Tuesday, January 4, 2011
The day started out cloudy and cool, with prevailing breezes from the west (pretty typical for Jerusalem). This short touring day began at 9 AM with a visit to the Davidson Archaeological Center located inside Jerusalem’s Old City walls, at the southwest corner of the Temple Mount complex. The Center focuses on reconstructing the shape, function, and profile of the Temple Mount as it was in the time before the destruction by Rome in 70 CE.
One facet of the Davidson research center was a unique computer program, created by the Center and archaeologists at UCLA, was an interactive computer model of the Old City and the Temple Mount.
A trained operator/tour guide took us on a virtual tour of the Old City and the Southern Wall areas, which were, in actuality, the original entrances and exits of the Temple Mount precinct. In these walls, which today make up the foundation for the Al-aqsa mosque, you can see the original Herodian arches that allowed people access and egress to the Second Temple.
A partial arch, that you can see here, comes out from the far southern part of the Western Wall, and is called Robinson’s Arch, named after the archaeologist who, in the Nineteenth century, discovered it and theorized about its origins. The arch descends from the top level of the Temple to the street below, where there was a market place and possible location of money changers who would, in Second Temple times, exchange sacrificial animals for money of the pilgrims who would come to Jerusalem on pilgrim festivals (Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot) and not have the ability to bring their own animals for sacrificing.
The tour at the Davidson Center lasted until about 11 AM, at which time the group’s official tours stopped and we had the remainder of the day for walking, meeting, shopping, and relaxing. Some returned to the hotel for packing and sleeping. Others walked throughout the Old and New city of Jerusalem for shopping, bargaining in the Arab shuk, and eating the luscious middle eastern treats.
In the evening, we gathered for a farewell dinner in the hotel dining room. It was a time for reflection on the itinerary, on the exceptional people whom we met, gratitude for our guide Miri. . .
and our driver Dudi. . .
and our tour arranger Ari. . .
Most of all, there were kudos for our travelers who decided that coming to Israel at this (or any) time was worth their time, substance, and energies, and that their dedication to learning about the land and Progressive Judaism there was strong and growing.
Our travelers came on this trip with various motivations. Some came to connect with the land on an emotional level. Others came to learn about its history and its contemporary dynamic. Others were interested to learn about the presence and effect of liberal Judaism in Israel. All of these parts came together in the last few days, as we entered Jerusalem, Israel’s capital, felt the influence of its people and its institutions, and were able – as a group – to speak among ourselves and analyze the situation in which Israel finds herself today.
Each traveler had a different “high point” of their trip, and each traveler will relate differently to the various experiences we had and people we meet. As a group, we hope to maintain this blog as a place where people can offer their insights and their views, and we hope that our love for Israel grows through learning and contact with Jews in Israel.
We thank you for reading this blog and for keeping in touch, and we invite you to comment on these pages by clicking on the appropriate links.
We write this blog from Liberty Newark Airport on the way home from Tel Aviv, and we will post this Wednesday evening January 5. But the effects of Israel on our group will be timeless, and will lead to even greater exposure, discussion, debate, agree- and disagreements, and – we hope – a strengthening of the ties between Jews of Israel and the rest of the Jewish world.
Temple Beth El's Rabbi's Blog
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
The weather in Jerusalem today started out clear and cool, with no cloud in the sky and a light breeze blowing through. We had a later start today – we were on the bus at 8:30 – and drove to the Israeli High Court of Justice, or the Israeli supreme court. The building was designed by Mosheh Safdi, architect of many an Israeli and American project. Each area or passageway has some biblical verse associated with it that concerns the concept of “justice”, thereby keeping nearby at all times the demand for finding justice in every aspect of the work of the law.
Our morning experience was heightened by our speaker Anat Hoffman, former Jerusalem city councilwoman and, now, the director of the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC), sponsored by the Israeli Movement for Progressive Judaism. IRAC has been struggling for equal rights for women, Arabs, secular Israelis and others who encounter difficulties with the separation of religion and government, an area in which there is less justice, perhaps, than there should be.
Anat Hoffman spoke especially passionately about the Women of the Wall, a group of women from all religious movements who simply want to pray at the Western Wall in ways equal to the men who also pray there. Each month, at the New Moon, the Women of the Wall gather to worship and to read Torah, but they are denied the ability to do so because of those in the religious parties who promote inequality in Jewish worship in Israel. According to the Rabbi of the Wall, women are not supposed to be heard, wear kippah or tallit, handle the Torah scroll, or read from it, and the Women of the Wall have been fighting for more than 20 years to win the right to do so. For more information about the Women of the Wall, you can go to www.womenofthewall.com.
From the supreme court, we traveled to the Israeli Holocaust Museum, Yad Vashem. “Yad Vashem” is a Hebrew expression from the bible that relates to a monument of memory. “Yad” literally means “hand”, and “Vashem” literally means “and a name”. This citation relates, in the bible, to monuments of lasting memory, and this is why this institution bears this name. This monument of Janus Korjak memorializes him as a savior of children.
This is more than a museum: It is an archive, and a spiritual experience to relate the individual and collective histories of Holocaust victims and survivors. There are also monuments to the memory of the Righteous Gentiles, to the 1.5 million children who perished in the Holocaust, and to the communities that disappeared from the map before and during World War II.
art of our experience there was participating in a service of memorial in the “Tent of Memory”, a large covered pavilion that serves as the central ceremonial assembly place for Yad Vashem. Led by Rabbi Biatch, each participant/traveler said memorial prayers – the Eil Malei Rachamim – and the Mourner’s Kaddish. But the prayers did not stop there. We also prayed for a better and brighter future.
Directly next door to Yad Vashem is the Mount Herzl and National Cemetery of Israel’s past leaders. Theodore Herzl’s body was interred here after being taken from Austria, and he is venerated as a founding visionary of the Zionist movement. Also buried here are Itzhak and Leah Rabin, Golda Meir, other past Prime Ministers and cabinet ministers, and soldiers from the seven wars that Israel has suffered through. Although perhaps not buried here, we also found a memorial to Hannah Senesh who, along with six other parachutists, returned to their native lands during World War II to try to infiltrate the Nazi regime and find information that would be helpful to the Allies.
We then traveled back to the hotel via the Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo, a complex that borders on the Arab town of Beit Jala. About ten years ago, residents of Gilo suffered through armed snipers from Beit Jala, and a wall was erected to protect the town’s residents. Only in the last few weeks have the walls begun to come down, a sign that the tension is eased and the hope for the end of violence was being fulfilled.
We also saw the affects of the separation wall on the landscape of Jerusalem. The wall snakes around Arab towns and protects Jerusalem’s residents. But the affects of the Wall’s presence have been to cut off natural neighborhoods from one another, and Arab land owners from their arable land. The route of the Wall is constantly changing in certain places, to accommodate the changing needs of the Jews and Arabs who naturally live so close to one another.
Our last stop was back at our hotel, where we heard from Rabbi Rich Kirschen, the new director of the Reform movement’s National Federation of Temple Youth’s Israel program division. He spoke about the experiences of a young American Rabbi immigrant to Israel – and his family – while becoming absorbed into Israeli society. He also spoke of the need for building many more bridges between Israeli and North American Jewry, a hope we heard expressed from a number of speakers. Many of us share that hope!
The day ended at 6 PM, and folks had a very relaxed supper.
The weather in Jerusalem today started out clear and cool, with no cloud in the sky and a light breeze blowing through. We had a later start today – we were on the bus at 8:30 – and drove to the Israeli High Court of Justice, or the Israeli supreme court. The building was designed by Mosheh Safdi, architect of many an Israeli and American project. Each area or passageway has some biblical verse associated with it that concerns the concept of “justice”, thereby keeping nearby at all times the demand for finding justice in every aspect of the work of the law.
Our morning experience was heightened by our speaker Anat Hoffman, former Jerusalem city councilwoman and, now, the director of the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC), sponsored by the Israeli Movement for Progressive Judaism. IRAC has been struggling for equal rights for women, Arabs, secular Israelis and others who encounter difficulties with the separation of religion and government, an area in which there is less justice, perhaps, than there should be.
Anat Hoffman spoke especially passionately about the Women of the Wall, a group of women from all religious movements who simply want to pray at the Western Wall in ways equal to the men who also pray there. Each month, at the New Moon, the Women of the Wall gather to worship and to read Torah, but they are denied the ability to do so because of those in the religious parties who promote inequality in Jewish worship in Israel. According to the Rabbi of the Wall, women are not supposed to be heard, wear kippah or tallit, handle the Torah scroll, or read from it, and the Women of the Wall have been fighting for more than 20 years to win the right to do so. For more information about the Women of the Wall, you can go to www.womenofthewall.com.
From the supreme court, we traveled to the Israeli Holocaust Museum, Yad Vashem. “Yad Vashem” is a Hebrew expression from the bible that relates to a monument of memory. “Yad” literally means “hand”, and “Vashem” literally means “and a name”. This citation relates, in the bible, to monuments of lasting memory, and this is why this institution bears this name. This monument of Janus Korjak memorializes him as a savior of children.
This is more than a museum: It is an archive, and a spiritual experience to relate the individual and collective histories of Holocaust victims and survivors. There are also monuments to the memory of the Righteous Gentiles, to the 1.5 million children who perished in the Holocaust, and to the communities that disappeared from the map before and during World War II.
art of our experience there was participating in a service of memorial in the “Tent of Memory”, a large covered pavilion that serves as the central ceremonial assembly place for Yad Vashem. Led by Rabbi Biatch, each participant/traveler said memorial prayers – the Eil Malei Rachamim – and the Mourner’s Kaddish. But the prayers did not stop there. We also prayed for a better and brighter future.
Directly next door to Yad Vashem is the Mount Herzl and National Cemetery of Israel’s past leaders. Theodore Herzl’s body was interred here after being taken from Austria, and he is venerated as a founding visionary of the Zionist movement. Also buried here are Itzhak and Leah Rabin, Golda Meir, other past Prime Ministers and cabinet ministers, and soldiers from the seven wars that Israel has suffered through. Although perhaps not buried here, we also found a memorial to Hannah Senesh who, along with six other parachutists, returned to their native lands during World War II to try to infiltrate the Nazi regime and find information that would be helpful to the Allies.
We then traveled back to the hotel via the Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo, a complex that borders on the Arab town of Beit Jala. About ten years ago, residents of Gilo suffered through armed snipers from Beit Jala, and a wall was erected to protect the town’s residents. Only in the last few weeks have the walls begun to come down, a sign that the tension is eased and the hope for the end of violence was being fulfilled.
We also saw the affects of the separation wall on the landscape of Jerusalem. The wall snakes around Arab towns and protects Jerusalem’s residents. But the affects of the Wall’s presence have been to cut off natural neighborhoods from one another, and Arab land owners from their arable land. The route of the Wall is constantly changing in certain places, to accommodate the changing needs of the Jews and Arabs who naturally live so close to one another.
Our last stop was back at our hotel, where we heard from Rabbi Rich Kirschen, the new director of the Reform movement’s National Federation of Temple Youth’s Israel program division. He spoke about the experiences of a young American Rabbi immigrant to Israel – and his family – while becoming absorbed into Israeli society. He also spoke of the need for building many more bridges between Israeli and North American Jewry, a hope we heard expressed from a number of speakers. Many of us share that hope!
The day ended at 6 PM, and folks had a very relaxed supper.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Sunday January 2, 2011
This day began very early, with a 7 AM departure. We found out at breakfast that the Badgers had lost a very exciting Rose Bowl game in a 21-19 defeat, but still we knew that our town was proud of the home team.
Our first stop today was the plaza in front of the Western Wall of the ancient Jerusalem Temple, and Miri described the importance of the site and where it is today with the separation of the sexes, and the prohibition of the Orthodox of women’s minyans. We took time to approach the Wall, some placing notes in the wall’s huge Herodian stones, others criticizing the rule of the Orthodox in the place.
Then we entered the tunnels that were excavated along the western face of the Temple Precinct that extend in a northerly direction from the current Western Wall plaza. Each year more and more levels of the complex of staircases and passageways are uncovered by the archaeologists, and in each successive visit, we see that the wall of the Temple now extends to the Maccabean street level.
One facet of the tunnel is that it passes a place in the Wall that is directly west from the supposed site of the Holy of Holies, and now both women and men have found places to pray within the tunnel and along its pathway. The shrines are numerous, and the religious fervor is palpable.
The tunnels extend into the Muslim quarter of the Old City, and from our exit point, we walked through the Muslim, then Jewish, then Christian quarters up to the Jaffa Gate of the Old City.
We caught our bus to the newly refurbished Israel Museum (it was closed for a three-year renovation project, and just recently re-opened). We viewed a model of the city of Jerusalem in Second Temple times, with its Temple, residences of the Priests, and palace. We also viewed as a group the Shrine of the Book, the current location of some of the Dead Sea Scrolls. (Others are kept in the Rockefeller Museum in East Jerusalem.)
We then took a few hours to guide ourselves through the museum, with its emphases on modern art and artists, archaeology of the land of Israel, and its historical and anthropological exhibits.
After lunch and purchasing at the museum shop, we traveled the short distance to the Knesset building. (The government does not permit cameras to be brought into the Knesset today, so we have no photos of it.) The Knesset is the seat of the Israeli government, and as a group we toured its reception hall (with large tapestries by Marc Chagall) and floor and wall mosaics also by Chagall, and also had the chance to sit in the gallery of the Plenum Hall where the Knesset members sit and deliberate the laws and policy.
Our final stop today was at the headquarters of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, and we had a conversation with Gil’ad Kariv, that organization’s executive director. He stressed to us the need for both democracy and religious values in Israel, and in close ties between the Israeli and North American Jewish communities. After a question by a group member, he said that he believed that the word “Diaspora” had outlived its usefulness, and that there needs to be a people-wide re-evaluation of the relationship between these two great Jewish bodies in today’s world Jewish community.
We then walked the few blocks back to the hotel, taking in – on the way – the campus of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion’s Jerusalem campus, built in 1964 on no-man’s land on the Israeli-Jordanian border, and today sits on one of the most expensive and desired places in the city.
We ended our day at about 4:30, and there’s more tomorrow. Lailah tov - Hebrew for "good night!"
This day began very early, with a 7 AM departure. We found out at breakfast that the Badgers had lost a very exciting Rose Bowl game in a 21-19 defeat, but still we knew that our town was proud of the home team.
Our first stop today was the plaza in front of the Western Wall of the ancient Jerusalem Temple, and Miri described the importance of the site and where it is today with the separation of the sexes, and the prohibition of the Orthodox of women’s minyans. We took time to approach the Wall, some placing notes in the wall’s huge Herodian stones, others criticizing the rule of the Orthodox in the place.
Then we entered the tunnels that were excavated along the western face of the Temple Precinct that extend in a northerly direction from the current Western Wall plaza. Each year more and more levels of the complex of staircases and passageways are uncovered by the archaeologists, and in each successive visit, we see that the wall of the Temple now extends to the Maccabean street level.
One facet of the tunnel is that it passes a place in the Wall that is directly west from the supposed site of the Holy of Holies, and now both women and men have found places to pray within the tunnel and along its pathway. The shrines are numerous, and the religious fervor is palpable.
The tunnels extend into the Muslim quarter of the Old City, and from our exit point, we walked through the Muslim, then Jewish, then Christian quarters up to the Jaffa Gate of the Old City.
We caught our bus to the newly refurbished Israel Museum (it was closed for a three-year renovation project, and just recently re-opened). We viewed a model of the city of Jerusalem in Second Temple times, with its Temple, residences of the Priests, and palace. We also viewed as a group the Shrine of the Book, the current location of some of the Dead Sea Scrolls. (Others are kept in the Rockefeller Museum in East Jerusalem.)
We then took a few hours to guide ourselves through the museum, with its emphases on modern art and artists, archaeology of the land of Israel, and its historical and anthropological exhibits.
After lunch and purchasing at the museum shop, we traveled the short distance to the Knesset building. (The government does not permit cameras to be brought into the Knesset today, so we have no photos of it.) The Knesset is the seat of the Israeli government, and as a group we toured its reception hall (with large tapestries by Marc Chagall) and floor and wall mosaics also by Chagall, and also had the chance to sit in the gallery of the Plenum Hall where the Knesset members sit and deliberate the laws and policy.
Our final stop today was at the headquarters of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, and we had a conversation with Gil’ad Kariv, that organization’s executive director. He stressed to us the need for both democracy and religious values in Israel, and in close ties between the Israeli and North American Jewish communities. After a question by a group member, he said that he believed that the word “Diaspora” had outlived its usefulness, and that there needs to be a people-wide re-evaluation of the relationship between these two great Jewish bodies in today’s world Jewish community.
We then walked the few blocks back to the hotel, taking in – on the way – the campus of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion’s Jerusalem campus, built in 1964 on no-man’s land on the Israeli-Jordanian border, and today sits on one of the most expensive and desired places in the city.
We ended our day at about 4:30, and there’s more tomorrow. Lailah tov - Hebrew for "good night!"
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Day 6 of Touring - the Beginnings of Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, and Masada
Saturday January 1, 2011
Our Shabbat day activities began after a night of violent rainstorms that buffeted our worship at Kehilat Tzur Hadassah, but the rains ended, and we began with a view of the Old City of Jerusalem from the east (with the sun on our back). Miri provided a historical and archaeological orientation to the city walls and its precincts, but the view was quite spectacular.
Our trip then turned east and south, toward the Dead Sea Valley. Our first encounter was a drive through the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, where we saw ibex and hyraxes, as you see here:
These animals were simply walking near the roadway of the park, and seemed to have no fear of our bus or human contact.
Our next stop was the mountain of Masada, where beginning in the year 70 CE, more than 900 zealots defied the Roman siege for more than three years before the Roman army overtook the fortress. The Romans wanted to take the mountaintop because it was in the way of a prime trade route between Africa and Asia; for the Jews, it became a matter of survival of the religion and the people, to retain a hold on this place.
There are remnants of the three palaces that King Herod built in the century before Masada’s fall, as well as bath houses, food and water storage, worship, and the like.
From Masada, we traveled to Mineral Beach on the Dead Sea (a facility run by Kibbutz Ein Gedi and the Ahavah Company), and we all took a “float” in the Dead Sea. We also slathered mud on ourselves, took a dip in the sulfur mineral bath, and had a very relaxing and fun-filled time.
The day ended with us all returning to the hotel in Jerusalem tired but very satisfied. The weather in Jerusalem was mild – in the 40’s.
Good night, and be well!
Our Shabbat day activities began after a night of violent rainstorms that buffeted our worship at Kehilat Tzur Hadassah, but the rains ended, and we began with a view of the Old City of Jerusalem from the east (with the sun on our back). Miri provided a historical and archaeological orientation to the city walls and its precincts, but the view was quite spectacular.
Our trip then turned east and south, toward the Dead Sea Valley. Our first encounter was a drive through the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, where we saw ibex and hyraxes, as you see here:
These animals were simply walking near the roadway of the park, and seemed to have no fear of our bus or human contact.
Our next stop was the mountain of Masada, where beginning in the year 70 CE, more than 900 zealots defied the Roman siege for more than three years before the Roman army overtook the fortress. The Romans wanted to take the mountaintop because it was in the way of a prime trade route between Africa and Asia; for the Jews, it became a matter of survival of the religion and the people, to retain a hold on this place.
There are remnants of the three palaces that King Herod built in the century before Masada’s fall, as well as bath houses, food and water storage, worship, and the like.
From Masada, we traveled to Mineral Beach on the Dead Sea (a facility run by Kibbutz Ein Gedi and the Ahavah Company), and we all took a “float” in the Dead Sea. We also slathered mud on ourselves, took a dip in the sulfur mineral bath, and had a very relaxing and fun-filled time.
The day ended with us all returning to the hotel in Jerusalem tired but very satisfied. The weather in Jerusalem was mild – in the 40’s.
Good night, and be well!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Day 5 of Touring – the trip from the North to Jerusalem
December 31, 2010
The day dawned cloudy, and it eventually rained as we ascended to Jerusalem. But still our spirits were high as we continued our tour, and prepared to drive from Kibbutz Lavi to the Holy City.
Our first stop was to pay homage to the ideologues of the Zionist movement, those who published and debated, inspired people and fed an idea for the establishment of a Jewish state. This happened at a cemetery near Degania, the first kibbutz of the land, just south of the southern tip of Lake Kinneret. Mosheh Hess and Berel Katznelson were just two of the early philosophers of the Zionist movement buried here, as well as the poet Rachel and singer-song writer Naomi Shemer. The cloudy weather combined with our purposes made it a somewhat somber moment for us, and our youngest traveler reminded us that we were to bring stones to place on people’s graves to mark our presence.
There even was an audio system that played continuously the songs of Naomi Shemer.
We then drove south through Beit Shean, one of the ten Roman cities in the early part of the First Millennium, to the Kibbutz of Heftzibah, where the synagogue of Beit Alpha is located. There is a 4th century synagogue here that has a very famous mosaic tile floor depicting biblical scenes, flora and fauna of Israel, a zodiac design including all of the constellations of the annual cycle, and depiction of the sun god Helios riding astride four horses. This floor, uncovered by early settlers in the 1920’s, remains one of the wonders of the land of Israel as it contains so many unusual symbols of various cultures.
It is a fairly long ride from Beit Alpha synagogue to Jerusalem, so we stopped at a wayside/truck stop in Jericho – the site of the ancient and modern city – where some of us rode a camel, for fun and the benefit of the cameras!
After arriving into Jerusalem, we went through the open air market of Machaneh Yehudah, where we pushed through the pre-Shabbat crowds. They were buying Shabbat foods, and we were searching for a great falafel. All found what they were looking for.
We checked in to our hotel, and by 5 PM we were on our way to Kehilat Tzur Hadassah, our sister congregation, where we worshiped with the community and had dinner afterward at congregant member homes. We returned back to the hotel fairly late, and prepared for our day in the Dead Sea and Masada on Saturday.
Shabbat Shalom to everyone!
The day dawned cloudy, and it eventually rained as we ascended to Jerusalem. But still our spirits were high as we continued our tour, and prepared to drive from Kibbutz Lavi to the Holy City.
Our first stop was to pay homage to the ideologues of the Zionist movement, those who published and debated, inspired people and fed an idea for the establishment of a Jewish state. This happened at a cemetery near Degania, the first kibbutz of the land, just south of the southern tip of Lake Kinneret. Mosheh Hess and Berel Katznelson were just two of the early philosophers of the Zionist movement buried here, as well as the poet Rachel and singer-song writer Naomi Shemer. The cloudy weather combined with our purposes made it a somewhat somber moment for us, and our youngest traveler reminded us that we were to bring stones to place on people’s graves to mark our presence.
There even was an audio system that played continuously the songs of Naomi Shemer.
We then drove south through Beit Shean, one of the ten Roman cities in the early part of the First Millennium, to the Kibbutz of Heftzibah, where the synagogue of Beit Alpha is located. There is a 4th century synagogue here that has a very famous mosaic tile floor depicting biblical scenes, flora and fauna of Israel, a zodiac design including all of the constellations of the annual cycle, and depiction of the sun god Helios riding astride four horses. This floor, uncovered by early settlers in the 1920’s, remains one of the wonders of the land of Israel as it contains so many unusual symbols of various cultures.
It is a fairly long ride from Beit Alpha synagogue to Jerusalem, so we stopped at a wayside/truck stop in Jericho – the site of the ancient and modern city – where some of us rode a camel, for fun and the benefit of the cameras!
After arriving into Jerusalem, we went through the open air market of Machaneh Yehudah, where we pushed through the pre-Shabbat crowds. They were buying Shabbat foods, and we were searching for a great falafel. All found what they were looking for.
We checked in to our hotel, and by 5 PM we were on our way to Kehilat Tzur Hadassah, our sister congregation, where we worshiped with the community and had dinner afterward at congregant member homes. We returned back to the hotel fairly late, and prepared for our day in the Dead Sea and Masada on Saturday.
Shabbat Shalom to everyone!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Day 4 of Touring – the North, the Golan, and the Syrian Border
Early this morning we left the kibbutz hotel and traveled to the town of Tz’fat. There are a number of ways to reference this town of 12,000, meaning that in Hebrew, Tz’fat is the spelling, where in (British?) English the spelling is Safed (and pronounced SAH-fed). In any event, this is the location where the Kabalah, or the Jewish mystical tradition, began to grow and flourish in the 15th century under the leadership of The Ari, or Rabbi Isaac Luria. (“Ari” is the pronunciation of the Hebrew acronym of Rabbi Isaac’s title, Elo-ki Rabbi Yitzchak,or the “Godly Rabbi Isaac”. According to some, no other Jewish sage ever had this extra letter aleph, an abbreviation prefacing his name. This was a sign of the esteem in which his contemporaries held him.
We began our Tz’fat visit with a lecture on the art of David Friedman, a former Coloradoan who made aliyah in 1972.
His is unique art of the Kabalah, and he explained his art and philosophy, and his connection and inspiration to the mystic tradition. Our travelers obliged our host by purchasing cards, prints, and other items relating to his art.
We then walked a bit to the Ari synagogue made famous by Rabbi Isaac’s presence. One look at this Ashkenazic synagogue will tell you that the influence of the Sefardic culture runs deep in this mystical tradition where all things are really “one”. It had a central bimah that was elevated about eight feet off the floor, all worshipers facing south (the direction of Jerusalem from the town of Tz’fat) and a curtained women’s section that was on the second story of the sanctuary.
Adjacent to the Ari synagogue is the retail outlet of Tz’fat Candles (We sell these in our Sisterhood gift shop!), and our group spent time there buying candles and looking at the specialty candles and one-of-a-kind “art candles” that were on display.
Following our visit to the Ari Synagogue and Tz’fat Candles, we walked to the Abuhav Synagogue, the home of the Sefardic tradition in Kabalah. A Bar Mitzvah was taking place there, and when we entered, we were able to enter and see the beautiful and ornate decorations, including the ceiling of the room, and it’s elevated bimah ornate ceiling paintings.
Then our guide suggested that we walk around to see the various shops and sites in the old city of Tz’fat, including the many artisans who have made their living and their fortunes in the town. One of our travelers found a store selling halva. Aren't these beautiful!
We actually spent almost twice as much time in Tz’fat as we had on our schedule, so we left much later than anticipated. We traversed the north-central portion of the Galillee, crossed the Jordan River at a place north of the Sea of Galilee which was the border between Israel Syria before the 1967 Six-Day War. We stopped for lunch at a nice sandwich shop in the modern town of Katzrin, on the Golan Heights, and then proceeded to the ancient “Talmudic city of Katzrin”. In a park in town, we saw the ruins of a 4th or 5th Jewish century house, which had been restored and set up as an example of talmudic-era life. Below you can see a grindstone, a kitchen, plus views of the settlement's synagogue: its doorway, and an ancient inscription of a 13 (?) branched menorah.
We then boarded the bus for the 40-55 minute ride to the easternmost point in the Golan Heights, which abuts the Syrian border. From our viewpoint, we were able to view the deserted Syrian town of Kuneitra, and the United Nations outpost next door.
Above the viewpoint was Har Ben Tal, an Israeli outpost that helps in the monitoring situation of the Syrians as they live life on a very active border.
This was the end of our day today, and we returned to the hotel tired but happy and satisfied.
We began our Tz’fat visit with a lecture on the art of David Friedman, a former Coloradoan who made aliyah in 1972.
His is unique art of the Kabalah, and he explained his art and philosophy, and his connection and inspiration to the mystic tradition. Our travelers obliged our host by purchasing cards, prints, and other items relating to his art.
We then walked a bit to the Ari synagogue made famous by Rabbi Isaac’s presence. One look at this Ashkenazic synagogue will tell you that the influence of the Sefardic culture runs deep in this mystical tradition where all things are really “one”. It had a central bimah that was elevated about eight feet off the floor, all worshipers facing south (the direction of Jerusalem from the town of Tz’fat) and a curtained women’s section that was on the second story of the sanctuary.
Adjacent to the Ari synagogue is the retail outlet of Tz’fat Candles (We sell these in our Sisterhood gift shop!), and our group spent time there buying candles and looking at the specialty candles and one-of-a-kind “art candles” that were on display.
Following our visit to the Ari Synagogue and Tz’fat Candles, we walked to the Abuhav Synagogue, the home of the Sefardic tradition in Kabalah. A Bar Mitzvah was taking place there, and when we entered, we were able to enter and see the beautiful and ornate decorations, including the ceiling of the room, and it’s elevated bimah ornate ceiling paintings.
Then our guide suggested that we walk around to see the various shops and sites in the old city of Tz’fat, including the many artisans who have made their living and their fortunes in the town. One of our travelers found a store selling halva. Aren't these beautiful!
We actually spent almost twice as much time in Tz’fat as we had on our schedule, so we left much later than anticipated. We traversed the north-central portion of the Galillee, crossed the Jordan River at a place north of the Sea of Galilee which was the border between Israel Syria before the 1967 Six-Day War. We stopped for lunch at a nice sandwich shop in the modern town of Katzrin, on the Golan Heights, and then proceeded to the ancient “Talmudic city of Katzrin”. In a park in town, we saw the ruins of a 4th or 5th Jewish century house, which had been restored and set up as an example of talmudic-era life. Below you can see a grindstone, a kitchen, plus views of the settlement's synagogue: its doorway, and an ancient inscription of a 13 (?) branched menorah.
We then boarded the bus for the 40-55 minute ride to the easternmost point in the Golan Heights, which abuts the Syrian border. From our viewpoint, we were able to view the deserted Syrian town of Kuneitra, and the United Nations outpost next door.
Above the viewpoint was Har Ben Tal, an Israeli outpost that helps in the monitoring situation of the Syrians as they live life on a very active border.
This was the end of our day today, and we returned to the hotel tired but happy and satisfied.
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