Liberal Judaism Community Tour to Israel:
in conjunction with The Liberal Jewish Synagogue and Liberal
Judaism's 'tent'
This tour was a great opportunity for me. Below are
some feedback notes written a couple of days after getting back
to the UK. They are personal in nature, but nothing I can't
share.
— Byron Simmonds
Kabbalat Shabbat in the Memorial Gardens – it's a beautiful
setting, and what a performance! Danny's address did us proud.
And very thoughtful of Carol Brauner to have included a CD of
the songs in our information packs. Listening to this music
serves to trigger memories of the event and will enable me to
introduce some of it to the PJC. The CD is currently at the
top of my play list!
The Hugo Gryn Conference I found more demanding, but a great
opportunity to meet people. When asked where in the States she
came from, one young woman replied "I'm from Israel."
(Gili, how come you don't speak like that?!) It would have been
useful to have been able to take away speakers' written statements
and/or bios.
A tour of the Green Line with Lydia Eisenberg of Givat Haviva:
there was a lot of interesting stuff here, and Lydia had obviously
gone to a lot of trouble, preparing maps and so on. But I found
the field trip disorienting (ironic really, given that my IT
specialism was geographic information systems!) and would have
liked to have learnt more about the work of Givat Haviva.
At Ben Gurion University, Professor Grados gave us a fascinating
insight into the make-up of the Negev. Not enough time, though.
I could have listened to him all day. In fact you really needed
to attend his lectures for the whole year! It was great to get
a flavour of Be'er Sheva and the University.
The Bedouin experience really was an experience! There has to
be a way to sit on a camel without feeling that at any moment
you were going to suffer an inguinal hernia! Actually, for someone
who doesn't do outdoors, I really enjoyed myself. Eitan was
a real hero, taking care of Corrine after her fall. The dessert
walk under the night sky, arguing over which was the north star
("Five lengths down from the big dipper.") I thought
of Moses's wandering for forty years, and gave thanks for GPS.
Masada: okay, so it's just a pile of rocks, but Dani really
brought it to life. He was brilliant! It made me want to go
back to Josephus and re-read what I seem to recall was a pretty
blood-curdling story. Setting off at four in the morning to
arrive for sunrise was definitely worth it and, of course, the
high point was the standing ovation for Robert making it up
the ramp. Again, Eitan was brilliant.
Ein Gedi: as I said, I don't do outdoors, so getting me to swim
in the pool at Ein Gedi is testament indeed to Dani's motivational
skills. LJ should put him on a permanent retainer! I can't tell
you how good it felt to be splashing about in the fresh cool
water. Ein Gedi is clearly a popular spot for both Israeli and
foreign tourists alike. I'll remember the school parties, in
particular the well-dressed Palestinian children – a real
eye-opener.
Petra is a "must see", and the trip there: first Eilat
with its domestic aircraft flying down Main Street. Crikey!
Straight out of Boy's Own; the Hilton, straight out of the Arabian
Nights; the experience of Israeli/Jordanian passport controls
with the walk through No-man's Land; the journey with Ali, our
rather dour Jordanian guide (okay so he's not going to have
a Jewish sense of humour); the contrast between chaotic Eilat
over Shavuot and Aqaba, a town planner's wet dream — I
left Jordan wanting to know more.
Kibbutz Lotan is definitely for your agricultural types and
for those with absolutely no sense of smell. A "land of
milk and honey" takes on a whole new meaning! There was
lots of interesting stuff here: the youth, the energy. Most
interesting for me was to see the results of "Earthship"
building techniques, giving rise to an aesthetic reminiscent
of Antonio Gaudi and seemingly so much at home in the Arava.
Bet Shmuel and the Shavuot night of learning: I think I must
have been pretty tired at this point. It was all a bit of a
blur. I should have liked to have seen more of the HUC campus.
I seem to remember a mildly-erotic dance performance –
two young women ever intent on flashing their knickers. Or was
I dreaming? I was so grateful to have Gili later explain that
the dancers were portraying Naomi and Ruth. Otherwise I was
none the wiser! And just when I got to start chatting up the
young woman sitting next to me, our group got whisked off to
a shi'ur!
The Israel Museum Jerusalem: nowhere near enough time! My only
hope is to re-visit it via the Internet. Danny's sculpture trail
was brilliant (Thanks must go to Laura, also.) There was a certain
space — a meditative space entered through a planted bank.
In plan a perfect square, polished stone to the walls and floor.
And then there was the surprise of the skylight: a square in
a roof of no thickness, open to a blue sky. I wondered what
it would have looked like at night, under the stars.
I really enjoyed the Kabbalat Shabbat in Kol Haneshama. It didn't
seem to matter that the service was entirely in Hebrew. It was
easy to keep up, probably because it was all sung. There was
no musical "performance", no choir. I found it very
appealing. (I imagine the silent meditation consisted of very
quiet humming.)
The Shabbat morning service at Hebrew Union College was quite
different: lots of English spoken so you could understand what
was going on, but colder somehow. I'm not sure why, because
the rabbi was brilliant and Melissa Stollman's voice the closest
to an angel I'm ever likely to get.
The walk in the Old City, Jerusalem: the Christian, Muslim,
Armenian and Jewish sections — such amazing contrasts.
With backpacks held tightly to chests, we squeezed through the
seething mass. "If you do get lost (God forbid!) then make
your way to the Kotel. Only ask for the Western Wall."
For these and so many other pearls, Danny, I thank you.
Meeting with Anat Hofman of IRAC — the Israel Religious
Action Center: To describe Anat as a real mensch doesn't sound
right, but you get the idea. Another angel. (Do women have a
monopoly, I wonder?) Her visit was too short. I wanted to learn
more. The Internet can be a wonderful place...
Meeting with Ahmed Musa Dari and Lilach Tchlenov of Rabbis for
Human Rights: Again not enough time! The more you learn the
more complicated things get. So many questions. The human rights
implications of the Jerusalem Local Plan. The work of Bimkom
(architects and planners for human rights). More homework...
Accommodation: we were clearly spoilt in Haifa. Neither the
Adi in Eilat nor the Park Plaza Jerusalem were a scratch, but
presumably considerably less expensive. Give me a Bedouin tent
any day!
I definitely ate too much. A low point: The packed lunch at
Ein Gedi was memorably crummy. The high point: the Anna Ticho
House Jerusalem is a real gem. And then there was the Cacao
Restaurant at the Jerusalem Cinametheque. And the stopover at
the Dead Sea. Wonderful. I love Jewish/Mediterranean/Middle
Eastern food, and this trip did not disappoint.
Three of the tour's highlights:
- The Conference. An important focus for the early part of the
trip
- Petra. A glimpse into another world
- Masada. Bringing history to life
Anything that should be improved next time: Some practical tips,
such as what not to pack (What on earth prompted me to bring
20 pairs of socks?); to bring a towel for the morning shower
at the Bedouin camp. I stole one from Dan Panorama, only to
have the maid recycle it at the Adi!
Any other comments: Haven't I already said enough?! Those kids
at Ein-Ha'yam were very precious. I wanted to wrap them up.
It was sad when our little group had to split and go our separate
ways. I really hope we can keep in touch.
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