Temple Beth Zion/Westminster Presbyterian Church Travel'Blog'
January 19, 2010 – Greetings from Ben Gurion Airport
(Tel Aviv, Sea of Galilee, Mount of Beatitudes, Jerusalem, Old City Jerusalem, Masada, Yad Vashem, Ben Gurion Airport)
Our last day was a marathon. It began at the Dan Hotel with our last elegant Israeli breakfast, a smorgasbord of fresh fruit, vegetables, cheese, eggs in various manifestations, coffees including my favorite on this trip – Turkish. Then worship at St. Andrews – a Church of Scotland congregation with guest house.
Then off to planting trees in John F. Kennedy forest/preserve. Planting a tree in Israel is considered a ‘mitzvah’ – a good act – since trees are precious to this climate and stabilize the ground and eco-system. We planted almond trees, which blom in winter and represent, in ancient tradition the death and resurrection of Lazarus (John 11). One person in the group said the planting of trees in Israel makes us all Zionists – unites us with the land. I rather liked that notion.
Next and final tour stop was the Upper Room – a fascinating warren of stucco-like buildings and courtyards in an Arab neighborhood in the Old City. The space occupied by Muslims in the 16th century still has remnants of beautiful Islamic stained glass and tiled calligraphy. The room itself is smallish - just as you might imagine with a few windows letting in a little daylight. The only thing missing was Jesus’ and his disciples at the table. We don’t know for sure that this was absolutely the room where Jesus met with his disciples for the Passover meal but it could be and in any case is a very reasonable facsimile to the room described in the New Testament.
Harry and I made an executive decision to omit our visit to the Mt. of Olives from which Jesus looked upon Jerusalem and uttered one of the most touching lamentations found in all of literature. Instead we decided one last shopping spree would satisfy everyone. In fact, we had fairly little time shopping given our full pace and eager guide. We did manage some time in the various gift shops at the sites and a few late afternoons here and there, and a stop at the factory of Naot, a famous Israeli shoe company. Several of the women restocked their shoe supply, none of the men. Interesting.
Carol and I made straight away for the Armenian section of the Old City to visit artists who excel in hand-painted tile and ceramics. We hit the jackpot in three little shops, each also the artist’s work space filled where they produce beautiful tiles, plates,and bowls hand-painted with colorful Islamic and biblical symbols. This art form was re-established in the 16th century when the reigning sultan brought the Armenian artisans to Jerusalem to replace the broken tiles on the Dome of the Rock – the place from which Muhammad ascended into heaven for his meeting with God in the early fifth century.
A final dinner at Olives and Fish where I ordered St. Peter’s fish again and we told stories, reminisced, made toasts to our wonderful guide and fellow travelers.
This trip exceeded my expectations which were high to begin with. We bonded as a group yet maintained and honored our fascinating diversity within it. We encountered ancient Israel and trod the footsteps of Jesus and Abraham and the prophets. We discovered a vibrant nation – a true homeland for the Jewish people – not without its challenges but a stunning tribute to the human spirit, the will to survive and the decision to commit to the ancient, living truth of our common ancestors of faith.