Alexis' Israel Observations

Israel: An Amazing Journey

Last month was a time that will forever be etched in memory. It was a time of travel to the land of Israel, Eretz Ysrael. Our group was small, but mighty, just like our ancestors. With the exception of Rabbi Jonathan and his wife Ginny, we were all Israel first-timers. Our group consisted of Rabbi Jonathan, Ginny and Judah; Pam & Alexis (shabbat school teachers and long-time TBY members); Lori & Sydney (mother / daughter from Reno’s Temple Sinai); and Ron & Judy (part-time temple members who live in the Bay area).

We had the great fortune to have Youvall, the most knowledgeable tour guide one could ask for, take us to as many incredible places as the day would allow (thanks to our very patient bus driver, Yoseph). His love for history, and for the land of Israel was inspiring to us all. We had the opportunity to travel from cities in the north to the south and places in between. We even went east, into Jordan to explore the seventh wonder of the world, Petra.

After arriving in Tel Aviv, we traveled north to Tiberias located right on the shore of the Sea of Galilee (Lake Kinneret). Although the weather was not always cooperative, we still stuck with the planned itinerary making the best of it. As Youvall needed to say, “what you are NOT seeing would be…“ Many of our pictures show umbrellas and hoods drawn tight. For our first day of exploration, we went to the mystical and holy city of Safed (Tsfat) and explored the narrow cobblestone alleys, hilly streets (think San Francisco), different synagogues, and of course the Safed Candle Shop. From here, we stepped back in time and began our tour of the many ancient sites to be seen in Israel. We went to Qasrin, an ancient Jewish village, that once flourished from the fourth through eighth centuries C.E. This began our ancient history lessons.

Although Israel is geographically small, it is tremendous in history. And after visiting the many archeological sites, we were shown how history was built upon history. When one civilization was destroyed, whether by war or natural causes, a new civilization was built directly on top of it. This buried the older cities, only to be discovered later on in time through excavations. One such settlement was Beit Shean. This ancient site has uncovered over ten different settlements, the oldest from the Bronze Age. We explored the ancient Roman city of Beit Shean that dated back to the 1st century BCE - the 3rd century CE. Pam particularly enjoyed the theater, while Alexis enjoyed the streets (although the shops no longer existed). From here, we continued on with some more history. We visited Kumron, the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered.

Each day was incredible and unique. There were thoughts of ‘how could this day be topped’. And the next day seemed to be that day, until…The next morning, we were floating in the Dead Sea, by afternoon, we were climbing the Snake path up to Masada. Not only was this an indescribable experience, but the weather was finally glorious. We spent the rest of the day exploring and learning about Masada. From here we drove south to Kibbutz Yahel, in the Negev desert, which would be our “home” for 4 days. Although not nearly as luxurious as our other hotel accommodations, the kibbutz experience was a comfortable one (and equally tasty).

We were given a tour of the kibbutz and some of its agricultural components. We picked pomelos right off the trees. It was interesting to see how their pomelo groves are literally across the road from the Jordanian border. We also visited their dairy farm. From here, we kept within the animal theme and went to Hai Bar, a biblical wildlife reserve.

Waking up early to drive to the Eilat, Israel / Aqaba, Jordan border crossing, we embarked on our journey to see Petra, the newest wonder of the world. It was an ancient city carved out of the colorful sandstone mountains. Many breathtaking views to be seen here.

Some of the other places we went to were Timna, or Solomon’s Mines and the Underwater Observatory in Eilat. We even had the opportunity to swim in the Red Sea. Again the weather was in our favor, which made the swim more enjoyable. On our drive north to Jerusalem, we went on a jeep tour of the Makhtesh Ramon Crater. We also visited the Ben Gurion Institute. This day we went from prehistoric to contemporary history.

Spending numerous days in Jerusalem, we toured many museums and places within the Old City and Jerusalem area. We even managed to get back into Tel Aviv and Jaffe. Jerusalem is a wonderful city with much to offer, not to mention it’s ancient historical sites. We went to The Wall or Kotel more than once, placing our prayers in the cracks. We walked down the cobblestone streets within the Old City, really getting the feeling of eretz yisrael. Passover will never be the same, for when it is said, “next year in Jerusalem”, there will truly be that connection.

It is one thing to read about or hear about something or someplace. It is definitely another thing to experience it. It becomes a part of you. This has been a trip of a lifetime, but not just the one and only trip there. It has become the inspiration to go back and visit again.