A sudafed-laced weekend report - by Michal
A caveat before I start: I am sick, drinking lots of fluids, and doped up on many cold meds. If this entry seems odd or unusually rambl-y in any way, now you know why.
The tiyul was amazing. We went up north, as in VERY north so that you could see over the Lebanese and Syrian border (but yes mom, we were safe). The whole point of this trip was to put the war in context and understand the modern Zionist movement.
In addressing the former, we met with the mayor of Metulla, the most northern city in Israel, who was understandably full of propaganda. We met with a psychologist from Kiryat Shemona, a town which took hundreds of ketushas, and talked about PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) for the residents and what it was like to be there. We visited an old bunker on the Golan, and really *felt* the nearness of these countries barely meters away. It's incredible - as a short example, we stayed at Kibbutz Gadot, which is covered in greenery. Looking down the mountain for Gadot, I couldn't find it - I just saw tons of trees. That's the point, I was told. Syrian snipers couldn't fire on the farmers if they were camouflaged by trees, hence the beauty. I also didn't know that Lebanese workers used to cross over every day at Metulla to work in Israel. Obviously that's been defunct for a few years, because now you can see a flattened building within a stone's throw of the city - a Hezbollah base. It really put it into perspective how tiny a country Israel is.
In terms of the aliyah movements, there are two: the first in the late 1800s, when a bunch of traditional Romanian/Russian families settled in with their twelve kids to settle the land with money from the Rothchilds (like the town of Zichron Yaacov). The second aliyah is the one most people are more familiar with, the early 1900s when people aged 18-22 came. They were fervent Zionists, anti-religion and pro-socialism, and they founded the kibbutzim. We visited some cemeteries, some statues/historical sites, heard a lecture by a founder of a kibbutz, stayed at Kibbutz Gadot, and visited Kibbutz Ein Gev. Kibbutzim are big, I got lost trying to find my room!
We also went kayaking in the Jordan, which was AMAZING, hiking in the Golan at 6am, which was breathtaking (waterfalls and rockclimbing and hiking boots, oh my), took a jeep tour through the Hula Valley (where we picked our own plums from the trees), and swam in the Kinneret (Lake of Galilee). Maybe I *could* live in the country, I actually connected to nature! It's fascinating that fruits actually have seasons here, unlike in LA - we saw dates, bananas, mangoes, plums and peaches on the trees. Watermelon season just ended, and avocado and citrus fruits are starting. Who knew that fruits actually have *times* to grow, they just don't all show up in the supermarket whenever you want them? Jewish holidays and associations actually make sense now - agricultural society, pomegranate=fall type of thing. (I mentioned all of this, by the way, to our Israeli jeep tour guide, who promptly fell over laughing).
Oh, and can I say how much I love Reform Judaism? Our seminary took us to a wine-tasting at the Golan Winery - Jonathan and I are now all stocked up, and we bought this handy little vacuum-suck-type gadget to put over your wine bottle if you don't finish the whole thing, so it won't turn vinegary.
There were other things too, like meeting with a Reform Israeli rabbi and a few members of his congregation. I asked if Israeli Reform was really Anglo Reform, brought over by Americans/Canadians/Europeans, and he said that it started out that way, but now they have more Israelis joining, not just mixed families of one Israeli/one Anglo. It's true that it's so easy to be Jewish here - schools are closed on all the holidays, restaurants are kosher, everyone speaks Hebrew and has Friday afternoon off. The rabbi said that some Israelis are looking for a more spiritual aspect to their lives, instead of a secular Judaism. It was very interesting, and made me reflect on just how far Reform Judaism has come.
All in all, it was a marvelous trip. Not one moment was wasted. We got home and Simcha was thrilled to see us, meowed up a storm, and then my allergies to him promptly kicked in and (combined with having had little sleep) I came down with a sinus infection. But three cheers for husbands who make me eggs and toast! Not to mention he did all the laundry, which is always a sure-fire way to melt my heart. (wow, I sound boring...)
Anyway, we have tons of pictures, but need to organize them. Right now I'm off to drink more water and to muddle through an essay for Liturgy class on "What Prayer Means to Me." Wish me luck!
The tiyul was amazing. We went up north, as in VERY north so that you could see over the Lebanese and Syrian border (but yes mom, we were safe). The whole point of this trip was to put the war in context and understand the modern Zionist movement.
In addressing the former, we met with the mayor of Metulla, the most northern city in Israel, who was understandably full of propaganda. We met with a psychologist from Kiryat Shemona, a town which took hundreds of ketushas, and talked about PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) for the residents and what it was like to be there. We visited an old bunker on the Golan, and really *felt* the nearness of these countries barely meters away. It's incredible - as a short example, we stayed at Kibbutz Gadot, which is covered in greenery. Looking down the mountain for Gadot, I couldn't find it - I just saw tons of trees. That's the point, I was told. Syrian snipers couldn't fire on the farmers if they were camouflaged by trees, hence the beauty. I also didn't know that Lebanese workers used to cross over every day at Metulla to work in Israel. Obviously that's been defunct for a few years, because now you can see a flattened building within a stone's throw of the city - a Hezbollah base. It really put it into perspective how tiny a country Israel is.
In terms of the aliyah movements, there are two: the first in the late 1800s, when a bunch of traditional Romanian/Russian families settled in with their twelve kids to settle the land with money from the Rothchilds (like the town of Zichron Yaacov). The second aliyah is the one most people are more familiar with, the early 1900s when people aged 18-22 came. They were fervent Zionists, anti-religion and pro-socialism, and they founded the kibbutzim. We visited some cemeteries, some statues/historical sites, heard a lecture by a founder of a kibbutz, stayed at Kibbutz Gadot, and visited Kibbutz Ein Gev. Kibbutzim are big, I got lost trying to find my room!
We also went kayaking in the Jordan, which was AMAZING, hiking in the Golan at 6am, which was breathtaking (waterfalls and rockclimbing and hiking boots, oh my), took a jeep tour through the Hula Valley (where we picked our own plums from the trees), and swam in the Kinneret (Lake of Galilee). Maybe I *could* live in the country, I actually connected to nature! It's fascinating that fruits actually have seasons here, unlike in LA - we saw dates, bananas, mangoes, plums and peaches on the trees. Watermelon season just ended, and avocado and citrus fruits are starting. Who knew that fruits actually have *times* to grow, they just don't all show up in the supermarket whenever you want them? Jewish holidays and associations actually make sense now - agricultural society, pomegranate=fall type of thing. (I mentioned all of this, by the way, to our Israeli jeep tour guide, who promptly fell over laughing).
Oh, and can I say how much I love Reform Judaism? Our seminary took us to a wine-tasting at the Golan Winery - Jonathan and I are now all stocked up, and we bought this handy little vacuum-suck-type gadget to put over your wine bottle if you don't finish the whole thing, so it won't turn vinegary.
There were other things too, like meeting with a Reform Israeli rabbi and a few members of his congregation. I asked if Israeli Reform was really Anglo Reform, brought over by Americans/Canadians/Europeans, and he said that it started out that way, but now they have more Israelis joining, not just mixed families of one Israeli/one Anglo. It's true that it's so easy to be Jewish here - schools are closed on all the holidays, restaurants are kosher, everyone speaks Hebrew and has Friday afternoon off. The rabbi said that some Israelis are looking for a more spiritual aspect to their lives, instead of a secular Judaism. It was very interesting, and made me reflect on just how far Reform Judaism has come.
All in all, it was a marvelous trip. Not one moment was wasted. We got home and Simcha was thrilled to see us, meowed up a storm, and then my allergies to him promptly kicked in and (combined with having had little sleep) I came down with a sinus infection. But three cheers for husbands who make me eggs and toast! Not to mention he did all the laundry, which is always a sure-fire way to melt my heart. (wow, I sound boring...)
Anyway, we have tons of pictures, but need to organize them. Right now I'm off to drink more water and to muddle through an essay for Liturgy class on "What Prayer Means to Me." Wish me luck!
posted by Michal at 3:05 AM
3 Comments:
That sounds so cool! Man....i used to be allergic to cats too. It will go away eventually. If not...then oh well! Try benydryll, or the generic equivellent of it. It might help! And kudos jonathan! Smart man you are...breakfast and laundry? Mensch!
What is the difference between prayer in Judaism and prayer in Christianity? This is a question that has always puzzled me.
Joe - you are so right, benadryl is a godsend. And yeah, hehe - J's got it all down!
And Becca - oy, that IS a question for the ages. One that must be talked about in person - I don't have the time to be able to write about it. :)
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