Israel Trip:
(Written blog style with day 1 on the bottom)
Last Day: Saturday morning, the optional 1 ½ hour walk to the Kotel was canceled on account of boiling hot weather. We hung around the hotel, swimming and packing. Rachel K and I swam before a predictable buffet lunch, with more cholent and parve desserts. After lunch, a lot of us swam and hung out by the pool. It was surprisingly pleasant out, especially in the shade. After, we gathered for our mass B’Nai Mitzvah. I didn’t want one, since an aliah and five minute speech seemed to cheapen the previous one, but some people wanted to repeat theirs in Israel, while others had never had one and welcomed the experience. Lots of us made really beautiful, personal speeches, and everyone had a sort of mushy farewell to offer out on the balcony. Time racing ahead, we parted, only to find we’d missed dinner! We headed to the courtyard for a group Havdalah, then bid goodbye to the people staying on. We made it to the airport okay (with our bus driver insisting on taking us, and several Israeli group members joining us for the ride, which was sweet). We travailed endless security checkpoints (answer questions, scan our checked luggage, search our checked luggage, check backpacks separately, check in, go through security), blew our sheckels on duty free, and watched Avner desperately assist all of us onto the plane as we kept wandering off. (I was impressed) An even longer flight, with lots of food, but this time I managed to sleep (We left around 12:30 at night). We arrived at LAX at 6am. After customs and luggage we had, yes, even more mushy goodbyes. Armando and I had the same flight to San Jose, but we stood so long in line to check in, we missed the flight. (Ah, LAX and Southwest). We got on a later flight, and finally made it after numerous security checks and a battle with the overpriced food industry. Our one hour Southwest flight, regrettably, did not feed us 3 giant Kosher meals. Friday, we visted Mt. Hertzel and its military cemetery. The Israelis were the most moved, but by the end, I think all of us had cried, listening to all the stories of heroism and death. We ended by singing Hatikvah near Hertzel’s grave. In the afternoon, we shopped on Ben Yehuda Street and had a very late lunch (more falafel and shwarma on our own). There we picked up lots of clichéd souvenirs, in my case those round Jerusalem candlesticks I’d been eying. We finished with a tour of the LGBT center, which had handled the World Pride Celebration of 2006. Israel is the only accepting place in all the Middle East, though Jerusalem is still rather intolerant. After a movie and mini discussion (plus Birthright evaluation forms) we headed back to the hotel to clean up. (We were spending two days in a simple Jerusalem hotel, with a pool and with internet in the lobby. When we first checked in, I indulged myself on the latter). Shabbat services were available in four flavors—the conservative leader (I believe a Birthright leader) did a nice job with a great voice. Then came a rather late (and rather substandard) buffet dinner with rather nasty parve desserts. I’d never had the clichéd parve chocolate mousse before, and don’t look forward to it again—it was basically flavored cool whip. Thursday We awoke at 3:30, mostly having slept in our clothes and not bothering to shower. WE scaled massada, and reached the top just in time to watch the sun rise. About the climb, all I can say was that it was quite steep. My legs and stamina were suffering more than my knee. Though I was at the end of the group, I finally made it up (It wasn’t that long a hike—just steep). From there, we toured the top in 122 degree heat, cowering in the shade and hearing the heroic story of Massada. At last, most people hiked down the snake path, though I took the cable car (with a few other people). I hated being singled out, but the long, nasty downhill path was not a good option. At the bottom, we bought overpriced Dead Sea mud and facial scrubs, then headed off to another Israeli buffet breakfast. From there, we were told it was hot enough we’d skip En Gedi (a ten minute hike to an oasis spring). We protested so much it got back on the menu. The En Gedi hike was unexpectedly nasty—all rocks and dust with far too much uphill. The spring, however, was definitely worth it. The water was wonderfully clear and cool. We swam (though the pool was on the small side) and splashed each other. After a short time, a fully-dressed flock of kids cascaded into the water and got things really rowdy. After not enough time, we left the pool and took the dry hike back to the bus. After the Dead Sea, we drove to Jerusalem, where we caught a quick dinner (mine was kind of pseudo Mexican) and watched an Israeli movie, screened just for us and a few other Birthright Groups. It was interesting, but I felt it was too much about teen issues for adults, and too much nudity for teens. Ah well. After, we shopped for an hour, but all the souvenir shops were closed, and not much was available besides snacks and ice cream (which was yummy). I also headed to a grocery store and stocked up on cough drops, since I felt as if I was making the entire bus shake. Wednesday We met a few other groups to say a quick Kiddush and sheheheyanu for arriving in Jerusalem, while overlooking the panorama of King David’s city. More sing alongs and some Israeli dancing, plus a group photo as we squinted into the sun. At Ya V’Shem we listened to a survivor speak about her journey from Greece to Palestine, thanks to her Spanish nationality. We ran through the memorial in a 1.5 hour guided tour. (Many were disappointed we missed many exhibits and the gift shop, but I felt we got the basics. I regretted missing the children’s memorial, which is amazing. On the bus, we discussed personal and family experience with the Holocaust and how we felt about what we’d seen. After, many napped, since it was a long ride through flattish desert. More to the point, Massada and our early wakeup call were coming. The Bedouin tent was amazing. IT was a touristville type campground/ camel ranch. We (the entire 35 person group) moved into one enormous tent, with woven maps on the floor and lightbulbs strung along the top. Once we dropped our stuff and explored the far-too-tiny bathrooms, we went camel riding. The camels were very high (once they stood up) and very very bumpy. Rather than riding in a circle, we walked out into the desert a short way, though some people had to walk one direction or the other. Quite a cool experience. After, we listened the the Bedouins talk about their culture (in Hebrew but Maor translated). We heard local instruments and sampled bitter coffee and very sweet tea (everyone adored the tea, which I suspect of having about 4 sugars in it.) We had a Bedouin style dinner with pitas and bowls of assorted salads and fillings for every four people. After, we hiked into the desert a bit and tried meditating and discussing God (fresh from Yad V’shem). There were piles and piles of stars out there, far more than I usually see. It was quiet too, with nothing but the night…and the pile of stickers I sat on. We got to bed around 10:30, or at least, that’s when the whispering and giggles started. We were told to prepare for a 3:30 am wakeup call… Tuesday We packed and ate (pancakes and eggs day 2—less exciting) Then, with a coffee break on the road, we reached the tank museum. After a quick peruse of the tanks and soldiers’ memorial, 5 Israeli soldiers joined our bus for the rest of the trip. They’re officers (so more like 22 than 18) and quite friendly, especially after our rather rude interviews. All together, we reached Jerusalem and walked through the old city (where I was shocked to find our gate scarred with 1947 bullet holes) ending at the Western Wall. We had only 15 minutes there, and the women’s side was crowded with people praying. I spent a few minutes by the wall, then we all rushed to our hotel and speedily groomed. We hurried to the Mega Event with thousands of Jews 18-26 from Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Canada, etc. Most were from the US. We got food and drinks tickets then met the biggest sponsors/founders on the concert stage. There were singers and dancers with great songs like Od Yavo Shalom Aleinu, Kol HaOlam Kulo, and Yachad that I used to sing in college. I really miss those times at the co-op and Davis Hillel. Anyway, after dance performers and more songs, there was a loud Israeli rock group. Blasted by strobes, I finally went out to chat. After the concert, there were three real choices: snack, talk, or dance. When our group met up (ostensibly to leave) we all started dancing (eek, knee problem!) then moved to the dance floor with its noisy toxic fog machines. I mostly guarded coats for a while, then we all returned to the hotel. Monday Breakfast at this new kibbutz was pancakes and scrambled eggs. Many of us were enthusiastic, though others noticed the absence of all fruit (except cucumbers and tomatoes, of course). We climbed (mostly by bus) the Golan Heights and explored an Israeli lookout post on the Syrian border. WE toured a local bunker (dark and bare). Outside, a few Polish UN soldiers were patrolling. (They told us their mission was posted on the public UN website). There was also a cherry seller there with giant, yummy cherries. On the hill, we heard about the 6 day war. At a nearby touristy stop, we loaded up on ice cream, sodas, and souvenirs, then watched a documentary about the Yom Kippur War and battle in the Valley of Tears. Incredible risk against incredible odds. From there, we rafted and kyacked down the Jordan. It was hilarious watching Guy “hitchhike” from boat to boat as we splashed each other and got totally soaked. My straw hat lost all shape, but it was tons of fun. After, there was rope climbing, rock climbing, archery, and pizza as we chilled with another Taglit group. On the hour ride home, Justin made fun of everyone on the bus in a barrage of total silliness. Sunday In the morning, we left for a new kibbutz. We began with an hour and a half hike downhill, near the Golan Heights. I camped out on the bus till it was over, since I didn’t think I could manage it. It was quite hot out. After, some of us were dropped of at a soup kitchen (where they pulled weeds for tzedakah), while the rest of us sorted clothes and painted at the equivalent of Goodwill. We explored Sefat, visiting two historic synagogues and watching how the orthodox live. We interviewed one of them, asking all those personal questions like “aren’t you hot?” and “Are you married yet?” Then we visited two synagogues, where we draped ourselves with scarves and disposable kippot (well, really, someone could’ve told us to dress formally). After, we bought lots of goodies at the artist fair, like jewelry and word art. There were lovely tallit (including girl ones!) but not the one I wanted. After, we heard the bad news that Syria had fired two missiles at a nearby town. In the end, the missiles were deemed a nonthreatening political statement. To be safe, we canceled our Lake Kinneret party cruise and reached our kibbutz (on the lake and quite pretty) for a very very quick clean up and head out. We headed, in fact, to a similar kibbutz a few minutes away. There we ate a fish dinner (the server recommended whole and with the head. I, having learned from my German experience, requested a fillet. Others ordered pizza.) We and two other buses partied and danced, plus we learned Avner’s favorite dance, Jessica. The music was too loud for many of us, but the party was otherwise cool. Saturday Shabbat we had no real wakeup call. Othodox services or a “conversation” didn’t sound that appealing. I enticed my roomies to play a card game with me instead, then we had Shabbat lunch. Similar to dinner, but I felt much better now. After lunch came a lecture by a British History prof who teaches in Israel. He covered the formation of Israel and overall political situation. Then most people headed for the beach, but I found it too sunny and bright, so I headed in. Rachel and Rachel and I finished our game when they got back. After dinner we all (3 busses) did havdallah on the beach. Dark and mobbed, but with the usual pretty singing. After, we headed for another very old town—the first Jewish settlement outside the four holy cities (Jerusalem, Tiberious, Hebron, and Tzfat). After a short history about local WWII spies, we were set loose. I found an internet café or more to the point, a café with a free internet station on the bar. I checked my mail while the others got coffee or dessert. Westercon hadn’t emailed yet, but several students had. With ten minutes to go, I ran into part of our group, and found some of them were desperate to send father’s day messages (oops…) so they hurried off to grab a minute or two each. The hill of cafes was steep enough to bang up my knee, but I was thrilled to have checked my email at last.
Friday We began our Tel Aviv day with a walking tour of Jaffa, the second oldest city in the world, and still lived in. The buildings are amazing. Unfortunately, I was horribly sick to my stomach and every pill I had didn’t improve matters. Guy had no stomach medicines, but insisted I take a bandage for my knee, which was thoughtful. We visited the Sook for a ½ hour speed shop, but I saw nothing so exciting. From there, we visited Independence Hall. Tel Aviv was a big modern Israeli city, though it started as a suburb of crowded Jaffa by European settlers. Since there was fighting in Jerusal;em in 1948, there was a rushed ceremony in the art museum of Tel Aviv, signing the Dec of Indep. It was mounted on the wall with signatures and a ribbon border., After a video, the curator led us to the hall and played the audio recording of ben Gurion’s instating Israel, followed by the rabbi saying sheheheyanu and then everyone singing Hatikvah. Singing along with them was very cool and momentous. Then an artist fair in Tel Aviv. everyone experimented with shwarma and I hunted for an internet café, but there wasn’t one around. Then we toured the art fair. A toy store had great butterfly mobiles and one man was handpainting similar ones. I also bought a miniature of a room filled with bookshelves plus a scarf and necklace. We returned to the kibbutz and prepared for Shabbat. Wearing nice clothes, we joined Birthright groups from Philly and Seattle who had joined our kibbutz. I attended the reform service performed in a circle on the beach. It was really wonderful just seeing sky and sea forever in all directions as we prayed. There were complaints about the orthodox service, since the women were stuck behind a curtain and couldn’t see. (I had expected such things, and have always been disappointed not to wear a tallit, count for a minyan, and other coed conservative duties, so my choice was decided.) “Alternative services” didn’t really entice me. After came dinner with tablecloths and treats but I was quite lightheaded from skipping lunch so I just had soup and rice, which helped. We all spent time speculating what kind of broth it was, but came to no ready conclusions. Our bus was leading Kiddush, and I said I’d say grace. I was asked to explain it so I skimmed Shir Hamalot. Since it was about Bablyonian exiles returning to Israel and making aliyah from the diaspora for the first time, I spoke, to all three buses, about its significance for us since we were arriving at Israel for the first time from the diaspora and making aliyah. And at last we could connect with our exiled land. I got lots of compliments. After a frustratingly long grace for everyone (Avner and I led) we were set loose and I went to sleep. Thursday, I woke early. At the kibbutz, we had a breakfast buffet with very fresh yogurt and bread, plus salads and more exotic dishes. Lots of us had to guess and some of the fruits and mixed dishes. We left for Caesaria, as I wrote and elevated my knee. When we arrived, we walked, which felt great. Caesaria had an interactive museum, where we could ask holograms of Akiva, Herod, and Julia Helena preprogrammed questions. I thought it disturbing that they turned 1000 year old ruins into this amusement park and only cared about the 2000 year old ones, but I guess that’s Israel for you. Everything’s built on top of something else. The harbor would’ve been very impressive when it was built, and the amphitheater’s still in use today. Wonderfully intact. We headed off for a traditional Druze lunch and talk on the Druze religion. It’s a closed religion established 1000 years ago—welcoming people for ten years, then closing it off. Lunch was bowls of stuff like incredibly fresh tasting tabouli, kebabs, and rice with chicken, but everyone quickly ran out of flatbread. After, we visited the BaHai gardens, but they were closed, so our formal attire was for nothing. From there, we visited a beach—loads of shells and soft sand but not much to do besides swim (which most people did). A buffet dinner with plenty of choices back at the kibbutz, then a group “conversation” on the dimming beach at sunset, sitting on chairs watching the ocean. It’s easy to get lost at this kibbutz where we’re staying, even with arrows marking the way. There’s a minimart and various playground equipment, but things are far apart. At least it’s convenient to the beach. My smattering of Hebrew is quite helpful, even with just numbers and letters. 6/12/07 Tuesday-Wednesday The fourteen hour flight was beyond awful. if I had known it would be that bad (after my knee had hurt for days after the five hour flight from New York a week before) I probably have skipped it. I came in on the flight to LAX which was fine but an hour late. I finally got to gargantuan LAX and found my group. We got name tags on pink cords and checked in, et cetera. Everyone was very impressed about my book. We boarded and I sat among the group on El Al. After a few hours, my knee ached, and then got steadily worse. At first I couldn’t sleep because it was early afternoon, and then because it just hurt too much. They fed us about three full meals, with separate hot bread. They also brought us several rounds of crackers and drinks. They were also pleasantly tolerant about people strolling around. I read as we flew over neat places like Greenland and Istanbul. And my wistful observance of those countries turned to a desperate need to climb out the window as the flight went on and on and on. When we landed, we got to the bus and met our Israeli tour guide and our security guard/medic…with a rifle! We ate sandwiches on the bus, since it was past midnight CA time, and early afternoon local time. As we drove, changing billboards read “Welcome Taglit Birthright,” which was incredibly cool. We arrived at our Kibbutz hotel, near Tel Aviv and right on the beach, and ate a buffet dinner (with the Israeli cliché of schnitzel, but also plenty of other dishes). We gathered in a group (24 hours without sleep) and played a silly bonding game of crowding on very few chairs, then a name game. Plus lectures on not being ugly Americans. I was so desperate to get out of there, or at least stop sitting. Finally (11pm) we were released. I crashed with the 2 roomies I’d hooked up with and didn’t move till morning. Ongoing stuff: Food Some meals on our own (basically falafel/shwarma in touristy areas. In addition, everyone seemed to carry granola bars or buy Israeli candy, snacks which appeared around noon if lunch was delayed until 2. Buffet breakfast every morning, with bread, cereal, yogurt, and salad makings including cucumbers and tomatoes. Occasional fruit, but many of us had hoped for more. Occasional halvah J. Lunches and dinners were similar, usually with schnitzel and chicken, salad makings, and often cholent or beef. Plenty of overcooked veggies as well. Our tour guides made an effort to get us Israeli chocolate, chips, and baggies of chocolate milk so we could taste local treats. It really felt like we were eating gigantic meals every two hours. While some meals were late, and a few were rushed, we all got to eat tons and tons. Group We had siblings and cousins, people who’d had traditional Bar Mitzvahs, people who could’ve given the lectures, and people who didn’t know anything about Israel or Judaism. Almost everyone was from the Bay Area (more or less) and we had lots of Stanford grad students. Some people knew others, and some just made friends quickly. The Israeli soldiers were really a part of our group (after we interviewed them all—I mean really, is “boxers or briefs” really the greatest level we mature travelers can reach?) On the last day, they even offered to take those staying behind to see their base. Everyone was incredibly thoughtful (especially in my case—people were asking me three times a day if I was okay, and acting very enthusiastic when I came on the hikes). At the end, we had a series of very long, tearful, overly mushy (I spose) goodbyes as we flew home. A number of the soldiers even came along to the airport, as did many group members staying on. When we returned, we all shared our photos in a massive database, and started chains of emails, Facebook and google groups, and promises to meet. Staff Avner and Maor were Israeli Americans living in the Bay Area who led our group, starting from LAX, all the way (in Avner’s case) back to LAX again. In Israel, we met Saar (or Israeli tour guide and history/culture lecturer) and Guy, our security guard and medic. All four of them were incredibly cool, answering all the questions, and doing their best to accommodate all the requests, and inform us about Israel. They also got to translate for 36 of us when we bought sandwiches. We saw Saar’s house and visited Avner’s great uncle’s grave (and learned Avner’s favorite dance). Guy and Maor partied a lot. They were all great, as was Nagib the bus driver, who drove through unbelievably tight spaces in Israeli traffic. Roomies On the first night, we were told to pick roommates. Rachel Kurtz had sat near me on the plane, and instantly read my entire Henry Potty book, which was quite flattering. Rachel Bloom and I had chatted a bit on the bus. The three of us grouped up and got on well together. We stayed in “3 person accommodations” (2 beds pushed very close and a cot) at every location,. Except for the one time the staff, er, gave us a different Rachel (she was cool, but RB and I kinda wanted the first one back). Leisure What leisure? Seriously, I brought some card games, which I got my roomies to play with me a bit. I brought several fantasy books, including my own one (which I loaned out). Uncharacteristically, I was reading the same 600 pager on the flight out as I was flying it—not much reading time. On the bus I mostly watched scenery. Rachel Bloom wanted us to be journal buddies, but I wrote sporadically, and I think we just wrote together once. I completed most of my journal in Israel. |
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