Each day, I want to begin by saying this is the best day of the trip, because it is! It does not negate any of the wonderful things that have happened. It just means that today was incredible. We began our day in a slightly unorthodox way. We visited Naot Mordechai, the neighboring kibbutz to our hotel. Naot Mordechai is known throughout the world as the manufacturers of Naot sandals and shoes (the ones in the store in the Countryside Mall, near BrightHouse.) Yes, we started the day shopping for shoes, which made many of the women happy. After a short shopping trip we headed to the Lavi forest, a new forest being planted by the Jewish National Fund. Connecting with the tradition Jews have had for over a century through their support of the JNF, we got down on our hands and knees and planted trees. In Israel, it seems that we feel a special connection to nature. Whether it is the beautiful flowers, the gorgeous scenery, or the need to understand how water is used, I always feel more connected to the natural world while here. Today was Earth Day, so we were fortunate to make this special and personal connection to the land of Israel.
From Lavi Forest we headed down to Nazareth, an Arab city in the middle of the country. Nazareth is, of course, the home town of Mary, mother of Jesus. In the middle of town, we went to visit the Church of the Annunciation, an incredibly gorgeous church built on the site where, according to tradition, Mary was told of Jesus’ impending birth. Interestingly, at Jewish holy sites, we are usually concerned about women dressing in a modest manner, ensuring their knees and shoulders are covered. At the church, it is the MEN whose knees must be covered, so before we could even go in, several of our men were given skirts to hide their knees. The church is filled with beautiful symbolic representations of the annunciation, the largest mosaic in all of Israel, and a roof in the shape of a lily set over our heads at dizzying heights. After visiting the church, we walked through Nazareth to find lunch. Many of us had falafel or shwarma again. Is there such a thing as too much falafel? We also took some time to try, knaffe, an Arabic desert treat, similar to baklava, or bakLAHwa in Arabic, except that it is filled with warm cheese and covered in a sugar syrup. Delicious!
From Nazareth we continued South to Hadera. Hadera is the Partnership 2000 (P2K) City of Pinellas County. Every summer, teens from Hadera travel to our community to work with our local Jewish summer camps, including our TBI Early Childhood Camp. Our madricha or counselor from last summer greeted us, and we sat together with the teens. We discussed life in Israel for a teenager, and participated in a program to explore one another’s beliefs about Israel. It was a great stop, and I know that relationships have already formed. We can’t wait to host these young men and women over the summer.
Heading East to Jerusalem, we noticed dark rain clouds in front of us. Yes we had some needed rain, but through those clouds we saw the most beautiful rainbow. We shared a blessing on the bus as we strained to take a picture. And so the journey continued to Jerusalem.
We arrived in South Jerusalem at the Haas Promenade. From this scenic overlook, the Dome of the Rock shone a bright gold in the setting sun. We took some pictures to capture the moment, shared a cup of wine/ juice, and reciting Shehecheyanu, thanking God for enabling us to reach this sacred moment. This sacred few minutes in the cold and wind were some of the most emotionally moving of our entire trip. Women and men cried with joy for seeing Jerusalem for the first time, understanding just what is so powerful, so moving about this Holy city. As Jews, we frequently tinge our moments of joy with touches of sadness, like the shattering of the glass at the conclusion of a wedding. I know that some were sad that loved ones could not be with us, but all of us were glad to be there together.
So now we are at the Inbal Hotel, ready to have dinner, relax for the night, get set for tomorrow. Friday brings us to the Old City before Shabbat, and promises to be an even more exciting day.
Lailah Tov and Shabbat Shalom!
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