Shalom from Jerusalem, Israel! Peace to you and yours!
On Monday, we arrived in Israel as “American tourists” seeking the Holy Land experience and learning Jewish traditions and culture. Shortly after arriving in Tel Aviv, we were camping under the stars in Bethsaida, when a rare storm brewed on the Sea of Galilee which brought much relief to drought-ridden Israel and drenched a few campers, who thought it was a good idea to sleep under the stars. Wherever we go, we seem to bring the rain. The next day, we experienced history come alive as we walked the slippery stone roads of Capernum, where Peter’s house is believed to be located and where Jesus did much of His teaching along the Sea of Galilee. Here at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa, in a nation contentious with religious differences and territorial wars, the Son spoke peace, love, and hope.
Priscilla at the Wailing Wall Reading of the Torah at Bar Mitzvah
Culture: Israel is rich with history, traditions, and cultures dating back countless years. Jerusalem itself has been destroyed 17 times and rebuilt 18 times. For these first two weeks, we have been incredibly blessed by our Orthodox Jewish host, who shares his gems of learned and lived Jewish traditions and culture. Just the other day, we had an extensive conversation about the 13 principles of faith written by Maimonides to distinguish Judaism from any other world religion. While religious discussions and comparison/ contrast of beliefs are commonly heard in the living room, we are also partaking in the learning of culture by keeping kosher, celebrating Shabbat, and observing the Sabaath. Thursday, we had the privilege of witnessing Bar Mitzvahs (coming of age ceremony) performed at the Western (Wailing) Wall complete with the reading of the Torah. Judaism and Christianity share common historical roots and many of the holy sites are shared by people of many religions, including the Western Wall (affectionately known as the Wailing Wall). While we are in the Holy Lands, we are walking with an intercessory purpose throughout the city of Jerusalem. As we walk, we read historical accounts in the Bible describing events that occurred in those places more than 2000 years ago and meditate on the events and His work in this city, this nation, and the world.
Volunteering: Our hosts attempts to set us up with volunteering opportunities with Orthodox Jews has fallen through, but next week we will be serving breakfast and lunch to the Israeli homeless population across from the world famous Jerusalem market, chock full of fresh produced, freshly baked Challah bread, and an assortment of nuts, dried fruit, and spices. At the end of the week, we will be moving from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea, where we may be helping in a Bedouin community. Bedouin communities are nomadic people from Afghanistan/ Pakistan/ Middle Eastern communities. We may also have the unique opportunity and privilege of working with Sudanese refugees, who have fought all odds to seek refuge in Israel by crossing the critical border from Egypt.
Language: Hebrew made a comeback when Ben Yahuda modernized the language making it accessible to the common man. With a completely different alphabet structure, Hebrew is indecipherable to the English eye. All students in Israel also learn English as a second language. Most university courses are conducted in English because translating into Hebrew is not a profitable financial investment for textbook manufacturers. Since most Israelis speak English, we have not yet learned much Hebrew. Even road signs are written in three languages: Hebrew, Arabic, and English. Unfortunately or fortunately, food labels are written in Hebrew and guessing what ingredients are has become a puzzle keeping grocery shopping lively and full of laughter.
Food: Falafels and shwarmas are staple foods! Humus, pitas, cucumber and tomato salads, couscous are all common foods as well. For those in Chicago, think of Pita Inn; that’s what typical Israeli foods are like for the regular week day. Unfortunately, they are not as cheap as Pita Inn, so take advantage of yummy cheap mediteranean foods! Traditionally, the Jewish community celebrates Shabat with three feasts, Friday dinner, Saturday brunch, and Saturday dinner, always overflowing abundantly with food to be eaten as leftovers the rest of the week. Typically a Shabat meal will include: wine, Challah bread, gfeltefish, a sampling of spreads, soup, chulent or goulash, and a sweet dessert.
Priscilla, Brenda, and Rebeca celebrate Shabbat
