Israel

Shalom. Peace be with you. We are here at the crossroads where religion, culture and history meet. The depth of this is apparent everywhere you go and with everything you do and experience.

This is a country seeped in traditions that date back before the birth of Christ and they are still adhering to these age-old customs today. And, some of them are so beautiful and sacred it makes you want to weep.

We arrived very early in the morning in Tel Aviv at the most beautiful airport we have seen. We took the shuttle to Jerusalem and arrived about 4 AM. The first thing we saw as we stepped out of the shuttle were the walls of the Old City (Jerusalem) and the Tower of David, all brightly lighted.

It was a sight that took our breath away and one we have enjoyed every day we have been here.

We are staying at a lovely place our friend Lisa told us about. For us, it is perfect.

It is a small apartment in a quaint old Jewish section of town near the Old City of Jerusalem. Our

apartment is actually three levels below the street and it is absolutely delightful.

Our hosts are Yossi and Varda Avissar and they are wonderful. In 1968 this street was actually considered no mans land; the Arab-Israeli border. Yossi recalls the barbed fences and war zone around his house. Today, it is rebuilt with the original cobblestones streets of Jerusalem stone.

Each night we sit out under a 150-year-old olive tree and enjoy a glass of wine and marvel at the beauty of this area.

We spend our days meandering through the Old City, amazed and in awe of the history we are walking on. There are no words to describe the beauty here.

At the end of each evening we feel as if we have lived a dream. It is incredible. We have learned so much and this has ignited a desire to learn and study more.

One evening our hosts took for a ‘private tour’ of the area.

He picked us up a kosher dinner; bagels, labhen (a thick yogurt), and hard-boiled eggs. He then proceeded to show us all the sacred Jewish places, all the sacred Christian places, and then all the sacred Arab places. He smiled when he found out that my roots were Lebanese in origin. “A Jew and an Arab sharing dinner”, he laughed. “Well, Shalom does mean peace and this is the city of brotherly love” so we drove around together for

hours enjoying our meal and seeing parts of the city we would not have otherwise seen.

We went to the Western Wall in the Old City of Jersualem during Shabbat. The Western Wall is the most sacred place for the Jewish people and they find it an honor to pray at this place.

It was a very powerful experience.

One day we decided to take the ‘Arab’ city bus to Bethlehem. We were told to take our passports with us, as we would be entering Palestine. According to the Palestinians, there is no country of Israel so we would have to go through their border. It was very fascinating and we enjoyed our day there.

We prayed on the Mount of Olives, walked through the Church of the Nativity, the place where many believe Jesus was born. We strolled through the Shepherds

Field where there is now a small church to mark where the shepherds of biblical times were reported to have been tending their sheep the night Jesus was born.

We went through the Damascus Gate of the Old City where there is still a very active market.

We would stop when invited and sit and enjoy a glass of tea with the locals. We meandered for days and know that we have lightly brushed the surface of this city.

We head off soon for Jordan where we will visit Petra and Wadi Rum. We have rented a car and will meander up to Amman where we will then fly to Turkey and spend the rest of the month. We will pass the Dead Sea on our way and look forward to the adventures the change of our location will bring.

The depth and beauty of this land has moved us in a way we never expected. The sights, the sounds, the smell, and the depth of its culture have changed us. We are returning home…we will just not be the same as when we left.