiritual…hot and sweaty.” After our time on top of the mountain, we arrived at the Masada guest house and were treated with a well deserved meal that we got to share with many different groups, such as birthright trips and groups from England, USA and Canada.





























After our trip to Masada, we got on the bus to head to Ein Gedi Nature reserve for a short hike and a dip in the natural pools, with the chance to stand under a beautiful waterfall to cool off.























Once we left the Nature reserve, we had a short drive to the Ein Gedi Dead Sea Spa, where the group immediately headed to the restaurant for a tasty lunch with choices like Schnitzel, fried fish, peas, pasta and massive amounts of hummus and pita. Shortly after, the group changed into our swimsuits and covered ourselves in a fancy exfoliate, native to Israel called…mud. We headed out to the dead sea and finally got to experience what we have all been hearing about for years. We waded through the shallow edge that felt like boiling hot water, eventually reaching a more bearable temperature. Carefully trying to avoid getting saltwater in our eyes, we floated on our backs for minutes and got a great ab-workout trying to keep our legs down. This was an experience none of us will ever forget, as it was something so special that can’t be compared to anything else. We spent the next couple of hours splashing around in a pool, and got on the bus to head through the West Bank on our way to Jerusalem.






































After a few hours we emerged from a tunnel to a beautiful view of the city of Jerusalem. We stopped for a few minutes and got out of the bus in front of Hebrew University and did the Shehechiyanu as a group, drinking grape juice while welcoming ourselves to Jerusalem. No longer “next year in Jerusalem,” it’s NOW!














We arrived at the Vaqueiro Restaurant and while eating an extravagant dinner, the Utleys were surprised by their son Dan and his wife Rachel who are celebrating their one month anniversary. We got back on the bus and finally reached our final destination for the day, The Dan Panorama hotel where we were greeted by Marcel, husband of Rachama(former owner of the café at the JCC) a Clevelander who moved his family to Jerusalem to work for the beautiful hotel. The phrase of the day that most applied to us today, was ‘Ani Gamor,’ which means “I’m so tired.” We had a great day filled with lots of adventure and little relaxing, but it was all worth it. It took a lot to get through the 112 degree desert, but we conquered it with few complaints. We’re looking forward to the 7:00 am wakeup call tomorrow, as it will be 3 more hours of sleep than we had today!














Love,
Susan, Matt & Mila Breitenbach
Debbie Singer
Suzanne & Bill Utley

Let's Swim, Dig, and Ride a Camel!

Monday July 26, 2010 - Day 6 (as observed by Malia Lewis and Margot Damaser)

The day began with loading the bus at 7:30am before breakfast at the Kibbutz Tirat Tzvi dining hall. A wonderful Israeli-American breakfast with fresh salads, fried eggs, cheeses, tuna, and granola. We boarded the bus and Steve took over the microphone for a few minutes to announce his suggestion of the word of the day: “liberal.” He even provided his own creative translation in Hebrew.



































We then headed to the natural pools at Sachneh National Park in the Beit Shean Valley, not far from the kibbutz. We swam in fresh water so clear you could see the bottom even in the deep parts. There was a natural cave to swim into, a waterfall to stand under, shallow parts, and deep parts. It was a welcoming spot for a variety of Israeli families to escape the heat of summer, including Muslim families with the women wearing full body swim suits, Orthodox Jewish families, and secular families of all sorts. The water was cool but not cold and just about everyone went for a dip.


After driving off we made our way northwest to pick up Highway 6, Israel’s only toll road, to head south for our archeological dig. It is the fastest road in the country and took us within a few hundred feet of the West Bank, including the city of Qalkilya and the Jewish settlement just next to it. David explained to us about the wall alongside the highway, separating the highway from the West Bank. The drive to the archeological dig was long, giving us all time to relax and nap and get to know each other some more.





















































We had brought bag lunches along and so needed only a short stop for lunch and bathrooms near the site of Tel Maresha where Archeological Seminars runs their program for amateur archeologists such as us. Arriving at Tel Maresha, we were met by our guide, Avi, who proceeded to use several baseball caps placed on top of each other on Benjamin’s head to explain that a Tel is the mound that results from several different civilizations building on top of each other. Avi continued his entertaining style of guiding throughout our visit to Tel Maresha, ensuring that even the most skeptical and the most distracted among us both had fun and learned something.


The most significant civilization at this site were Edomites at the time of the Chanukah story, approximately 2500 years go. The ground is made of soft rock covered by a shell of a hard rock. So, the Edomites dug through the hard rock and dug out the soft rock to create caverns that they used for work and storage. They even kept doves and pigeons underground by digging out crevices in the wall for them to build their nests and providing holes to bring light in. We got to see the graffiti they left behind on the cavern walls but were strictly advised not to leave our own. When the Edomites fled the Maccabean army, they destroyed the houses they had built on top of the caverns and shoved the debris into the caverns to destroy those as well. Archeological Seminars is funded by groups such as ours who come in to experience an afternoon of archeological work and occasionally find something of importance.
We began by digging in the dirt in one of the rooms of a cavern and found shards of pottery, shells, and animal bones. Avi estimated they need to dig through about 10 feet of dirt and artifacts to get to bedrock and that this takes approximately 10 years. After a half hour or so, the schlepping part of the afternoon began, during which we each brought a bucket of dirt up the steps. We then sifted the dirt to find smaller finds than we were able to identify while digging. All the finds we made today will be cleaned and processed to determine if they are significant. If not, they will be given to future visitors to Archeological Seminars.


After we had gone through all the dirt, we had the choice of seeing a new cavern just as it is when first discovered or seeing a cavern that is fully dug out, down to bedrock. Most of us chose to experience the new cavern and proceeded to lower ourselves through grain silo holes and squeeze through nearly filled up passageways on our knees and our backs, lit only by Shabbat candles placed along the route. At the end Avi described the best finds they had discovered at Tel Maresha and allowed us to take a few processed pottery shards home as souvenirs from the time of Judah Maccabee.














































Afterward we got back on the bus for a couple of hours to go to Kfar HaNokdim Bedouin Ranch for a camel ride and Bedouin dinner. The camel rides were very exciting, especially while the camel gets up and down. Some also rode donkeys. After the ride and a little wash we had Bedouin tea and coffee with our guide who told us about Bedouin culture, both traditional and modern. Each Bedouin man is allowed, by Bedouin tradition, to have up to 4 wives! This was followed by a Bedouin style dinner with communal dishes for the table that everyone takes from. It was not so different from an Ethiopian dinner in which the food is served on top of Injira bread. In this case the food was served on a flat pita bread.

After our dinner and family photos with the sun setting behind the desert dunes, we got back on the bus to go to Arad and our hotel for a brief rest before our early rise tomorrow to climb Masada.