l'hit'ra-ot...until next time!

How crazy is it that we woke up in Jerusalem yesterday, spent the day in Tel Aviv and Jaffa, flew from Tel Aviv to New York…and then onto Boston? 

Yesterday, we checked out of the hotel and took the bus to the site of the Knesset -- the Israeli Parliament. We compared and contrasted the Knesset to our US Capitol Hill…but the differences were striking.  First, the Knesset is located in the hills of Jerusalem and surrounding by magnificent gardens and a park. While nothing was open because it was Shabbat, we talked about the beginning of the State and returned again to Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion, to discuss how the Israeli democracy works. We discussed how difficult it is Israel to put together a government because of the many political parties that exist and the ever-changing landscape of things in the region. We saw the famous menorah that stands outside of the Knesset that reminds everyone that Israel is a Jewish state, based on the values and customs of Judaism. 

From Jerusalem, we took the famous road to Tel Aviv -- lined with tanks that had been destroyed on the way, and did not make it to Jerusalem during the War for Independence in 1948. The tanks are a living memorial of those who fought for the State of Israel against the British in 1948, and then faced legions of Arabs who attacked from all sides after independence was ultimately declared. We arrived in the big city of Tel Aviv -- where, as opposed to Jerusalem -- most stores and restaurants are open on Shabbat. Big buildings, five-star restaurants, clubs, shopping, beach-side hotels…Tel Aviv is a major city filled with people in their twenties and thirties. We walked the streets of Tel Aviv -- down to the beach, toured the first German neighborhoods built in Tel Aviv, and stood outside Independence Hall where David Ben Gurion declared Israel's independence in May 1948. We walked the famous Tel Aviv streets --- Dizengoff and Rothschild -- with their beautiful tree-lined avenues and beautiful homes in the Bauhaus style of architecture. 

Then, we took a short ride to see where Tel Aviv originated -- in the ancient port of Jaffa, just a few minutes drive from Tel Aviv.  Jaffa is a 7,000 year-old port, going back to Egyptian times. We talked about the Egyptians, the Phoenicians and Greek mythology with respect to Jaffa. The ancient city of Jaffa, adjacent to the port, is now residential as well as home to some of the finest artists and craftspeople in all of Israel. We walked the winding streets and peered over the tops of houses and studios to see the magnificent sea. We stood in a place in which Jaffa was behind us and Tel Aviv straight in front of us -- which really encapsulated our entire 10-day experience in Israel: a constant juxtaposition of ancient and modern within a very small geographic area. We headed back to Tel Aviv for our final dinner with our Puzzle Israel friends, Nir, Guy and Shachar, some hugs and goodbyes…and then we were off to the airport. 

It is always tough to leave Israel. But I have learned that we never really "leave"…we say in Hebrew -- "l'hit'ra-ot -- meaning, "until next time." But never goodbye. Israel always beckons us back again: to see more sites, visit new archaeological digs, explore the modern city as it grows and changes, hike more beautiful trails, eat more fabulous food. We are all tired but satisfied…a good kind of tired that I always associate with coming home from Israel. It is a special type of exhaustion and exhilaration: from a lot of fresh air and sun, from new experiences, moving and touching moments, lots of laughs, and the knowledge that we have left our imprint on the country and that it has most certainly changed us in the process.

It was a terrific experience to see Israel with our Grade 10 students again this year.  Rabbi Joe Eiduson and I want to thank everyone for being such great travelers -- for being patient, energetic, passionate and open-minded. We loved being with each and every one of you, our students, and we look forward to sharing our stories with our TBA congregational family.

Best,

Rabbis Lisa and Joseph Eiduson

A Very Busy Thursday and Friday in Jerusalem

We have had a wonderful time in Jerusalem, where the weather was like summer!  We left off on Thursday morning when we awoke to the brilliant sunshine in Jerusalem and headed from our hotel to YadVashem.  Because there are no pictures permitted in Yad Vashem, you will have to talk to the students about the experience…it was amazing and quite moving.  The fact that we had a phenomenal guide (the best I have ever had at Yad Vashem) made it an absolutely "perfect" experience - if one can call Yad Vashem "perfect."  It was difficult, but we learned a lot and came away more sensitive to issues surrounding the Holocaust, Jewish identity, and the birth of the State of Israel. We also had the opportunity to compare Yad Vashem to the US Memorial Holocaust Museum in Washington DC which many of us visited together as part of a TBA Grade 8 trip a couple of years ago.

Matt and Daniel each spoke about Yad Vashem and they will share the guest blog for Yad Vashem:

Matthew:  "Yad Vashem is so different than the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. It was a beautiful museum and actually had a lot more to teach about pre-World War II history than I remember from Washington. It was absolutely eye-opening to visit Yad Vashem because there was so much more detail and pictures from the labor camps and the concentration camps. We had an awesome tour guide who spoke English (she is from Canada!) and who explained everything very well for us.  The stories were so interesting.”

Daniel:  "I feel as if the visit to Yad Vashem connected me even more with Israel. It is not only a museum about the past; it is also very future-focused.  While the State of Israel does not justify the Holocaust, I can see the connection between the two events now. The children's exhibit was excellent and different than anything I have seen before. It is set up in a way that causes people to think about not just about the actual children who died in the Holocaust, but how much of the future was also killed with those children. They lost their lives…and with them, the future was lost."

From Yad Vashem -- where 3 hours flew by -- we went to Machaneh Yehudah, the Jewish market -- for some food and fun! We had a great time looking at everything and everyone -- and the hustle and crowds of the market. Nir and Guy divided us into 2 teams, and each team had a list of ingredients written in Hebrew.  We found out that we were going to do a scavenger hunt, and our assignment was to get all of the ingredients on our list so that we could make a fabulous lunch for ourselves.  It was great!  So much fun!  

When we had everything we needed for lunch, we headed back toward the center of Jerusalem so that we could cook lunch.  We did so in this really cool hostel that serves an international population of mostly people in their twenties.  They have a "guest kitchen" in the youth hostel, and we made a fantastic lunch!  We made a dish called "Shakshuka" which is a breakfast dish with eggs and tomatoes and onions.  We also had meat-stuffed eggplant, salad, and baked pears with chocolate sauce!  

Then we went back to the hotel for a bit of a rest. We met in the early evening for a fantastic time shopping, eating, and watching people on Ben Yehudah Street - the outdoor shopping area in Jerusalem that is a street without any cars and is known for great cafes, felafel, all kinds of jewelry stores, restaurants and STUFF! Thursday night was the night that some of the students met up with family members and friends…and we saw Carly Meisel who is studying in Jerusalem for a semester.  It was terrific to see her so happy in Jerusalem.  

We walked back to the hotel and were so tired…we were looking forward to a good night's sleep.  

Friday, we spent an absolutely fantastic full day in the Old City of Jerusalem.  We entered through the Jaffa Gate, and led by Shachar, wandered through the winding streets of the Old City.  It was so beautiful there -- and so hard to believe that there is so much contention on a daily basis, because to us it seemed peaceful. We made an excellent visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre -- one of the holiest sites for Christians -- said to be the place where Jesus was resurrected.  We saw Christian pilgrims from all over the world -- visiting the Church and seeing all of the important places that Jesus walked in Jerusalem. We stopped for a break at a gorgeous Austrian hostel that was originally a hospice for Austrian royalty.  We sat in the gardens and had something cold to drink because it was very hot and very dry in Jerusalem. After walking through the Christian part of the Arab market (the "shuk") and the Moslem part of the Old City, we finally arrived in the Jewish Quarter where people were hurrying around preparing for Shabbat.  We went to the ancient Roman street in the Jewish Quarter called the Cardo, and did some shopping in the galleries and artists' studios. We then took a short walk with our eyes closed…and were led to the most beautiful view of the Western Wall (the Kotel) -- surrounded by the golden Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque.  It look exactly like the postcards!  We took a slow walk down to the Wall….where it was relatively quiet and not so crowded.  As always, it was a memorable experience.  We put notes in the Wall -- and said some prayers -- together and separately.  

Julius commented on the experience he had at the Wall:  "It was a very personal and very intimate experience for me at the Western Wall.  I wrote a note, but not really about myself.  I actually wrote a note and prayed for the well-being and peace of everyone, not just myself.  I felt like that there was something at that moment that was greater than me…and I was aware that I was at a very special place.

At the Western Wall, everyone chose their own "stone" in the Wall….so that when we come back again, everyone can go back to his or her "stone" -- and think about the progression of life.  I find that is the best way to feel a sense of "ownership" over such a big and ancient and historic place.  We talked about finding one's own "zone" -- for just a few moments…finding a place in the chain of Jewish tradition and history that is ours and ours alone.  Everyone came back feeling energized and happy that we shared the experience together. 

Dinner in Jerusalem was excellent! The students went out to dinner with Guy and Nir and Shachar…and Rabbi Joe and I were sent out to dinner at a fabulous Jerusalem restaurant -- a gift from Puzzle Israel.  We all compared our dinner notes when we returned to the hotel and were looking forward to a good night's sleep because Saturday would be a long day prior to our departure.

Majestic Masada

Evan Kaster is our Guest Blogger for Wednesday! It was a very, very long day…so we thank Evan for taking on the responsibility!

We woke up at 4 a.m. in the Bedouin tent on Wednesday morning. We got almost no sleep the night before in the tent!  After having some hot tea at about 4:30 a.m., we got on the bus and took a 15 minute bus ride to the bottom of Masada. Along the way we saw a 250-member male infantry unit from the IDF doing an exercise that was very important, and part of what every unit does at the end of their basic training. They call it a "raid." We learned that it started at 5:00 p.m. the day before.  This raid had them walking 70 kilometers and completing the raid at Masada! Altogether, it was a 14 hour walk through the desert! When we saw them, they were on their last few kilometers. We learned that if there were to be a war, this unit would be permitted to fight because they finished the most difficult raid. They had face paint on (just like we did the night before!) to camouflage themselves in the dark and carried their guns and equipment with them for the 14 hour walk.  Their equipment included tents, water, and stretchers.

Our own climb up Masada took less than 7 minutes. Our guides said we were really, really fast! We went up what is known as the Roman Ramp. When we got to the top, it was still dark.  We proceeded to the highest point on Masada, an ancient watchtower, to wait for the sun to rise. It was kind of chilly and a little windy, but the sky was clear and we looked down at the Dead Sea below us. Soon, the sky was a red-orange-pink color and the sun came up slowly over the Dead Sea. On Masada, we had a little ceremony and we each got a puzzle Israel shirt from Nir, Guy and Shachar. We then toured all over the mountain top. By this time, it was about 7:00 a.m.  Some of the sites we took in were: possibly the oldest synagogue in the world, the Roman bath house, Herod's palace and the Roman food storehouses. The IDF soldiers that we had seen on the road were just making their final steps to the top of Masada at the end of their challenge raid.  They were greeted by their families, friends, and members of the IDF for a little ceremony and celebration. They looked tired but were happy and looked as if they had a real feeling of accomplishment. They talked to us and told us about their long trip. We met a few non-Israeli soldiers (from Canada and South Africa) who are "lone soldiers" which means that they came without their families to serve in the IDF. I have been to Masada a couple of times before, but seeing the IDF ceremony was really amazing and made me think about life in Israel.  It helped to connect me in a much different way.

We took the cable car down Masada to a lower level and had breakfast. Then we went to Nahal David which is in the Ein Geri reserve. It was really hot (it felt like 2000 degrees!!!). We enjoyed a nice walk with a waterfall in the middle of the desert. There were little animals there that we learned are related to elephants. Nir, Guy and Shachar told us stories next to the waterfall and we came back to the bus. Then, we went to the Dead Sea for some relaxation. We went down to the water and put mud on ourselves. We swam in the Dead Sea. It was soooo salty. We floated in the water which felt really thick and heavy. We couldn't stand up in the water at all. We had lunch there, and stopped to ride camels, and then continued toward Jerusalem.

We arrived at our hotel in Jerusalem which is really in the middle of the city! After much needed showers and a little rest, we met for a great dinner in Jerusalem. We then took a 30 minute walk all the way to Mamilla for a little shopping and we took a peek at the Old City walls. Before leaving Mamilla, we had some ice cream to finish off the long day. We were so tired!! We were looking forward to a good night's sleep!

Goodbye Haifa, Hello Tel Aviv!

Written by Guest Bloggers:  Carly Eiduson and Evan Kaster

We woke up and packed our luggage and went to the school to say goodbye to our Israeli friends. With all the close connections that we made, it was hard to say goodbye knowing that we might not see each other for a while, but we will be sure to keep in touch. After a tough goodbye, we got on the bus and totally passed out into a deep sleep on our way to Tel Aviv.

After arriving in Tel Aviv, we stopped at the Palmach Museum.  The museum was very interesting because it was an interactive exhibit that showed us how the Palmach started with a few people and lack of weapons.  The Palmach eventually became the Israel Defense Forces. Following the tour of this wonderful exhibit, we had a group discussion about what we learned at the museum. Next we were off to Tel Aviv University where we ate lunch. It is a gorgeous campus with lots of people. Then we drove south to Sde Boker, where we participated in a desert biking competition with two teams using a map to find different spots in the desert. The group that earned the most points would win. To earn points for your team, you must bike around the beautiful and peaceful desert using a map to find certain signs.  When you find each sign you must take a picture of it as proof…kind of like a scavenger hunt.  While racing around the desert in amazing weather we also learned how to navigate using a map.  Although our team did not win, we had heaps of fun biking in the desert and spending time together.

After our competition ended we learned David Ben Guiron, the former Prime Minister, was buried right across the street overlooking the beautiful Judean Desert.  Our brilliant guide, Shachar, led a brief talk about why Ben Gurion was buried in Sde Boker. After our educational talk, we boarded the bus and headed to the middle of nowhere…or so it seemed! When we arrived at the right spot, we were greeted by a former IDF fighter named Omer. From what he told us about the evening's plans, we knew it was going to be the best night yet. We were going to go on a night hike that would teach us about the different techniques IDF soldiers use to navigate the mountainous desert at night -- in pitch black. After two hours of hiking through the desert mountains, and learning about what the IDF soldiers are expected to do when they are at war, we were surprised at the end of the walk when were were raided by our guides!!!! After the "raid," we went back to the bus and enjoyed an hour-long ride to the Bedouin tents located in the Negev. When we arrived at the tents, we were astonished by how large the tents were. Later, we feasted on a dinner made by our phenomenal guides/chefs Nir and Shachar. Following dinner we hung out around the campfire and enjoyed a delicious dessert of chocolate covered strawberries. We quickly went to sleep knowing that we would have to wake up at 3:30 a.m. for a sunrise hike up Masada.

Our Last Day in Haifa

We had a great day on our final day in and around Haifa, as  you can see by the photos it was quite varied in mood and atmosphere.

On Monday morning, together with a few of our Israeli friends, we started our day at the Alon Elementary School. There, we met our elementary school partner classes who have a school-match program with our 5th and 6th grade students.  We were welcomed by the students, teachers and administrators at the Alon School with a beautiful presentation in English, and we then did a "Helping Hands" project together in preparation for Purim -- where, in Israel, this is the most important holiday for gift giving.  We spoke about what we give to each other and what we receive from one another -- not just material things, but values like kindness, respect, tolerance, etc. Our TBA students really enjoyed the visit and were so impressed by the English level of these elementary school students.  As always, there were fruits and drinks for all of us as we departed.

We then boarded the bus for a trip to the ancient city of Akko, which was a major port city of northern Israel. Today, Akko is a fishing town.  Haifa has replaced Akko as a major port, due to Haifa's deeper waters, allowing larger ships to enter. Akko is a city inhabited by Jews, Christians and Moslems. These people have lived side-by-side peacefully for centuries. We visited the relatively "new" underground Crusader city as well as the ruins of the Turks who conquered the city from the Crusaders. We also made a visit to a magnificent Tunisian synagogue -- covered with mosaics from floor to ceiling that pretty much tell the story of Jewish history, Israeli history, Biblical history, as well as the geography of the land of Israel. We decided that this would be the perfect way to teach Judaism and Jewish customs, history and religion to kids and adults alike…and to keep people's attention in services because there is so much to look at and learn. After walking through the market of Akko and visiting the gardens, we spoke about the old prison that was used by the British.  The prison was used as recently as the during the 1940s when Israel was occupied by Britain, and Jews were punished from smuggling refugees and Holocaust survivors into Akko illegally.  This is the story behind Leon Uris' book and movie "Exodus."

We had lunch and then went to the Harduf Kibbutz for what many students said was the "best day of the trip so far!" Harduf is a 35-year old agricultural kibbutz that is known for its organic products and its cooperative and holistic way of life.  It is located in the beautiful and green part of the north.  What a great place!  We spent time in the dairy farm -- where we learned about milking and raising cows, and had a chance to feed the 3-month old baby calves!  Then we went to the chicken coops where chickens are raised with a healthy diet of grains and vegetables. We even got to gather eggs that had just been laid and were still warm.  From there we went on a short drive down to the Kibbutz's "home fields" where a variety of vegetables are grown organically and are exclusively for sale in the Kibbutz's farm store up the hill. We pulled carrots, onion and lettuce from the ground and sampled fresh parsley. We gathered up a bunch of vegetables and made a terrific organic salad just by chopping everything up and adding some olive oil, salt, lemon juice and spices. A fabulous afternoon was had by all! 

After going back to host homes to pack and eat dinner, we all met back at the Alliance School for a fantastic final celebration that included a fabulous guy named:  Baruch ha-Metotef (Baruch the drummer), who led a lively (and noisy) drumming circle for all of the Israelis and Americans together. We had a blast…!!!!  So much fun and such a great way to use all of the remaining energy of the day.

Best,

Rabbi Lisa Eiduson

Greetings from the Puzzle Israel tour bus!

It is Tuesday already, and we left Haifa this morning, made a stop in Tel Aviv and are on our way south to the Negev desert!  We are a couple of "blog" days behind…but that is no fault of our wonderful student travelers.  We have been so busy that we literally have not had a moment to fill you in on details.  But thanks to portable wifi and a laptop, we are going to try to catch you all up on our adventures. 

Leo Saitz is our guest blogger today.  Below is a conversation he had with Rabbi Lisa Eiduson.

Rabbi E:  So, Leo, where did we start the day today and what did you learn?

Leo:  We traveled to the ancient city of Caesarea that goes back to the Roman times.  It was interesting to learn how old it is and see how many different ruling powers conquered it over the past 2,000 years.  We sat in a huge Roman theatre that is still used for concerts and theatre today. 

Rabbi E:  Did you like it?

Leo:  Yes, it is beautiful and is right on the Mediterranean Sea.  Due to the rain the day before, the waves were pretty big and we got splashed from the water a bit as we were walking. We saw the huge palace and port that was built by Herod…it included a swimming pool that was built right into the Mediterranean Sea!

Rabbi E:  What did you think of lunch?

Leo:  We had lunch way up on a hill in a Bedouin Village.  You could see the Mediterranean Sea at the bottom all the way from the restaurant. It was beautiful. It was interesting to me how the Bedouins served the meal – a little bit at a time, starting with a ton of salads and then followed by grilled meats.

Rabbi E:  Where did we travel from there as we continued our adventures in the north of Israel?

Leo:  We went to the artist village of Ein Hod and did a little art project outside.  We saw the studios belonging to the artists:  painters, sculptors, glass blowers, etc. The art project that we worked on was one that we were asked to be creative and then build on other people’s creativity.  It was cool what we did.  We then went to the studio of a musician in Ein Hod who is a drummer.  We also spent time in a studio belonging to 4 generations of artists!!!  They do ceramics, painting and mosaic and they have exhibitions all over Israel. 

Rabbi E:  How do you feel about being in Israel so far, Leo?

Leo:   It is very comfortable here and I feel like I have everything I need. It is more familiar than I thought it would be.  I’m actually looking forward to spending some time with our American group doing some traveling together.  All is well!!  We are having a great time!!  Hi to everyone back home!