Yesterday was a tough day - we left Kibbutz Hagoshrim around 8ish and drove to the Pioneer Graveyard, where we heard the story about Rachel the Poetess. Mike read us some of her poetry, which was really moving. Her 3rd language was Hebrew which made it pretty amazing that she was able to write so lyrically.
Next we went to Bet Shan, a city ruins. It was massive with a giant theater, wide streets, and a large tel (hill) within the city limits.
We drove to Jerusalem, passing the Sea of Galilee on the way and a brief view of the Dead Sea, which we will see in earnest on Sunday. Along the way, we passed a number of Bedouin encampments and we also saw cities in the West Bank, most of which were NOT part of the skirmishes.
We stopped at a college at the top of a hill at the entrance to Jerusalem and said a prayer (shehechyanu) with wine. There was a great view of the city from that vantage point - you could see the golden domes of the churches, mosques, and temples.
We visited the City of David - ruins with a very unique method of getting water. There was a massive hole dug into the rock, down to an underground spring. We walked all the way down and heard the water rushing past.
In the evening we walked to Ben Yehuda Street where there have a big street fair and shopping district. There were tons of shops; people selling food, jewelry, and art; and performance artists, including a Cirque D' Soleil-esque performance. It was the middle of a festival so that street was really hopping!
I was feeling really tired - the heat, the touring, the people were all getting to me. On top of that, I was getting my period. All of this combined to make it very difficult for me to pay attention and be engaged. I was also getting frustrated by the very nature of touring - I much prefer traveling in small groups, like Jenn Laino and I do. It's a nice mixture of tours, historical information, and fun activities like water sports and horseback riding. Being shepherded around constantly is really difficult for me since I'm used to more freedom and flexibility in my travels.
Needless to say, it was a tense time and Paul and I talked about what was going on and how I was feeling. It had nothing to do with him, which I think he was afraid of. Things had been really good, but my mood made it hard for me to convey how I was feeling and all the people around made it hard too. But having a chance to talk really helped. And I got my period which also relieves me of some of the hormones that cause this sort of emotional upheaval. I feel a lot better today.
We just got done with the most fascinating discussion with a man and 2 women about the Reform movement in Israel, a relatively new movement. The women were SO interesting - they talked about feminism, pluralism, and activism within Judaism. It was incredible - they both are very powerful, articulate, passionate speakers, and I loved hearing them talk about their cause. We'll be going to that school again (Hebrew Union College) later in the week so hopefully I'll have a chance to hear them speak again.
Now we're going downtown. More later...
After the lecture, they organized a really fun scavenger hunt/trivia game for us. We broke up into teams of four and followed clues around the new part of the city, including another market (one we hadn't visited yet). There are markets all over the place around here! Then we drove to the Jewish Quarter and were let loose for lunch and shopping. The market there was incredible - scads of people, shops with clothes, food, candies, meats, jewelry, and all other types of things. I bought a skirt to wear because my sarong doesn't cover me enough.
We didn't have as much time as we would have liked - the stalls with mounds of dried and fragrant spices kept distracting us. We had to sprint through the very narrow passageways between stalls to meet up with the group on time.
Next we drove to the Western Wall. I got to go up close and see all the women praying - it's amazing how devoted they are despite all of the rules surrounding women and the Wall. For example, they aren't allowed to pray out loud, have a service or a minion, or hold Bat Mitzvahs there; but they still go and have their time with God. This was particularly poignant given the discussion earlier with the women at Hebrew Union College. We went on a tour underneath the Wall, where they've excavated long lengths of it underground. They shared some of the history of the Wall and its construction.
We've come back to the hotel to rest up a bit and then Karen and Matt (Paul's folks) have offered to take us out to dinner. Tomorrow we're going to a lecture on the current political situation in Israel, then to the Holocaust Museum, and to an archeological dig.
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