January 26, 2003
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Phew!
In a few short hours we'll be on our way to Ben Gurion airport, and from there on to Los Angeles. It's an exciting way to wrap up what has been one of the most interesting, varied and fulfilling weeks thus far.
It started with a tour of the Old City and a couple of hours at the David Citadel Museum, which has a focus on the history of Jerusalem. Our friend Zim has been in town all week and this trip marks his first international journey. So we wanted to start out with a taste of ancient Jerusalem. We also spent some fascinating time in the area of Mea She'arim, an ultra-Orthodox area of town. The people who live there are known as Haredim and live a strict religious lifestyle that some say is a near-exact replica of life in small Eastern European Jewish communities several hundred years ago. Modesty is of utmost importance in this area and there are signs to encourage men and women to dress properly. The highlight of that afternoon was when we stumbled into a tiny shop of antique Judaica. We walked into a musty, disorganized gem of a store, and the friendly looking, older storeowner was deep into a phone conversation. I could hear that she was speaking Yiddish, so I was immediately intrigued about her past. When she finished, I confirmed that she was indeed speaking Yiddish and her roots traced back to Hungary and Czechoslovakia. We immediately felt a connection as we discovered that we were "sisters" -- her name was Leah, and Rachel and Leah were sisters in the Bible. She had story upon story about all the items in her shop, and what I loved about her the most was that she drove a very hard bargain and barely let Zim get away with a small discount for his kiddush cup. A quick photo ( https://millers18.tripod.com/recent.html ) coupled with a drawn-out good-bye and we were on our way. I promised to return with Mark, though, and we will soon.
That evening was the Tu B'Shevat seder for our Ethiopian friends. Although the seder itself was a little confusing and certainly unfamiliar (even for most of us Americans, actually, because it's not a very common practice), but we all sang with pride and danced with enthusiasm, especially to Am Yisrael Chai - the Jewish people live! We walked our family back to their apartment, and then the children turned around and wanted to walk us to the bus. Unfortunately, it will be 3 weeks before I see the Ayale family again, but it's a wonderful reunion to look forward to.
Midweek Mark and Zim took a short trip up to the Northern part of the country while I stayed behind for a volunteer project. A group of HUC students and spouses spent Wednesday painting the apartment of a woman named Rama, who is wheelchair-bound. The project was organized through the ZIV tzedakah fund ( http://www.ziv.org/ ) - Danny Seigel's grassroots organization that takes care of many smaller, less well-known causes. We had a great day together, and it certainly felt good to leave Rama in a brighter, fresher, cleaner home environment.
Next it was a road trip down South to the Red Sea port city of Eilat. It was my first time south of the Dead Sea, and certainly was a shock to drive through hours of open desert and then stumble upon the "Las Vegas of Israel." The 5-star hotels were magnificent, but paled in comparison to their backdrop -- the Jordanian mountains rising above the Red Sea. With the sun on our faces and beauty all around, we had a fabulous time. The guys went scuba diving, and I dove deep into my book while enjoying the warmth. As we watched the sun go down and Shabbat was upon us, I couldn't help but think of how far I felt from Mea She'arim. But these are the opportunities Israel provides us -- a one-week ride along the wide spectrum of life here.
I know I promised a political discussion for this week, but I'm afraid I'm spent and can't spare the energy (or time) required for talking Israeli politics. However, the election is approaching quickly (the 28th) and there will be plenty to write about in future updates. Looks likely that Sharon will continue as Prime Minister, as everybody's mind is on the security issues and he seems to have more or less stabilized the situation with a heavy hand. I'm certain most people don't think this is a long-term solution, but it seems emotion takes over when there are immediate threats. We'll see how it all unfolds.
Like I said, we're off to the airport soon -- and by the time I write you again, I'll have had the pleasure of spending time with family and friends and enjoying the familiarity and yummy indulgences (like Java Chip ice cream) of home. And then I'll look forward to returning for more experiences in Jerusalem, my second home.
Have a wonderful weekend and take good care of yourselves.
Love,
Rachel Ann
