Jerusalem

It was a dark and stormy night ….. somewhere.  But not here in this part of the world.  We have had calm seas, in fact, so calm that we have to look out the window to see if we are actually moving.  I cannot ever remember taking a cruise and having flat seas for such a long time.  I can count on one hand the number of bumpy days we have had in the almost four months we have been at sea.  It is unbelievable!  In addition, we have had incredible weather, with only a few rain days.  I do not think this will ever happen again.

We entered the Suez Canal on Monday, April 22 at about 6am.  The transit was totally uneventful.  The Suez Canal is nothing more than a big ditch, about 45 feet deep and only one vessel at a time can pass through in each direction.  On the east side is the Sinai Desert and on the west is the Arabian Desert.  There were some villages on the west, and sand on the east. It was a big yawner.  In fact, it was a normal sea day and we played bridge.  There was not much to see.

After entering the Mediterranean Sea, we headed to Ashdod, Israel’s largest seaport.  Ashdod dates back to the Canaanite culture of the 17^th century BC, making the city one of the oldest in the world.  Today, it is a modern city with a bustling port.   That’s about it for Ashdod.  Our reason for being here was to go to Jerusalem.  Our last visit to Jerusalem was 20 years ago, and boy have things changed. 

I am not sure how to proceed with my narrative because I can throw out all kinds of facts and information about Israel and Jerusalem, but most of it will have little meaning without actually FEELING the sacred places.  Once again, I leave Israel with a lump in my throat.  This is a magical place for those that seek a connection to ones historical roots. 

So for the folks that have never been here, I am going to write a bit about Israel in general.  This is a country that is 2/3 desert, but you would never know it to see it today.  Over 260 million trees have been planted since 1930 and a great deal of the area we saw was forested, and a vast majority of the land is agricultural including olive oil, fruit, and a developing wine industry.  The Judea Mountains separates the coastal plains from the rest of the country.  The Dead Sea is almost 1,400 feet below sea level, the lowest point on earth.  Being a desert, lack of water is a big issue.  The main source of water is the Sea of Galilee; when there is no water they purify wastewater for agriculture, and also now have a desalination plant.  The country is clean and green, and I saw flowers everywhere.

New immigrants to Israel go to a government run center where they learn Hebrew and then get help in securing a job and housing.  Languages spoken here are Hebrew (the national language), followed by Arabic, English, and Russian.  There are 8 million Israelis, and 80% are Jewish; the rest are mostly Arab Muslims and Christians.  Army service is compulsory; men serve three years, while women serve two years.  The culture of the country is constantly developing due to the blending of immigrants. 

Female Soldiers

In 1948, Israel became an independent state.  She was attacked the same day she gained independence by a coalition of Arab nations.  As a result of its victory, Israel expanded the territory given to the state by the United Nations, and in the 1967 War, the old city of Jerusalem was recaptured.  Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.

So now back to our story.  We toured and drove and drove and drove.  I put my notebook away and just took in all that the guide had to say about the incredible history of this place.  We got 5,000 years of history in one day!  Whew, that is a lot to take in! 

Starting from Ashdod, we drove into the Judea Mountains climbing up a narrow pass to Jerusalem.  We saw iron shields that were used to protect the supply convoy vehicles during the 1967 War.  There is much evidence of war in this country. 

Iron shields to cover convoy vehicles

There is so much that I cannot begin to write about it.  So many wars have taken place over the millennia, and the three major religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam claim Jerusalem as their holy of holiest place.  I was always cognizant of the turmoil this tiny country has and continues to suffer.  Her neighbors have vowed to destroy this incredible country.  A green and productive country rose out of the Sinai Desert, and yet Israel’s neighbors still threaten to annihilate her.  After touring the neighboring Arab countries, you would think that they could learn a thing or two from Israel.  What a shame.  I will put politics aside for now……

Jerusalem in located 3,000 feet above sea level in the hilly mountains of Judea.  It has a population of 800,000.  My impression of this city is stone/trees/flowers/hills/history.  All buildings and houses in Jerusalem are covered with stone, giving the city a uniform look.  There are solar panels and hot water tanks on rooftops, taking advantage of the sunny days.  The city is extremely clean.  There is a high speed train between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, cutting the travel time between the cities to just 20 minutes.  Since our last visit here, I was amazed to see how much the city had grown.  One needs at least a few weeks to take in all the sites this city has to offer, but today we only had a few hours and drove by many of these sites but did not stop. 

There is so much history here and it is impossible to write about it here in this blog.  I am in awe of how ancient this city is.  There have been wars, so many wars; the city was conquered so many times and much of the original sites had been destroyed and then the new folks built over the top of what they destroyed.  The archeological digs continue and new objects are uncovered all the time.    

The traffic around the old city is BAD, real BAD.  My tour took us to the garden of Gethsemane, the garden of olive trees in which Jesus spent the last moments before his arrest. 

Church of Gethsemane

Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus was arrested

We then drove up to Mount of Olives, which is the burial grounds for Jews who believe that when the messiah returns, they will be resurrected. 

Mt of Olives cemetery

Rabbis on Mt of Olives

We then had lunch at a kabutz, where I meet up with Michael.  We dined together and then took our picture at an overlook of the West Bank. 

West Bank is in the background

Then we drove back to the old city by the Knesset, Supreme Court, and a few museums; and what seemed like forever stuck in traffic, we finally went through the Dung Gate and made a trip to the Western or Wailing Wall.  Boring narrative, huh?  Michael’s tour took a three hour walking tour though the old city, where he went to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.  I will tell the rest of the story with the pictures.  But……..

Front of Church of the Holy Sepulcher

Dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher

Normally, I like to spice up my blog, but today was not the day.  I had prepared a note to place in one of the cracks in the Wailing Wall, and as I did, I was so overcome with emotion that I could not stop the tears from falling.  I cannot describe what happened.  I FEEL a strong connection here.  Why?  I cannot say.  Our guide, who was a robot spitting out history, showed her first emotion when she saw me return to our meeting place.  With a knowing smile, she hugged me and understood, all without words.  She said it is not an uncommon experience.  As I write this, tears are in my eyes, and yet I have no words to describe why or what I am feeling.  This is Jerusalem for me.  It is not the stone, it is not the physical world; it is the emotional tug that I cannot explain.  I am the most unreligious Jew I know, I am not sure about the existence of God; I am a cultural Jew.  Yet, this strange mystical feeling overcomes me, and I cannot understand it.  Perhaps it is just something to know that I FEEL it. 

The Wailing Wall

Room underground from the Wailing Wall

Here are additional photos of the Old City: