Disclaimer.......I guess my blogs have been filled with spelling and gramatical errors. Please accept my apologies....I am writing these late at night when I am very tired.....and given that spelling and grammer where never my strongpoints anyway....I am not surprised. I am going to blame it on the spellcheck function on this blog which, by the way, isnt functioning. I will tri two right goodly!!!!!!!!!
The is one area in particular along Route 6 where running right along the highway is the security fence that has been build by Israel over time in response to terrorist attacks. Joel shared with us the ongoing controversy about this fence. There are many who support it, not only from the standpoint of safety, and, according to Joel, even Hamas has gone on record as admitting that it has dramatically decreased terrorist attacks, but those that support it hope that it will end up providing a guide for the actual border between Israel and a Palestinian State....The Two State Option. There are also many who are against it for a variety of reasons. For me, it was again a symbol of the social, political, and cultural challenges faced by Israel.
Our first stop for the day was The Kenneret. This is a freshwater lake that supplies Israel with much of its water. This body of water and the surrounding area, The Kinneret Valley are one of the most beautiful areas I have ever laid my eyes on.
As you look across the Kinneret you see the Golan Heights...and on the other side of the Golan is Syria. The Kinneret is one of the two large bodies of water in Israel...the other one being the Dead Sea. The Kinneret is fresh water...or as the Israeli's call it, sweet water...and the Dead Sea is over 30% salt. Why the radical difference in the quality of water you may ask.....you are asking that...right????? Well I will give you two explanations. From a science standpoint, The Kinneret has a source of water on one side and on the other side, water is taken out for use within the state. This continual movement of new water in and water out keeps the water quality fresh and clean. The Dead Sea has a water source coming in, but no way out. The water that enters the Dead Sea can on evaporate, a process that leaves all of the salt and other schmutz behind. The second explanation is a bit more spiritual and was shared with us by one of our Israeli hosts, Yardena. The Kinneret takes water in and, in turn, gives it away. Life a person who does the same, this give and take creates a sweet life (sweet water). The Dead Sea on takes, and like a person who does the same, it becomes only bitter. A far more meaningful explanation than the scientific one :).
Noa and I
Our next stop was at the Kinneret Cemetery. Unlike Mt. Hertzel, this is not a cemetery for soldiers. This cemetery holds many of the individuals who settled the Kinneret Valley beginning at the turn of the 20th century. Joel and Yardena shared with us about the Waves of Alliah...the waves of immigration that lead to the settlement of this area. One needs to have a picture of this area in the early 1900's to fully appreciate this story. It was swamps....maleria...no roads...little connection to existing cities. The first wave of alliah consisted of highly religious men who knew little of how to community build in such a hostile environment. The second wave of alliah was comprised of younger people, more skilled in the areas required to create a thriving community. As we walked through the cemetery, many of the headstones described the person as hearty, strong, eager. It was also obvious from the ages on the stones that life was extremely difficult and people died at any early age from accidents and disease. This Cemetery respresents people who are seen as some of the true founders of the State of Israel.....creating a Jewish community in a challenging environment long before Israel was formally recognized.
We learned about a young woman named Rachel who wrote beautiful poetry, to the point that she has taken on almost mythic proportion within the Israeli society. Our hosts sang several of her songs and it was clear to me that this is a person whose legacy fills an important role in Israeli society. There children grow up singing her songs. If you want to know a little more on Rachel: http://www.ithl.org.il/author_info.asp?id=207
Some pictures from the Kinneret Cemetery:
We left the Kinneret and traveled to the city of Zefat. Zefat's population is comprised of a strong Orthodox community combined with a more liberal artsy community. There are many gallery's and shops in Zefat along with, as is the case wherever you go in Israel, a significant historical component. Zefat was the site of an important battle between the Jew's and Arab population of the city in April 1948. Although significantly outnumbered, the Jew's won the battle and took control of the city. You need to stand in the city to fully appreciate how important that was from a strategic standpoint as Zefat sits high above the Galilee Valley. By taking control of the city, the Jewish population was able to control the valley. Some pictures of Zefat:
This is called the Messiah's Alley.Grandma Yocheved used to sit at the top of this alley waiting for the Messiah to come. She was convinced that the Messiah would surely come through Zefat on his way to Jerusalem. Joel shared a story that Yocheved would wait at the top of the alley with two kinds of tea. When asked why she had these two varieties of tea with her every day, she replied that " I'm not sure which tea the Messiah would like."Our wonderful day concluded with dinner at Caesarea. This is an area right on the coast that is an Roman ruin that the government has been excavating since the late 1960's. It has become a beautiful area with restaurants and an open air theater dated to the time of Herod.
Tomorrow we go to school!!!!
Love you all
Keith
No comments:
Post a Comment