Up the Coast, a Warm and Tiring Day

You like warm?  We’ll give you warm!

You like water?  We’ll give you water!

Today was a day of warmth, water, ruins, and wonderful Israelis to get to know.

We departed the Dan Panorama hotel today at about 8 AM, and headed north through Tel Aviv’s famous traffic that is sometimes as confounding as any comparable big city in the States.  A few times we stayed in stop-and-start traffic longer than we had hoped.

But soon we left the traffic behind, found the main coastal road, north and traveled to Caesaria, one of Herod the Great’s architectural wonders of the Roman world.

Today's Caesaria, located on the coast between Netanyah and Haifa, consists of a beautiful reconstructed amphitheatre that, especially in the summer, hosts a great number of concerts and artists.  Our guide Tzvi first offered us a history lesson of the timeline of the Jewish people, challenging us to remember which era represented what conqueror.  

Then he staged a wonderful drama that included two native performers of our group, Alan and Laurel.  They were great, they were dramatic, and because of the superior acoustics of that ancient structure, we could hear them far away.

We then proceeded to the current archaeological excavations on the site.  Over the last few years a parking lot gave way to an uncovered hippodrome where, in Herod’s day, there were horse and chariot races. Today there are active excavations going on, including the attempt to reconstruct the Herod’s palace, the base of which is below the surface of the ocean.

After concluding our time there, we visited the Druze town of Usifiyah, had a home hospitality lunch in a Druze home, and learned something about the Druze religion and people.

There is a movement among the usually private and reserved Druze people to disclose more about their people and religion than they had in the past.  The twenty-nine of us gathered in the sitting room of one of the Druze families, enjoyed a very tasty, traditional Druze meal, we sat and listened Jo-al describe life as a both a secular and religious Druze person.

Sated and educated, we drove along the coast up to Rosh Hanikra, the northern-most point of Israel along the shore of the Mediterranean, to see the sea grottoes that had been carved out of the sandstone walls of the cliffs by the might ocean tides.  We descended by cable car to the entrance of the grottoes, and walked through and saw the layers of erosion in the stone, trying to stay out of the splashing waves that crashed up onto the walkways.

Finally, we ended our day with a wonderful visit with the leadership and membership of the Progressive congregation Emet V’shalom in the town of Nahariyah. We were received with a typical reception of food and drink, a sign of their true hospitality.

and we met in their very comfortable, clean, and air conditioned bomb shelter.  They described their community to us, introduced us to their new Rabbi, and led us in song.

When we were concluded there, we turned east, headed across the hills of the Western Galil to our hotel for the night on Kibbutz Lavi.  A modern Orthodox institution, one of their industries is the hospitality business (among others), and we are the beneficiaries of their choice.

Over dinner at the Kibbutz, we met representatives of the People to People Partnership, a project of the Jewish Agency for Israel, Jewish federations across the country.  On Thursday morning, we will have a tour of Jordan River Village, a practical project of this new collaboration that includes Jews of Madison, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Tulsa.  So there’s a lot to learn.  That is it for now, and there will be more tomorrow.

Origins of the State in Tel Aviv

Some have called the city of Tel Aviv “a city that never sleeps.”  Although there are only 500,000 people within the city limits, the entire megalopolis that is Tel Aviv and surroundings is more than 60% of Israel’s population: The density here is among the highest in the world.

This morning we began our touring in earnest with our guide Tzvi, born and bred in Brooklyn, NY, and having immigrated to Israel in 1980.

After a very large tourist-style breakfast for which Israel is very well known, we left the hotel at 8:45 and headed for the start of our understanding of the independence era of Israel’s modern history.  We first arrived at the Ayalon Institute, the scene of a top-secret clandestine operation – in effect from 1945-1949 – to manufacture sufficient quantities of ammunition for Israel’s war of independence.  In an underground bunker 30 X 10 meters, a small and secretive staff worked to produce up to 6,000 bullets a day to supply the needs of Israel’s fledgling army.

Over this factory the Israeli authorities built a bakery and a laundry, which served the needs of the kibbutz where this was located.  The sights, sounds, smells, and supply chain of the ammunition factory were masked by the otherwise routine activities of the bakery and laundry, and the British authorities in charge of the land apparently never discovered this place.

From there we traveled to the old city of Jaffa, which today is part of the Tel-Aviv/Jaffa municipality.  From Jaffa you can see the entire Tel Aviv coastal and inland skyline!

One of the oldest cities in the region (mentioned in the prophetic book of Jonah), today it is a mixture of Jew and Arab, and seemingly able to get along with one another.  In the two stores we visited today, the (Arab) staff people were wearing t-shirts that read “Jews and Arabs Don’t Have to Hate Each Other,” perhaps a sign of some improvement of relations between members of the community.

We then visited Independence Hall, the site of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on May 14, 1948.  

The center today serves as a historical remembrance of that day, as members help to re-enact the events of history leading up to that fateful moment.  The signing ceremony was very emotional for many, as a dream of 2,000 years was about to be fulfilled.  After the reading of the declaration and the singing of Hatikvah, Israel’s (then new) national anthem, with the accompaniment of an orchestra in black tie that had been assembled for the occasion, we could hear David Ben Gurion’s final words of that moment: “The state of Israel has been established.  This meeting is over.”

Finally we walked along Shenkin Avenue, the site of great fashion shopping (though frankly we did not find very much), along a pedestrian mall housing for this day’s arts and crafts show, then into the Carmel Market for Tel Aviv’s open air fresh fruit and vegetable, meats, sundries, snacks, and alcohol market.  We then retired and prepared for an earlier start for tomorrow’s day, when we leave central Israel and head for the north of the country.

We hope you have enjoyed the photos and the travelogue.

Temple Beth El Travels to Israel

Shalom to all!  If you have not been to Israel, or even if you have, read on and travel vicariously with Temple Beth El as we travel to Israel!  Your Rabbi and 28 intrepid travelers have finally arrived in Tel Aviv, and are about to embark on a wonderful experience, and we invite you to join us from Madison!

This afternoon, Tel Aviv time, 25 of the 29 of us arrived at Ben Gurion airport, tired but happy!  We should have come last summer, but due to the war and security concerns, we postponed until now, and we are very happy to be here in a beautiful country on a warm and sultry evening.

Early on Sunday morning (was that just yesterday), or even late Saturday evening, we left Madison for our trips to either the Mitchell or O’Hare airports for our overnight trips to Israel.  Those who traveled through Milwaukee had a long layover in Philadelphia, and thanks to Patricia Litscher, Joanna Berke, Carol McLain, and Laurel Hefty – all staying behind to watch over people’s carryon luggage

 – members of our group were able to tour around Philadelphia and site see, check out colleges, enjoy the great food, and just have a great time.

We took off from Philadelphia about 30 minutes late due to thunderstorms in the area and a small mechanical problem on the plane.  We were glad they found that before we took off!

Here are some informal photos from the Philadelphia airport in the transit lounge waiting for the Tel Aviv flight:

Soon after leaving the US, they served dinner and then closed the cabin lights and windows to allow us to get a nice night’s sleep.  We landed in Tel Aviv pretty much on time, were met at the baggage carousels by our welcome hostess Ortal (meaning ‘light of dew’), were introduced to our tourguide Tzvi Levron, got sim cards and Israeli currency, then drove to the hotel, the Dan Panorama just across the road from the beautiful Mediterranean Ocean.  On the way, we were caught for a brief period by the traffic...

As the sun begins to set, we are about to head toward town for a Middle Eastern dinner, then off to bed for a full day of touring this metropolis on the Mediterranean.

More on this city tomorrow, but Tel Aviv and its environs played a key role in the development of the state, and still serves as the fiscal and entrepreneurial center of the country.  See the book “Start Up Nation” for more on the role of IT and other burgeoning parts of Israel’s economy.

Our welcome to Israel dinner tonight was held at Maganda Restaurant in the Yemenite Quarter of Tel Aviv, and everyone was well sated and relaxed.

Some are rising for a 6:15 AM walk along the shore; others will sleep in!  More after tomorrow's day of touring.  Shalom from Tel Aviv!

A Meditation for Pesach 5775

Our God and God of our ancestors:

The Haggadah tells us, “In every generation each of us – Jew and non-Jew – is required to view ourselves as though we, individually, went forth out of Egypt.”  In these days when we see evidence of prejudice and oppression in our society, we can sometimes taste the dust of Egypt, and feel the degradation of our ancestors.

You who watch and weep over the misbehavior of your earthbound children; You who have shown us the path of righteous living through the Torah; You who have given us minds with which to think and reason, to love and understand: Inspire us once again, through the retelling of our ancient story of redemption, to confront the challenges of our world!

This week, as we gather around our tables; as we open our books and see the crumbs from Seder's past spilling into our fingers; as we count the wine-stains on our pages and remember how our cup is always lessened with human suffering, help us to find perspective, strength and faith.

Help us recognize that people of color in our midst still suffer the degradation of racial injustice.  Let us pledge to help bring redemption in our generation.

Cause us to take up the prejudice directed at our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters, and to help raise up their love, their affection, and their humanity.  Let the world know that everyone should have the freedom to love whom they wish.

Bring us to respect and assist those with mental illness in our society.  Let us try to understand their perception of the world, and to welcome them into our lives.  May we help them to find peace with who they are!

Give us fortitude to continue the struggle toward men and women’s equality in our world.  May prejudices of the past continue to disappear as women and men become partners in the perfection of our world.

May our worship, our laughter and our tears, our stories, and our pledges to action, bring to fruition the ancient hope of a world perfected and complete!  May violence and hatred be drowned out, and may our hearts be unified in one human embrace.  Let us always be defined by our vision of a better world.

L'shanah Haba’ah B'yirushalayim.  Next year in Jerusalem!

Shooting of a Young Black Man in Madison

This was not the way for Madison to mark the 50th anniversary of "Bloody Sunday" at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma.

Instead of empathic observances of memory and determination, our beloved community of Madison was the site of the latest tragedy of police violence against young African American men.

The shooting of Anthony Robinson on the East side last night has shocked the community.  My mentioning this at yesterday's Saturday morning services brought forth empathy for the family of the victim Anthony Robinson and gratitude for bringing it to the moment in an appropriate way.

Barack Obama, the nation's first African American president, has been an inspiration of hope to all in America who strive for the acceptance of diversity in American life.  Attending the 50th anniversary observances in Selma, he labeled the police violence of 50 years ago as "a clash of wills, a contest to determine the meaning of America."  But we all know that this struggle is no where near its hoped for victory.

The side of righteousness - the side of "tzedek," the Jewish value of 'doing what is right because it is right' - has yet to achieve what we pray for in this context: a nation - not to mention a world -  where skin color makes no difference, and where all are treated with dignity.  In a way, we are all Sisyphus, pushing that boulder of racial equality up the hill only to have us watch that burden roll back down upon us to threaten us - and threaten us it does!  Our continued American inability to achieve racial equality is a chronic and fatal cancer that has become resistant to the many medications that we have prescribed.

The NAACP of Dane County put out this statement last night in regard to this most recent shooting.  I end with this, because it says what needs to be said at this time:

"Each new case of an African American person killed is a grim reminder of the urgent need for reform in the use of force against American citizens. Although excessive use of force disproportionately affects African Americans and people living in poverty, it can affect people everywhere regardless of race, age or gender.

"Whenever this kind of tragedy occurs, questions arise about police training and appropriate use of force.  We must remind the investigating authorizes of the need for transparency, that black lives do matter, and sadly, another family is now experiencing the pain of loss in Madison, Wisconsin.
  
"We must push for solutions within our criminal justice system that will help keep our communities safe, our children protected and our officers properly trained.

"While there will be reactions from community leaders, faith leaders and concerned citizens, the NAACP calls for calm and vigilant monitoring of events as they unfold.  We will work with the Madison community and the Wisconsin NAACP State Conference of Branches to ensure justice for Tony Robinson."