Sderot -Leadership Institite

Here we are having lively disussions at the Leadership Institute in Sderot about Judaism, the current and future state of Israel and the Jewish People.  Many different opinions on varying subjects including : Is Israel a democratic state if it only allows Jews to be citizens (with some non Jews living in certain areas) and does Israel need diaspora Jews to survive and vis a versa? How are they affected by each other? If Israel is a state of the Jewish people should ALL Jews regrdless of where they live be allowed to vote in Israeli elections? All these topics that REALLY made us think. 

 We also broke into smaller groups to discuss what we thought about Israel's civil laws being ruled and overseen by Orthodox rabbis.

Jerusalem Forest - Planting A Tree

Here is Joanna beautifully showing us how to plant a tree in Israel. (Picture courtesy of Rachel Butt's facebook page.)

 I have been told Israel is the only country to end the 20th century with more trees than it started.  From the Yale University forum on religion and ecology (http://fore.research.yale.edu/religion/judaism/projects/jewish_national.html)
 " JNF has planted more than 240 million trees in Israel over the last century, making Israel the only country with more trees at the end of the century than it had in the beginning. JNF has recently adopted a new policy of species diversification, based on growing awareness of the importance of biological diversity as well as a desire to cultivate tree species native to biblical Israel. By purchasing trees through JNF’s online tree planting center, Jews from around the world can help green the land of Israel.:

Jerusalem - An Orthodox Biker

I was bummed ai kept missing pictures of orthodox men riding in the slippery cobblestone streets of the old city. I finally got my camera out in time to at least catch this observant Jewish man unlocking his bike outside of Keren Kayemet offices (Jewish United Fund)

Jerusalem - High Speed Rail???

This is RIGHT outside the Old City walls.  I was pleasently surprised to see that a high speed train in being built in the city.  Jerusalem's streets are VERY narrow and driving can be just painful. Most of the streets follow old animal paths.  I found a humorous post on a blog called Jerusalemite.net in the environment category.

 " ... there is another train slowly but unsurely making its way to the Holy City: the long-awaited high-speed Israel Railways line from Tel Aviv. The line, which will replace the hideously slow and outdated current inter-city train, has been beset by constant delays, from the simply bureaucratic to the bizarrely "only-in-Israel" (how many construction projects in other countries get delayed because workers keep uncovering ancient Jewish graves?)"

Herzl - Our Bus Driver

Can you believe his name?? And do you see the license plate? Ha!

Jerusalem -The Old City

Jaffe Gate.  One of my favorite facts about the old city - the gates do not allow one to enter straight, you must turn. This helped slow down invading chariots and horses.

From Teach All Nations Inc -
"Jafee Gate is named because the road leading from it goes to the port city of Jaffa (Joppa)...The wall next to the gate was torn down and a moat filled in 1898 by Sultan Abdul Hamid, so that Kaiser Wilhelm II could ride into the city. It retains the L shape interior, an ancient defensive method of slowing the advance of armies through the gate and forcing a turn that exposes their unshielded side. A legend says that Sulieman was angry about the architects not including Mt. Zion in the walls of the city, so they are buried in the two graves inside the gate. This gate was also the famous scene of the English General Allenby's entrance in 1917."

 
 

The Wailing (Western) Wall  Its a tradition to place a note in the wall thanking G-d or asking for something. I didn't write anything this time.

Budapest to Tel Aviv - The El Al Flight

Here are my seatmates, opps i forgot their names,  They are twins from my trip who speak little English so I helped them at the airport.  Pretty unique story about their family.  Their mom was born in Jerusalem! Her family came from Iran in 1896, same year Herzl had the first Zionist Congress (hope I have my dates correct.  Another picture will prove me right or wrong)

Here is a picture of the plane as we landed.  I can't begin to tell you what an emotional experience it was to land in Israel.  Something I haven't felt in many years.  I was smiling from ear to ear and everyone was singing as we touched the ground.  Why these strange emotions? Two reasons.  First of all, travelling through Europe, following Herzl and his plight to save the Jewish people, and learning first hand about the atrocities that happened to my people and then landing in the Jewish state was intense.  Second, getting stuck in Budapest, where I don't speak the language, and we didn't know when we would get out (or have to miss out Israel trip entirely) was reason enough to cheer, smile and sing as we touched ground. It wasn't just getting there that was exciting, it was the entire group's excitement that collectively we got there that also was poignant.