Tel Aviv to the Negev

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Shalom! So last night I finished my diary by telling you about our morning service on the beach. Well, we then met back at the hotel with Zvi, our tour guide/educator, and headed out on the bus for a tour of Tel Aviv. First stop was Rabin Square where we viewed the memorial to Itzhak Rabin z"l, the prime minister assassinated following a peace rally just a few years ago. So sad. We then headed out to the Ayalon Institute: the site of the clandestine operation just prior to the War of Independence in 1948. The secret operation was a munitions factory hidden in two huge rooms underground beneath the laundry and bakery of a kibbutz. Practically under the noses of the British, young Jews worked for two years making bullets for the war they expected would come with independence. The kibbutz above was camouflage; and only half the people there even knew what was happening below. The courage and tenacity and idealism of these 20 year olds in the 1940's was inspirational. The danger they embraced in order to serve the greater good was humbling. Thought of my own children and wondered if they would have been capable of the same selflessness. Another amazing part of the visit there was our guide, Omri. He is part of an idealistic group of young people, just out of the army, who are living in a kind of urban cooperative, where they are giving their time to education and betterment of Israeli society, promoting the values of community and anti-materialism, and socialism. Very interesting young man.
After the visit to the park/historic site of this piece of history, we continued on to Jaffa. We stopped for lunch at the wonderful bakery and felafel shop for food, then on to the hill overlooking Tel Aviv. Jaffa is just down from Tel Aviv -- and is still a mostly Arab city. Arab Israeli. The Jews who lived there just after the turn of the century (start of the 20th century) decided they needed to build a Jewish town -- so they started clearing the dunes up the beach from Jaffa. There they lived in tents, and then houses. They built a "Jewish" city: Tel Aviv. We read Biblical texts about Jaffa, the port from which Jonah in the Bible fled to go to Tarshish, and looked at photos Zvi brought along of the founding of Tel Aviv. The old and the new.
Next we went to Ilana Goor's gallery/home. Old Jaffa had many homes that the Israeli government redistributed after the War of Independence after the Arab residents left, fleeing the war. The government offered these homes to artists, on the condition that they live and work there. The artists' colony has many shops and studios, but we were there on Shabbat when most were closed. Ilana Goor's home was originally a Jewish home -- a hostel for travelers preparing to move to Jerusalem or other places in Palestine after landing in the Jaffa port -- a long, long time ago. Later it became a private Arab home -- and an olive oil candle factory. It too became Israel's property in 1948 after the war; Ilana lives there and does her art there, plus collects art from many other artists. I had been there twice before. She lives with the art - moves it around, uses the rooms as her living space. Very macabre and fantastic images in her sculpture.
After the tour (by a guide, not Ilana), some of the Beth El folks stayed in Jaffa to wait for the Gabrieli tallit store to open after Shabbat, while the rest of us returned by bus to the hotel in Tel Aviv. Later, Bette told me that she and Warren and Andrea each bought a beautiful tallit! I look forward to seeing them wearing these next Shabbat morning in Jerusalem!
At 7:00 pm we made Havdala out behind the hotel -- simple and sweet. I had brought a havdalah candle which I bought in Safed (Tzefat) a few years ago, and some spices. Lovely to sing in teh midst of such a secular city, yet a place that has such a Jewish heart and soul.
Then it was off to dinner. Everyone was going out in small groups. I believe I mentioned that on Shabbat morning we had been joined by Tanya, the Israeli rabbinic student. She picked me up in her car for dinner, and we took Ellen and Larry (my friends from Florida who also came on this trip) along down the the "new port." It's not really a port, but it's an area of Tel Aviv by the water with nice restaurants, some of which moved to this new place from Jaffa in recent years. We had a nice fish dinner - though don't ask me what kind of fish! First they brough out 12 little plates of assorted salads - humus, cabbage, veggies, etc. Then the fish - grilled or baked, with some nice seasonings. Simple and just right. We had great conversation wtih the dinner; all about Tanya coming to Israel with her young son (now 17). About teenagers' lives in Israel, and about Ellen and Larry's young teenage daughter and life in the U.S. Finished off with tea with "nana" -- mint. Then Tanya dropped us back at the hotel. Sunday mornign wake-up call was to be at 6:15 am, and our bags had to be outside the room at 6:45 am. Breakfast at 7, and then we loaded up the bus and were out by 8 pm. I had to repack my bags as I did not want to take my big suitcase off the bus on Sunday night down in the Negev. The plan was to stay with my brother that night at Kibbutz Yahel, with the rest of the group sleeping at nearby Kibbutz Lotan. So I packed what I needed for a couple of days in my backpack. Also had to carefully wrap and pack the "gift" I bought for my husband at the Goor Gallery. He might read this, so I can't say what it is! 😊
Sunday morning we headed out of Tel Aviv after another great breakfast. Some of the group had a bad night's sleep; others were just fine. Still lots of jet lag going around, and rooms that were too warm. So, there was a lot of napping on the bus on Sunday. We also had a rainy drive down to our first stop at Tel Sheva -- the site that later developed down the road into Beer Sheva. We crossed through such a fertile area on the way to the Negev: amazing green fields, and flowering trees. The rain stoped as we crossed into the start of the Negev. At the site, Zvi studied with us about Abraham's journey into the Negev, and Rabbi Elyse led us through some texts as well. We looked out on a landscape similar to what Abraham, Sarah and their extended family would have experienced over 3000 years ago. We also heard about Biblical "gates" where the elders or someone would sit in judgement - a kind of municipal court. Then we walked through the archaeological dig. Many in the group had not seen an archaeological site before, so there was lots of explaining. We also got some great photos of most of us in hard hats -- required by the site so that we could walk down the steps into the old cistern built under the ancient town. Good we had the hats - as I knocked my head on the ceiling several times! The three kids on the trip counted all the stairs going down: 121. There were less coming up since we came out at a lower level, outside the main anceint site. The steps down to the cistern were a way for the residents to get water in a time of war without having to go out of the town walls; it was a manmade cistern, carved into the hill. I've seen an even larger one at Megiddo, so this was very familiar.
As we continued on the drive, we could see Bedouin houses scattered around. our next stop was further into the Negev, at a "mock" Bedouin site near Mamashit (a Nabatean archaeological site). At this "tourist" site, we went on a one hour camel ride into the hills. Stunning views, but the camel I shared wtih Samantha (one of the children) had a very slippery saddle - not quite straight. We kept struggling not to fall off -- and luckily we stayed on. Got great photos of the Beth El group on camels!
Then they served us a meal sitting in large Bedouin style tents -- pita, salads, and some chicken/turkey with rice. It was a "demo" of the life there, but the workers were all Bedouin except the man in charge that day, who is Israeli. We were taught about Bedouin customs surrounding welcoming guests, and serving tea and coffee. Never say "no thank you" to your host -- just politely cover the tea class with your hand to show you don't want more. And the coffee beans are raosted right in front of you, then ground, and brewed. The cup is never filled up - because a full cup means drink up and get out of here. A half cup means you can stay and have more. We tried to get the Israeli doing the teaching to talk to us about the current status of the Bedouin (they are citizens, and can volunteer for the army), but he did not want to discuss politics. Disappointing, but Zvi had filled us in so we know about many of the issues of housing and cultural change.
Back on the buses, and south again. This time we stopped at Mitzpe Haramon - overlooking the Makhtesh, the amazing canyon that is only one of 3 sites in the world with this kind of geology. Zvi took out maps and explained the formations and layers. As a person who loves this stuff, it was great. Then a quick turnaround back the bus, and we headed down from the lip of the crater/canyon (made by erosion)and aruond many switchbacks until we reached the bottom; then on we went down through the Negev toward Eilat. We saw amazing rock formations; beautiful colors, though it was still a very hazy day. Around 4 pm we saw a huge grove of gorgeous palm trees off to the left and a moment later turned in to the entrance to Kibbutz Yahel. Waiting by the gate was my brother, Danny, who lives there. He boarded the bus and took us down to the fields and explained the agricultural businesses of the kibbutz, especially the date palms and the pomelos. He told the stories I had heard before about the border with Jordan at the edge of the fields, and then sent us out to pick pomelos which were left on a few trees for us to pick. He cut them up and let everyone taste them (like grapefruit only much sweeter), then we drove back across the highway to the main part of the kibbutz settlement -- built a bit more in the shelter of the hills to avoid the terrible winds that can come through there. The fertile land by the fields is sand to which is added fertilizer and water; the side the homes and community buildings occupy is built on gravel-- and any greenery is the result of bringing in the sand and fertilizing it. Luckily, the Arava (this part of the Negev) sits over a giant underground lake, so there is plenty of water. We took a look at the cows and heard a bit about that business on the kibbutz, then ate dinner in the dining hall.
When the kibbutz began (a project of the Reform movement, but supported bythe Israeli government which was establishing kibbutzim in the 70's), members all ate meals together. But now they only eat breakfast and lunch (the main meal) communally, and it's optional. Many eat at home, or outside the kibbutz if they have jobs off the kibbutz. Danny explained to the group after dinner about the economic and social changes going on at this particular kibbutz -- and in kuibbutzim in general. Out of 300kibbutzim left in Israel (less than 2% of the population), less than 20 are still traditional settlements where everyone puts their money in one communal pot, and is given according to their needs. Yahel is not one of those traditional ones, but it is too complex to explain here the interesting changes they have made in their economic and social system. Later Sunday night the group is going over to sleep at the other Reform Kibbutz, Lotan, and hear about their more traditional communal style.
Danny arranged for two others to speak with us: Matthew and Chava. Matthew was one of the founders of the kibbutz (like Danny) and is the C.E.O. of the economic portion of the kibbutz. Chava grew up on the kibbutz, went to the army, and is now back working (for pay) temporarily on kibbutz. She plans to move off kibbutz and learn abuot the lifestyle in the cities and then make her own life decisions.
By 7:30 pm some of our gruop were starting to nod off, so back on the bus and a 15 minute drive to Lotan. I stayed at Yahel and walked with Danny over to the house where I was staying for the night. Lovely visit, and even got to watch the last episode of "Hashagrir" on television. This was a reality TV show that's all the rage these last months in Israel. It's like The Apprentice in the U.S., but the young people were competing to be an "ambassador" to the U.S. Not a real ambassador -- but the Israeli spokesperson for a U.S.-Israeli group called Israel at Heart based in N.Y.C. A one year job. The last three finalists had an interview with a columnist from the Daily News in NYC, and with Paula Zahn from C.N.N. Of course, like American entertainment, they dragged this out for 2-1/2 hours with lots of commercials. The interesting part is that people in Israel have been following this with such interest: and it's not a competition for money or even fame -- but to represent Israel to young people in the U.S., and to show a side of Israel that is not portrayed in the popular media. Fascinating!
Well, now it's after midnight here in Israel and time to get some sleep. Tomorrow morning I'll meet up with the group around 8 am as we head back north on a different route: to Masada, the Dead Sea, and all the way up to the Golan Heights. Wow! I look forward to hearing about the group's experience at Lotan - especially since Zvi planned to take them out in the dark to just experience the quiet of the desert; and then they have an optional tour of Lotan at 6 am before breakfast. Can't say I mind sleeping in until 7!
Laila tov, good night.
Rabbi Debby Hachen

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