Saturday, March 28, 2009
Some reflection
During these past weeks of our visit we've talked to many people, listened to opposing political views, observed, done some reading, and are coming to understand the complexity of Israel. We see the contrast between the rich development of this progressive country and its Arab neighbors. We've seen a dry desert turned green with miles of greenhouses growing vegetables for internal consumption and export while across the Jordan the same landscape remains arid. We see towering cities and the Israel national bird--the building crane, a sky line that changes each decade. And always there are contrasts-- on the one hand, but on the other hand.
The religious, a small minority, have a great influence on the country. Jewish shops close early Friday afternoon, the streets are nearly deserted except for the religious going and coming from synagogue. In the areas where we have stayed, in Tiberius and in Jerusalem, dress is modest (it's also winter and not a good time for shorts anyway). Politics dominate conversations, the country is waiting for the formation of the most recent government. There's at least 13 political parties that hold more than one seat each in the knesset. When you aren't talking politics, you can discuss religioun--how much, who should be in control, how Jewish should the country be? What happens when you continually invite the downtrodden to find refuge here, as is happening with the Sudanese and Darfur refugees who walk through Egypt seeking asylum in Israel (and working in large numbers in the hotels in Eilat). They are not Jews, but they are refugees. How can you stop their entry when you were once a seeker yourself.
We view the excavations and the multiple civilizations that have laid claim to Jerusalem, nearly all gone now but the Jews, in spite of being in exile, remain relatively unchanged. They continue to be the people of the Book, trying to find a way to live out this covenant with G-d. They make contributions to the world far in excess of their numbers, yet remain scorned by nearly every nation. They respect the multiple religions practiced around the country, even when some of those other religious sects systematically desecrated Jewish monuments and holy places.
Wherever we have gone there is evidence of soldiers, of the mandatory draft, of machine gun toting young men and women in the market place and on the buses. In the mid-70's I was in Madrid, during Franco's time, and on every street corner there were soldiers with guns. In Israel we have felt totally safe and secure, in Madrid our car was robbed and we were in fear. Israel has been a safe place for us to tour. Everyone invites you to return, to bring your friends, to make aliyah, or just visit again.
When the occasion arises we talk about our involvement with Aipac and are always greeted with a warmer welcome. Returning to Israel from Jordan, it was the Aipac photo of President Clinton, and Stu's reference, that got him through the security that had stopped his re-entry when the magnitomitor went off (Stu's has metal hips.) They recognize Aipac as an important political ally. The national Jewish charities, however, elicit a different response. In the US we are always told that Israel needs our donations, yet it is a very strong country economically. Their national budget is approximately $83,000,000,000. American charities contribute about $900,000,000. While important, the country is not dependent upon us, except as a political ally. It was suggested that the national organizations, perhaps, perpetuate this image because the organizations are dependent upon this downtrodden struggling view of Israel for their own survival. Again, food for thought and another contrast for us to consider.
All building has to be at least partially in Jerusalem stone. To the unskilled eye, we don't always know what is old and what is new. The Israelis welcome newcomers but are also upset that they cause housing prices to rise and push the Israelis further out into the surrounding towns. One of the couples we met during our wanderings with Moshe live in a Mushav, a rural community that is developing housing on land once used for agriculture in the kibbutz. The government encourages the Kibbutz to take part of their land, land they were given by the state, and develop rural housing keeping the profits to support the kibbutz.
During Jordanian occupation of Jerusalem they desecrated our synagogues, prevented Jews from visiting the holy sites, including the Western Wall. In return, once in control, Israel's government has been extremely conscientous to maintain the integrity and sovereignity of all non-Jewish religious sites. They don't do this in hopes of getting world-wide recognition, but because it is the ethical thing to do. This is another of the contrasts inherent in living the Torah.
Stu asks how Israel has affected me because I've done a considerable amount of traveling. Israel is not just a collection of old buildings and excavations, it's a living people who are all connected to me and to whom I feel emotionally and spiritually drawn. Will this feeling remain once we board our El-Al flight back to the states? I can't answer that at this time, i don't know.
We will leave Israel knowing more about the country and its people than when we arrived, but still with many questions that remain unanswered.
The religious, a small minority, have a great influence on the country. Jewish shops close early Friday afternoon, the streets are nearly deserted except for the religious going and coming from synagogue. In the areas where we have stayed, in Tiberius and in Jerusalem, dress is modest (it's also winter and not a good time for shorts anyway). Politics dominate conversations, the country is waiting for the formation of the most recent government. There's at least 13 political parties that hold more than one seat each in the knesset. When you aren't talking politics, you can discuss religioun--how much, who should be in control, how Jewish should the country be? What happens when you continually invite the downtrodden to find refuge here, as is happening with the Sudanese and Darfur refugees who walk through Egypt seeking asylum in Israel (and working in large numbers in the hotels in Eilat). They are not Jews, but they are refugees. How can you stop their entry when you were once a seeker yourself.
We view the excavations and the multiple civilizations that have laid claim to Jerusalem, nearly all gone now but the Jews, in spite of being in exile, remain relatively unchanged. They continue to be the people of the Book, trying to find a way to live out this covenant with G-d. They make contributions to the world far in excess of their numbers, yet remain scorned by nearly every nation. They respect the multiple religions practiced around the country, even when some of those other religious sects systematically desecrated Jewish monuments and holy places.
Wherever we have gone there is evidence of soldiers, of the mandatory draft, of machine gun toting young men and women in the market place and on the buses. In the mid-70's I was in Madrid, during Franco's time, and on every street corner there were soldiers with guns. In Israel we have felt totally safe and secure, in Madrid our car was robbed and we were in fear. Israel has been a safe place for us to tour. Everyone invites you to return, to bring your friends, to make aliyah, or just visit again.
When the occasion arises we talk about our involvement with Aipac and are always greeted with a warmer welcome. Returning to Israel from Jordan, it was the Aipac photo of President Clinton, and Stu's reference, that got him through the security that had stopped his re-entry when the magnitomitor went off (Stu's has metal hips.) They recognize Aipac as an important political ally. The national Jewish charities, however, elicit a different response. In the US we are always told that Israel needs our donations, yet it is a very strong country economically. Their national budget is approximately $83,000,000,000. American charities contribute about $900,000,000. While important, the country is not dependent upon us, except as a political ally. It was suggested that the national organizations, perhaps, perpetuate this image because the organizations are dependent upon this downtrodden struggling view of Israel for their own survival. Again, food for thought and another contrast for us to consider.
All building has to be at least partially in Jerusalem stone. To the unskilled eye, we don't always know what is old and what is new. The Israelis welcome newcomers but are also upset that they cause housing prices to rise and push the Israelis further out into the surrounding towns. One of the couples we met during our wanderings with Moshe live in a Mushav, a rural community that is developing housing on land once used for agriculture in the kibbutz. The government encourages the Kibbutz to take part of their land, land they were given by the state, and develop rural housing keeping the profits to support the kibbutz.
During Jordanian occupation of Jerusalem they desecrated our synagogues, prevented Jews from visiting the holy sites, including the Western Wall. In return, once in control, Israel's government has been extremely conscientous to maintain the integrity and sovereignity of all non-Jewish religious sites. They don't do this in hopes of getting world-wide recognition, but because it is the ethical thing to do. This is another of the contrasts inherent in living the Torah.
Stu asks how Israel has affected me because I've done a considerable amount of traveling. Israel is not just a collection of old buildings and excavations, it's a living people who are all connected to me and to whom I feel emotionally and spiritually drawn. Will this feeling remain once we board our El-Al flight back to the states? I can't answer that at this time, i don't know.
We will leave Israel knowing more about the country and its people than when we arrived, but still with many questions that remain unanswered.
Erev Shabbos--Spiritual Day in Jerusalem
Today was a day filled with surprises and a spiritual journey in Jerusalem. We planned to rise early, which we did, to join Abby and her family at the Cotel (Western Wall) for her cousin's pre-bar mitzvah. We arrived at the wall promptly at 8:30 only to discover everyone was gone because it was actually 9:30. We are now on Israeli day light savings time.Moshe Geller was there waiting for us. (upper right photo) We had met the day before at the Mehane Yehuda Market and he offered to show us another side of Jerusalem. When I expressed my disappointment at having missed the bar mitzvah, he laughingly said, Hashem has other plans for you today. No regrets, no sympathy, just be in the moment and be prepared to receive what G-d has to offer. We decided to go with the flow and allow ourselves to be in this stranger's hands for the day--although he never felt like a stranger.
Moshe is a delightful, joy filled, modern orthodox rebee who dresses like a Grateful Dead follower, which he was for four years. He was raised in New York in a modern Orthodox family, very scholarly, a father who is an academic and a mother who is in society. He joined a major wall street corporation and moved up the ladder. And then one day he was walking with Rebbe Shlomo Carlebach and they were passing a smelly, homeless man. The Rebbe hugged him and said a few words of welcome. That moment struck a cord and Moshe felt that there was more than the life he was living. Moshe had made many trips to Israel since his youth as his father was a camp director bringing children to Israel for summer camp, he was always a zionist. He did aliyah in 1994.
There is a large American modern religious group in Jerusalem. During the day we hung out with Moshe his phone never stopped ringing-people calling with questions (I found a chocolate bar in my apartment. I know that I didn't buy it. When is it important to seek the owner and when it is alright to use what I found.--people really trying to live the Jewish ethical life). Other callers invited him to Shabbos dinner, or to join them for other simchas, to check in on how he is, and just to say hello. He kept the calls short telling his callers he was with two beautiful people, Stuart and Adrienne, and would get back to them. Moshe has a few hundred students here and in the US.
The first thing we did together was visit the Wall. He encouraged me to take the time to deliver the prayers I had written on small pieces of paper for some friends and family and he took Stu to the Wall with him. Stu was headed for the Wall when Moshe instructed him to sit down and think for a while. He told him to forget the superficial thoughts and to consider the essence of what he wanted to say to the people he loved. After reflecting for a few minutes, Stu very much got into the moment and was able to turn off the external distractions and approach the Wall and his prayers for healing, for safety, for what he wants to pass on to his sons, and more. Stu prayed for strengths within himself, something he rarely does. He hoped that someone was listening because he gave this communication his best shot effort.
On my side of the wall I struggled more. How do you pray? How do you let Hashem into your life? How do you let go? I kept going back to trying to control the moment and was never able to really let go. I was aware of the women around me and their fervor. These were mostly young women, orthodox and modern orthodox from their dress. I wished I had the inner spiritual attachment that they have, or seem to have. I returned to Stu and Moshe more somber and more seeking.
I don't recall all of the details of our conversation, but felt Moshe's sense of his place and his comfort with his G-d, to be genuine and deep. There was so much activity in the courtyard. This area before the Western Wall is an integral part of the community, many activities happen here. Today there was a first grade graduation, the children were receiving their first sedor, book of prayers. (lower left photo) At another site a 3 year old was celebrating his first hair cut, a tradition among the orthodox (lower right photo). There was enough going on to fill a morning for even the most avid tourist.
Continuing through the Jewish Quarter we passed the Chabad Spiritual Learning Center, open for everyone. (center right photo)The 9 foot menorah is held in position here in preparation for the building of the third temple--the religious believe that will happen and that the time is not far off, so they are making preparations just as others made preparations for 50 years for Israel's independence and return to Jerusalem. All the time we walked we talked, about our spiritual life, about the questions whose answers we seek, about learning. We went to a Jewish book store and purused the racks for some good sources for Stu and I to study from--I know so little about Judaism. And all the time I felt touched and yearning and wanting to know more, to believe more to be more. One of the booklets about the bliss of Shabbos has this quote from Rebbe Cardlemach: "Shabbos is Paradise. Paradise is a place where everything is good, everything is holy, and everything is beautiful. In paradise, suddently it's clear to me that I can fix all my mistakes. Even more so, everything that I thought was a mistake wasn't, and every street I thought was the wrong street, was the only way to get where I was going. Shabbos is the deepest healing of the world."
Wouldn't it be amazing to actually live this deep love for Shabbos, to be renewed every week. It is said that Shabbos kept the Jewish nation together, because if on one day a week no one hated the Jews, the Jews were connected to one another, than why not on two days, or three. . .
Wherever we walked Moshe knew people and they knew him. Lots of young people, in their late 20s and 30s, with spouses and children, and so happy. I have always heard about the poor Chasidic young women, barefoot and pregnant all the time, but we didn't see that here. We saw lots of children, but we also saw lots of joy, preparation for Shabbos that was excited and active. Maybe we were fooling ourselves, but we really did feel the joy of Shabbos preparation all around us. Moshe introduced us to a half dozen people, and everyone spoke highly of him and welcomed us. A woman, Leila called, and Moshe put me on the phone. Leila couldn't be more welcoming. There is a definite community here even though the members live in different directions, Moshe lives an hour away, from the city center. We met many more of his friends just walking around the Suq. Friday the hustle and bustle was even more pronounced than it had been the day before during our shopping visit. We stopped at Marzipan bakery (Charlie had insisted we make this a stop on our trip) for warm rugala (sp?), rich with butter and sugar from the ovens. This was the first day since we began our trip when I wished I had a second stomach so I could eat more. How could we bring these home? And the macaroons we ate the day before called to us again--so much to taste and eat, so little time.
Over lunch at an Israeli-Moroccan restaurant we continued our talks with Moshe. We learned about Hebrew names and how they indicate the core of our being. My job now is to reflect deeply on my personal qualities so that Moshe can recreate a name for me since my given Hebrew name is lost. Stu's Hebrew name is Shlomo Baer--meaning at peace with one's self, in balance. And that is the first quality I came to know about Stuart, that he is at peace with himself. There may be something to this Hebrew name thing after all. We think my Hebrew name may be Miriam (my middle name is Marilyn), but we're not sure. We entered a friend's name, one who is in need of healing, in the international prayer circle, imagine thousands of people around the world praying together for your improved health. When we parted at 3 it was with a loose plan to meet again after Shabbos, to continue our connection.
We spent Shabbos evening alone together in our little apartment. Stu is fighting a cold and needed some time out. Saturday we are meeting Abby for a long afternoon walk around the city.
Good Shabbos friends.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Mehane Yehuda Market
In spite of our plans to explore another museum after we left David's Tower Thursday afternoon, our noses and appetites took over. We traveled on a local bus back to Ben Yehuda street where Stu picked up his repaired eyeglasses, and then onto the Thursday market where the city seemed to be shopping in preparation for Shabbos to come.What a challenge for us. What salads to choose, which macaroons to eat--definitely the best we have every eaten in our life time, moist, fresh, flavorful, live real smells. The macaroons never made it out of the market.
We saw radishes as large as apples, fresh breads coming from the ovens, more varieties of halvah than we have known to exist, and bins of fresh red peppers. I bought three red peppers for 2 shekels, about 40 cents!
Then it was on to fresh olives by the kilo, cucumbers for another 2 shekels, fresh salads we have grown to love--beet, carrot, cabbage, humus, and tahini. It was a struggle to keep from buying too many fresh strawberries, we have to remind ourselves we can only eat so many and there will be more tomorrow.
While we shopped for our dinner, we met Moishe, he did aliyah 14 years ago and has a mission--to help Jews. Today he translated for us and assited us with our purchases. Tomorrow we are meeting him at the Cotel for another tour of the old city from Moishe's view point.
We taxied home with our purchases and then out again for the pita we had forgotten. Instead of turning right from our apartment, we turned left. One block from our studio is the old wall that separated the Palestenians of the west bank of Jerusalem from the Israel held city. That one block could be another country. From there you can see the Damascus gate, the golden Dome of the Rock. It is a Muslim area where we are assailed, again, with other smells, bins of fava beans, schwarma and falafel take-away stands, Arabs playing cards, while their women shopped for their sabbath which is on Fridays. We stood on the monument that marked the Israeli section of the city.
David's Tower
Thursday morning and we were off to see David's Tower museum in the old city. The first thing our volunteer guide Rivka told us was that King David didn't build the tower, King Herod built it. It was misidentified during the Crusades and the name stuck.She took us through approximately 2500 years of history of this edifice. Through the centuries it was controlled by Greeks, Romans, Jews, Turks, Christians, and probably one or two I've forgotten. Each owner added, renovated, left their mark on the buildings and grounds. You can see the different architectural styles. I am resolved to learning more about our history, about the disaspora, about what it means to be a Jew. We'll see if I can keep that resolution when we return and get caught up in our life style.
The volunteer guide, Rivka, made aliyah with her husband and five children (child 6 was born in Jerusalem) 25 years ago. Her driving motivation was to provide a safe life for her children. That surprised me, because Israel has been in multiple wars, and is continually having to defend herself. Rivka defined safe as being safe from a selfish life, from interfaith marriage, and from living Jewish values. I am not endorsing her comments, only reporting them.
David's Tower housed the Chihuly exhibit 2 1/2 years ago. There remains a large Chihuly chandelier in the main entrance to the Tower buildings and his glass Iris installation in the center courtyard. You can see the Chihuly Irises in the lower right hand photo.
First afternoon Jerusalem
After we settled into our new garden studio apartment we were ready to go exploring. It was images of the religious popular that first absorbed our attention. We are in a section of Jerusalem where there are many religious, living side by side with the Muslims and with secular Jews and Christians. We wandered wherever our feet and our interest took us.
Two blocks from our home we saw a hand drawn poster of t
his section of the city with an invitation to view an art exhibit. We followed the red arrows into a private residence where we were greeted by the artist, a young man about 27 years old. He invited us in, offered us tea, which we accepted, and then we visited talking about our visit, his art, and his views of the Palestenians. After a short while his friend and roommate joined the conversation. This was the first time that Stu or I had actually spent time discussing Israeli Palestenian politics with a pro-Palestenian Jewish Israeli. They were not raving lunatics, they admitted they were in the minority, but they were passionate about their beliefs. Basically, they spoke to the individual Palestenian, their feeling of being a lesser citizen of Israel and not having the same rights. Some of this is true. We spoke to the need for peace first, that tossing rockets into Sderot was not an acceptable way to get your voice heard. They spoke of the anger of not having access to jobs, of their democratically elected Hamas government which we (Israel and US) are now trying to discredit and throw out even though they were democratically elected. They spoke of the Israeli Naval blockade of goods and medical supplies and we spoke of Hamas stealing the UN and US aid sent to the Palestinians.
The artist had a wonderful installation piece of art. He had taken a eucalyptus tree, an import to Israel brought in to dry up the swamps but under which nothing grows, and cleaned out a rotten hole on its side that developed after a branch dropped during a storm. Into this cleaned out hole he poured concrete and created a tortured face, which he said symbolized the face of Palestenians. Of particular interest was a small lemon tree which he had grated onto the side of the eucalyptus. The symbolism for him was that Israel is like the eucalyptus, growing quickly but killing off all vegetation and growth beneath it. The lemon tree symbolized the people of Palestine that want to grow and flourish and live peacefully. It is a powerful symbol, this lemon tree grated to the eucalyptus. We proposed, what if the eucalyptus tree is really the Arab nations, growing quickly in number through their high birth rate, and slowly killing everything around in with their terrorism and bombs. Israel, in our proposal, is the peace loving, life giving neighbor trying to survive under very harsh conditions. That was the end of our conversation as it was evident, while we listened, we did not change one another's minds. Both the young men think that the vast majority of people in the US support the Palestenains, we said no, that was not the case. We do have some very liberal areas, and the university middle eastern studies departments certainly support the Palestinians, but not the average American. That surprised them. All in all, we did hear other opinions, and we were open to their ideas.
By the way, they are renting a former Palestenian home, three stories high with tenants above them, and unused space above them. The house once housed Palestinians who fled in 1948 believing that the new Jewish state would massacre them. They had tried, unsuccessfully, to find the original owner. What we know about much of this area, is that the original homes were owned by Arabs, with Palestenian tenants. When Israel declared its independence and before the Jewish National Fund, with a great deal of money from our parents and grandparents, purchased these homes from their Arab owners, at very inflated prices. The tenants were not considered by their Arab landlords. The Arab leadership left with their money, the poor fled in fear with no leaders to tell them to stay, that they could continue to live in these homes, the landlord only changed. There are so many misconceptions that continue to foster bad feelings. How to know and to communicate the truth.
This 90 minute period was but another chance encounters we have had. To do this, one needs time and the willingness to explore the off-beaten path.
The rest of our afternoon was spent wandering in the central city, making our way to Ben Yehuda street, shopping at a take-away restaurant where we purchased delicious soup, breads filled with feta, mushrooms and onions, and a marvelously moist apple cake. then it was home, dinner, and an early evening. And this was only the first day!
Two blocks from our home we saw a hand drawn poster of t
his section of the city with an invitation to view an art exhibit. We followed the red arrows into a private residence where we were greeted by the artist, a young man about 27 years old. He invited us in, offered us tea, which we accepted, and then we visited talking about our visit, his art, and his views of the Palestenians. After a short while his friend and roommate joined the conversation. This was the first time that Stu or I had actually spent time discussing Israeli Palestenian politics with a pro-Palestenian Jewish Israeli. They were not raving lunatics, they admitted they were in the minority, but they were passionate about their beliefs. Basically, they spoke to the individual Palestenian, their feeling of being a lesser citizen of Israel and not having the same rights. Some of this is true. We spoke to the need for peace first, that tossing rockets into Sderot was not an acceptable way to get your voice heard. They spoke of the anger of not having access to jobs, of their democratically elected Hamas government which we (Israel and US) are now trying to discredit and throw out even though they were democratically elected. They spoke of the Israeli Naval blockade of goods and medical supplies and we spoke of Hamas stealing the UN and US aid sent to the Palestinians. The artist had a wonderful installation piece of art. He had taken a eucalyptus tree, an import to Israel brought in to dry up the swamps but under which nothing grows, and cleaned out a rotten hole on its side that developed after a branch dropped during a storm. Into this cleaned out hole he poured concrete and created a tortured face, which he said symbolized the face of Palestenians. Of particular interest was a small lemon tree which he had grated onto the side of the eucalyptus. The symbolism for him was that Israel is like the eucalyptus, growing quickly but killing off all vegetation and growth beneath it. The lemon tree symbolized the people of Palestine that want to grow and flourish and live peacefully. It is a powerful symbol, this lemon tree grated to the eucalyptus. We proposed, what if the eucalyptus tree is really the Arab nations, growing quickly in number through their high birth rate, and slowly killing everything around in with their terrorism and bombs. Israel, in our proposal, is the peace loving, life giving neighbor trying to survive under very harsh conditions. That was the end of our conversation as it was evident, while we listened, we did not change one another's minds. Both the young men think that the vast majority of people in the US support the Palestenains, we said no, that was not the case. We do have some very liberal areas, and the university middle eastern studies departments certainly support the Palestinians, but not the average American. That surprised them. All in all, we did hear other opinions, and we were open to their ideas.
By the way, they are renting a former Palestenian home, three stories high with tenants above them, and unused space above them. The house once housed Palestinians who fled in 1948 believing that the new Jewish state would massacre them. They had tried, unsuccessfully, to find the original owner. What we know about much of this area, is that the original homes were owned by Arabs, with Palestenian tenants. When Israel declared its independence and before the Jewish National Fund, with a great deal of money from our parents and grandparents, purchased these homes from their Arab owners, at very inflated prices. The tenants were not considered by their Arab landlords. The Arab leadership left with their money, the poor fled in fear with no leaders to tell them to stay, that they could continue to live in these homes, the landlord only changed. There are so many misconceptions that continue to foster bad feelings. How to know and to communicate the truth.
This 90 minute period was but another chance encounters we have had. To do this, one needs time and the willingness to explore the off-beaten path.
The rest of our afternoon was spent wandering in the central city, making our way to Ben Yehuda street, shopping at a take-away restaurant where we purchased delicious soup, breads filled with feta, mushrooms and onions, and a marvelously moist apple cake. then it was home, dinner, and an early evening. And this was only the first day!
Our home in Jerusalem
This is our garden studio. Look closely to the left of center to see a glass door, the door to the studio. The studio is a step down. We walk from the garden into the tiny kitchen and dining area, then 6 steps down to the great room, which is not great in size, but great in fulfilling our needs. The bathroom is fairly modern, well equipped. There's even a hair dryer.It is perfectly suited for us and the location is fabulous.
We are only blocks away from the Old City, about 10 blocks from Ben Yehuda, and two blocks from the wall that used to separate Jerusalem into the Israeli and Palestenian sections. The war in 1967 brought Jerusalem in total to Israel although Menachim Begin said that each of the major religions would get to control their own property. Hence, there is a Muslim quarter, a Jewish quarter, an Armenian quarter, and a Christian quarter within the walls of the old city. The Christians are not always in agreement over who owns what as there are several Christian groups.
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