Settling in....Day 3

We are having a great time in Israel.  We traveled this morning in and around Haifa and are now spending Shabbat at host homes throughout Haifa. 

Our guest blogger today is Caroline Safran:

After waking up at our host homes following night #1, we ate breakfast and then met everyone at school.  We attended the first morning class at the Alliance School with our host students…a lot to compare to our own schools at home.

Our TBA group then boarded a bus and headed out for some touring of Haifa.  It was so warm and sunny – especially compared to all of the snow in Boston!  First, we stopped at the famous Bahai Temple which sits in the middle of the mountain in Haifa and can be seen from all over the area.  The gardens are beautiful and very well kept, and our guide Michal spoke about the special qualities of the Bahai religion.  Its international headquarters are here in Haifa. The story of the Bahai religion and its beliefs was completely new to me, and I was surprised to find such a beautiful place here in Haifa about a faith that people know very little about.

We then went to a beautiful Carmelite Church, Stella Maris, and heard the incredible story of a woman named Edith Stein, who converted from Judaism to Catholicism early in her life and became a nun.  Nevertheless, because she had Jewish grandparents and parents, she was killed as a Jew in Hitler’s Nazi Germany.  She was later sainted by the Church and the Stella Maris has a memorial to her interesting and incredible life story.

From the Stella Maris Church, which Christians also believe was a place where Elijah the Prophet traveled, we went to the Cave of Elijah which according to the Jews was where Elijah hid when he was in this area.  It is today a place where people who are sick go for healing since Elijah was said to have magical powers. I especially liked the fact that people who come to this cave tie ribbons and thread to the framework of the cave after they finish their prayers as a way of connecting themselves to this unique site. 

Then we finished the morning at a place called Beit HaGefen which is s a social service agency dedicated to bringing Israeli Jews and Arabs together around common interests and activities – such as art and music and sports – rather than politics and religion. Haifa is such a diverse city, yet even though people get along well here, there are still tensions that arise.

It was great to see the Israelis last night and be able to spend time with them in their homes and home city. I kept in touch with many of them since their visit in December, and I actually missed them over the last couple of months. The wonderful thing about Israel is that there is so much that is familiar to me; it is not as much of a cultural difference as I thought it would be.  It feels close to home and comforting that things are not so different here even though we are far away. 

Dear Safran Family:

I miss you!  But try not to miss me because I’m having a great time.  I will take lots of pictures and have many stories to tell you when we get back. Have a great time in California.  Our weather here will be as as good as yours in California, for sure!  Shabbat Shalom.   I love you….Cari.