Shalom from Israel!
Yesterday was our last day with Dov and it was something to write home about!
We rose very early and met Dov at 7:30 am halfway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Krista joined him in his car again and they led us in our car to downtown Tel Aviv where the Israel Air Force Headquarters is located. Our goal … a personal meeting with the Major General of the IAF.
Again going through a series of security gates and doors, we arrived on the floor where the chief officers of the IAF have their offices. Our interview was delayed because the Major General was meeting first with a chief military officer of another government. So we drank the espresso the assistants offered and chatted with Dov and the commander of the 100th Squadron who was joining us.
After a short wait, it was our turn. We were ushered into the modest office and introduced to the Major General. We all sat in a circle and chatted about Uncle George and Israel. It was an informal meeting, but we were very honoured to have this opportunity to express our love for Israel to these men. As the meeting drew to a close, the Major General indicated that he had a gift for us. He pulled out a boxed Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament in Hebrew). It was beautifully bound in leather and impressed with the logo of the Israel Air Force. He had personally inscribed it to the Beurling family. Bibles like this are given to Israel Air Force pilots when they graduate. No one else has access to them. They all felt that, because of our professed love for the Hebrew scriptures, this was an appropriate gift for us.
Then the Major General pulled out a larger blue box. When he opened it we found that it contained a blue pillow with a number of insignias and medals pinned to it. These are the things Uncle George would have worn on his uniform if he had made it to Israel. Whew! We were blown away by this! Dad could hardly speak. Mom and I were moved to tears and Krista burst into tears!
Israel has done nothing but bless us on this trip. Dov’s efforts to make our visit memorable, pleasant and comfortable have gone beyond every expectation. We’ve been entertained and educated. We’ve been warmly greeted by every officer and enlisted soldier (or “warrior” as they call them here). We’ve been made to feel that we are part of the family of Israel and that we belong here.
In something of a daze, we left the Major General’s offices and followed Dov through Tel Aviv and on toward Be’er Sheva in the Northern Negev. Our destination was the Israel Air Force Museum and one last air base. As we headed toward the desert, the countryside became somewhat less lush, but continued to show us full cultivation -- crops of hay/wheat, orchards, groves and many other evidences of fertile agricultural land.
The highway south was, like all main roads in Israel, spectacular. The highways are clean and smooth. The road system is excellent. Yes, in towns the roads tend to be narrow and confusing, but that’s to be expected when modern streets are imposed on ancient cities. All in all, we found the roads to be better than many of our roads in Canada where we struggle with frost and winter weather. We did find that street signs were nonexistent or inconsistent, but most road signs are written in Hebrew, Arabic AND English. We got ourselves quite lost on a number of occasions, but always managed to find a way to our goal.
The Air Force Museum was delightful. Because our interview with the Major General had been delayed, we didn’t have as much time here as originally planned. I’ve never seen so many planes parked in one place! Our guide showed us spitfires such as Uncle George flew in the RAF during WW 2. She also showed us the ruin of a Norseman, the kind of plane he was killed in. But they have examples of every other plane Israel has used in their air force up to, but not including, those currently in use.
After the Museum, we drove a short distance away to another air base. This one was the most secure base we’ve visited; we left all our cameras in the trunk of the car. Our guide at this location was a 26-year-old man who flies F15s. He gave an audio-visual presentation that described the capability of the planes and their weaponry. He showed videotape of actual attacks -- I would not want to be on the receiving end of such an experience. Next, he showed us his plane, complete with bombs and missiles. He described their procedures -- in case of attack, they can be in the air within five minutes!
We commented on the differences between Spitfires and F15s. I was interested to see the envy on his face. He said that he and all his fellow pilots would much rather be flying Spitfires. I guess the smaller, older planes are more personal and responsive in ways that the souped up F15s cannot be.
After another lovely lunch in the officers’ dining room, we headed north again -- Dov to Tel Aviv and we to Jerusalem. We hope to see Dov one more time at the Ben Gurion Airport when we leave Israel.
During our last few days in Jerusalem, we planned to stay pretty close to home, resting up and packing our suitcases. We made a last walk through the Old City, stopping at a sidewalk café for dessert and doing some serious people watching.
We also took an hour to visit Chosen People Ministries’ Jerusalem Messianic Center. Myer, the Assistant to the Director of the work in Israel, showed us around and listened to our stories.
As I write this, our bags are packed and waiting by the door. The noisy street outside our windows is quiet because it’s Shabbat. We continue to feel overwhelmed by the welcome we have received here in Israel -- not just from Dov and the Israel Air Force, but from everyone we’ve met. Whether Jew or Arab, Orthodox or secular, every individual has greeted us with a smile. They’ve tried out their English on us. They’ve gone out of their way to help us. And everyone has said, “Welcome. Welcome to Israel!”
We’ve also been delighted by the many opportunities we’ve had to share our faith in Yeshua with a variety of people.
Before we left Canada, some people said, “Are you SURE you want to go to Israel now? Isn’t it dangerous?”
It’s true that Israel lives every day precariously because of her enemies. At Passover, I chatted with a Jewish acquaintance (who doesn’t yet know Yeshua) about this. In broken English and using her hands to demonstrate how Israel is surrounded, she said, “Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria, Iran, Egypt, Jordan.” Then I brought my hand down over hers and said, “And God!” She smiled and nodded, “And God.”
We have felt completely safe during our trip. We’ve not felt at serious risk from pickpockets or other forms of robbery. Although the driving in Jerusalem, as we’ve described, is chaotic at best, our cars survived without any new scrapes or dents. And we’ve said from the beginning, if God calls us Home during this trip, what better place to leave from that the Land of Israel?
Shalom in Messiah Yeshua!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
Israel #11 - The Memorial Service
Shalom from Israel!
Our first task yesterday was to return our defective rental car and request a replacement. The rental company was very cooperative and, without batting an eyelash, turned over the keys to a nicer, slightly larger car. Wonderful!
Krista and I left Dad with the new car and we began walking across the Old City from the Jaffa Gate to the Zion Gate. One of Krista’s goals was to visit the grave of Oskar Schindler (of Schindler’s List). He lies in a Catholic cemetery a short walk from the Zion Gate. We found it without too much trouble, paying our respects to this hero of Israel.
We soon returned to the Old City and hung around the Jewish Quarter for a while, watching the tourists and locals and enjoying the warm sunshine on this cool day. All in all, a quiet day.
However … today has been a whirlwind! We can hardly take in all that has happened.
Early this morning, we drove in our lovely new rental car to a spot halfway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv where we met Dov. Krista joined him in his car and we followed closely behind, driving north about 1½ hours to an airbase in the Jezreel Valley.
Before entering the base itself, Dov stopped at a small hillside cemetery to show us Moshe Dayan’s grave. It is also where the Israeli astronaut, Ilan Ramon, is buried. This beautiful spot looks out over the Jezreel Valley.
Soon we headed to the nearby airbase and went through security gates. We were met by some young female soldiers assigned to guide us and keep us from taking photos of any classified items. We’ve been shown many classified things during our visit to the airbases, so we really haven’t taken many photos at these places.
After giving us a chance to relax for a few minutes with a cold drink and pastries, we headed into the briefing room and a young airman told us about the activities of this air base, the closest one to Israel‘s northern borders.
He also showed us an amazing film about an event in Poland a few years ago. The Polish people were celebrating the anniversary of the creation of their air force and invited representatives of air forces from around the world, including the Israel Air Force. The IAF took this opportunity to fly in formation over Auschwitz and proclaim that from the ashes of the concentration camps a strong nation has arisen. It was a remarkable and moving film.
Next we had the incredible opportunity to go outside and watch many F16s take off and land. The staff even took us up into the control tower. This was just amazing. Those manning the air traffic control on this base all looked about 19 years old -- and most of them were. But they were managing all the flights in and out of this base. They were sitting and standing like 19-year-olds around the world -- quite casually, entirely laid back. There was nothing military about them except their expertise and their uniforms. Actually, their supervisor was just a handful of years older than they were and he was dressed for the beach in a pink t-shirt, orange shorts, track shoes and sunglasses (he’d been called in last minute). It was the strangest thing to see! This young man asked one of the F16s to do a special take off for us. So, the pilot began down the runway, in a moment hit his speed, took off nearly vertically, banked and practically disappeared! Wow!
After a great lunch on the base in the officers’ dining room, Dov led our small convoy from the base to the Haifa Military Cemetery where Uncle George is buried.
I hardly know how to describe what followed.
When Dov originally corresponded with Dad in Canada regarding our visit to Israel, he offered to arrange a memorial service at Uncle George’s grave. He gave Dad the choice of having either a Christian or a Jewish service. Dad selected a Jewish service for two reasons. First, he wanted any Jewish person who attended to be able to identify with the service. Second, he wanted to bring glory to God through the Old Testament scriptures we’d have an opportunity to read and hear. Whether Christian or Jewish didn’t matter to us, because the God we worship is the God of Israel. In addition, this service was not a time of great sadness for us because we know that George was a believer in Messiah Yeshua, is present with Him now and his body will be resurrected to eternal life one day.
When we arrived at the cemetery we were amazed at the lush landscaping. Although we’ve visited the grave before, the first time was in the 1970’s when the landscaping was minimal and the second time was two years ago in August, the hottest and harshest time of year. Today, every grave was covered with small purple flowers and the fragrance met us as we entered. We were only in one corner of the cemetery, but the graves stretched out of view. Uncle George, of course, is buried in the oldest portion of the cemetery. Not far from his grave is the grave of Leonard Cohen, the pilot who died with him in the Norseman crash in 1948.
Not long after our arrival, others began to appear. As we think back, we come up with the following list: 10 servicemen, five officers from Uncle George’s squadron (the 100th), a senior armed services rabbi and a couple of photographers. But we were also tremendously honoured by the presence of His Excellency Jon Allen, Canada’s ambassador to Israel and the Canadian Military Attaché, Jordie Elms.
After a few of the servicemen set up the sound system, the service began. The rabbi started with prayers and readings (including Kaddish), the commander of the 100th Squadron spoke and Dov read the well-known poem, High Flight, by RCAF spitfire pilot John Magee who died in Britain during WW 2.
High Flight
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds, --and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of --Wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air...
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark or even eagle flew --
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
After the service I thanked Dov for reading this poem -- one I’ve always loved and that has always made me think of Uncle George. Dov answered, “Me, too!”
After Dov read the poem, the Ambassador spoke briefly and very kindly. Dad followed with comments regarding George‘s upbringing, quoting some words from a song that has become our family‘s theme song:
As you journey through life to the grave you pursue
There’s one thing in earnest I wish you to do
Oh, listen, my boy, while I say this to you:
Oh, cling to the Bible, my boy.
Dad also highlighted a number of scriptures in Genesis that referred to God’s love for and faithfulness to Israel. He ended by reading Psalm 118.
After Dad finished, I stepped forward and sang two favourite songs in Hebrew. In English they say:
Comfort my people
Comfort my people
Speak tender words to Jerusalem
This is what you shall say to them:
Your hard work
Has been done
Your atonement is won
You’re received from My hand
Twice for all you’ve done
Comfort my people
(Isaiah 40)
and
Establish peace, goodness, blessing, grace and mercy
Father, may You find it to be pleasing in Your eyes
To bless all of Your people Israel
Bless us with peace each moment and in ev’ry hour
May Your peace be with us in ev’ry hour
[I believe both songs were written by Steve McConnell.]
Krista said later that a number of the Jewish men listening looked us with amazement and tears in their eyes. It brought her to tears to think of how these words affected them. I’m just glad they could understand my Hebrew!
After a few moments of silence and contemplation, the service ended. The rabbi came right over to me and told me how deeply touched he was by the words of my songs. I thanked him and reminded him that the Word of God is powerful. The ambassador also told us how touched he was. Dad -- all of us -- had prayed often that, during this service, we would reveal Yeshua and bring glory to God. I think He answered our prayers. All these Jewish men were clearly moved and touched, some to tears -- not by us, but by the scriptures we read and sang. Baruch HaShem! Praise His Name!
After everyone else had left, Dov and we stayed a bit longer and walked over to the grave of Leonard Cohen, the young pilot who died with Uncle George. It is sad to reflect on the loss of so many young lives.
One of the pleasant surprises of the day was receiving a personal invitation from the ambassador to attend a reception at his home this evening. The occasion of this event was the official unveiling of the new joint international rate commemorative stamp issued by Canada Post and Israel Post. It had become available on April 14, the day we left Canada. Dad was able to purchase several small books of these special stamps in Toronto and had presented one to Dov as a gift earlier in the week.
We were very honoured by this kind invitation and so pleased to be a part of this small historic occasion.
After this very long and emotional day, we were happy to turn our car toward Jerusalem and home. Tomorrow will be another long day!
Our first task yesterday was to return our defective rental car and request a replacement. The rental company was very cooperative and, without batting an eyelash, turned over the keys to a nicer, slightly larger car. Wonderful!
Krista and I left Dad with the new car and we began walking across the Old City from the Jaffa Gate to the Zion Gate. One of Krista’s goals was to visit the grave of Oskar Schindler (of Schindler’s List). He lies in a Catholic cemetery a short walk from the Zion Gate. We found it without too much trouble, paying our respects to this hero of Israel.
We soon returned to the Old City and hung around the Jewish Quarter for a while, watching the tourists and locals and enjoying the warm sunshine on this cool day. All in all, a quiet day.
However … today has been a whirlwind! We can hardly take in all that has happened.
Early this morning, we drove in our lovely new rental car to a spot halfway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv where we met Dov. Krista joined him in his car and we followed closely behind, driving north about 1½ hours to an airbase in the Jezreel Valley.
Before entering the base itself, Dov stopped at a small hillside cemetery to show us Moshe Dayan’s grave. It is also where the Israeli astronaut, Ilan Ramon, is buried. This beautiful spot looks out over the Jezreel Valley.
Soon we headed to the nearby airbase and went through security gates. We were met by some young female soldiers assigned to guide us and keep us from taking photos of any classified items. We’ve been shown many classified things during our visit to the airbases, so we really haven’t taken many photos at these places.
After giving us a chance to relax for a few minutes with a cold drink and pastries, we headed into the briefing room and a young airman told us about the activities of this air base, the closest one to Israel‘s northern borders.
He also showed us an amazing film about an event in Poland a few years ago. The Polish people were celebrating the anniversary of the creation of their air force and invited representatives of air forces from around the world, including the Israel Air Force. The IAF took this opportunity to fly in formation over Auschwitz and proclaim that from the ashes of the concentration camps a strong nation has arisen. It was a remarkable and moving film.
Next we had the incredible opportunity to go outside and watch many F16s take off and land. The staff even took us up into the control tower. This was just amazing. Those manning the air traffic control on this base all looked about 19 years old -- and most of them were. But they were managing all the flights in and out of this base. They were sitting and standing like 19-year-olds around the world -- quite casually, entirely laid back. There was nothing military about them except their expertise and their uniforms. Actually, their supervisor was just a handful of years older than they were and he was dressed for the beach in a pink t-shirt, orange shorts, track shoes and sunglasses (he’d been called in last minute). It was the strangest thing to see! This young man asked one of the F16s to do a special take off for us. So, the pilot began down the runway, in a moment hit his speed, took off nearly vertically, banked and practically disappeared! Wow!
After a great lunch on the base in the officers’ dining room, Dov led our small convoy from the base to the Haifa Military Cemetery where Uncle George is buried.
I hardly know how to describe what followed.
When Dov originally corresponded with Dad in Canada regarding our visit to Israel, he offered to arrange a memorial service at Uncle George’s grave. He gave Dad the choice of having either a Christian or a Jewish service. Dad selected a Jewish service for two reasons. First, he wanted any Jewish person who attended to be able to identify with the service. Second, he wanted to bring glory to God through the Old Testament scriptures we’d have an opportunity to read and hear. Whether Christian or Jewish didn’t matter to us, because the God we worship is the God of Israel. In addition, this service was not a time of great sadness for us because we know that George was a believer in Messiah Yeshua, is present with Him now and his body will be resurrected to eternal life one day.
When we arrived at the cemetery we were amazed at the lush landscaping. Although we’ve visited the grave before, the first time was in the 1970’s when the landscaping was minimal and the second time was two years ago in August, the hottest and harshest time of year. Today, every grave was covered with small purple flowers and the fragrance met us as we entered. We were only in one corner of the cemetery, but the graves stretched out of view. Uncle George, of course, is buried in the oldest portion of the cemetery. Not far from his grave is the grave of Leonard Cohen, the pilot who died with him in the Norseman crash in 1948.
Not long after our arrival, others began to appear. As we think back, we come up with the following list: 10 servicemen, five officers from Uncle George’s squadron (the 100th), a senior armed services rabbi and a couple of photographers. But we were also tremendously honoured by the presence of His Excellency Jon Allen, Canada’s ambassador to Israel and the Canadian Military Attaché, Jordie Elms.
After a few of the servicemen set up the sound system, the service began. The rabbi started with prayers and readings (including Kaddish), the commander of the 100th Squadron spoke and Dov read the well-known poem, High Flight, by RCAF spitfire pilot John Magee who died in Britain during WW 2.
High Flight
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds, --and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of --Wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air...
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark or even eagle flew --
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
After the service I thanked Dov for reading this poem -- one I’ve always loved and that has always made me think of Uncle George. Dov answered, “Me, too!”
After Dov read the poem, the Ambassador spoke briefly and very kindly. Dad followed with comments regarding George‘s upbringing, quoting some words from a song that has become our family‘s theme song:
As you journey through life to the grave you pursue
There’s one thing in earnest I wish you to do
Oh, listen, my boy, while I say this to you:
Oh, cling to the Bible, my boy.
Dad also highlighted a number of scriptures in Genesis that referred to God’s love for and faithfulness to Israel. He ended by reading Psalm 118.
After Dad finished, I stepped forward and sang two favourite songs in Hebrew. In English they say:
Comfort my people
Comfort my people
Speak tender words to Jerusalem
This is what you shall say to them:
Your hard work
Has been done
Your atonement is won
You’re received from My hand
Twice for all you’ve done
Comfort my people
(Isaiah 40)
and
Establish peace, goodness, blessing, grace and mercy
Father, may You find it to be pleasing in Your eyes
To bless all of Your people Israel
Bless us with peace each moment and in ev’ry hour
May Your peace be with us in ev’ry hour
[I believe both songs were written by Steve McConnell.]
Krista said later that a number of the Jewish men listening looked us with amazement and tears in their eyes. It brought her to tears to think of how these words affected them. I’m just glad they could understand my Hebrew!
After a few moments of silence and contemplation, the service ended. The rabbi came right over to me and told me how deeply touched he was by the words of my songs. I thanked him and reminded him that the Word of God is powerful. The ambassador also told us how touched he was. Dad -- all of us -- had prayed often that, during this service, we would reveal Yeshua and bring glory to God. I think He answered our prayers. All these Jewish men were clearly moved and touched, some to tears -- not by us, but by the scriptures we read and sang. Baruch HaShem! Praise His Name!
After everyone else had left, Dov and we stayed a bit longer and walked over to the grave of Leonard Cohen, the young pilot who died with Uncle George. It is sad to reflect on the loss of so many young lives.
One of the pleasant surprises of the day was receiving a personal invitation from the ambassador to attend a reception at his home this evening. The occasion of this event was the official unveiling of the new joint international rate commemorative stamp issued by Canada Post and Israel Post. It had become available on April 14, the day we left Canada. Dad was able to purchase several small books of these special stamps in Toronto and had presented one to Dov as a gift earlier in the week.
We were very honoured by this kind invitation and so pleased to be a part of this small historic occasion.
After this very long and emotional day, we were happy to turn our car toward Jerusalem and home. Tomorrow will be another long day!
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Israel #10 - Capernaum and Beyond!
Shalom!
After a wonderful night’s sleep at Beit Bracha, we shared breakfast with the staff and guests. The staff is made up of volunteers from the US and New Zealand (at least the ones we met). The guests were all European -- British, Finnish, Dutch and Danish. It was wonderful fellowship throughout our visit.
We spent the rest of the day visiting various sites around the Sea of Galilee. Our first stop was Tabgha, an ancient church location on the shore of the Sea where, according tradition, Yeshua multiplied the loaves and fishes. Next we headed to Capernaum. These attractive ruins include a synagogue built shortly after the time of Yeshua, but on the foundation of the synagogue that existed during His ministry. You’ll remember that He taught there and stayed in Capernaum often.
Following Capernaum and carefully exiting the narrow lane between busses and tourists, we headed further up the hills surrounding the Sea to Korazin. These two towns, with nearby Bethsaida, were spoken of by Yeshua when they rejected His teaching.
"Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had been performed in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will be brought down to Hades! The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me" (Luke 10:13-16).
All three of these villages are completely ruined and abandoned. A good lesson to all of us!
On this trip, we’ve mostly looked after our own meals in our apartment, only eating out a handful of times. While we travel here in the Galilee, we’re eating at Beit Bracha or, as on this occasion, out! We stopped for lunch at a restaurant we found at the top of the hills around Galilee. It was nearly empty and seemed to be Arab owned. They had little English but were very polite and eager to please us. As we browsed through their menu (written in Hebrew, Arabic and English), our waiter asked if we’d like one salad. That sounded great to us, but we were alarmed when he brought about 10 or 12 dishes to the table. They were side plates that held a seemingly infinite variety of mystery foods -- plus one plate of French fries. And he brought a basket of huge, just cooked on the fire, pitas. We determined that we would try everything! By the way, Mom has become a hummus connoisseur. She can’t get enough!
We also ordered one dinner of Peter’s Fish (Tilapia) which arrived head, tail and everything between. Dad loved it. As well, we ordered one dinner of lamb shishlik -- what we would call shish kabob. It was divine!
We weren’t sure what this was all going to cost, but we enjoyed every morsel and were pleasantly surprised by the reasonable price.
By afternoon, Mom was feeling very tired and would have been happy to head back to Beit Bracha. But, Krista and I talked her into visiting Agmon Lake-Hula Valley, a wildlife area. This visit turned out to be a highlight of Mom’s entire visit to Israel.
However, as we drove up to the reserve, our second rental car began making some ominous noises. Not again! After driving a bit further, we began to think it was a brake problem. We’re not having luck with cars! But we carried on.
The wildlife reserve at Agmon Lake has a paved trail that makes an 11-kilometer loop around the waterways. At the main gate, visitors can rent bicycles, pedal cars or electric golf carts to travel the loop and view the birds and other wildlife. We chose a golf cart and were soon quietly gliding through the valley.
We saw many birds, including storks, kingfishers, starlings, ravens, and others. We also saw a mother water buffalo with her calf and many coypu (something like an otter). We highly recommend this experience.
Shabbat began that evening and we had a wonderful dinner with the staff and guests at Beit Bracha. We ended the evening again on the patio, watching the sun set over the Sea of Galilee. As it grew darker, lights of the various villages along the shore and on the hilltops grew brighter. It reminded us of Yeshua’s words:
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).
This morning we packed up and, after another breakfast/fellowship time, we reluctantly left the Galilee and began driving south again, brakes grinding all the way! Unfortunately, we’ve realized we will have to return this car -- especially since we expect to be doing a great deal of driving with Dov again this week.
But - noisy brakes and all -- it was a great two days away.
After a wonderful night’s sleep at Beit Bracha, we shared breakfast with the staff and guests. The staff is made up of volunteers from the US and New Zealand (at least the ones we met). The guests were all European -- British, Finnish, Dutch and Danish. It was wonderful fellowship throughout our visit.
We spent the rest of the day visiting various sites around the Sea of Galilee. Our first stop was Tabgha, an ancient church location on the shore of the Sea where, according tradition, Yeshua multiplied the loaves and fishes. Next we headed to Capernaum. These attractive ruins include a synagogue built shortly after the time of Yeshua, but on the foundation of the synagogue that existed during His ministry. You’ll remember that He taught there and stayed in Capernaum often.
Following Capernaum and carefully exiting the narrow lane between busses and tourists, we headed further up the hills surrounding the Sea to Korazin. These two towns, with nearby Bethsaida, were spoken of by Yeshua when they rejected His teaching.
"Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had been performed in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will be brought down to Hades! The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me" (Luke 10:13-16).
All three of these villages are completely ruined and abandoned. A good lesson to all of us!
On this trip, we’ve mostly looked after our own meals in our apartment, only eating out a handful of times. While we travel here in the Galilee, we’re eating at Beit Bracha or, as on this occasion, out! We stopped for lunch at a restaurant we found at the top of the hills around Galilee. It was nearly empty and seemed to be Arab owned. They had little English but were very polite and eager to please us. As we browsed through their menu (written in Hebrew, Arabic and English), our waiter asked if we’d like one salad. That sounded great to us, but we were alarmed when he brought about 10 or 12 dishes to the table. They were side plates that held a seemingly infinite variety of mystery foods -- plus one plate of French fries. And he brought a basket of huge, just cooked on the fire, pitas. We determined that we would try everything! By the way, Mom has become a hummus connoisseur. She can’t get enough!
We also ordered one dinner of Peter’s Fish (Tilapia) which arrived head, tail and everything between. Dad loved it. As well, we ordered one dinner of lamb shishlik -- what we would call shish kabob. It was divine!
We weren’t sure what this was all going to cost, but we enjoyed every morsel and were pleasantly surprised by the reasonable price.
By afternoon, Mom was feeling very tired and would have been happy to head back to Beit Bracha. But, Krista and I talked her into visiting Agmon Lake-Hula Valley, a wildlife area. This visit turned out to be a highlight of Mom’s entire visit to Israel.
However, as we drove up to the reserve, our second rental car began making some ominous noises. Not again! After driving a bit further, we began to think it was a brake problem. We’re not having luck with cars! But we carried on.
The wildlife reserve at Agmon Lake has a paved trail that makes an 11-kilometer loop around the waterways. At the main gate, visitors can rent bicycles, pedal cars or electric golf carts to travel the loop and view the birds and other wildlife. We chose a golf cart and were soon quietly gliding through the valley.
We saw many birds, including storks, kingfishers, starlings, ravens, and others. We also saw a mother water buffalo with her calf and many coypu (something like an otter). We highly recommend this experience.
Shabbat began that evening and we had a wonderful dinner with the staff and guests at Beit Bracha. We ended the evening again on the patio, watching the sun set over the Sea of Galilee. As it grew darker, lights of the various villages along the shore and on the hilltops grew brighter. It reminded us of Yeshua’s words:
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).
This morning we packed up and, after another breakfast/fellowship time, we reluctantly left the Galilee and began driving south again, brakes grinding all the way! Unfortunately, we’ve realized we will have to return this car -- especially since we expect to be doing a great deal of driving with Dov again this week.
But - noisy brakes and all -- it was a great two days away.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Israel #9 - North to Galilee
Shalom from Israel!
Yesterday was a rest day for Mom and me, but Dad and Krista spent a few hours together at Yad Vashem, Jerusalem’s Holocaust Memorial and Museum. We had all visited this heartbreaking place on our last trip to Israel, but Dad and Krista wanted to spend more time there.
Krista said, “Once again it was still a very sad place to go, but it was good to keep remembering that those events really happened. We should never forget. I hope and pray that it never happens again.”
Dad commented, “It left me with a very heavy heart. I felt that I couldn’t breathe properly. I think going to the memorial helps us understand in a small way the reason the Jewish people never want to forget such horrible events.”
We were glad to see Dad and Krista return home and still be talking to each other! Given their unconventional and erratic navigational skills and the challenges of driving in Jerusalem, we weren’t sure they’d make it to Yad Vashem and back in one piece.
Today, we packed overnight bags and headed to the Galilee for two nights. We drove east through the stark Judean Wilderness, gawking at small flocks of sheep, Bedouin tents and barren, barren hills. At the bottom of the hills in the Jordan Valley (below sea level), we headed north, skirting Jericho and driving by occasional date palm groves and other crops. Most of the land, however, was uncultivated.
Near the top of the Jordan Valley, we reached an Israeli security checkpoint. They took our passports for scrutiny before asking us to pull into an examination area. We had to empty the car entirely and put the luggage and ourselves through the kind of security process you find in airports. They even swabbed our passports, looking for explosives. As you can imagine, they found nothing suspicious and soon sent us on our way with smiles and thanks and our passports. We understood that this process is due to the precarious nature of security in Israel and didn’t mind the delay at all.
Very soon after, we made our first sightseeing stop at Beit She’an National Park. This spectacular collection of ruins was the location of the Philistine city that displayed the bodies of King Saul and his sons on the walls. We visited the amazing Roman theatre that dates from about the second century. It originally had space for about 5,000 in three tiers of seats rising to a height of about 30 meters. We also saw an extensive public bath facility and a wonderful Roman road lined with pillars. The mosaic floors were still visible and really impressed Mom; the reds and blues were amazing. The adjacent hill is actually a tel or stack of ruined cities built one on top of another. We read that the archaeologists have found 20 different levels. It’s hard to believe!
A few miles north of Beit She’an, we turned off to visit Belvoir National Park. This extraordinary Crusader fortress is situated on the top of a mountain. To reach it we drove a six-kilometer one-lane road consisting primarily of switchbacks and gorgeous views. Mom considered it a “white-knuckle drive.“ She and Krista said that, although Dad may have believed he was driving at only 35 miles an hour, from their perspective in the back seat he was doing 65!
At the top of the hill, we were astounded to find such a massive structure, surrounded by a dry moat and with much of the walls still standing. On a clear day, you can see just about forever here -- thus the name Belvoir or Beautiful View (in French). It is hard to imagine the crusaders struggling up the hill in their armour and on their horses.
Dad was impressed by two fairly wide rooms that were covered by an arched ceiling. He said, “If I had built just one wall, I would have felt it was a magnificent accomplishment, but they built a whole fortress and defensive position. It leaves you with a spirit of wonderment at what was accomplished so long ago. It also provides a deep respect for the knowledge and wisdom possessed by earlier cultures -- whether Crusader or Roman or Jewish or some other group.”
After driving back down the hill, we headed a short distance further to the south end of the Sea of Galilee. About six or eight kilometers up a very scary, winding road, we reached Hamat Gader, a spa built over some hot springs. We paid our fee and strolled into the facility with a good number of other people. Like many hot springs, there was a sulphurous smell to the air, but easing into the large pool was, oh, so delightful. We spent about an hour in and out of the 31C water. Then we dragged ourselves slowly back to the car. The hot water was wonderful, but completely enervating.
At last, we turned the car toward the Messianic guest house where we had reservations for the next two nights. Beit Bracha is a beautiful, beautiful facility in Migdal, a hillside village overlooking the Sea of Galilee. We checked in, had supper with the staff and some of the guests and relaxed on the balcony overlooking the Sea, caressed by gentle breezes and contemplating the history that lay within view.
It was a very good day!
Some of the pictures Krista and I took in the last couple of days are below (click for bigger):
Yesterday was a rest day for Mom and me, but Dad and Krista spent a few hours together at Yad Vashem, Jerusalem’s Holocaust Memorial and Museum. We had all visited this heartbreaking place on our last trip to Israel, but Dad and Krista wanted to spend more time there.
Krista said, “Once again it was still a very sad place to go, but it was good to keep remembering that those events really happened. We should never forget. I hope and pray that it never happens again.”
Dad commented, “It left me with a very heavy heart. I felt that I couldn’t breathe properly. I think going to the memorial helps us understand in a small way the reason the Jewish people never want to forget such horrible events.”
We were glad to see Dad and Krista return home and still be talking to each other! Given their unconventional and erratic navigational skills and the challenges of driving in Jerusalem, we weren’t sure they’d make it to Yad Vashem and back in one piece.
Near the top of the Jordan Valley, we reached an Israeli security checkpoint. They took our passports for scrutiny before asking us to pull into an examination area. We had to empty the car entirely and put the luggage and ourselves through the kind of security process you find in airports. They even swabbed our passports, looking for explosives. As you can imagine, they found nothing suspicious and soon sent us on our way with smiles and thanks and our passports. We understood that this process is due to the precarious nature of security in Israel and didn’t mind the delay at all.
A few miles north of Beit She’an, we turned off to visit Belvoir National Park. This extraordinary Crusader fortress is situated on the top of a mountain. To reach it we drove a six-kilometer one-lane road consisting primarily of switchbacks and gorgeous views. Mom considered it a “white-knuckle drive.“ She and Krista said that, although Dad may have believed he was driving at only 35 miles an hour, from their perspective in the back seat he was doing 65!
Dad was impressed by two fairly wide rooms that were covered by an arched ceiling. He said, “If I had built just one wall, I would have felt it was a magnificent accomplishment, but they built a whole fortress and defensive position. It leaves you with a spirit of wonderment at what was accomplished so long ago. It also provides a deep respect for the knowledge and wisdom possessed by earlier cultures -- whether Crusader or Roman or Jewish or some other group.”
At last, we turned the car toward the Messianic guest house where we had reservations for the next two nights. Beit Bracha is a beautiful, beautiful facility in Migdal, a hillside village overlooking the Sea of Galilee. We checked in, had supper with the staff and some of the guests and relaxed on the balcony overlooking the Sea, caressed by gentle breezes and contemplating the history that lay within view.
It was a very good day!
Some of the pictures Krista and I took in the last couple of days are below (click for bigger):
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Israel #8 - Dust and Stones of the Temple Mount
Shalom!
Yesterday was an adventure we were really looking forward to experiencing. Some time ago, as I looked for offbeat activities for us here in Jerusalem, I came across the Temple Mount Antiquities Salvage Operation. It’s an unusual opportunity to volunteer on an archaeological project and one that all of us, even Mom, could enjoy.
Let me briefly summarize the project. The Temple Mount has never been archaeologically investigated. Unfortunately, many Muslims who use the Temple Mount today have expressed a desire to prove that Israel never even had a Temple there. They have not respected the history of the Mount. A few years ago, they began to dig illegally on the Temple Mount. There, they have built a huge underground mosque. What did they do with the earth that had to be removed to make room for the mosque -- earth that contained the residue of history? They took more than four hundred truckloads of dirt at night and dumped it in the nearby Kidron Valley. These loads of earth contained centuries and millennia of archaeological information! Israeli archaeologists caught wind of what was going on and began to salvage the piles of earth. They’ve formed the Temple Mount Antiquities Salvage Operation and through this archaeologists and volunteers “sift” through the debris looking for bits and pieces of the ages.
Well in advance of our trip, I booked a two-hour sifting adventure for us. Yesterday was the day! We had a rather traumatic drive from our apartment to Emek Tsurim National Park outside the Old City walls where the sifting takes place. The map I had did not correspond to the real world. We couldn’t find the streets we needed and the streets we ended up taking were beyond belief. I shudder to think of that drive! But we made it!
We pulled into the unpaved parking lot of the Salvage Operation. The set up seems very rough -- a few sheds, some huge piles of stones and rubble and a long open-sided tent lined with sifting trays. It turned out that we were the only volunteers to sift that morning, so we received some very personal attention from the staff.
Our two-hour session started with a 30-minute presentation by Yval, one of the staff members. He gave us an excellent overview of the history of the Temple Mount. We found that his timeline really helped us put the history in order.
Then we started to sift! We started with about six inches of rubble in the bottom of a standard garden bucket. It had been covered in water overnight. We dumped the bucket’s contents onto the sifting screen -- something like a horizontal window screen -- and began to hose off the dirt. Who knew what we might find! Some have discovered coins or bits of jewelry. Others have found mosaic tiles or arrow heads. Then again, I read of one man who found a child’s toy car!
Yval had shown us the categories of the typical things we might find and, working in pairs, we started feeling our way through the pebbles and assorted bits of unidentified items. I was surprised at the size of the pebbles we had to look through -- many the size of peas. It was almost impossible to tell the difference between natural stone pebbles and pieces of mosaic carved by man. We were able to identify many bits of pottery -- they were the easiest even though many pieces were half the size of my smallest fingernail. After Krista and I thought we’d gone through our bucket of dirt, Yval checked our screen. How embarrassing! He found at least twice as much as we’d found and discarded half of what we’d set aside as possible artifacts.
Our spirits weren’t dampened. We just took another bucket and started again. This time we did better. Ultimately, among all the unnamed bits we found, we did come up with some specific things. Krista found a large piece of pottery that would have been part of a jar handle. She also found a piece of blue glass that might have been the eye of a statue and a piece of burnt bone that might have been from a Temple sacrifice or from the burning of the Temple or just from some crusader‘s dinner. Dad found a square bit of rusted metal. Mom found another large piece of a pottery jar. I found a fragment of Herodian painted plaster. It was very exciting as you’ll see from the photos below.
The Temple Mount Antiquities Salvage Operation has taken as their theme verse Psalm 102:15: “For Your servants have cherished her stones and favoured her dust.”
Yes, we were very dusty when we left Emek Tsurim, but this was a very good day!
During the afternoon, Krista and I headed to the Old City again and climbed up on the walls for a walk along the ramparts. We didn’t go too far -- it is a very difficult walk over uneven stones and many steps of odd heights and depths and is quite challenging when you’re also fighting heat and fatigue. But it was great fun. The views consist primarily of the walls and roofs of buildings just inside the walls. We saw cats, trash, sad bits of potted plants, lots of satellite dishes and laundry.
Today our primary goal was to take the Western Wall Tunnel Tour. We had tickets of the 11:50 am tour, so we used the morning to visit the nearby Jerusalem Archaeological Park, located outside the southern end of the Temple Mount. These beautifully presented ruins include the original southern steps of Herod’s Temple -- steps Yeshua and His disciples probably used a number of times. This spot was very moving for me on a previous visit and it was moving again. It was easy to imagine the people who must have walked these steps two thousand years ago.
As the morning ended, we reported to the entrance for Tunnel Tour. With a group of about 30 people, a young docent led us along the immense (immense!) stones of the Temple Mount that are now hidden underground. It was not an easy walk for Mom, but she persevered and made her way to the end! This tour is very impressive and we highly recommend it!
Afterward, Mom and Dad took a cab home. Krista and I returned to the Jewish Quarter and bought some shwarma for lunch. These two wraps containing lamb, grilled vegetables, hummus and fresh vegetables were so gigantic neither of us could finish it. Then we headed to the Wohl Archaeological Museum where we viewed the remains of Herodian homes and the burned ruins of a priest’s home -- places that were destroyed by the Romans following the destruction of the Temple. Both were fascinating.
At last, we started to head up through the Old City and soon found ourselves on the same lane we’d walked with Dad a few days before. We even passed by Sammy’s shop again. He called out to us to visit, but we were worn out and, thanking him for the invitation, explained we had to keep going if we were going to make it home.
This was an exhausting for all of us, but a day rich in history. Of course, you can’t escape history in Israel!
Here are a few more pictures Krista and I took in the last couple of days (click for bigger):
Yesterday was an adventure we were really looking forward to experiencing. Some time ago, as I looked for offbeat activities for us here in Jerusalem, I came across the Temple Mount Antiquities Salvage Operation. It’s an unusual opportunity to volunteer on an archaeological project and one that all of us, even Mom, could enjoy.
 |
| Arriving at the Temple Mount Sifting Project. |
Let me briefly summarize the project. The Temple Mount has never been archaeologically investigated. Unfortunately, many Muslims who use the Temple Mount today have expressed a desire to prove that Israel never even had a Temple there. They have not respected the history of the Mount. A few years ago, they began to dig illegally on the Temple Mount. There, they have built a huge underground mosque. What did they do with the earth that had to be removed to make room for the mosque -- earth that contained the residue of history? They took more than four hundred truckloads of dirt at night and dumped it in the nearby Kidron Valley. These loads of earth contained centuries and millennia of archaeological information! Israeli archaeologists caught wind of what was going on and began to salvage the piles of earth. They’ve formed the Temple Mount Antiquities Salvage Operation and through this archaeologists and volunteers “sift” through the debris looking for bits and pieces of the ages.
Well in advance of our trip, I booked a two-hour sifting adventure for us. Yesterday was the day! We had a rather traumatic drive from our apartment to Emek Tsurim National Park outside the Old City walls where the sifting takes place. The map I had did not correspond to the real world. We couldn’t find the streets we needed and the streets we ended up taking were beyond belief. I shudder to think of that drive! But we made it!
We pulled into the unpaved parking lot of the Salvage Operation. The set up seems very rough -- a few sheds, some huge piles of stones and rubble and a long open-sided tent lined with sifting trays. It turned out that we were the only volunteers to sift that morning, so we received some very personal attention from the staff.
Our two-hour session started with a 30-minute presentation by Yval, one of the staff members. He gave us an excellent overview of the history of the Temple Mount. We found that his timeline really helped us put the history in order.
 |
| Krista rinses out a bucket of rubble into a sifting tray. |
Yval had shown us the categories of the typical things we might find and, working in pairs, we started feeling our way through the pebbles and assorted bits of unidentified items. I was surprised at the size of the pebbles we had to look through -- many the size of peas. It was almost impossible to tell the difference between natural stone pebbles and pieces of mosaic carved by man. We were able to identify many bits of pottery -- they were the easiest even though many pieces were half the size of my smallest fingernail. After Krista and I thought we’d gone through our bucket of dirt, Yval checked our screen. How embarrassing! He found at least twice as much as we’d found and discarded half of what we’d set aside as possible artifacts.
Our spirits weren’t dampened. We just took another bucket and started again. This time we did better. Ultimately, among all the unnamed bits we found, we did come up with some specific things. Krista found a large piece of pottery that would have been part of a jar handle. She also found a piece of blue glass that might have been the eye of a statue and a piece of burnt bone that might have been from a Temple sacrifice or from the burning of the Temple or just from some crusader‘s dinner. Dad found a square bit of rusted metal. Mom found another large piece of a pottery jar. I found a fragment of Herodian painted plaster. It was very exciting as you’ll see from the photos below.
The Temple Mount Antiquities Salvage Operation has taken as their theme verse Psalm 102:15: “For Your servants have cherished her stones and favoured her dust.”
Yes, we were very dusty when we left Emek Tsurim, but this was a very good day!
 |
| Hot and tired on the Old City Walls. |
During the afternoon, Krista and I headed to the Old City again and climbed up on the walls for a walk along the ramparts. We didn’t go too far -- it is a very difficult walk over uneven stones and many steps of odd heights and depths and is quite challenging when you’re also fighting heat and fatigue. But it was great fun. The views consist primarily of the walls and roofs of buildings just inside the walls. We saw cats, trash, sad bits of potted plants, lots of satellite dishes and laundry.
Today our primary goal was to take the Western Wall Tunnel Tour. We had tickets of the 11:50 am tour, so we used the morning to visit the nearby Jerusalem Archaeological Park, located outside the southern end of the Temple Mount. These beautifully presented ruins include the original southern steps of Herod’s Temple -- steps Yeshua and His disciples probably used a number of times. This spot was very moving for me on a previous visit and it was moving again. It was easy to imagine the people who must have walked these steps two thousand years ago.
As the morning ended, we reported to the entrance for Tunnel Tour. With a group of about 30 people, a young docent led us along the immense (immense!) stones of the Temple Mount that are now hidden underground. It was not an easy walk for Mom, but she persevered and made her way to the end! This tour is very impressive and we highly recommend it!
 |
| Could you eat that big swarma? |
At last, we started to head up through the Old City and soon found ourselves on the same lane we’d walked with Dad a few days before. We even passed by Sammy’s shop again. He called out to us to visit, but we were worn out and, thanking him for the invitation, explained we had to keep going if we were going to make it home.
This was an exhausting for all of us, but a day rich in history. Of course, you can’t escape history in Israel!
Here are a few more pictures Krista and I took in the last couple of days (click for bigger):
The Temple Mount Sifting Project
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| The mound of rubble beyond the fence is some of the salvaged "dust." |
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| Here's our new rental car! |
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| Inside the sifting tent. There are buckets of soaking rubble on the floor and sifting stations along the outside walls. |
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| Yval did a great job teaching us about Temple Mount history. |
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| Buckets of rubble waiting to be sifted. |
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| Krista dumps a bucket of rubble into our sifting tray. |
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| Where to start?! |
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| Mom and Dad sifting. In the background, Yval is showing me how much I didn't discover! |
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| Mom and Dad carefully go over their bits and pieces. |
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| How discouraging to see Yval quickly go through my rubble, finding everythgin I missed! |
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| As we sifted, all our discoveries we sorted in these little cups. |
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| Krista and her discoveries ... |
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| ... which included a bit of burnt bone, a blue "eye" (which Yval put into a plastic bag) and part of ceramic jar's handle. |
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| Mom's main discovery was a ceramic handle. |
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| Does she look happy?! |
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| Dad shows off his discovery. |
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| Dad found a bit of metal. Yval was interested enough in this to put it in a plastic bag. |
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| I finally found something interesting! |
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| The piece of painted herodian plaster. What wall in the Temple complex did it come from? |
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| The central buckets where all the sorted bits are collected. |
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| Yval displayed our special finds on this plate. |
Old City Walk
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| HaAtzmaut (Independence Park), located between our apartment and the Old City. |
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| Buskers at the Jaffa Gate. |
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| Views from the Old City Ramparts - some looking outward (as here) and others looking inward. |
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