Digging and Heading South

The 4th of July doesn't involve fireworks and BBQs here in Israel. Though, with the heat we are experiencing, every time we step outside the bus, it's as if we're getting BBQed ourselves. While our stay in Jerusalem was pleasant, the heat increased as we headed south on Wednesday, making our way to Eilat. Most of the day involved driving through the desert, but we did have a wonderful stop at Beit Guvrin, an archaeological site with active digs taking place. We were lucky enough to take part in the dig, spending about an hour in the caves of an ancient society who had lived on the site about two thousand years ago. Lucky for us, the excavations are taking place in the caves underground, thought to be the 'garbage dump' of the society before they abandoned it. We each had a pick, a spade, and a bucket, and were able to dig through the dirt in the cave to discover pieces of bone (thought to be animal), as well as numerous pieces of pottery. After digging for a while and filling our buckets, we headed back above ground to sift through the dirt to see if we had missed any smaller pieces.
Ancient graffiti found in the caves where we dug.
Amongst the rocks and dirt, we found smaller pieces of bone and pottery. We were told that the largest find had been made about a month ago, in which 6 coins from the reign of Antiochus the 9th were discovered. Can you imagine being the person to discover those?! Also, fragments of a draft ketubah had also been found recently. The first fragment had been found by a 9 year old.

After the sifting, we crawled on our hands and knees through ancient caverns, which have been fully excavated. Lit by candlelight, our path took us through ancient cisterns, openings which required us to get on all fours, and an area where the society kept their pigeons (used for communication). We also saw an ancient olive press and learned how the society had used their ingenuity to create olive oil for consumption and export.
Dirty from the digging and crawling, we headed south along the Jordanian border. This 4 hour journey was interrupted by a quick lunch stop and then, a food highlight of the trip. Thirty minutes outside, Eilat, after most of the bus had taken a two hour nap on the bus, we stopped at the famous Yotvata Kibbutz. The kibbutz is famous for its dairy products. Besides excellent chocolate milk, they make the BEST ice cream in the country. We all experienced heaven as we sat in the air conditioned Yotvata store, savoring our scoops of ice cream. We've eaten well on this trip, but this was definitely at the top of the list.
We left Yotvata and continued south along the border, passing an animal refuge teaming with ostriches, wild asses, and white gazelle-like creatures. From both sides of the bus, we saw the desert unfold before our eyes. Looking east, we could see the rough, jagged mountains of Jordan - an area in which our ancestors wandered thousands of years ago.
Finally, we arrived in Eilat - a beautiful resort town on the Red Sea. From here, you can see Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. The water is cool, the weather is hot (it is 110 degrees here today), and the night is long. People go out to dinner around 8:30pm and stores along the promenade stay open until 2am. A few of us went to the 3 Monkeys bar in the evening to get a taste of this 'scene'. People strolled along the promenade with their children until the wee hours of the night and we were surprised to see a toy store open at 12:15am as we strolled back to the hotel from the bar. The nights here are unlike anything you would find in the United States. Never would see you a whole stretch of stores open this late nor families with children walking the streets.
The hotel is very nice and is right on the beach. We have great views of the city and the sea from our rooms.









- Joel Nickerson

The Amazing Race

Thursday, June 28

Following a Kibbutz breakfast, we headed out for a day filled with as many activities that most families do in an entire week of vacationing. Packing for this day was strenuous in itself as we needed several changes of clothing for all our various adventures. Our first stop was a hike through the Tel Dan Nature Reserve replete with running springs, climbing rocks and wading pools of cool water -- quite refreshing after the heat of the previous few days. Frances told us that the amount of water rushing by us in 10 seconds could fill an entire Olympic size swimming pool.

Our next stop was a two hour river rafting/kayaking expedition on the Jordan River. We were thrilled to see Rabbi Goor join us at this point on our trip. You should have seen our rabbis and families battling it out for supremacy of waterway -- mostly getting extremely wet. Rabbi Bender invented a new Olympic sport of rope swinging over the Jordan while Rabbi Goor perfected the "getting back on the raft after being dumped overboard by congregants" maneuver. Both received a "10" by the Israeli judges.

Changing clothes again, we had lunch at an Israeli style mini-mall, dining on pizza, falafel and other delicacies. Since this mall was in the Northern area of Israeli which had experienced rocket activity during last summer's clashes, there was an extremely heavy military presence here. It was strange yet comforting to see uniformed soldiers as well as plain-clothed young people carrying rifles, machine guns and pistols.

We left the mall headed for our own Jewish version of Indiana Jones . . . a two-hour jeep ride through the Galilee Mountains from Bat Ya'ar Ranch. Dusty, bumpy but lots of fun, we headed out through the Biriya Forest. The driver of our jeep explained that all the trees in this forest had been planted by the Jewish National Fund. You know, those little blue boxes we've been keeping for years? He was so appreciative of the efforts of American Jews for those trees. I will never take it for granted again.

Time to change clothes again (modest ones), for a trip to Safed, the center of Jewish mysticism. Safed is the birthplace of Kabbalah, that trendy cult thing that Madonna promotes. However, Safed was anything but trendy. Long black coats, scrungy beards, tall hats . . . this was Fiddler on the Roof in person. We explored a narrow alleyway filled with more Judaica shops than you could imagine, and visited two famed synagogues. Thanks fo Joel's amazing culinary expertise, we feasted on Magnum ice cream bars.

Hey, was this still Thursday? And it was just dinnertime? Our last leg of this "Amazing Race" was dinner at the home of Jenine and Ronnie Bar-El. This New Yorker wife and chef husband have transformed their home into a restaurant. We sat on the rooftop overlooking the Safed sunset enjoying a spectacular meal of Israeli salads, rice, couscous, sweet potatoes, salmon, chicken, beef, potatoes, green beans, and more.

It was finally time to head back to the Kibbutz courtesy of Beni, our trusty but speedy driver. What an amazing day!

- Gail Aspinwall

Focus, Focus

Wednesday 6/27/07

“Focus, Focus,” instructed our ever lively extremely entertaining tour guide, Frances as she knew we had a long and busy day ahead.

First to Caeseria, a spacious resort/playground of the Roman Empire from 2000 years ago. One could marvel at their use of architecture and design to capture this amazing space in front of the rich aqua blue Mediterranean Sea; just imagine the Chariots of Fire (hippodrome) setting on the sea front with marble stadiums for theater facing out to sea as well as cleverly designed swimming pools projecting out to the sea to capture the cool ocean air in front. These guys knew how to live!

Next stop was Alona Park a newly (10 yrs) discovered underground tunnel that the Romans ingeniously designed to transfer cool mountain water to their party town of Caeseria, about 15 miles. We saw a poorly designed movie that had our group cracking up, thank goodness it got jammed and stopped. We learned how this water tunnel was constructed and threw on our water shoes and braved the cool water underground for about 100 yards. There were spaces etched along the walls for candles and one could not help to think of the difficulties and danger of constructing this tunnel.

Next we were off to the yuppie designer town in the North, Zichron Ya’acov had our Israeli lunch of falafels and shwarma in this friendly shopping town …and all the pressure that go with bringing the best jewelry home as my wife was the last one rushing to our bus hoping not to disturb the others as we headed for Yemin Orde youth Aliyah village, a retreat for Ethiopian Jewish immigrants. This special place had wonderful 'boarding school style' rooms and a synagogue for those unfortunate children lucky enough to leave the troubles back home. The main theme that the director Susan impressed upon our group was that when these children came to Yemin Orde, this was their home forever. The students are encouraged to feel at home, secure with a future, secure in their identity, and secure that they can and do have a wonderful future. It may look like a camp setting with the Mediterran Sea off in the distance but these 500 kids are nurtured and cared for while setting a model for other refugee children to learn from. All of these beautiful kids serve full army time and some have graduated to become attornies giving hope that Yemin Orde can ensure a secure future for these children.
Remi and Rachel Nevins donating a variety of supplies to the students at Yemin Orde Youth Village in the north of Israel.

Next stop to Gonen Kibbutz, we had a short tour and dinner then some of us enjoyed races thru the sprinklers and lounging around the huge pool in the soft evening summer air. We knew we were somewhere special and were reminded that others before us granted us the groundwork so we could head off to sleep and be a lot less concerned with the threat that Syria and Lebonan were just a few miles over these hills.

- Howard Nevins

We have arrived!

Without any complication and two legs of travel under our belts (LAX-Toronto and Toronto-Tel Aviv), the Temple Judea group arrived at Ben Gurion International Airport on time this morning (around 11:45am). Our first little challenge came in the form of a missing suitcase which we hope will be found and delivered to the Nevins family before too long. Other than that, we were able to get comfortable in our beautiful bus (wonderfully air conditioned, by the way) and take a ride into to Tel Aviv as our tour guide for the trip, Frances, told us a little bit about the weather (it's about 95 degrees and humid today) and Israeli culture. Our bus driver, Beni, drove us through northern Tel Aviv and into the port town of Jaffa, where we got out and took a little stroll through small, narrow passageways overlooking the Mediterranean. After viewing the Tel Aviv coastline from this northern vantage point, we got back in the bus and took a quick ride to the hotel where we are now comfortably relaxing before dinner at 6:15pm.












The view of Tel Aviv from Jaffa.

Some people are resting while others are taking walks on the beach. It's bound to be an amazing two weeks!
- Joel

Tentative Itinerary

Temple Judea of Tarzana with Rabbi Bender

Sunday. Depart USA to Israel onboard Air Canada flight # 786 departing Los Angeles at 7:00 AM arriving Toronto at 2:40 PM connecting on Air Canada flight # 84 departing at 5:25PM to Tel Aviv arriving at 11:25AM the next day. Your international flights will include meals, drinks, and in-flight entertainment for your journey.

Monday. Arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport. Welcome by our representative and assistance with arrival formalities. Transfer to Tel Aviv. Check into the hotel. Welcome dinner at a restaurant in Tel Aviv. (D) TEL AVIV

Tuesday. Breakfast at the hotel. Depart the hotel. Visit at Partnership High School #14. Drive to Nes Zion. Visit the Ayalon Institute, near Rehovot, site of a clandestine munitions factory during the British Mandate. Lunch on your own en route and return to Tel Aviv. Visit to Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence of the State of Israel was signed in 1948. Visit the Old City of Jaffa and stroll through the renovated artists' colony and the ancient port. Dinner and evening on your own. (B) TEL AVIV

Wednesday. Breakfast at the hotel. Check out of the hotel and depart Tel Aviv, driving north along the Mediterranean coast. Tour Caesarea, one of the Land of Israel's most important cities during the Roman Empire; visit the Herodian Theater and new excavations along the Mediterranean shore concluding with a visit to the 900-year-old crusader city built on the same site. Wade through the ancient water system, providing fresh water to the Roman settlement at Caeasarea, at Mei Kedem (Park Alona). Lunch on your own in Zichron Yaacov. Visit the Yemin Orde Ethiopian Youth Aliyah village and meet with Director Haim Peri and students. Drive to the Upper Galilee and check into the Kibbutz Nofey Gonen. Dinner at the guesthouse. Evening of Israeli folk-dancing with Israelis. (B,D) GALILEE

Thursday. Breakfast at the kibbutz. Tour of the kibbutz. Walk through the Tel Dan Nature Reserve located on the largest tributary of the Jordan River and near the Biblical settlement of Dan. Enjoy rafting on the Jordan River. Return to the kibbutz and change clothes, followed by lunch on your own. Visit Safed, a center of Jewish mysticism for hundreds of years, and a contemporary artists' colony; visit the many unique synagogues, stroll through the quaint art galleries and shop in the artists' colony. Jeep tour through the Upper Galilee and Birya Forest. Dinner at the home of Jenine and Ronnie Bar-El in Safed, for a unique culinary experience. Return to the kibbutz. (B,D) GALILEE

Friday. Breakfast at the kibbutz. Depart the Upper Galilee and drive South around the shores of Lake Kinneret, Israel's largest fresh water source. Visit the Kinneret Cemetery and hear about the dreams and triumphs of the early Zionist pioneers. Visit Zippori, site of the post-2nd Temple Jewish settlement and the codification of the Mishna by Rabbi Yehudah Hanassi approximately 1,800 years ago. Today it is a national park housing a beautifully reconstructed villa and the "Mona Lisa of the Galilee" mosaic floor Time permitting swim in the warm waters and natural springs at the Gan Hashlosha Nature Reserve (Sachne) situated at the foot of Mt. Gilboa. Lunch on your own en route. Drive to Jerusalem and upon entering the city of Jerusalem and stop at Mt. Scopus to say the traditional shehechiyanu blessing. Check into the hotel and time to prepare for Shabbat. Depart for Modi'in. Kabbalat Shabbat services with Congregation Yuzma in Modiin, followed by Shabbat dinner with congregants. Return to Jerusalem. (B,D) JERUSALEM

Saturday. Breakfast at the hotel. Optional Shabbat Services. Lunch on own. Meet with social historian Professor Paul Liptz. Late afternoon meeting with a representative of Rabbis for Human Rights. Havdallah service. Dinner and evening on your own. (B) JERUSALEM

Sunday. Breakfast at the hotel. My Memories for Your Future: meet with Holocaust Survivor Asher Oud at the hotel. Guided visit through the newly renovated Yad Vashem complex, the Jewish National Memorial to the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust, including: the Historical Museum, the Art Museum, the Valley of the Communities and the Children's Memorial. Lunch on your own. Visit the new Herzl Center, located at Mount Herzl, dedicated to the life and achievements of the founder of Political Zionism, Theodor Herzl, followed by a visit to the graves of Theodor Herzl and Yitzhak Rabin, or participate in a social action project at Yad Sarah. Meeting with a representative of the Reform Movement Dinner and free time on your own. Meet in town and proceed to the Old City. Visit the Western Wall Tunnel, the underground continuation of the Western Wall along the Temple Mount. (B) JERUSALEM

Monday. Early breakfast at the hotel. Depart for the Dead Sea Basin. Visit Masada, Herod's mountain palace and site of the Jewish Zealots' last stand against the Roman Legionnaires. Discuss Masada's role as a symbol of Jewish defense and the current meaning and significance in modern Israel. Bar/bat mitzvah ceremony. Lunch at a hotel and time to enjoy their private beach on the Dead Sea with time to float on the sea. Enjoy a Bedouin experience, including typical Bedouin hospitality, a hafla (feast) and a camal ride. Return to Jerusalem and rest of the day at leisure. (B) JERUSALEM

Tuesday. Breakfast at the hotel. Visit Yad Lakashish Project, a multifaceted workshop for senior citizens and people with disabilities, a 5-star tzadakah project. Begin a full day tour to the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, including visits to the Herodian Mansions, the Cardo and the Southern Wall excavations and Davidson Center. Lunch on your own in the Old City. Explore the colorful and ethnically rich Nachlaot neighborhood of Jerusalem while participating in an experiential scavenger hunt with Ross Culiner. VIP visit to the Knesset, including a tour and meeting with a Knesset member. Dinner and evening on your own. Meeting with Dr. Viveca Hazboun. (B) JERUSALEM

Wednesday. Breakfast at the hotel. Depart Jerusalem and drive to Beit Guvrin. Take part in an active dig at the Beit Guvrin caves and prepare to get your hands dirty as you uncover pottery from the Hellenistic period, 2,300 years ago, followed by a crawl through the Maresha Cave Labyrinth. Lunch on your own en route. Explore the geological wonders of the Ramon Crater while walking through this unique natural phenomenon. Drive via the Arava to Eilat. Check into your hotel. Dinner at the Sheraton Moriah Hotel. (B,D) EILAT

Thursday. Breakfast at the hotel. Day at leisure to relax by the beach and pool or take advantage of the following optional (on your own) activities: Full day overland trip to Petra, Jordan. Swim with the dolphins. Snorkle in the Red Sea. Parasailing or pedaling on the Red Sea. 1/2 day jeep tour in the Eilat Hills. 1/2 day tour to Timna Park (King Solomon's Mines). Dinner cruise on the Red Sea. (B,D) EILAT

Friday. Breakfast at the hotel. Check out of the hotel. Visit the Eilat Underwater Observatory and experience the wonders and mysteries of the world beneath the Red Sea. Depart Eilat and drive north. Visit the home and gravesite of Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion, located at Kibbutz Sde Boker overlooking the Wilderness of Zinn in the Negev Desert. Return to Tel Aviv and check back into the hotel. Walking tour through the trendy area where the Carmel Market, Nahalat Binyamin Pedestrian Mall, and Shenkin Street meet in downtown Tel Aviv. Shabbat services with Congregation Beit Daniel. Festive Shabbat dinner at the hotel. (B,D) TEL AVIV

Saturday. Breakfast at the hotel. Day at leisure. Farewell dinner. (B,D) TEL AVIV

Sunday. Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Ben Gurion International Airport for your departure flight to the USA. Depart onboard Air Canada flight # 85 departing Tel Aviv at 12:55 PM arriving Toronto at 6:15 PM the same say connecting to Air Canada flight # 793 departing at 8:15 PM arrives Los Angeles at 10:30 PM the same day. Your international flights includes meals, drinks, and in-flight entertainment for your journey.