Binyamin and Avi had invited me back to Jerusalem for their monthly 'Sushi Shabbat' and that sounded to me wortht he trip. Unfortunately this time it wasn't convenient for me to stay with them so I checked into the Jerusalem Hostel and Guesthouse with Tara, by far the worst hostel I've stayed in in Israel so far.
After dropping our bags we went for a yummy lunch (hummus again!) at a place highly recommended by an Israeli friend. We were the only tourists there in an otherwise very touristy part of town, which we took as a good sign. Then to the souq to buy food for the next couple of days - a somewhat manic experience just before Shabbat came in.
I had arranged to meet Binyamin and Avi at synagogue and although I didn't enjoy the service quite as much as last time, I'm still glad I went. Sushi Shabbat consisted of making a tonne of sushi then eating it, which was as fun and delicious as it sounds.
The next day, Saturday, was slow. Jerusalem totally shuts down, a fact which I hadn't fully appreciated when hanging out at Binyamin and Avi's place a couple of weeks ago. Neither Tara nor I were particularly keen on heading into the Old City, so we went to the only other place we knew to be open, the Islamic Museum, which is totally worth a visit on any day of the week. The museum lays out its collection chronologically, the beautiful art and artefacts supplemented by plenty of information on the history and culture.
When the museum shut at 2pm, we were somewhat at a loss. We'd both booked in and paid for two nights at the hostel but neither of us could bear the thought of another night there. We couldn't leave, however, until the desk re-opened at 6:30, after Shabbat, and we could claim a refund on the extra night. Since the museum was not far from the lovely Yemin Moshe neighbourhood (see earlier 'Tel Aviv and Jerusalem' post), we walked round there for a while but this time it felt a little drab (amazing the differnce the sun, or lack thereof, can make). Then, at last, we found an open cafe and whiled away the last couple of hours playing chinese checkers, backgammon and drinking Baileys.
We were at last able to check out, but we breathed a sigh of relief too soon, for the journey into Tel Aviv turned into something of a nightmare. But, by the time we'd arrived, dropped of our bags at our respective accommodation (back to Bucky's for me, a hostel for Tara) and had some dinner, the sluggishness of the day wore off and by 11pm we were just getting going. It wasn't until 2:30am, after meeting friends of Tara's for a late-night mint lemonade, that I finally crashed into bed, very happy to be back here.
Sunday, 25 January 2009
Tsfat and Rosh Pina
A while ago a saw an Israeli film called 'HaSodot' which was rather a disappointment. I mention it now only because it was set in the town of Tsfat and it made it seem like an interesting place to wander about for a day. So, from Haifa, that's what I set out to do.
The bus ride there was twice as long as I expected and I couldn't have been more glad. We obviously took the scenic route, and scenic it was. For nearly two hours the bus wound its way through beautiful valleys with gently undulating hills covered in olive-trees on either side, then up onto the hills themselves, with spectactular views of more hills, valleys and the Sea of Galilee. The whole landscape was made radiant by the sun and, watching the world roll by, I was as happy as I'd been at any point since I'd arrived in Israel.
Tsfat is one of the four holy cities for the Jews in Israel. It is the centre of the Kabbalah and supposedly a deeply mystical place. In recent years it has been completely taken over by the ultra-orthodox. I had booked to stay at the Ascent Institute of Tsfat partly on account of it being very cheap, but also because it offers several classes a day which my guidebook recommended as being an interesting way of getting a sense of the place and meeting new people. More about that in a bit. I should mention that whenever I told any of my secular friends that I was heading to Tsfat, they all gave a concerned look and promptly recommended the nearby Rosh Pina instead.
On arrival in Tsfat I was blown away by the views from the city, in particular from the balcony at Ascent. They made me gasp out loud. I then met Tara (pronounced to rhyme with Sarah), with whom I was sharing a room and we hit it off immediately. She had also come to Israel with a Birthright group, from the States, and was also traveling afterwards. It was soon established that we have almost identical perspectives on religion, Israel and Jewish identity which, needless to say, turned out to be quite at odds with dominant views in Tsfat.
After walking together around Tsfat for an hour or so, I suggested that we check out Rosh Pina, which is just a short bus ride away. Thankfully, she was up for that, so we headed to the town, which is essentially just one street of pretty restored stone houses. There's also a cemetry on the side of the hill which seems to go up indefinitely and offers more spectacular views over the Upper Galilee region. The main attraction of Rosh Pina (at least as far as Tara and I were concerned) is a chocolate restaurant, where we indulged in hot spicy chocolate soup and other goodies before rolling back down the hill. It was dark by then. The sky was full of stars, the air was clean and we were happy.
Back in Tsfat we went to a class at the Ascent Institute which has to be the most bizarre, fascinating and frustrating experience of the trip so far. Also in the class was a very outspoken and enthusiastic man who had been studying Kabbalah for five years, a quieter chap who was something of a drifter and an Israeli guy who said almost nothing at all. The Rabbi tried to engage us in a discussion about what is meant by the words 'God said...' Unfortunately, he and the Kabbalah student, on the one side, and Tara and I on the others, were coming from such different starting points that real discussion was pretty much impossible. The Rabbi, for example, told us that 'The Torah is a guide for how to hang out with God'. He also thought that 'Do you think this chair created itself?' is a self-evident argument in favour of the existence of God. And, best of all, when Tara questioned his sense of what is 'natural', he replied, completely out of nowhere, 'I used to be on mushrooms too'. So, definitely bizarre and frustrating, but also a fascinating glimpse into a belief-system quite different than my own. The experience also made me think about what it means to learn, what constitutes an educational setting, and how, as students, we may or may not take the teachings of our teacher at face-value and what determines whether we do or don't.
The next morning, Tara and I were both heading for Jerusalem and, because there is no public transport in Israel on Shabbat, we needed to leave Tsfat on the 9:30am bus. Since I'd actually seen very little of the town since I arrived, we got up early in the morning to explore. Unfortunately, very little was open, except for a number of bakeries selling fresh-baked challah. It was a lovely walk but, by the time we got on the bus, I was not at all sad to leave.
The bus ride there was twice as long as I expected and I couldn't have been more glad. We obviously took the scenic route, and scenic it was. For nearly two hours the bus wound its way through beautiful valleys with gently undulating hills covered in olive-trees on either side, then up onto the hills themselves, with spectactular views of more hills, valleys and the Sea of Galilee. The whole landscape was made radiant by the sun and, watching the world roll by, I was as happy as I'd been at any point since I'd arrived in Israel.
Tsfat is one of the four holy cities for the Jews in Israel. It is the centre of the Kabbalah and supposedly a deeply mystical place. In recent years it has been completely taken over by the ultra-orthodox. I had booked to stay at the Ascent Institute of Tsfat partly on account of it being very cheap, but also because it offers several classes a day which my guidebook recommended as being an interesting way of getting a sense of the place and meeting new people. More about that in a bit. I should mention that whenever I told any of my secular friends that I was heading to Tsfat, they all gave a concerned look and promptly recommended the nearby Rosh Pina instead.
On arrival in Tsfat I was blown away by the views from the city, in particular from the balcony at Ascent. They made me gasp out loud. I then met Tara (pronounced to rhyme with Sarah), with whom I was sharing a room and we hit it off immediately. She had also come to Israel with a Birthright group, from the States, and was also traveling afterwards. It was soon established that we have almost identical perspectives on religion, Israel and Jewish identity which, needless to say, turned out to be quite at odds with dominant views in Tsfat.
After walking together around Tsfat for an hour or so, I suggested that we check out Rosh Pina, which is just a short bus ride away. Thankfully, she was up for that, so we headed to the town, which is essentially just one street of pretty restored stone houses. There's also a cemetry on the side of the hill which seems to go up indefinitely and offers more spectacular views over the Upper Galilee region. The main attraction of Rosh Pina (at least as far as Tara and I were concerned) is a chocolate restaurant, where we indulged in hot spicy chocolate soup and other goodies before rolling back down the hill. It was dark by then. The sky was full of stars, the air was clean and we were happy.
Back in Tsfat we went to a class at the Ascent Institute which has to be the most bizarre, fascinating and frustrating experience of the trip so far. Also in the class was a very outspoken and enthusiastic man who had been studying Kabbalah for five years, a quieter chap who was something of a drifter and an Israeli guy who said almost nothing at all. The Rabbi tried to engage us in a discussion about what is meant by the words 'God said...' Unfortunately, he and the Kabbalah student, on the one side, and Tara and I on the others, were coming from such different starting points that real discussion was pretty much impossible. The Rabbi, for example, told us that 'The Torah is a guide for how to hang out with God'. He also thought that 'Do you think this chair created itself?' is a self-evident argument in favour of the existence of God. And, best of all, when Tara questioned his sense of what is 'natural', he replied, completely out of nowhere, 'I used to be on mushrooms too'. So, definitely bizarre and frustrating, but also a fascinating glimpse into a belief-system quite different than my own. The experience also made me think about what it means to learn, what constitutes an educational setting, and how, as students, we may or may not take the teachings of our teacher at face-value and what determines whether we do or don't.
The next morning, Tara and I were both heading for Jerusalem and, because there is no public transport in Israel on Shabbat, we needed to leave Tsfat on the 9:30am bus. Since I'd actually seen very little of the town since I arrived, we got up early in the morning to explore. Unfortunately, very little was open, except for a number of bakeries selling fresh-baked challah. It was a lovely walk but, by the time we got on the bus, I was not at all sad to leave.
Wednesday, 21 January 2009
Caesarea
Today I went to Caesarea, a costly and inconvenient journey that was fully worth all the trouble. Caesarea was begun by Herod in 22 BCE and was once one of the finest ports on the Mediterranean, testament to his megalomaniacal nature. Now the city is largely in ruins but it's still possible to sense the greatness of the city's past by walking around its archaeological remains. It's still a beautiful place, especially on such a bright, sunny day as today. I particularly enjoyed wandering up and down the old hippodrome, imagining the chariots that would once have careened past where I was now standing.
Despite knowing that it was a port, it hadn't really occurred to me beforehand how prominent the sea would be. Spectators at a chariot race or at a show at the nearby amphitheatre would be treated not only to the immediate entertainment but also to views of the glistening sea just beyond. After exploring all the sites, I made my way down to the beach and passed a very happy hour listening to the waves, gazing at the clouds, watching groups of birds migrate past in their long single-file lines and V-formations, contemplating the horizon and rather half-heartedly reading my book.
Now I'm back in Haifa, finally setting aside time to write these posts and looking forward to dinner with Arie, Judith and (I think) their daughter. They are also friends of Noach, who seems very concerned that I should have a good time whilst in Israel. I have no reason to worry him.
Despite knowing that it was a port, it hadn't really occurred to me beforehand how prominent the sea would be. Spectators at a chariot race or at a show at the nearby amphitheatre would be treated not only to the immediate entertainment but also to views of the glistening sea just beyond. After exploring all the sites, I made my way down to the beach and passed a very happy hour listening to the waves, gazing at the clouds, watching groups of birds migrate past in their long single-file lines and V-formations, contemplating the horizon and rather half-heartedly reading my book.
Now I'm back in Haifa, finally setting aside time to write these posts and looking forward to dinner with Arie, Judith and (I think) their daughter. They are also friends of Noach, who seems very concerned that I should have a good time whilst in Israel. I have no reason to worry him.
Akko and a Kibbutz
I'd been desperate to visit the Arab Old City and Port of Akko ever since I read about its twisting alleyways, bustling souq and unspoilt charm in a travel magazine a few months ago. My excitement about the visit was only heightened by my guidebook warning travelers not to make Akko their first stop in Israel as everywhere else will feel like a disappointment afterwards.
Thankfully, my expectations were not too high. Akko really is as beautiful as suggested and, amazingly, remarkably unspoilt by tourism. This may well change soon as the first decent hotel has just opened there (hence the magazine article). I could have had a perfectly excellent day simply wandering the streets, eating the (supposedly) best hummus in Israel as well as all kinds of sweet goodies in the market, and sitting on the port, legs dangling just above the Mediterranean, reading my book. But the day was even better than that as a result of the various museums in the city (Akko hasn't escaped tourism completely). First there was the subterranean Crusader's City to explore, then a delightfully interactive tour of the Turkish Bathhouse, followed by a surprisingly impressive Templar crusader tunnel (which I ended up walking back and forth along three times, despite having almost not gone on due to dislike of enclosed underground spaces). But the best attraction, simply for its unassuming charm, was the tiny 'Ethnographic Museum', built into the Old City Wall and containing, on one side, reconstructions of various traditional workshops from the Galilee region of Israel and, on the other, a donated collection which included some absolutely magnificent furniture. Too bad that my camera battery had run out of juice halfway through the day.
Then the day took a surprising turn. I received a call from Noach (he runs the Israeli Guide Dog Center for the Blind which I visited last week and have been meaning to write about since - I'll do so some other time). On hearing that I was in Akko, he put me in touch with a friend of his, a real kibbutznik, who lives and works nearby. So, once my legs had given in from all the walking around Akko, I went to meet her. Orit has been living on the same kibbutz since she was nine (she is now in her late 30s) and is one of the managers of their cowshed, a huge milking station where they have around 1000 cattle. I met her at the shed and saw the cows being milked. The processes is as far away from pretty Swiss girls with braids in their hair, sitting on stools, as it could be. Orit and I are in agreement that if you have any sensitivity to the treatment of animals, it's much more fitting not to partake in dairy products than it is not to eat beef.
After she had finished up work, we went for a long walk around her kibbutz grounds (the cowshed is at Moshav Regba and is the joint enterprise of three local kibbutzim; Orit lives at and is a member of the nearby Kibbutz Kabri). The kibbutz itself was not particularly beautiful, but the views were, especially as the sun was setting. We talked a great deal about what it's like to live and work on a kibbutz, as well as the ideology behind kibbutzim and how it's shifting. We had s delicious dinner in an ugly town (shwarma in Nahariya), before I caught the train back to Haifa.
All in all, an excellent day.
Thankfully, my expectations were not too high. Akko really is as beautiful as suggested and, amazingly, remarkably unspoilt by tourism. This may well change soon as the first decent hotel has just opened there (hence the magazine article). I could have had a perfectly excellent day simply wandering the streets, eating the (supposedly) best hummus in Israel as well as all kinds of sweet goodies in the market, and sitting on the port, legs dangling just above the Mediterranean, reading my book. But the day was even better than that as a result of the various museums in the city (Akko hasn't escaped tourism completely). First there was the subterranean Crusader's City to explore, then a delightfully interactive tour of the Turkish Bathhouse, followed by a surprisingly impressive Templar crusader tunnel (which I ended up walking back and forth along three times, despite having almost not gone on due to dislike of enclosed underground spaces). But the best attraction, simply for its unassuming charm, was the tiny 'Ethnographic Museum', built into the Old City Wall and containing, on one side, reconstructions of various traditional workshops from the Galilee region of Israel and, on the other, a donated collection which included some absolutely magnificent furniture. Too bad that my camera battery had run out of juice halfway through the day.
Then the day took a surprising turn. I received a call from Noach (he runs the Israeli Guide Dog Center for the Blind which I visited last week and have been meaning to write about since - I'll do so some other time). On hearing that I was in Akko, he put me in touch with a friend of his, a real kibbutznik, who lives and works nearby. So, once my legs had given in from all the walking around Akko, I went to meet her. Orit has been living on the same kibbutz since she was nine (she is now in her late 30s) and is one of the managers of their cowshed, a huge milking station where they have around 1000 cattle. I met her at the shed and saw the cows being milked. The processes is as far away from pretty Swiss girls with braids in their hair, sitting on stools, as it could be. Orit and I are in agreement that if you have any sensitivity to the treatment of animals, it's much more fitting not to partake in dairy products than it is not to eat beef.
After she had finished up work, we went for a long walk around her kibbutz grounds (the cowshed is at Moshav Regba and is the joint enterprise of three local kibbutzim; Orit lives at and is a member of the nearby Kibbutz Kabri). The kibbutz itself was not particularly beautiful, but the views were, especially as the sun was setting. We talked a great deal about what it's like to live and work on a kibbutz, as well as the ideology behind kibbutzim and how it's shifting. We had s delicious dinner in an ugly town (shwarma in Nahariya), before I caught the train back to Haifa.
All in all, an excellent day.
Haifa
After two and a half weeks of traveling with a group and then staying with friends, a few days ago I finally broke out on my own. One of the reasons that I extended my trip after Birthright was to explore the north coast of Israel, particularly Akko and Caesarea, both of which I'd read magazine articles about before I left (in the CNN travelers magazine and National Geographic respectively). I'll write about both of those in separate posts, but first to Haifa, which I decided to make my base for exploring.
I arrived here on Sunday, three days ago. After dropping my bags at the comfortable and welcoming hostel, I went to explore the city. I knew almost nothing about this place before I came, other than the information in my guidebook, and I almost immediately didn't like it. I passed nothing beautiful on my walk, kept getting lost on the badly signposted streets, everything I wanted to see was shut, and I kept getting hit on in aggressive and not even flattering ways.
Haifa is not exclusively a Jewish place, a fact I probably wouldn't have noticed had it not been for my exclusively Jewish surroundings until that point. It is also the most holy site of the Baha'i, a religion I hadn't even heard about before I arrived here. Almost no Baha'i live in Haifa, although the religion's six million followers are all expected to make pilgrimage here at least once in there lives. In my dorm room, there's me and eight Baha'i pilgrims. The religion seems to be based on taking the best bits of all the other religions. It's a faith which holds unity and equality as their central belief, which at least in principle is hard to fault. Also, nobody can be born into the religion. You have to choose to be Baha'i and can only do so once you're 15, which I think is eminently sensible.
Haifa is dominated by the absolutely stunning Baha'i Gardens which occupies 19 massive terraces on the side of Mount Carmel. I strongly recommend that you search for images of this beautiful place. I went for a tour and they really are a sight to behold.
I warmed up a bit (though not a lot) to Haifa after the first day, largely on account of a delicious frozen yogurt made with fresh figs and dates, pecan and halva. The highlight of my time in the city was at the University of Haifa, where there is an observation point which looks out over a view actually worth seeing, an excellent archaeological museum (including a remarkably intact and well preserved ship that is 2400 years old), and an outdoor trail into Mount Carmel National Park, along which a collection of remains of ancient buildings from around Israel have been reconstructed.
But the best bit about being based in Haifa has been the time I haven't actually been there, and it is to trips to Akko and Caesarea that I now turn (in separate posts).
I arrived here on Sunday, three days ago. After dropping my bags at the comfortable and welcoming hostel, I went to explore the city. I knew almost nothing about this place before I came, other than the information in my guidebook, and I almost immediately didn't like it. I passed nothing beautiful on my walk, kept getting lost on the badly signposted streets, everything I wanted to see was shut, and I kept getting hit on in aggressive and not even flattering ways.
Haifa is not exclusively a Jewish place, a fact I probably wouldn't have noticed had it not been for my exclusively Jewish surroundings until that point. It is also the most holy site of the Baha'i, a religion I hadn't even heard about before I arrived here. Almost no Baha'i live in Haifa, although the religion's six million followers are all expected to make pilgrimage here at least once in there lives. In my dorm room, there's me and eight Baha'i pilgrims. The religion seems to be based on taking the best bits of all the other religions. It's a faith which holds unity and equality as their central belief, which at least in principle is hard to fault. Also, nobody can be born into the religion. You have to choose to be Baha'i and can only do so once you're 15, which I think is eminently sensible.
Haifa is dominated by the absolutely stunning Baha'i Gardens which occupies 19 massive terraces on the side of Mount Carmel. I strongly recommend that you search for images of this beautiful place. I went for a tour and they really are a sight to behold.
I warmed up a bit (though not a lot) to Haifa after the first day, largely on account of a delicious frozen yogurt made with fresh figs and dates, pecan and halva. The highlight of my time in the city was at the University of Haifa, where there is an observation point which looks out over a view actually worth seeing, an excellent archaeological museum (including a remarkably intact and well preserved ship that is 2400 years old), and an outdoor trail into Mount Carmel National Park, along which a collection of remains of ancient buildings from around Israel have been reconstructed.
But the best bit about being based in Haifa has been the time I haven't actually been there, and it is to trips to Akko and Caesarea that I now turn (in separate posts).
Friday, 16 January 2009
Bucky and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
I am now staying with my first-cousin-once-removed Bucky, who lives in the Old North of Tel Aviv. She knows a great deal of our family history and I am loving all the stories of great-great-grandfathers and distant cousins. Whilst I have perhaps lost some of the spontaneous fun of being with Renan, the comfort and cleanliness of Bucky's flat, not to mention my own room and shower, more than make up for this.
Last night we went to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, an absolutely magnificent film which I highly recommend. Of all the incredible things I have seen since I have been in Israel, it's hard to beat the almost impossible beauty of Brad Pitt as a young man.
Last night we went to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, an absolutely magnificent film which I highly recommend. Of all the incredible things I have seen since I have been in Israel, it's hard to beat the almost impossible beauty of Brad Pitt as a young man.
Burgers
Amihai has a novel and, in my humble opinion, genius way of eating a burger, which I am going to share with you.
Scoop the bread out of the top bun. That way you can push it over the meat thus bypassing the embarrassing and messy situation of not being able to fit the whole sandwich in your mouth. Also, less bread means more appreciation of the meat.
Simple but oh so effective.
Scoop the bread out of the top bun. That way you can push it over the meat thus bypassing the embarrassing and messy situation of not being able to fit the whole sandwich in your mouth. Also, less bread means more appreciation of the meat.
Simple but oh so effective.
Tel Aviv and Jerusalem
I have a few friends from Tel Aviv, all of whom think it's the greatest city in the world. I'm beginning to see why. At first, I was somewhat put off by its shabbiness, although the more you walk around, the more you notice all the beautiful buildings that have been restored. The Birthright trip was no way to get to know the city. The only way to do that is to explore by foot and hang out with locals, both of which I've been doing a great deal of in the last few days. Through people who live here, I've done things I would never have done as a lone tourist, from a night out at Tel Aviv's premier drag show to eating the best hummus in the city, in a tiny side street in the maze of the Yemenite quarter. By the way, hummus here tastes and feels like an entirely diferent product than what goes by the same name in England and Canada. I have eaten more hummus in the last two weeks than I had cumulatively in my life until then.
I've also taken some day trips out of the city. On Tuesday I went up to Tel Aviv University, where I met with mathematics education professor Tommy Dreyfus, to whom I was introduced by Gila Hanna (another maths ed prof for whom I worked in Toronto). He was a lovely guy and we spent a happy hour discussing his research, my academic plans and the educational system in Israel, amongst other things. I also met with two post-docs there who are involved in a fascinating research project considering the mathematical capabilities of very young children, which are far greater than generally assumed. One of the students who joined us on the Birthright tour studies at the university and we also met for a campus tour and discussion of university life in Israel, which is notably different than that of England or Canada because they start when they're 21, having already served in the army.
On Wednesday I took advantage of being offered a life to Jerusalem. I started at the Tower of David citadel and museum. Throughout this historic building, exhibition rooms tell the history of the city. There are no original artefacts but a series of innovative models and exhibits recount the story. The hologram of the First Temple was somewhat gimmicky but I totally fell for it. And the introductory film, a 15 minute animated history of Jerusalem, was so beautiful that I watched it twice (and contempated watching it a third time, although by then the prospect of lunch won out). Later in the day I explored the beautiful Yemin Moshe neighbourhood, an almost entirely residential and totally pedestrianised neighbourhood, one of the first to be built outside the old city on a hillslope overlooking the walls. I spent a very happy 45 minutes admiring its cobbled streets, winding staircases, charming gardens and beautiful buildings. From there to an area known as the German Colony, where I found a delightful cafe and spend a blissful two hours reading the paper and partaking in their wonderful hot chocolate and herbal teas. There is so much more to Jerusalem than the Old City!
I've also taken some day trips out of the city. On Tuesday I went up to Tel Aviv University, where I met with mathematics education professor Tommy Dreyfus, to whom I was introduced by Gila Hanna (another maths ed prof for whom I worked in Toronto). He was a lovely guy and we spent a happy hour discussing his research, my academic plans and the educational system in Israel, amongst other things. I also met with two post-docs there who are involved in a fascinating research project considering the mathematical capabilities of very young children, which are far greater than generally assumed. One of the students who joined us on the Birthright tour studies at the university and we also met for a campus tour and discussion of university life in Israel, which is notably different than that of England or Canada because they start when they're 21, having already served in the army.
On Wednesday I took advantage of being offered a life to Jerusalem. I started at the Tower of David citadel and museum. Throughout this historic building, exhibition rooms tell the history of the city. There are no original artefacts but a series of innovative models and exhibits recount the story. The hologram of the First Temple was somewhat gimmicky but I totally fell for it. And the introductory film, a 15 minute animated history of Jerusalem, was so beautiful that I watched it twice (and contempated watching it a third time, although by then the prospect of lunch won out). Later in the day I explored the beautiful Yemin Moshe neighbourhood, an almost entirely residential and totally pedestrianised neighbourhood, one of the first to be built outside the old city on a hillslope overlooking the walls. I spent a very happy 45 minutes admiring its cobbled streets, winding staircases, charming gardens and beautiful buildings. From there to an area known as the German Colony, where I found a delightful cafe and spend a blissful two hours reading the paper and partaking in their wonderful hot chocolate and herbal teas. There is so much more to Jerusalem than the Old City!
Monday, 12 January 2009
The last few days
I'm now in Tel Aviv, where I will probably be based for most of the rest of my time in Israel. I'm staying with Renan, whom I met through a mutual friend in London quite recently. I hardly knew him when I pitched up on his doorstep. He's a charming guy, keen to show of Tel Aviv and very happy for me to stay as long as I want. We're also talking about an expedition into the desert or one of Israel's many nature reserves, but his car was bust up recently (not by him) so that's going to be a little tricky to arrange now.
Today I had a fabulous day walking around the city. It's such a relief to be able to go about at my own pace after the Birthright tour, when practically every minute was accounted for. On Birthright we were always either doing something, preparing to do something or recovering from doing something. Now I'm enjoy the opportunity to just be for a while. I had a long sleep in this morning (resting is essential as I am trying to shake of bronchitis - I'm on antibiotics now and feeling much better than I was). A walk through town with Renan lead to breakfast on the beach. How cool is that! Then on to the Helena Rubenstein Modern Art Pavillion and the Tel Aviv Museum, where I caught up with my friend Amihai, who took me to an Asian restaurant for lunch (only the second meal I've had since arriving in Israel that did not involve hummus). Now resting at Renan's and very glad to have internet access (his roommate bought a new computer today). In a few minutes we're heading out to Evita, apparently Tel Aviv's classiest gay joint. Both Renan and his Hagai (the roommate) are raging queers, so that's fun!
The nest few days are shaping up well. Tomorrow I'm visiting a couple of mathematics education professors at Tel Aviv University and hopefully meeting up with Liat, one of the Israeli students who joined us on the Birthright tour. On Thursday I'm heading to the Israel Guide Dog Centre for the Blind, a charity which my family supports. Very much looking forward to playing with all the cute puppies. In a few days I'm planning to head north for a few days to visit Haifa, Akko and Tsfat. Other items on the agenda for my trip are another shabbat in Jerusalem with Binyamin and Avi (they're serving sushi and that's as much persuasion as I need to head back to Jerusalem), meeting with some other mathematics education professors at the Weitzmann Institute, and a couple of concert in which Amihai is playing. So, busy as usual.
Today I had a fabulous day walking around the city. It's such a relief to be able to go about at my own pace after the Birthright tour, when practically every minute was accounted for. On Birthright we were always either doing something, preparing to do something or recovering from doing something. Now I'm enjoy the opportunity to just be for a while. I had a long sleep in this morning (resting is essential as I am trying to shake of bronchitis - I'm on antibiotics now and feeling much better than I was). A walk through town with Renan lead to breakfast on the beach. How cool is that! Then on to the Helena Rubenstein Modern Art Pavillion and the Tel Aviv Museum, where I caught up with my friend Amihai, who took me to an Asian restaurant for lunch (only the second meal I've had since arriving in Israel that did not involve hummus). Now resting at Renan's and very glad to have internet access (his roommate bought a new computer today). In a few minutes we're heading out to Evita, apparently Tel Aviv's classiest gay joint. Both Renan and his Hagai (the roommate) are raging queers, so that's fun!
The nest few days are shaping up well. Tomorrow I'm visiting a couple of mathematics education professors at Tel Aviv University and hopefully meeting up with Liat, one of the Israeli students who joined us on the Birthright tour. On Thursday I'm heading to the Israel Guide Dog Centre for the Blind, a charity which my family supports. Very much looking forward to playing with all the cute puppies. In a few days I'm planning to head north for a few days to visit Haifa, Akko and Tsfat. Other items on the agenda for my trip are another shabbat in Jerusalem with Binyamin and Avi (they're serving sushi and that's as much persuasion as I need to head back to Jerusalem), meeting with some other mathematics education professors at the Weitzmann Institute, and a couple of concert in which Amihai is playing. So, busy as usual.
Sunday, 11 January 2009
Shabbat in Jerusalem
I have now spent two Shabbats in Jerusalem and have had two very different experiences of doing so.
The first was as part of the Birthright group. We brought in Shabbat at the Western Wall. I had been there once before, about 12 years ago, and remember finding it strange, feeling that I didn't quite fit in with either the ultra-orthodox Jews or the hordes of tourists who were the two groups represented there at the time. Friday night is quite different, with thousands of Jews of all stripes pouring into the area. Approacing the site, it was hard not to get caught up in the buzz. Once there, however, I felt distinctly underwhelmed and, I must admit, rather frustrated. Our Birthright coordinator lead a Kabbalat Shabbat service that I had hoped to take part in but, although I was only a meter or so away from him, there was the gender barrier in between us that meant I could see the boys in the group take part through the gap in the fence, but couldn't hear or follow myself. I wondered away from the group to go and touch the wall. I don't know what I was expecting to happen but I felt quite unmoved. I actually felt less connected to the Jewish people and Jewish heritage and history whilst I was there than I usually do. I did, however, feel compelled to kiss the wall and I have absolutely no idea why. Walking back to the group I grabbled with the rather incongruous sight of a group of female soldiers praying, singing and dancing, all in uniform, their AK47s rattling at their sides.
By the following Shabbat, the Birthright tour was finished. I was still in Jerusalem staying with an old friend of mine from synagogue in London, Binyamin, and his husband Avi. They live in a part of town called Baka which is really quite beautiful with a lovely residential feel. On Friday night we went to synagogue which was surprisingly moving. This was despite the fact that my time on the Birthright trip had confirmed for me that I don't believe in God, and I was feeling unusually conflicted about saying the prayers. Part of what I enjoyed so much was the singing - beautiful, harmonious tunes, most of which I knew. That's one of the things I like about being a Jew - almost anywhere I go in the world I can find a community in which I feel a part. There was a congregation of bishops visiting the synagogue that night and their leader gave a speech about different religions coming together. I forget the details now but I made me feel all warm and fuzzy at the time. The best part of the service by a long shot, though, was the prayer for peace which concluded the evening. It moved me close to tears. I think in part that was because the singing was so beautiful. But it was more than that. We say the same prayer at synagogue in London, but here, in Jerusalem, in Israel - a country at war - it really felt like it meant something. It's hard to put into words but it was incredibly powerful at the time. I should point out that I don't think praying for peace is going to do anything to achieve that desired result, and I don't get the impression that anyone else here thinks that either, but that didn't stop it being extremely moving to be around praying people for whom peace means so much.
The first was as part of the Birthright group. We brought in Shabbat at the Western Wall. I had been there once before, about 12 years ago, and remember finding it strange, feeling that I didn't quite fit in with either the ultra-orthodox Jews or the hordes of tourists who were the two groups represented there at the time. Friday night is quite different, with thousands of Jews of all stripes pouring into the area. Approacing the site, it was hard not to get caught up in the buzz. Once there, however, I felt distinctly underwhelmed and, I must admit, rather frustrated. Our Birthright coordinator lead a Kabbalat Shabbat service that I had hoped to take part in but, although I was only a meter or so away from him, there was the gender barrier in between us that meant I could see the boys in the group take part through the gap in the fence, but couldn't hear or follow myself. I wondered away from the group to go and touch the wall. I don't know what I was expecting to happen but I felt quite unmoved. I actually felt less connected to the Jewish people and Jewish heritage and history whilst I was there than I usually do. I did, however, feel compelled to kiss the wall and I have absolutely no idea why. Walking back to the group I grabbled with the rather incongruous sight of a group of female soldiers praying, singing and dancing, all in uniform, their AK47s rattling at their sides.
By the following Shabbat, the Birthright tour was finished. I was still in Jerusalem staying with an old friend of mine from synagogue in London, Binyamin, and his husband Avi. They live in a part of town called Baka which is really quite beautiful with a lovely residential feel. On Friday night we went to synagogue which was surprisingly moving. This was despite the fact that my time on the Birthright trip had confirmed for me that I don't believe in God, and I was feeling unusually conflicted about saying the prayers. Part of what I enjoyed so much was the singing - beautiful, harmonious tunes, most of which I knew. That's one of the things I like about being a Jew - almost anywhere I go in the world I can find a community in which I feel a part. There was a congregation of bishops visiting the synagogue that night and their leader gave a speech about different religions coming together. I forget the details now but I made me feel all warm and fuzzy at the time. The best part of the service by a long shot, though, was the prayer for peace which concluded the evening. It moved me close to tears. I think in part that was because the singing was so beautiful. But it was more than that. We say the same prayer at synagogue in London, but here, in Jerusalem, in Israel - a country at war - it really felt like it meant something. It's hard to put into words but it was incredibly powerful at the time. I should point out that I don't think praying for peace is going to do anything to achieve that desired result, and I don't get the impression that anyone else here thinks that either, but that didn't stop it being extremely moving to be around praying people for whom peace means so much.
Friday, 9 January 2009
Birthright Israel
This is the first time in 11 days that I have had both access to a computer and the time and energy to use it. It seems both that the time has flown by and also that I've done so much that I could have been away a whole month already.
So, what's been keeping me so busy? Well, I've been on the Birthright Israel Experience. Birthright is an organisation that believes that it is the 'birth right' of all Jews to visit Israel whilst they're still young enough to enjoy it. Accordingly they provide a completely free trip/tour/experience for any Jew between the ages of 21-26 who has never been on an organised educational trip here before and wishes to do so. Since the program started in the mid 1990s, over 200,000 Jews from all over the world have taken advantage of this incredible opportunity. Birthright works with various Jewish organisations in each country, who in turn work with various tour operators in Israel, so one's experience can vary enormously depending on who you go with. I had no choice - there is only one group from England that I fit into to - the young professionals trip organised by UJIA.
There were 38 of us on the trip plus two British leaders (the same age as the group) and two Israeli guides. As one would expect of such a large group, there are people whom I got on with better than others, but as a whole we all gelled well. Given it was a UK group, it was surprisingly international since it included people of the US, South Africa, Australia, France and Spain who are now either working or study in Britain. For about half the tour, six Israeli soldiers and two Israeli students also joined the group. It was as much a learning experience for them as for us.
There were hundreds of groups from all over the world and we bumped into several along the way. One of the most memorable experiences of the trip was the Mega Event, on the evening of January 1st, when the 4000 participants currently in Israel all met for an extravagaza that I will write more about later.
We packed so much into the trip that I wonder if the leaders had some kind of power to warp time. Places visited include Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Jaffa, the Negev, Massada, the Dead Sea, Peki'in, the Galilee and the Golan Heights. We went on walking tours, visited museums (Independence Hall, Hertzl Museum, Yad Vashem), met and talked with various minorities in Israel (the Bedouin, Druze and Israeli Arabs), saw the work being done by a couple of charities and heard lectures on Israeli cinema and the Middle East situation. We learnt about various environmental issues in Israel. On top of all this we had numerous opportunities to think about, engage with and discuss our Jewish identity and our relationship with Israel. And that barely scratches the surface.
Right now it's much easier to write and talk about what we did rather than how I feel about it all (far too tired and overwhelmed for that). I'm sure that this trip has affected me in ways that I won't even realise for weeks or months. I am staying in Israel for another three weeks on my own and am extremely glad about that. I need some time to soak things up at a reasonable pace. I have friends here that I want to see, other places I want to visit (chief amongst them Haifa and Akko) and maths education professors I've arranged to meet. Right now I'm staying in Jerusalem with an old friend from synagogue, Binyamin, and his delightful husband Avi. In a couple of days I'll head to Tel Aviv and chill out there for a while, but I'm taking things a day or two at a time and looking forward to meeting people as I go along. Now that the tour is over and I can go at my own pace, I should have much better access to the internet and hope to write more frequently from here on in.
Although there is still so much more to say, Shabbat is about to come in and the computer is going off, so I'll leave it there.
So, what's been keeping me so busy? Well, I've been on the Birthright Israel Experience. Birthright is an organisation that believes that it is the 'birth right' of all Jews to visit Israel whilst they're still young enough to enjoy it. Accordingly they provide a completely free trip/tour/experience for any Jew between the ages of 21-26 who has never been on an organised educational trip here before and wishes to do so. Since the program started in the mid 1990s, over 200,000 Jews from all over the world have taken advantage of this incredible opportunity. Birthright works with various Jewish organisations in each country, who in turn work with various tour operators in Israel, so one's experience can vary enormously depending on who you go with. I had no choice - there is only one group from England that I fit into to - the young professionals trip organised by UJIA.
There were 38 of us on the trip plus two British leaders (the same age as the group) and two Israeli guides. As one would expect of such a large group, there are people whom I got on with better than others, but as a whole we all gelled well. Given it was a UK group, it was surprisingly international since it included people of the US, South Africa, Australia, France and Spain who are now either working or study in Britain. For about half the tour, six Israeli soldiers and two Israeli students also joined the group. It was as much a learning experience for them as for us.
There were hundreds of groups from all over the world and we bumped into several along the way. One of the most memorable experiences of the trip was the Mega Event, on the evening of January 1st, when the 4000 participants currently in Israel all met for an extravagaza that I will write more about later.
We packed so much into the trip that I wonder if the leaders had some kind of power to warp time. Places visited include Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Jaffa, the Negev, Massada, the Dead Sea, Peki'in, the Galilee and the Golan Heights. We went on walking tours, visited museums (Independence Hall, Hertzl Museum, Yad Vashem), met and talked with various minorities in Israel (the Bedouin, Druze and Israeli Arabs), saw the work being done by a couple of charities and heard lectures on Israeli cinema and the Middle East situation. We learnt about various environmental issues in Israel. On top of all this we had numerous opportunities to think about, engage with and discuss our Jewish identity and our relationship with Israel. And that barely scratches the surface.
Right now it's much easier to write and talk about what we did rather than how I feel about it all (far too tired and overwhelmed for that). I'm sure that this trip has affected me in ways that I won't even realise for weeks or months. I am staying in Israel for another three weeks on my own and am extremely glad about that. I need some time to soak things up at a reasonable pace. I have friends here that I want to see, other places I want to visit (chief amongst them Haifa and Akko) and maths education professors I've arranged to meet. Right now I'm staying in Jerusalem with an old friend from synagogue, Binyamin, and his delightful husband Avi. In a couple of days I'll head to Tel Aviv and chill out there for a while, but I'm taking things a day or two at a time and looking forward to meeting people as I go along. Now that the tour is over and I can go at my own pace, I should have much better access to the internet and hope to write more frequently from here on in.
Although there is still so much more to say, Shabbat is about to come in and the computer is going off, so I'll leave it there.
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