The Importance of Remembering

Yad Veshem, literally a "memorial of the names," is the Holocaust Meseum in Israel. These are a couple of pictures from the outside of the Museum: One is a Biblical quote on an archway leading to the Meseum. Another is simply a sign, Yad Veshem. And the last is a sculpture of a man who did much to save the children victims of the Holocaust. I'll have to find out his name and country of origin at a later time. The directors of the Meseum request that no pictures be taken inside, so I repspected their request. The inside of the Meseum really is quite moving. The rest of the pictures come from Har Herzl (Mount Herzl). Har Herzl is a "very nice" grave site where there are burried many political leaders (including Golde Meyer) and many soldiers. Here, the tomb of Herzl himself, one of the first British visionaries to voice his favor of a Jewish State. The other picture...just pretty.

And life goes on.

In 2003 the Frank Sinatra Cafeteria of Hebrew University was bombed by a terrorist. Hebrew University is home to many students from many different nations, ethnicities, and religions (including Muslims), so the attack was not entirely logical. Several people were killed and many injured. Since then, there have been no more attacks of this kind against Hebrew University. The tree seen here at a angle commerates the site and the event. The force of the explosion blew the tree sideways, but did not uproot it. The slanted tree has since been made into a memeorial showing the persitance of life. The cafeteria can be seen in the background of the top picture, and still serves a mean lunch.

Politics and Protests

"Olmert Go Home! Olmert Go Home!" Those were the chants coming from the protestors I went to go see one Tuesday morning at 9:30am. Except the chants were in Hebrew, which sounded more like "Olmert Habeitah! Olmert Habeitah!" Many of the protestors were army reservists frusterated with how the administration had handled the use of the reservists during the most recent war in Lebanon. The rest were disgruntled citizens with the same concerncs and complaints. The protestors wanted two things: That Olmert (Prime Minister), Peretz (Defense Minister), and Chalutz (Military Cheif of Staff) all resign. Two, that there be an official inquiry into the administration's handling of the war in Lebanon. The protest took place at 9:30am due to the fact that this was the time of a meeting between Olmert and many officials regarding the official investigation. Regarding the pictures: The night before the protest, I made my way to the camp of the "rebels" and was invited to dinner with them. Big E, featured center, spoke some English and explained to me the purpose of the protest. Moshe, to our right, had just a couple of hours before completed a protest walk from Haifa to Jerusalem, a distance of some 100 miles plus, which took a week to do. The other pictures are from the day of the protest. Security was tight, and there were two instances where I thought the police might confiscate my camera. They hate people taking pictures. The protest was peaceful and televised at that. This was about two weeks ago, and we have yet to see what will come about in the political realm, and if any of the desires of the protestors will beocme a reality.

Shepherds

In the Judean hills there are many caves. During the time of the Roman occupation the Jews hid in these caves and used them to facilitate their revolution, which was started by Rabbis, interestingly enough. After exploring the caves my friends and I came out into the light of the setting sun and got to see this Judean shepherd. So, the next time you happen to be reading the Psalms and you think of David the shepherd pasturing his sheep in the rolling green hills of a place like Ireland, think again. Maybe a picture like this is somewhat closer to reality.

We're Back...In The Negev

Finally, we're back. After a month of not being able to get any images on to this blogspot, my deepest apologies to all, here are some of the latest from Israel. Alot had happened in a month, so there will be alot of catching up to do. Hopefully this streak of being able to post prictures will continue for some time.

This is the Negev. Two thirds of Israel is the Negev, a big and, needless to say, arid desert. The grave is that of David Ben Gurion, Prime Minister of Israel and the man with the dream to transform the Negev into a land of agriculture and greenspace by redirecting the water resources of Israel. His dream has yet to come to fulfillment. The deer type animal is an Ibex. It lives in the Negev and they poop alot. It's fun to throw their poop at girls because they freak out...the girls that is, not the Ibex; they don't care. We traveled to a place in the Negev called Mizpe Ramon. It is basically a big crater. Beautiful, as you can see. Israel is trying to bring more and more tourism to the Negev, although to be honest, their are not a whole lot of incentives to go there. Great for biking and backpacking. The tourist "industry" in the Negev makes most of its money from selling bottles of water, something very important in the desert. So this is the Negev.

Home, Sweet Home

The three most important things about where you live: the kitchen, the bathroom, and your roomates. Although there are six of us in the suite, we like to think that Jonah does a good job of representing us all.

The Temple Mount

The Dome of the Rock is easily the most beautiful building in all of Jerusalem, and perhaps all of Israel. Interestingly enough, the Muslims had Christans construct the building for them, and it is for this reason that the Dome of the Rock is an eight-sided place of worship--modeled after the common design for a church during that period. The Temple Mount, upon which the Dome of the Rock is located, is much more relaxing than its fellow holy places--the holy place of the Jews, the Kotel; and that of the Christians, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Temple Mount is very much an oasis, and is the largest open space in all of Jerusalem. From the pictures you can see the impressiveness of the Dome and also of the Al-Aqsah Mosque, which is adjacent to the Dome. Women and children especially congregate in the grassy and shady areas of the Temple Mount to spend the afternoon reading, talking, and generally mulling about. It seems peaceful. Under current law the Temple Mount is open to visitors from 9:00 until 3:00 and is patrolled by Israeli securtiy forces. Most Jews will not go up onto the Temple Mount for fear of standing in the place that once was the Holy of Holies. It is said that the the Dome of the Rock is built on this location. The Dome of the Rock is the third most holy site in Islam follwing Mecca and Medina.

Brilliant...there are no words!

Pushme-Pullyou, and Tel Aviv

Ahh Tel Aviv, a place where the beer flows like wine and beautiful women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano. Three of my suitemates and I traveled to Tel Aviv last weekend because of the beach, and the girls, but mainly the beach. It's a funny thing about the people in Israel. They are nice. They are nice to Americans. Even the girls who walk around with M-16's for a living are nice to us civilain guys studying abroad here. In fact we met several Israeli girls at the beach during the day, and later that night they came with us to enjoy the night life of Tel Aviv. The key word here is nice. But that all changes when you are waiting in line. If any harm comes to me in Israel, I am convinced that it won't come from an entafada, political and religious radicals, or heaven forbid some katusha coming from the north. Oh no, I fear that my end will come from some little old lady whom I meet waiting in some line in Israel. It's a jungle out there, waiting in line. It can be for anything. The bus to Tel Aviv, for example. To begin our trip we had to take a bus. The bus is safe, but the line could kill you. Israeli's are pushy in line, to the point where it is a disappointing aspect of the culture here. I know it probably happens in the US too, but I have noticed it quite overwhelmingly here. Because of this my friend Andrew didn't make it on the bus to Tel Aviv on his first try. He got pushed back far enough in the line that the bus ran out of room and he was left behind. But despite all, Tel Aviv, and the rest of the country that I have seen so far is beautiful. The beach is sunny and the water is warm, and there are great places to hang out and eat right on the shore, a perfect spot to watch the sun set over the Mediterranean. Just watch out for the lines.

P.S. notice the picture of the guy with the paddle hitting a small rubber ball back and forth to a partner. You are decisively not Israeli if you don't play paddle ball on the beach. Sorry Italy, it's bigger than soccer.

Stepping on Cultural Toes: Circumcised on the Eighth Day

This is my cup. I drink out of it. Water, orange juice, milk, you name it. It's pretty big...big gulps. I like and it is blue, so that makes it even better. But here's the thing. I shouldn't be drinking out of this cup. It's almost sacreligious. Well, actually, it is sacreligious. You see this cup originally had two handles; you might be able to see the remains of the second one on the side of the cup facing the camera. The cup had two handles beacuse it is used for ceremonial hand cleansing. The religious Jews use these cups to wash their hands before going to to pray at the Kotel (Western Wall). Yea, oops, exactly. But I didn't know, I am sorry, I really am. So I did what any good Jew would do; I circumcised the forehandle of the cup on the eighth day.

What Hebrew is like...kinda.

S, ON OF M FRNDS HR, ZCH MSS, HD TH BRLLNT ID OF WRTNG BCK T EVRYONE H KNWS AT HM WTH TH PRPSE OF DMNSTRTNG TH BST H CLD IN ENGLSH, WHT IT MGHT B LKE T RD THNGS IN HBRW. H DD S B TKNG OT ALMST ALL TH VWLS; S THS MSSGE...OD T ZCH. THNGS HR IN JRSLM AR AMZNG, ND THS WKND M STMTS ND I AR PLNNNG T G T TL AVV. PCTRS FRM THS ADVNTR ND A TRP T TH TMPL MNT TO CM SN. TH TMPL MNT IS TH LCATN F TH DM F TH RCK ND TH AL QSH MSQ. I HV STPPD ON SM CLTRL TS HR, T B SR, SPCLLY S I BGHT A RLGS, DBLE-HNDLD, PRFCTN CP FR TH PRPS F DRNKNG ND PRCDD T RMV ON F TH HNDLS FR MR STLSH BVRG CNSMPTN. WLL, I D NT WNT T B T LNGHTY IN THS MSSG, SNG THT T HS N VWLS N T, S SHLM ALL ND TK CR.

-DVD

Here we have the Zion Gate, one of the eight gates that leads into the old city of Jerusalem. The old city is surrounded by a stone Crusader wall, which was built by the Turks. The stone around the archway is riddled with bullet holes coming from the War of Independence.

And then of course we have the hot Israel army girls, more than willing to pose for a photo or two. The other two pictures come from Ben-Yehuda Street, the "Time Square" of Jerusalem, wher you can go to bars and yes, smoke hookahs. The last picture of the Israeli flag with the Islamic minaret in the background shows how closely these two different and sometimes extreem cultures live together.

Shalom, Israel! These pictures were taken at the Kotel (the Western Wall/ the Wailing Wall). Despite the fact that it is known as the wailing wall, there is not a whole lot of wailing that goes on there. Most of the time people are praying and the men go into a special archway to study Torah.

The soldiers in the green uniforms are recent graduates of the IDF training program.


The man walking towards the camera is perhaps pne of my favorite men at the Kotel--he's got Hustpa, if you ask me.


At 7:00am tomorrow morning (Sunday the 13th) a ceasefire goes into effect as the UN decides on the makeup of a 15,000 member peace-keeping force. Hoprefully peace will follow. Lachietriot.

Lebhar in Israel

So I have been the country for a day and a half, and although there is war going on not more than a hundred miles away, life seems relatively peaceful here in the city. Hebrew classes start tomorrow--6 hours a day, 5 days a week. I desparately need the language, so there is no complaint there. I live on Mt. Scopus in the Hebrew University dorms--northeast of the old city. The Mount of Olives is right next door and the call to paryer echoes through our flat five times a day. Beautiful time of year, hot, but not too bad, and cool at night, which is good for sleeping. Move in and registry was pretty boring, so more exciting things to come. Oh, and we happened to find a falafel stand (how can you not in Jerusalem) and they had Al-Manar on the television (that is the Hezbollah TV station)--best terrorsit falafel around, hah. Shalom, shalom, more later.