Friday July 6th – 3 days worth of stuff in 1 I swear!!!!

Packed up the suitcases and loaded up the bus.  Breakfast at the Kibbutz was our final chance to sit and enjoy the Sea of Galilee and the view from our tables at breakfast!

We headed immediately to Beit Shean.  This ancient Roman City has the remains, very large remains, of a Roman Theater, and many other ancient city ruins unearthed with so much intact that you can actually visualize a life there.  We saw ancient mosaics unearthed at different levels even demonstrating changing tastes in decoration and development of society here.  Beit Shean has had a major role in guarding trade routes in this area.  The City of Beit Shean is also a “Sister City” to Cleveland, Ohio and so we drove past “Cleveland House” which, with Cleveland Federation’s projects and support from members of Cleveland Temples (as well as other volunteer and donation support I am sure) programs are offered to those in need including education and health and well-being programs.  There was little to no shade at Beit Shean, and we did a bit of climbing around the archeological finds.  It was unbelievable to see what they have unearthed.  Our guide, Amos, climbed down to the intact stage and spoke and his regular voice—we were able to hear clearly.  The acoustics were incredible.

Our drive toward Jerusalem through the Jordan Valley was unbelievable.  There were spots where the Jordanian border was only about 10 feet from the road we were traveling on!  I couldn’t believe it when our guide oined out that we were driving through Tiberias, passing Jericho (could not get the song “Joshua fought the battle of Jericho” out of my head at that point!), through the Sumerian Desert; the Judean Desert.  He pointed out Muslim sites (the Tomb of Nebbe Mussa), through Mt. of Olives.  It was gorgeous.  I took many pictures along the way, but they can’t do justice to the gorgeous terrain we drove through.

As we ascent to Jerusalem, a warm flutter came over me; so many pictures and stories made me feel as though I had been here many times before—even though I never have!  We did see a Panoramic View of the Old City as we drove in.

A fitting welcome to Jerusalem was our visit to Mahaneh Yehudah Market! It was a market like you’ve seen in any movie or depiction…absolutely filled with people!  It was about 1:00 in the afternoon and it was abuzz with everyone preparing for Shabbat.  Stalls and market goers were EVERYWHERE!  We were dropped off and walked up the streets to our meeting place: the KIPPA MAN shop!  It was the craziest time!  My feet got run over repeatedly by little, frail women abruptly pulling their wheeled shopping packs behind them.  They moved through the market like determined warriors and whoever got in there way got run over!!!!  It was so exciting and exhilarating!  But a little frightening as well as not everyone spoke English well.  My first quest, for a ladies room, was a great annoyance to the stand-owners I felt!  They were there to make quick and multitude of sales not help some lady get to a bathroom!!!   But I finally found the “City WC” (Water Closet) and ran into a few others from our group!  We decided to have a bite to eat together and then all split up as we were on our quest to bring back something for a small pot-luck snack that we would have on Saturday before Havadalah!  There were nuts and fresh Challah and baked goods of all sorts, and fruits and veg.  It reminded me a little of West Side Market but with much more mayhem then you could ever imagine!  But lo and behold, we all found our way back to the Kippa Man shop and then made our way through the crowds to the bus so that we could come back to our hotel and get ourselves ready for Shabbat.  This was very exciting times for me.  Just prior to Shabbat starting (at sundown which was going to be about 7:15) we were going to the Kotel or Western Wall.  I wanted to go there.  I wanted to pray and I thought I had so much to say!  It was, for me, a beautiful and cleansing experience.  When I found my way to the Wall, everything became clear to me.  I just needed to do was express how grateful I was for the love that has shined on me all throughout my life.  I have been so warm the entire time here!  Who hasn’t?!!!  It’s very hot.  But, truthfully, I haven’t been miserable…just warm!  I touched the Wall.  It was, despite appearances, smooth, almost polished feeling.  I’m sure it’s from the many millions of hands that have touched this sacred space.  It was warm too!  But as soon as I touched it and closed my eyes to pray, all my body warmth, the uncomfortable warmth, rippled off of me.  I was calm and peaceful and not one bit uncomfortable.  And all was clear around me and my little space and I felt very much like I knew what to do, what to say, what to feel.  Lo and behold, water was pouring from my eyes.  It was much more than crying…or much less than crying; I’m not sure which the better explanation is.  I wasn’t sad; I wasn’t releasing anger or hurt or sadness or elation or anything like that.  It was more of a letting go that was sort of out of my control.  It was a serene time for me.  I had the Tefillin with me.  I don’t know if they were my father’s or my Grandfathers or even my Uncle’s for that matter.  But I am fairly sure they’ve never been to Israel either!  The leather prayer boxes bound together with leather, meant to be would up one arm with the boxes on one hand and on the forehead are sacred and warn by most Jewish men to pray.  I believe women have started wearing them in some branches of Judaism, but I’ve never seen it done.  I held the velvet bag they were stored in and just felt glad that I brought them along.  As I backed away from the wall, I stood there breathing and taking in the sight of all those around me.  We were on the “women’s side” and I barely looked over to the men’s side as I was surely in my own little world of things.  I was asked if I wanted my picture taken…I said yes, but wasn’t ever sure I wanted that!  I wasn’t smiling, but I wasn’t sad either…I was just ‘in a place’!  After we were done and walking back to the bus I was so happy we had been there.  I still am.  I want to go back once more before I come home.  But I don’t know that I’ll ever have to go again.  That sounds weird doesn’t it?!  We got back to the hotel and had dinner and our own Shabbat service.  With 4 Rabbis and 2 Cantorial students, we were assured of a lovely service!!!  It was cool that we all got to light Shabbat candles as we went in to dinner.

And by now, it was time to go back to our rooms and get ourselves ready for a night’s sleep in Jerusalem and Saturday morning Shabbat services of our own choosing.  We were given a 3 page list and description of various Temples within walking distance of where we were staying.  I knew that if I was going to get up in time to go to Services it would be the Reformed Synagogue at Hebrew Union College but I did not set a wake-up call.

Oh, I should add that as soon as sun-down came, Jerusalem, and our hotel were all in Shabbat mode.  The number of cars being driven on the road went down to near nothing!  One of our elevators is on “Shabbat setting” and it just runs constantly stopping at every floor going up and down so the more observant can get to/from their rooms without “working” the elevator which is not allowed on Shabbat (Sabbath).  It was really neat!  One of the doors of our hotel remained open through Shabbat so people could leave and enter without opening it.  I loved how quiet things got and how quickly!