Day 4:
Hi everyone. Sorry for the delay. We had a mishap with our camera ... left in a cab ... so we have been busy collecting pictures to include here. We hope that you are enjoying our travel log. We are certainly enjoying your responses. Spread the word! We would love to hear from more of you.
Our day started with a fantastic tour of the Davidson center. This is an archaelogical institute uncovering the mysteries of the Temple mount and the ancient city of Jerusalem. From their finds they have reconstructed an image of what ancient Jerusalem looked like … and especially, the awe inspiring grandeur of the ancient Temple. Through a computer animation (created with the help of software from UCLA – go Bruins!) we were able to travel back in time and understand just how awesome it must have been to travel to this place and encounter the Temple. If it had not been destroyed, it would truly be one of the wonders of the world today … beautiful, massive and totally impressive in every way.
While we were there a group was having a Thursday morning service. As we walked past them we encountered the Zev family from our community, traveling here with their parents who belong to Temple Aliyah in Woodland Hills. We stopped to say hello to Rabbi Vogel and our Valley neighbors. It was just another of those wild Jerusalem encounter experiences.
From Jerusalem we journeyed to Latrun. For those of you who know the story of the struggle for Independence, this was a key strategic position on the road to Jerusalem. From the fortress on this hill an army could control all movement towards Jerusalem. Unfortunately it was controlled by the Arab Legions. Three times the newly born Israeli army tried to conquer Latrun. Three times they were defeated. On the hills below many young men died. Some were nameless heros who had just arrived to Israel from the horror of Europe. They had two weeks of training and were handed a gun. They could not even really speak the language. Sometimes, no one even knew their name. They had survived the Holocaust and gave their lives in the struggle for the Jewish state.
Today the location celebrates the powerful Israeli tank forces. While we were there hundreds of soldiers were there as well preparing for their graduation from training. We watched hundreds of young men and women going through their paces.
It was so striking: We know intellectually the ages of our soldiers. But, it is not until you see them in person that it really strikes you just how young they are. Yes, they are men and women, but just barely. In their young faces I saw the faces of my own 20 and 17 year old boys. If I lived here one would be in the army and the other preparing to go. There they were barely out of high school, carrying weapons, driving massive, destructive vehicles. These are the kids defending Israel, entering Gaza even as we visited Latrun. And it is these faces, American faces, that are in Iraq as well.
Latrun today is filled with tanks, from the first tiny tin can looking thing to the very sophisticated weapons of today’s army. The kids had a great time climbing all over them, having their pictures taken with the soldiers, and buying lots of Israeli army souvenir t-shirts and hats.
Diversity: As we were leaving a large group of black children were entering the compound; the children of Ethiopian Jews, who are now citizens of Israel. It was wonderful to see them and a reminder of the wonderful diversity of the Jewish people. From the religious Asian Jew I met in the old city, to the Indian soldier that gave me directions, one of the amazing realizations here is that your waiter, your bus driver, your banker, your whatever … are almost all Jewish! Not just your lawyer and your doctor and your C.P.A. …. Again, we all know this, but somehow it is more striking when you actually encounter it.
After leaving Latrun it was time to find a place for lunch. And where else to go besides to the mall? Yep thats what we did. And while most of us chose more traditional Israeli fair, shwarma, felafel and pizza (?) Some took advantage of the Kosher Golden Arches.
Finally, we spent the rest of the day exploring the ancient Roman ruins of the ancient port city of Caesaria. The kids enjoyed the beach, while most of the adult enjoyed a drink on the boardwalk and enjoyed this beautiful place. Today, Caesaria is the most expensive real estate in the country. It has the only golf course which looked very enticing to some of us!
Before heading to this Herodian port and enjoying the beautiful Mediterranean, we climbed through an underground Roman aqueduct, built to bring water from the hills down the many miles towards their port city. The kids loved walking the aqueduct, sometimes through water two and half feet deep. You can’t help but be amazed by the wonder of the ancient engineering and architecture. Just how did they do all of this? It is truly a wonder.
Finally, it was back to Jerusalem … an hour and a half drive, speeded up by our use of the new, privately built, toll road. To travel from one end to the other can cost fifty dollars. The road travels for much of the way along the green line separating the west bank from Israel proper. On the left of the highway we often found ourselves looking at the security wall that is the cause of so much controversy. Behind it Arab villages, some we are told, very hostile to the state. While across the highway, on the right, are Israeli home and towns.
But, even though it was late, the day was far from over. Many of us headed to Ben Yehuda Street where the night life was just getting started. We ate dinner and hung out ‘til the early hours of the morning. And as we left, exhausted from another full day (the reason this blog is a little late in arriving!) the place was still buzzing, filled with young Israelis enjoying the beautiful summer weather in Jerusalem.
Day 5: A Roller Coaster of Emotions .
