Series: Israel 2015

So rarely do I remember what occurred on a trip. Thought I would write it out quickly. This first part deals with air travel. Let’s see if I can cover the whole trip.

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

El Al Flight 008, departing 11:30PM, arriving next day at 4:55PM.

Get a message that LY008 is delayed by one hour. Ends up being 1.5 hours late. Considering how long before the crew shows up, my guess is after the delay, the crew transport was delayed.

I was last on El Al in 1999, on a charter flight from JFK to Krakow, then Warsaw to Tel Aviv, and finally Tel Aviv back to New York. It was the same plane, a 747. There have been some minor changes. They have individual screens…although it is not on demand. I didn’t watch a single second of it.

I didn’t spring for Economy Plus…because it is incredibly hard to do so. The logic of an airline requiring you to apply for the privilege of getting a better seat, as opposed to just selecting one of their website is beyond me. I tried to call and had a less than satisfactory conversation. I was offered a chance to bid on having an empty seat next to me…but fortunately, I got that for free.

Sunday, June 14th, 2015

El Al Flight 001, departing 12:45AM, arriving 5:50AM the same day.

You’ve got to love Israeli security, or maybe you don’t. Before we even got to their airport, there was a checkpoint of armed soldiers checking cars. Then a guy outside the terminal who was watching, and could stop you and inspect you there.

We checked in at a kiosk. Actually the first time I’ve tagged my own bags at a kiosk. That isn’t very common in the U.S. I noticed that despite the fact people got the tags, they didn’t apply them till they got to the counter.

Then there is the Israeli security check, where they ask you questions and put other tags on your bags before you are allowed to proceed to the counter.

After the counter, you get to go through a more traditional security line, where they don’t care about liquids, they don’t ask you to take off your shoes…and this is the highest rated airport security in the world.

Then, you get your exit visa(I got mine from another machine), and head toward the gate.

The Service

The food on El Al was reasonably decent. Each direction served a dinner and a breakfast. There was one single drink service on a 10-11 hour flight, and coffee and tea service with breakfast. Unlike the last time I was on, you could go to the galley if you wanted more to drink. I took a page from the guy next to me and got my own water bottle out of my bag and had them fill it for me so I wouldn’t have to bother them so regularly.

Objectively speaking, the service is good, but the product is somewhat dated compared to many airlines. Delta, having a flight that left around the same time, beat us to and from Tel Aviv. From the employees, it wasn’t the disinterest I remember from last time.

They were all friendly and helpful…except when they refused to speak to the man in front of me on the way out about the fact he reclined his seat before takeoff and left it reclined, even when I was trying to eat. I remember a different airline actually made an announcement asking people to sit up for the meal period so people could eat.

Stay tuned for Part 2: Tel Aviv.

Thursday, June 4th, 2015

We arrived in Tel Aviv late, as previously mentioned. the tour group had arranged transport to the hotel. The tour company offers a 9 and 11 day tour. We ended up with 10, joining in on half of the two day Tel Aviv tour they offered. On the last trip I took to Israel, circa 1999 as part of the March of the Living, we had gone straight to Jerusalem. I had never seen Tel Aviv.

By the time we got settled in to the Dan Panorama Tel Aviv, we were both very tired. We went to the concierge to ask for a place nearby that would give us a quick bite to eat before bed. Which was my first mistake. I’m used to concierges not being perfect, but…every time I asked a hotel employee for local information…it was not particularly helpful(more on that later).

He insisted we needed a reservation, and booked us into a local Italian place about 15 minutes walk through the dark streets. When we arrived, reservations seemed to not be needed, and they were most disappointed the two of us only shared an individual pizza and drank tap water and left. Guess we weren’t worth the kickback to the concierge for sending us there.

I had secured prepaid SIM cards for our phones, which were supposed to allow unlimited incoming calls, and 1GB of data. Couldn’t successfully get a single incoming call, but the data worked wonderfully. I would have pursued it, but I couldn’t call anyone. Considering the horribly slow wifi at the Dan Panorama in Tel Aviv and in Jerusalem(which prevented me from uploading pictures most of the time), if I went back, I’d pay for more data and just give up on using theirs.

It was then I tried to use Skype to call my cousin, who could barely hear us, over the hotel wifi, to make arrangements to see him.

Friday, June 5th, 2015

“Visit the Diaspora Museum; drive around the main streets of Tel Aviv, center of business and entertainment of Israel. Stop at Rabin’s Square, place of assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Continue to Old Jaffa, an 8000 year old port city; visit the ancient ruins and walk along the restored artists’ quarter. Visit Neve Tzedek, the first neighborhood of Tel Aviv, built in 1909 and Nahalat Benyamin, the pedestrian street of the city with its musicians, hand made jewelry and artifacts. Next, stop at Sheinkin, the lively and colorful street especially known for the unique shops, café life and youthful ambiance.”

As the day started on Friday, we had breakfast in the hotel and went downstairs to wait in the lobby with our Tour Company hats so we could be identified. It was then we met our tour guide. The tour was conducted with a mini bus he drove around Tel Aviv. He didn’t say another word till he picked up the rest of the tour group at various local hotels, then began his spiel. Most of the people had been with him the previous day, I suppose.

The first stop was Beit Hatfutsot, the Museum of the Jewish People. The museum opened in 1978…and I believe they must need money, because the English lettering is falling off the walls in some places, and has not been repaired. Despite that, it was worth a visit. There was an exhibition on superstitions, myths, blessings, prayers, and folk remedies, in Jewish and universal art; another on Volunteers from Abroad in Israel’s War of Independence.

The slant I found on their core exhibition was very Israeli-centric, as to be expected. You come to the realization that museum exhibitions try to distill a subject into a simple way for people to relate to it. So, when you look at a reconstruction of the Rashi Chapel from the Synagogue of Worms(Germany)…what is the meaning behind it?

Either way, the lesson of the Museum’s core exhibit was that Judaism had formed as a unique culture and religion in Israel, and had subsequently scattered after the country was conquered, and as a result Jews had spread around the world. That history takes a central theme in the touring of Israel…especially considering I was on a Jewish-themed tour.

We continued on to Jaffa. As we headed through the streets of Tel Aviv, my father remarked it looked nothing like it did 40 years ago. So, in honor of that…I’m adding a special recurring segment to this little documentation project. I call it…Israel then and Now…featuring Warren Shanske, who was my travelling companion for this trip. Looks the same, right?

Cities change over time. To my father, Tel Aviv looks like any other city now. It has commercialization, it has tall buildings. But he probably hasn’t noticed some of the drastic changes in New York either.

Back to the city of Jaffa. There has been a major effort over the last quarter century to renovate historic sites, including Muslim ones, in Jaffa over the last 25 years. There has also been increasing gentrification despite a high crime rate, this has had a result of increasing real estate prices and changing demographics.

Tel Aviv and Jaffa have been unified since 1950, and you can see Jaffa is within walking distance of the newer city. My father claimed that was his exercise when he was here in the 70s. He would walk to Jaffa.

 

 

While these are the same spots my father saw 40 years ago, things have certainly changed.

I was a bit hot by this point, so we bought some orange juice. I’m not sure what the margins are on this, but you quickly realize when a man is using a knife and a hand press exactly how many oranges go into a cup of orange juice. Makes me feel wasteful, but no wonder it cost the equivalent of $5.

After we finished in Jaffa, we headed toward the neighborhood of Neve Tzedek, the first neighborhood in Jerusalem. Neve Tzedek was the first neighborhood to be built outside of Jaffa in the 19th century, but by the 1960s, the southern part of Tel Aviv, closest to Jaffa had become a slum and was targeted for urban redevelopment. However, the plan to replace the area with high rises was stopped due to the fact many buildings were on the historic preservation list.

As happens to many neighborhoods like this when preserved, it turned into boutiques, cafes, galleries…a process not unique to Israel, as I see this in the United States as well.

On Saturday, November 4th, 1995, I was in a hotel room in Massachusetts visiting my brother, who was attending Brandeis University, who was in school there. Nightfall came, and I turned on the TV and saw the news that Yitzchak Rabin had been assassinated. It was a shock. Rabin had actually been scheduled to speak at Brandeis not that long after that…an event that never occurred.

The memorial sits, commemorating this event. There is a bust of Rabin nearby, and a commemorative wall. I think our tour guide summarized it best. He didn’t vote for Rabin’s party, but he respected the man. And despite any disagreement, that was who the majority elected, and there would be a chance to vote them out of office in the next election. In the end, that is all we can hope for our leaders and politicians. That we respect them, even if we don’t agree with them, and we represent our opinion with our vote. Welcome to democracy.

The tour concluded early that afternoon, and let us off. The tour guide advised he would come back to take us to the hotels after we wandered around, or we could walk back. My father and I aren’t shopping types, so we wandered a bit, then walked through the Carmel Market and back to the hotel.

We then met up with our cousins for Friday night dinner.

 

Saturday, June 6th, 2015

We didn’t tour on Saturday. We woke up at 6, which we did every day in Israel, and headed to breakfast, then attended services inside the hotel. After which, we returned to the room for a rest, ate lunch in the hotel, took a walk along the beach, more resting. There were plenty of people out as we walked around.

That night, without any help, we endeavored to find a place to eat. After wandering around, we finally gave up, had some gelato instead of a meal, and went back to bed.

The official tour began Sunday. Stay tuned for Part 3, where we leave the bustling city of Tel Aviv and head to the hills.

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Drive north to tour Caesarea, once the Roman capital of the region. See the excavations of the crusaders’ city, the aqueduct and amphitheater which has been restored as a concert venue. Proceed to Haifa for a panoramic view from Mount Carmel and visit “AF AL PI CHEN”, the naval museum of the illegal immigration to Israel at the time of the British mandate. Drive to Acre; walk along the old harbor and local market; continue to the northernmost point of Israel at Rosh Hanikra. Descend by cable car into the limestone grottoes.

Sunday morning we bid a fond farewell to the Dan Panorama Tel Aviv and met up with our tour. To our surprise, it was the same guide from Friday. But now we had a full sized bus, more people, and a separate driver.

 

Our first stop was the ancient city of Caeserea. Under the leadership of King Herod, whom our guide spent the entire work referring to as “that meshuganah paranoid”, Caeserea was transformed from a small village into an important port city. Caeserea is also home to the country’s only 18 hole golf course.

The Park is where much of the ruins exist, and have been excavated.

 

 

 

At the Caesarea Park, we ran into a group on Birthright Israel. Birthright has always been a sensitive topic for me. I went on March of the Living in 1999, and was told that made me ineliglble for Birthright, which is a free trip to Israel for college-age kids. Meanwhile, people who had been to Israel dozens of times seemed to be going for free. And I felt there was more for me to see.

The rules, from what I understand, were changed, and one person who went on March of the Living later told me he went on Birthright. But, no use crying over spilt milk. I was never in Tel Aviv during that trip. Look for future editions of Israel: Then and Now…1972, 1974, 1999, and 2015. We’ll see how things have changed.

The Roman Theater at Caeserea has been rebuilt, and now serves as a venue for music.

Caeserea also began my continual search for water fountains during the course of the trip. Apparently, for a desert country…the idea of public water is not as common as you’d think. The park did have water, which is good.

After we left the park, we headed toward Haifa, stopping for lunch at a small mall, where I had a tuna sandwich. We picked Aroma, which is interesting in that it is an Israeli coffee chain that is currently available in cities around the world. The first U.S. Branch opened in 2006. There are 10 in New York, for example.

Haifa is the third largest city in Israel, and a majore seaport. Built on the slopes of Mount Carmel, unlike Tel Aviv, it seemed like it would be a place I would want to see more of. However, it is built into the side of a mountain. I learned when I went to school in Ithaca that a large amount of steep hills is an issue for me.

 

And once again, we have Haifa as it appeared then and now. We stopped for this picture of us in our official Costco Sunhats, apparently very popular on our tour group.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We did not, despite the itinerary, visit the Naval Museum. We took a walk through the city of Akko before headed toward one of my favorite sites, Rosh Hanikra. I realized I did not take any pictures in Akko.

Rosh Hanikra is a series of grottos very near the Lebanese border, accessible by what may be the steepest cable car in the world. Nearby is the sealed railway tunnel to Lebanon. The tunnel was built in 1943 to connect Cairo and Istanbul, created a single route that could extend all the way through to Europe. However, the tunnel was sealed, and reportedly was never used for civilian service.

The day ended at Kibbutz Lavi. More on that in Part 4, where we visit Tsfat.

 

Monday, June 8th, 2015

On Sunday evening, we arrived at Kibbutz Lavi. Kibbutz Lavi’s hotel facility is one of their main sources of income and popular with Orthodox Jews. They also make synagogue furniture and engage in the traditional Kibbutz business of agriculture. Agriculture is no longer the primary business of any kibbutz, from what I understand.

Compared to the two hotels I visited, the room was nice, the wifi at the Kibbutz was good, the staff was friendly, and the food…left a bit to be desired. The eggs were powdered, for example. It seemed to be more like a public school cafeteria.

Tzfat was the first stop on Monday. It is the highest city in Israel in terms of elevation. The Jewish presence in the city dates back to the Middle Ages. After the Spanish Inquisition expelled the Jews from Spain, it became a center of Jewish learning, and is considered a center of Kaballah even to this day. Notably, Joseph Caro, the author of the Shulchan Aruch and Shlomo Halevi Alkabetz, composer of Lecha Dodi, which is sung as part of the Friday evening service.

In Tzfat, we visited a gallery of artwork by Nicky Imber. Imber was an artist who was so skilled, when at Dachau, he’d been able to make a mask out of break and sand of one of the Nazi soldiers, steal a uniform, and walk out of the gates of the camp. His sculptures are still famous worldwide.

We then visited the Joseph Caro synagogue, built in the 16th century, and rebuilt after a 1759 and an 1837 Earthquake. It was originally a place of learning, and didn’t become a synagogue until 1903.

The other synagogue visited was the Ha’ Ari Synagogue, built in honor of Rabbi Isaac Luria, the Ari. It may be the oldest synagogue in Israel still in active use. The distinction is questionable, because there are many repeatedly destroyed synagogues that have been rebuilt, in some cases after many years of destruction, including the Karaite Synagogue in Jerusalem.

After touring both, we wandered around the Artist’s Quarter…otherwise known as random people trying to sell us things. There were some nice items, but nothing so nice I could see myself hauling it around for a week to bring home. The most surprising part was a woman who greeted us “Good Morning” and called me out when she didn’t hear my low and noncommittal response. It turned out, by odd coincidence, when we did speak to her, she had grown up in Westchester and had gone to school with my cousin. Small world.

Later that day, we headed toward the Golan Heights, taking a jeep tour of the area. And when I say a jeep tour, I mean it. Bumpy unpaved roads, dust flying everywhere(and me wearing a dark shirt that day)…certainly an experience.

And then we get to the Jordan River. There it is….surprisingly tiny, isn’t it? I’m assuming that when Johnny Cash sung about waiting on the Far Bank of the River Jordan…he hadn’t seen it.

The Jordan River is 156 miles long, running from its sources to the Sea of Galilee, and then a lower section down to the Dead Sea. South of the Sea of Galilee, it forms the border between Israel and the Kingdom of Jordan. The flow of the Jordan has been sharply reduced by Israel, Jordan, and Syria. Prior to the Six-Day War, in 1965, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon attempted to divert some of the sources of the Jordan River in order to reduce Israel’s water supply.

I remember visiting the Golan Heights the last time I was in Israel. And I remember signs like these, and being told that they still, years after the Golan Heights were captured in 1967 and annexed in 1981, the mines were still a threat. The Heights are a plateau, from which the Syrian Army attacked Israeli communities in the valley below by firing artillery shells. Without getting into the politics of it, which date back to 1923, returning the Golan Heights to Syria would leave Israel at significant risk.

On June 6th, 1967, Syria launched three attacks against Israeli positions. On June 8th, 48 years to the day that I was there, the Israeli Air Force bombarded the Syrian positions on the Golan Heights.

After 16 years, it is hard to reconstruct the last trip I took here, but it was part of the March of the Living, and I was asked to take notes. I’ve pulled what I wrote that day, after writing my recollection of the more recent trip.

Tuesday, April 20, 1999 – We had gone up the mountain in jeeps, and also returned that way for a nature hike, which was cut short. Bret Gutstein once again appears in this document, hitting me with a large piece of bamboo.

I looked up Bret Gutstein…I believe she is now running a bagel seasoning business in New York.

More on 1999 later, especially since, combining all this material makes me think my narrative here is going to last a lot more parts…we haven’t even reached Jerusalem yet. I had forgotten I still had this notebook till I was writing about the Golan Heights.

Next time on Israel….we visit the the Memorial at Mitzpe Gadot, the Banias Springs, and Tel Hai. And more…Israel: Then and Now.

“As the smoke subsided, thousands of Galilee settlers, climbed out of their shelters. For the first time in nearly 20 years they could look up at the Golan Heights with pride instead of fear.”

At Mitzpe Gadot there is a tall, triangular concrete monument to commemorate fallen Israeli soldiers of the 33rd Battalion of the Golani Brigade, located at one of the former Syrian bases as well as several subsequent conflicts.

You realize how small Israel actually is when you figure out how close the Lebanon, Syrian, and Jordan borders are. Israel is only slightly larger than New Jersey.

 

After this, we headed to the Banias, a spring associated with the Greek deity Pan. An ancient shrine to Pan was discovered here. I couldn’t learn about it, because in order to listen to the informational message on the shrine of Pan, you had to pay. I cheaped out, so I had to read about it on my phone.

The Banias was captured from the Syrians on my birthday, June 10th, 1967(prior to actual date of birth) from the Syrians, as part of an attempt to secure against the previously mentioned efforts to divert water away from Israel.

 

During this point, we were extremely close to the Syrian border and the Lebanon border…and later on the Jordan border. We were within sight of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, established in 1974. The UNDOF administrated buffer zone is 50 miles long, and 146 square miles, and seems likely to continue indefinitely. The mission has been attacked several times during the recent Syrian Civil War.

Quneitra, a controversial city in Syria, was a distant view away. In the 50s, the population of the city was about 20,000. The city was abandoned by the Syrians, who falsely

broadcast it had been conquered by the Israelis. The Israelis took advantage of the confusion to actually conquer the city. Syria shelled the abandoned city several times during the 1970s. The year after the Yom Kippur War, in 1974, the Israelis agreed to return the city to Syria under the condition it be repopulated as a sign of peaceful intentions between the two nations.

Syria has built a museum to memorialize the city’s destruction. They discourage repopulation of the area and have left it in its destroyed condition.

The final stop of the day was the Tel Hai monument. In 1999, I had stayed at the nearby Tel Hai Youth Hostel on my trip, but I do not have any recollection of visiting the monument.

In 1919, the British relinquished Tel Hai to French jurisdiction. The local Arabs wanted to be part of the new Arab Kingdom of Syria rather than under French rule. Zionists in Tel Hai remained neutral. The area was subject to frequent border readjustments. However, as newcomers they were suspected of being pro-French.

On March 1, 1920, several hundred Shiites attacked Tel Hai. Initially demanding to search the Kibbutz for French soldiers, violence escalated. There is some historical dispute about how things played out. Either the search was a ruse, or a series of misunderstandings escalated into a full conflict which ultimately killed eight Jews and ultimately led to the destruction of the village.

The city of Kiryat Shemonah is named after the eight Jews who died during the Battle of Tel Hai.

This ended Monday.

We’re still not at Jerusalem. Next time on Israel…Part 6: Tiberias, Beit Shean, Beit Alpha, and Gan Hashlosha…before we arrive into Jerusalem.

 

Tuesday, June 9th, 2015

Drive to Tiberias to visit the Rambam’s grave; proceed to Beit Shean, also called “Scythopolis”, the biggest archeological park in Israel with beautiful excavations from the Roman and Byzantine periods. Stop at Beit Alpha to see the beautiful mosaic floor of a synagogue from the Byzantine period. Onto Gan Hashlosha, (Sachne) where you will have an opportunity to enjoy in the water springs located at the foots of the Gilboa mountain, the famous mountain on which King Saul was killed in the battle against the Philistines. Continue via the Jordan Valley to Jerusalem; stop at Mount Scopus for a blessing as you enter the city.

Tuesday morning, we bid a fond farewell to Kibbutz Lavi…home of powdered eggs…but good wifi and headed toward the city of Tiberias. Tiberias dates back to Roman times, and is well known for its hot springs and their alleged healing powers.

Our first stop in the city was the grave of Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, aka Rambam or Maimonides. He was born in 1135, and died in 1204 in Egypt, after which his body was buried in Tiberias. He was well known as not just a Rabbi, but a physician. Maimonides shares a grave with Rabbi Isaih Horowitz and Yochanan ben Zakai.

The tomb is separated, so men and women can pray separately.

I’m not sure what Maimonides might have thought of this. This is a more recent development. I understand that Jews who believe in having a separation of the sexes feel very strongly about this, however, it seems disrespectful to the man’s memory on some level.

They do the same thing at the tomb of King David…or one of them(more on that later).

After this, we got dragged to the Caprice Diamond Exchange in Tiberias, which is not on the official tour list. We were told this was a special treat. I hate to cast aspersions on our tour operators, but I’m assuming the treat was the possibility they might get a kickback. I have little to no interest in shopping for diamonds. Sorry.

Leaving Tiberias, we started to head toward Jerusalem, with some stops along the way. I’m six parts into this story and we haven’t even reached Jerusalem yet, and I am certainly leaving some details out as we go.

We headed toward Beit She’an, at the junction of the Jordan River Valley and the Jezreel Valley. The location made it strategically important, and has been occupied for 8000 years or so. The ruins of the ancient city of Beit She’an are now part of a National Park.

It was hot. I’d like to say I’ve learned a lot about keeping hydrated, but I still think I could stand some improvement in that area. Not sure if I’ll get into travel preparations at any point.

 

The excavations are extensive and impressive, and began in 1921-1923 by the University of Pernnsylvania, who found relics from the Egyptian Period.

Excavations resumed in 1983 by Hebrew University and then again in the 90s. The excavations have revealed no less than 18 ancient towns.

 

After Beit She’an, we proceeded to Beit Alpha. It is a the ruins of a late fifth-century synagogue located near Beit She’an. It was uncovered in 1928 by members of Kibbutz Hefzibah, and was excavated the following year. Additional excavations were made in 1962.

 

 

 

 

 

The mosaics depict the Binding of Isaac, the scene of a synagogue…and quite strangely, the Zodiac. Apparently it was popular at the time, as several other synagogues of the period show zodiac symbols. They showed us a dramatic video of how this might have come to be.

Finally, to close off the day before heading to Jerusalem, we headed to  Gan HaShlosha, which has natural warm water pools for swimming. They seem to make a good amount renting towels though. My father and I took a quick swim here before heading toward Jerusalem.

After this last stop, we headed through the West Bank toward Jerusalem. More on that in Part 7…yes, we finally talk about Jerusalem.

 

 

On the afternoon of Tuesday, June 9th, 2015, we proceeded through the West Bank to Jerusalem.

As we headed toward Mt. Scopus, our guide put on Yerusalayim Shel Zahav, written in 1967. The song was written by Naomi Shemer, commissioned by Mayor Teddy Kollek, and apparently unintentionally inspired by a Basque lullaby. The song was performed for the first time on May 15th, and on June 7th, after the Jordanians retreated, eastern Jerusalem and the Old City was under the control of the IDF. Jews, who had been a presence in the city for many generations, had been forced out of the Old City in 1948 when the Jordanians took over. When Shemer heard that the song was being sung at the Western Wall, she added a verse to the song.

It is said that when Jews were not allowed to enter Jerusalem by the city authorities, they used to come to Mt. Scopus and look at the city. Here, we opened a bottle of grape juice to commemorate the occasion.

We then proceeded to the hotel, the Dan Panorama Jerusalem. Like it’s counterpart in Tel Aviv, this was a middle-of-the-road hotel in a good location, not far from the Old City. We didn’t want a big meal, so we took a walk down to Ben Yehuda Street in search of some American food. It marked the first time I have had a McDonald’s hamburger. There are 180 McDonald’s in Israel, and 50 of them are kosher.  The first opened in 1993, and the first kosher one in 1995.

Wednesday, June 10th, 2015

The tour group was nice enough to remember it was my birthday, and wished me a Happy Birthday. Earlier in the week, at Kibbutz Lavi, another member had a birthday and they’d arranged for everyone to sing. Alas, no group meals this day, therefore this was not an option. But heading to the Old City on my birthday…I suppose that made up for it.

The day started with visiting the Kotel…the Western Wall. On Saturday, June 10, 1967…the last day of the Six Day War, the residents of the Moroccan Quarter were evacuated and the section destroyed to expand the area in front of the Western Wall. While this was a controversial decision, the official reasoning was that the area was a slum, and the Israeli government had compensated the residents and resettled them in better housing conditions. Jews had been barred from the area from 1948-1967, and outbreaks of violence at the wall had been an issue dating back to the 1920s. Jews had, in fact, been trying to buy the area around the wall since 1918 to establish a permanent prayer site.

This is the Western Wall as it appears today. It has changed since coming under Israeli control. On the day we were there, they were preparing for a celebration. A new torah was being presented to the wall.  From what I understand, there is a large ark of torahs at the wall. There was even a group of young schoolchildren practicing a song for the occasion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I could write for many more hours on the  issues regarding the Old City, the Western Wall, the mosque above the wall…but this is a travel report. I’m trying to, while not ignoring the politics of it, not get sucked in that direction too much. Even within the Jewish community, the Wall is administered under Orthodox rules of gender separation and modesty. There are informal volunteers who will chastise those who do not act according to those rules.

A short distance along the wall, provisions have been made for an egalitarian prayer site near Robinson’s arch. It wasn’t until 2013 that a dedicated area was completed with access as all hours, as the original area was within the confines of the Jewish Archaeological Park.

There have been extension excavations around the Western Wall, and the Temple Mount, which have revealed a great deal about the history of the area. We toured the tunnels beneath the Western Wall, which had been relocated from where I recall them being in 1999. The excavations had been connected to the Hasmonean Water Tunnels, ending under the Convent of the Sisters of Zion, where the Sisters would not permit exit, requiring a turnaround. I recall walking through the tunnels and exiting elsewhere in 1999, but this time, we returned to the entrance by the Western Wall. In 1996, Benjamin Netanyahu authorized the creation of an exit leading to the Via Dolorosa, in the Muslim Quarter. This led to multiple riots at the time, and in 1999, the rule was we had to be escorted back by an armed soldier.

The size of the stones both above and below is amazing. All these were hauled into place without modern construction equipment. The newer rebuilt portions at the top date from a later period, and do not demonstrate the massive skill it must have taken to get these into place.

This is the Southwestern corner of the Temple. The stones sticking out on the western side is Robinson’s arch, the support for a massive staircase the once stood here, dating back to the time of Herod the Great. You get a perspective from this angle the proximity to the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, at the top.

The Southern Wall is where you can see the excavation of an enormous flight of steps excavated after 1967, that led, via the Hulda Gates, up to the Temple Mount. A series of Umayyad administration buildings and palaces were uncovered just outsiide, which form the rest of the Archaeological park.

I suppose the Western Wall and its surroundings deserve their own part in this series. This part contained more pictures than previous.

Next time in Part 8…More of the Old City..

After a bit of hiatus, yet another part of this story. Hope the suspense has helped fuel interest.

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

After we left the Western Wall plaza, we ascended a long series of stairs up to the Jewish Quarter, where we stopped for lunch, then headed for the Four Sephardic Synagogues. The synagogues in question are all adjacent. After the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, the synagogues were desecrated and turned into horse stables. Most synagogues in Jerusalem were destroyed or desecrated during the 19 year Jordanian occupation of Jerusalem.

The Four Synagogues are the: Yochanan ben Zakai Synagogue, the Istanbuli Synagogue, the Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue, and the Emtsai(Middle) Synagogue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then headed to the Tomb of King David. The tomb is somewhat questioned as to its authenticity. Many scholars agree that King David was not buried in this location. There has been no scientific analysis on the contents of the tomb. Our guide suggested he had been reinterred here subsequently, but I couldn’t find anyone else mentioning that theory. Either way, the entire complex, which also includes the room where the Last Supper allegedly happened, is administered by Yeshiva University, who offers free access to all. The tomb also doubles as a synagogue.

We also visited the Tower of David…also not associated with David. It is a Citadel that dates to the Mamluk and Ottoman periods. A Herodian era foritification also stood on the same site. You remember Herod, the King who our tour guide repeatedly called a meshugana paranoid. I kept challenging him, pointing out if people actually wanted to kill you, you technically weren’t paranoid. On the other hand, he did execute several members of his immediate family. So, who knows?

It is currently a museum of the 4000 years of the history of Jerusalem. The best part was the view from the top of the Citadel.

 

 

After the day’s activities, we spent a brief time at the hotel pool. It was at the top of the hotel. The water was cold, and no one was in it. The only people around aside from the disinterested lifeguard were two old women reading their Kindles.

After a brief rest, it was time for a birthday celebration. It was my birthday, so my father and I headed down to the lobby, asking for a good light place. This continues the lesson I learned…Don’t trust Israeli hotel concierges.

Following the directions given, we headed down toward the German Colony. We walked a long distance till we finally arrived at the place he recommended….which closed down, according to the sign, 2 weeks earlier. Tired and hungry, we ended up having dinner at a Waffle Factory. I had a birthday waffle with ice cream.

My father valiantly tried to explain to the server that it was my birthday. Considering the other birthday celebrant in the room whom they did acknowledge, I’m chalking it up to a language barrier.

 

 

In our next portion, we visit the New City.

 

It’s finally time to finish this narrative. It’s only taken me six months of procrastination.

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Mount Hertzl National Cemetery is the equivalent of Arlington for the United States. The cemetery contains not only people who sacrificed their lives for the state of Israel, but state leaders. The Presidents and Prime Ministers of Israel, as well as Speakers of the Knesset can be buried here. Teddy Kollek, the mayor of Jerusalem from 1965-1993 is also buried here.

Near the cemetary is Yad Vashem, established in 1953 and contains the Holocaust History Museum, the Children’s Memorial, the Hall of Remembrance, and several other exhibits. My photos at Yad Vashem were limited. Photos are not permitted in several parts of the complex out of respect for the subject.

A new museum was dedicated in 2005 which consists of 10 exhibition halls, and thus the Yad Vashem I had visited in 1999, and my father had visited in the 1970s had been transformed.

It is hard not to be silenced by the weight of the Holocaust. The Children’s Memorial is a tribute to approximately 1.5 million children who perished. Inside an underground cavern, light is reflected into infinity while the names, ages, and country of origin of murdered children are read.

 

The Hall of Names is a room in which the Pages of Testimony…short biographies of each Holocaust victim, are contained. Over two million pages are stored in the room. The ceiling of the room consists of a cone in which 600 photographs showing the diversity of those who were lost reflect into a pool below.

After a long day of touring, we returned to the hotel, ate at a place across the street that we saw, and went to bed for the final touring day

Friday, June 12, 2015

Masada is an ancient fortification built by Herod the Great. Almost all information regarding Masada comes from Roman historian Josephus. Herod himself, from most reports, never spent any length of time at Masada. The fortress is built on a plateau. The cliffs on one side are 1300 feet high, and on the other 300 feet high. The approaches are all rather difficult.

Masada is accessible by cable car as well as two hiking paths…the Snake Trail which is gains 980 feet in elevation over its length, and the Roman Ramp which is less steep. We took the cable car to the top. I have a long discomfort with heights, and I think I have satisfied my desire to see Masada for a long while.

In 73CE, the Romans laid siege to Masada for several months. They constructed an assault ramp, built a giant siege tower with a battering ram, which they ultimately used to breach the walls of the fortress. The Romans employed some 15,000 troops at Masada. To prevent the rebels inside from attacking those building the ramp by throwing stones down at them, the Romans used Jewish prisoners to construct the ramp.

When the Romans finally breached the walls, they found that the 960 inhabitants inside had set all the buildings inside on fire and committed mass suicide. Only two women and five children were left alive. The figure of 960 comes from Josephus, although there have not been that many skeletal remains found. Inside Masada, they have unearthed 28 people, and at a cave at the base of the cliff, another 24. Josephus was not actually at the siege of Masada, and got his information from the accounts of the Roman Commanders, so there is a distinct possibility of inaccuracies.

After Masada, we headed toward lunch and the Dead Sea, with a stop at the Ahava factory. Ahava makes beauty products out of dead sea minerals. We hadn’t done much in terms of purchasing on the trip, but we did purchase some gifts there at a factory discount. I was recently in Costco. They were carrying an Ahava warehouse pack…I could have saved some space in my suitcase.

The Dead Seat is 1407 feet below sea level and is bordered by Jordan and Israel. It is one of the saltiests bodies of water in the World. Because of its density, trying to swim is much more like floating. There is concern about the future of the Dead Sea as in January of 2015, it was reported as dropping by three feet a year.

We accessed the sea via one of the hotels, where we had lunch and where we had access to their locker room and shower facilities, as well as their pool and…of course the sea itself.

 

 

 

 

After our dip was over, we returned to Jerusalem for Shabbat. On Friday night, we attempted to attend services in the hotel, but despite being there at the posted time…no one showed up but us.

Saturday, June 13, 2015

After the lack of services the previous evening, we decided to try the Great Synagogue of Jerusalem, which happened to be a short walk away. The building opened in 1982 and the sanctuary holds 850 men and 550 women. However, we never saw it. When we arrived, we were trying to find services, and wandered into another synagogue that is in the Great Synagogue building, the Heichal Jacob Synagogue, which is a small Sephardic synagogue in the building, and ended up attending that.

It is interesting to me, that despite the differences in tradition even from Sephardic services in the United States I’d attended, I could follow the service after I got used to the accent.  In my experience, a blessing by the Kohanim is only done on holidays, but apparently in this tradition, they do it every Shabbat. At the end of the service, we were asked to smell a plant on the way out.

After services, we had lunch and took a walk, then rested up for the flight home.

The plane arrived later than scheduled on Sunday, and I was at my desk working that afternoon.

Conclusion

Obviously, I did take many more pictures than I showed in this ten part series. They may make a reappearance in future.

As a teaser, coming soon(or someday), I will be adding a trip log of the events of April 10 through April 25, 1999, when I participated in the March of the Living. I had mentioned previously they had ‘encouraged’ us to transcribe the trip and I dug up those notes and the images of same.