There is a small gift shop and a few picnic tables, visitors seem to come mostly in coaches, there isn’t too many people in terms of individuals here.

There are plenty of these strict looking signs, some of the gardens with the best view of the water front seem to be off limits it seems, not just here but in other places where I wanted to sit to down and admire the water.   Signs suggest these are saved for special occasions it seems.

This is the church itself and very nice it is too.

It was built upon the site where Jesus was teaching as in Matthew 5 : 3-12

Conference room and hotel closeby.

The church is small and very square in its shape, there is no real place for a congregation to sit down, its more of a shrine I suppose with a the outside arched walk way around it, although the Pope visited here in 2000, it is still manned by nuns in their traditional garb.

A day in my work in the Galilee – The Jesus boat in Ginosar – The Kinneret Lake – Tiberias evening light show – Preaching and miracles of Jesus in Capernaum – Tiberias city centre and Muriels and Maimonidies – Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Apostles – Mount of Beatitudes

This painting on the wall is pretty nice too:

It combines a faux set of railings and balconies to match the rest of the block but also images of what the city overlooking the water in ancient times.

Founded in 20AD and named after a Roman emperor of almost exactly the same name, today Tiberias is just a Jewish city but has Arab Israelis living in the outskirts of town and many neighbouring Arab towns close by.

This iron structure doesn’t look like a normal religious shrine, but its a significant place for Orthodox Jews as the grave site of famous Jewish philosopher Maimonides.

Like the Kotel in Jerusalem and Rachel’s Tomb close to Bethlehem, praying is done in separate for men and women.

Lots of Judiaca items in neighbouring gift shop, not just souvenirs for Christians!

This is part of an ancient wall around the city which was destroyed, not by conflict but by an earthquake in the 11th century.

There has been no less than 16 earthquakes affecting the greater Galilee area, including a big one killing 600 in 1837, and also a big flood in 1934.

This mosque is empty and abandoned.   Many Islamic countries where Jews once live, including Yemen, Iran, Iraq, Morocco etc have destroyed old synagogues as after people started to move to Israel in large numbers, here buildings of all types of faiths that are not used are always kept as part of history, as it seems there is a great deal of respect put on history of all (Roman, Byzantine, Persian, Islamic, Crusader Ottoman and Jewish) eras of people dwelling here.

A day in my work in the Galilee – The Jesus boat in Ginosar – The Kinneret Lake – Tiberias evening light show – Preaching and miracles of Jesus in Capernaum – Tiberias city centre and Muriels and Maimonidies

Sign shows there is a dress code here, just as well I forgot to bring my shorts, but wearing trousers in the heat on this day was pretty uncomfortable to say the least.

Gardens inside the gate looks very pretty.

Here are the ruins of the synagogue, as you can see some parts are more complete than others.

My friend Arnold stands by the pillars.

There is one interesting twist with Capernaum, there is a new building built on stilts on top of some of the ruins!  Here you can see these steps go up to the elevated new church.

I really like the design of the new building, its spacious up here!

Capernaum of course was home to Jesus after he left Nazareth.

A centurian asked Jesus to heal his servant who was back home in Cana.  Matthew 8.

In Mark 1 Jesus lived here after leaving Nazareth and preached at the Synagogue and casted out unclean spirits from people.   Mark 2, explains a disabled man is brought in through the roof, by digging into the roof;

Hold on – digging in a roof?   When I went to Iceland people (this country was founded in about 900AD) had roofs made of soil with grass growing out, to help keep the house warm, surely this would not happen in biblical houses at the time of Jesus?

I had a look at a web site containing the original Greek NT.   Its not readable with Google translator but the English text on the left says they uncovered the roof (covered with felt maybe?) and broken it (the roof up) to get the man in.

Today of course modern regulations means disabled people need ramps or maybe lifts to get into public places, however awkward and destructive it was, it was nice that people took the time to get this fellow in front of Jesus when he was preaching there.

If anyone else is also curious about how the disabled man was brought by his friends into the synagogue I would be interested to know what you think.

A day in my work in the Galilee – The Jesus boat in Ginosar – The Kinneret Lake – Tiberias evening light show – Preaching and miracles of Jesus in Capernaum – Tiberias city centre and Muriels and Maimonidies

The Kinneret, or the Sea of Galilee, or even Lake Tiberias are the names of the body of water where Jesus spent probably the majority of his ministry.

Its 214 metres below sea level, not as low of course as the Dead Sea, and has a radius of 53km or 33 miles.

Either name, its a peaceful and relaxing place to spend a few days off work.  When I came here last year in a rented car its actually very pleasant to drive around the bendy road that heads along the west edge of the sea.

I went into the Jesus boat museum previously whilst waiting to get a boat ride.   This pleasant path with trees and iron modern art is a path that heads towards the jetty onto the Kinneret.

Like the previous times I have been here, the sea seems like a peaceful and great place to relax, by the side or in a boat.

However the bible tells us of great storms that happened here, and of course Jesus commanded a storm to stop in Matthew 8 : 23-27

It would be interesting to witness a storm here I think, thunderstorms are good fun as long as you are safe indoors

There is a lot of gadgetry on this boat.  There are 3 cellphones, an iPod nano with Christian worship music playing during the trip, a Motorola CB radio and a music mixing desk and tannoy system, oh and a rudder for steering, a throttle and other typical nautical controls.

The Arab chap who was the man in charge of tour boats who came onboard has an iPad as well which contains the schedules of the boats, I thought maybe there could be some kind of nautical navigation and weather conditions apps as well, but I can’t really see anyone getting lost!

There is a party of Christian visitors from Bratislava, Slovak republic but as they booked the trip themselves and there isn’t a tour guide with them they were happy for me and my friend Arnold to share with them

Next: I investigate this mysterious beacon that shines over the Galilee…

A day in my work in the Galilee – The Jesus boat in Ginosar – The Kinneret Lake – Tiberias evening light show – Preaching and miracles of Jesus in Capernaum – Tiberias city centre and Muriels and Maimonidies

The community of Ginosar is a Kibbutz on the banks of the Kinneret, this concrete exhibition hall has this wonderful piece of history.

In my home city of Portsmouth, a historic ship from the time of Henry the Eighth was pulled out of the harbour in 1982, at the time craning an ancient ship out of the sea without it breaking up, a not so conventional bit of archeology probably not been done before,  and I remember as I child watching it at school on live television as it was shown all over the world.

Just a few years later, this ancient boat found in the Galilee in unusually high tide conditions in 1986, archeologists sprayed it in foam and carefully lifted it out.

Mounted in a metal cradle you can see the boat, it has been treated in wax to stop it rotting.

Its dated from the first century AD, so its quite possible it was owned by someone who may have known Jesus maybe.

There is some nice drawings on the wall of this museum, although it is very small, as well as the video showing how it was carefully excavated and cleaned up, you can see the whole exhibition in less than 10 minutes.

Interestingly enough, the boat is fabricated from 12 different types of wood as the colour coding here shows.

Left: photos of the boat being winched out after being covered in foam, and a model shown.  Right: a model of what the model looked like in its day.

Ginosar also has these nice new bungalows which look very new which look out onto the sea.

There was also a folk music event happening, there were people camped out and bands playing close to the sea.   I asked the man at the car park who was checking tickets where the Jesus boat was, after he spoke to his colleague, I heard him say the word ‘Yeshu’  rather the ‘Yeshua’   this was sad, as the Yeshua is Hebrew for Jesus but Yeshu, spelt similar is a insult sometimes used by critics of Christianity and Messianic Judaism in Israel.

This chap who worked in the gift shop had an interesting tatoo from the Psalms.   He told me he is a Jewish believer in Jesus, so I shook his hand

Next a ferry around the Kinneret…

Check out the official site of the Jesus boat here: www.jesusboatmuseum.com

A day in my work in the Galilee – The Jesus boat in Ginosar – The Kinneret Lake – Tiberias evening light show – Preaching and miracles of Jesus in Capernaum – Tiberias city centre and Muriels and Maimonidies

The Kinneret is absolutely beautiful and so is Kibbutz Ha’on, the Kibbutz where I stayed.  There were beautiful flowers, palm trees, the beautiful Golan Heights and, of course, the sea.

So here it is–Project 9 of my 52 projects in 2011: Nature Photography at the Kinneret.

The Sea of Galilee (in better days): View from Tabgha, looking SW

“In easing the fishing ban, the committeee adopted recommendations presented to it on Tuesday by a committee of experts … The panel was charged with determining the ecological state of the Kinneret [Sea of Galilee -tp] and assessing the implications of the ban. The ban was scheduled to go into effect last March but was postponed. The committee of experts noted during yesterday’s Knesset committee session that its work was hampered by a significant lack of data on the state of fishing and water quality in the Kinneret. The recommendation constitutes a victory for the lake’s fishermen, who for the past year have been battling the proposed moratorium. “Our fight paid off and justice has been served. It’s a day of joy for fishermen,” Ya’akov Fadida, chairman of the Tiberius Fishermen’s Organization, said yesterday.”

It would appear that the lawmakers, rather than err on the side of caution, yielded to pressure from the fishermen’s organization — at the expense of the fish, and perhaps that of the lake itself as a living body of water. Not a very sustainable situation, in my opinion. I mean, the annual catch (in tons) dropped by more than 90 percent between 1999 and 2009 — something’s sure wrong! Read the full article here. For background, the January 2010 article announcing the original ban is here.

Golden Sunrise Over Sea of Galilee

Scarlet Pimpernel

Agamon Hula

with my dear friend and partner …

The carved stone unearthed at ancient Magdala. A replica is on view in the Notre Dame Center lobby in Jerusalem.

The Magdala Center project, as it is called, is detailed on their web-site, HERE. If anyone is in Jerusalem, there is an informational display area in the Notre Dame lobby, one feature of which is a replica of the carved stone bearing a menorah which was excavated on the site (see photo). The Legionaries are also glad to host groups at Notre Dame to explain the project, the excavations, etc. The person to contact for such is Mr. Eduardo Guerra (not “Father”, as I repeatedly called him!); his e-mail is eguerra@grupointeger.com.

About the excavations: Much information is available on this web-log. As has been publicized elsewhere, they have put out a call for volunteers to come and help dig and are even providing room and board for up to 30 days, which is quite unusual. They seem to want people who can come and spend a few weeks, though. Again, the person to contact about volunteering to dig is Mr. Guerra.

The person I talked to, Veronica, stated that they are glad to have visitors come to the Magdala site to see what they’re doing. The best bet is to arrange this in advance, once again through Mr. Guerra. For one thing, they have to notify the guard at the site to look for you and let you in at the gate. It sounds like the digging is going on pretty much all the time, though — they don’t have a set “season” as at most other excavations.

Finally, below is a visual guide to the Magdala properties which some may find helpful. I have marked up a Google Maps screen-shot to try to show the status of the various areas there, based on what they told me at Notre Dame. The area shown is on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, north of Tiberius and at the foot of Mount Arbel. (Note: It is an old photo, from at least several years ago; the number and letter designations are my invention.)

Magdala properties: 1 – Franciscan compound; 2 + 3 – future Magdala Center facilities; A – “synagogue” site; B – present excavations (Sept. 2010)

The area outlined in yellow (1) is the walled compound of the Franciscans, where Fr. Corbo et al. excavated in the 1970s and found, among other things, a stretch of the Roman road, a mosaic depiction of a sailing vessel, and what they identified as a synagogue. There is currently no access to this area, I was told. How (or whether) the finds there will be connected to whatever emerges to the north remains to be seen.

SBF MAgdala Project 2008

[UPDATE, 2012: Actually, the Franciscans, through their Studium Biblicum Franciscanum (SBF) have had their own "Magdala Project" underway for the past few years, in part revisiting the large areas excavated in the 1970s. In addition to digging some new areas, they are re-exposing, consolidating and restoring the previous finds there, including taking up entire mosaic floors for preservation. They hope to open the site to visitors in the future. Information can be found HERE  and at their official web-site (several items are in Italian only; see the blog for photo-reports on recent activities: survey work, GPR-based geo-surveying, harbor stratigraphy, etc.) This project might be worth contacting regarding volunteer opportunities as well.]

The areas labelled in red “2″ and “3″ together make up the Legionaries Magdala Center site; the red line marks it’s northern boundary. Area 2 is now described as “closed” and the excavations there completed. It is there that the early stages of construction are already underway (the photo shows an old holiday village, which of course is all gone now). “A” is the approximate location of the “synagogue” which was so much in the news  a while back and the topic of a previous post of mine. The “synagogue”, they say, will be preserved in the vicinity of the center’s main entrance, the plans for which are being revised to accommodate the ancient remains. Apparently, nothing else too exciting was found in area 2; some residential structures is all that was mentioned. By the way, even though the area is now closed, the “synagogue” should be viewable by visitors to the site who request to see it.

Area 3, especially at “B”, is where excavations are going on at present and where you are likely to find the archaeologists and other staff if you should visit. [UPDATE, 2012: Almost the entire strip of land "3" has now been excavated, or is under excavation!] The excavation director is a Mexican archaeologist named Marcela Zapata, according to the web-log. They are projecting that it will take three years to thoroughly excavate this parcel. Again, it will be interesting to see how this new work will connect to what the Franciscans did in the past.

By the way, if you happen to visit Mount Arbel, the area under discussion here is visible from the summit. You have to walk a bit to the east of the developed viewpoint, however (preferably without going over the edge!). Bring your binoculars.

* Read this RELATED POST about the Magdala “synagogue”.

She took us into Nazareth on Friday and my dad and I visited some sights while she took care of some business in town.  Nazareth is famed for being where Joseph and Mary, parents of Jesus, hailed from and as such, there are no less than three distinct churches dedicated to where Mary was visited by the angel and told of her eventual bearing of the Messiah.  Needless to say, this makes Nazareth a popular pilgrimage site, but talking to Hanita, who has lived in Nazareth and used to work in a local theater, reminded us that indeed, Nazareth is a living, breathing city.

After Nazareth we headed back to Hanita’s for a quick nap before taking off to the school.  I had met David, the director, on the night we flew in, but it was good to meet some of the other staff.  There was a two hour introduction workshop for new adult students, so we went through some light tumbling and some clowning exercises.  My class schedule will be six days a week, should I choose to attend all of the available adult classes and beyond that, David will have some other work around the facility for me.  All the classes will be taught primarily in Hebrew, which should be interesting.  I can understand most of the instructions just by watching demonstrations and other students, but I think it will help to have other students translate the finer nuances of the lessons.   After the workshop I got the chance to do a little bit of acrobalance with some of the students, which is always a good time.

Waking up today was an adventure.  I was a little sore from tumbling, but my father was experiences a full blown lower back spasm that looked liked it was going to leave him floor-ridden for at least a day.  Hanita suggested that we stay to try and get some treatment for his back, but being stubborn Americans, we insisted that all we needed was the open road.  Apparently, sitting the car and driving tends to help my dad’s back loosen up.  Before taking off towards the Sea of Galilee, we took a look at a flat that a circus performer is offering up for rent.  He is going to be traveling in Europe and performing, so the place is open for September and October.

Its not much in the way of comforts, but its in Kfar Yehoshua so I’ll be able to walk to the school.  The flat (read, shed) is on an organic farm and it sounds like many farms in the community offer direct produce or eggs or milk and cheese.  The way he described it, many farms have open fridges in which you can take what you want and just leave the shekels required to pay for it.  Horray for local and organic eh?

So from Kfar Yehoshua, we took the road north to Lake Kinneret, or the Sea of Galilee.  We’re not staying in Tiberias, but just a little north.  The air conditioned room is a welcome reprieve from the heat and we drove around the lake before ending up back here, deciding to take it easy.  I’m glad my dad is at least up and walking around.  I think he’s worried about his back ruining the trip, but I’m trying to reassure him that we’ll take it one day at a time and see what we are able to.  Tomorrow the plan is to take a drive further north into the Golan Heights but we’ll see how the back is come morning.

It has been interested to see the convergence of modern, Israeli life and ancient religious sites.  My dad commented on how he never really imaged people jet skiing on the Sea of Galilee, but that he also shouldn’t be surprised by such occurrences.  It’ll be interesting to see how the further juxtaposition of religious holy sites and modernity exhibit themselves throughout Israel and what this means to both pilgrims and Israelis alike.

Water bill rise does not match up with the availability of water in Israel.

A recent 40% spike in water bills in Israel has environmentalists and policymakers concerned. As desalination plants spring up around Israel, many Israelis are under the assumption that the pressing water matter that this country normally faces is not so grave. With more available freshwater, Israelis are using more water than has been appropriate in the past. Some attribute this wastefulness to a government PR campaign suggesting that desalination may end Israel’s scarce water problem within three years. This has lead many citizens to become more lax in their water resourcefulness.

Desalination does provide this country with more freshwater, safe for drinking and bathing, however it is no excuse to over consume this precious resource. In addition, municipalities are under attack for corroding pipelines and poor municipal equipment. As a result, leaks are common, leading to more water waste.

Read more about this pressing issue in this article in the Jerusalem Post.

Inside the Hadera desalination facility in Israel. From Greenprophet.com

It is this ongoing debate between industry and environment that has fueled many talks here at Zalul and across the environmental field. While we are always happy to see new solutions to the water shortage in Israel, we are even more thrilled to know that these steps are not taken without any regard to the environment.

Please read more about this new desalination plant and the debate surrounding it at Green Prophet.

During the summer of 2007, I traveled to Israel.  This was my sixth visit to the country.  My summer camp and youth movement Habonim Dror North America hosts the trip the summer after sophomore year.  It is called Machaneh Bonim B’Israel (MBI)—roughly translating to camp in Israel.

While in Israel my camp, Machaneh Moshava, met up with the other seven camps throughout the North American area, Machaneh Galil in Pennsylvania, Machaneh Na’aleh in New York, Machaneh Tavor in Michigan, Machaneh Gilboa in California, Machaneh Miriam in British Columbia, Canada and Machaneh Gesher in Ontario, Canada.

Together we traveled around Israel, learned about the history of Israel, Zionism, Judaism and Jews in the Diaspora, the history of Habonim Dror, kibbutzim (farm-like communities in Israel), our beliefs, the future of our youth movement, and other aspects.

The counselors (madrichim) repeatedly told us that once you travel throughout Israel, the beauty of other places is diminished.  The beauty of Israel is so diverse and great.  The sites I saw cannot compare to places I have visited in America.  I want to share various sites I visited on that trip and why they are so beautiful to me.

Sea of Galilee—Kinneret

Photo by Marlena Chertock.

Near the Golan Heights
This body of water serves as most of the country’s water source.  During MBI we hiked up a cliff overlooking the water.  Along with warm Mediterranean breezes, the town at the base of the cliff housed Israelis and Arabs.  As I remember, they were living in peace, side by side.  The Arab houses were tall, as when a son or daughter marries an additional level is built on top of the existing house for them to live in.  It was so interesting.  This town gave me hope that peace can exist.

Bahai Gardens

Photo by Marlena Chertock.

The gardens at night.

In Haifa
These gardens are terraces and a shrine for the Bahai faith.  They are considered the Hanging Gardens of Haifa and the Eighth Wonder of the World.  Though I have never walked through the gardens, I have been able to look up at the landscape while driving past or from the top view. The gardens grow up an entire hillside, adding to the magnificence of the sight.
The Bahia faith emphasizes unity across cultures and religions and a unity of all mankind.  I believe many can learn from this peacefulness in spite of differences.

Western Wall

In Jerusalem
There are many names for the Western Wall:

• the Western Wall
• the Wailing Wall
• the Kotel

The wall is what remains of the second Temple in Jerusalem.  It is perhaps the most holy place in the Jewish faith.  Jews gather to pray, press their heads to the wall, and push their messages and prayers into the cracks of the wall.

The visit with MBI was not my first to the Western Wall.  That is why I think I was not as affected.  Several on the trip began crying as soon as they saw the wall.  But seeing thousands of people congregate to this place to pray is a magical sight to behold.

Negev

A hike through Ein Avdat. Photo by Marlena Chertock.

The Negev is the desert in Israel.
The Negev is a very different kind of beauty.  It is desolate, barren, dry, hot, and beautiful.  On MBI we went on a water hike in the Negev—yes, a water hike.  There is water in the Negev, you just have to look for it.

We also went on a scorpion hunt and were successful.  We went at night, carrying flashlights and creeping through the desert.  The scorpions we found were small, yellow, and fast.

The most interesting and beautiful part of the Negev, for me, was the Bedouin village we visited.  The Bedouins are a nomadic people—they are always on the move.  They live in large tents, travel with camels, and are very hospitable.  The Bedouins shared their tents and food with us.  Their tea was the sweetest I have ever tasted—I had three cups.

We had a bonfire that night, and the fire in that landscape was even more beautiful than at a camp site.

Tzfat

Tzfat, Zefat or Safed is an artist colony in northern Israel.  The streets are made of stone, as are the buildings.  It is a town you can wander through, there are small passageways that take you to small doors and entrances to artist or clothing shops.  The beauty is in the city itself—messages are written and drawn on the walls, decorated tiles are placed on the walls, and the doors are painted and decorated.  Walking through the town is like walking through living creativity.

Dead Sea

Picture by Laura, writer of The Real Israel blog.

The lowest point on Earth. The high salinity in this body of water makes it so no animal can live in it.  The salt also causes people to float on top of the water.  You will often find people reading books or newspapers in the Dead Sea.
There is a sense of quiet in the Dead Sea, past the lack of waves, animals, or splashing (you are not allowed to splash because of the salt).  It is eerily, beautifully quiet.  You can float in the sea and look up at the mountains above you.  It is quite magnificent.

Kibbutzim
All over Israel
During MBI we stayed on a kibbutz for a week.  To me, kibbutzim are beautiful.  I am glad there are still some around, as many have fallen apart.  People often leave the kibbutzim for the cities or towns.

Kibbutzim are farm-like communities.  They were the very earliest settlements in Israel, when Jews were first moving to the country.  The ideology is centered around a bit of socialism: everyone must work to keep the kibbutz running, children will be taken care of, and everyone will be fed in a communal dining hall.  The modern kibbutzim are quite different than these earlier ones.  The kids on the kibbutz we visited told us they do not eat together, wash their laundry together, or have communal daycare.  They do, however, work to keep the crops growing and animals producing.

The people on a kibbutz become so close, closer than people who live in a neighborhood or cul-de-sac in America.  This, I think, is what affected me the most.  The closeness of the community.  That is a beauty all its own.

Golan Heights

Northern Israel
The Golan Heights was one of the last places we visited during MBI.  We hiked up to the top of the heights.  We looked out into three countries at once: Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.  It was amazing to be able to see bordering countries from one spot.  It made me feel small, and this realization showed me how small Israel is.  But it also showed me how arbitrarily lines are drawn for countries, how close countries really are to one another.

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Habonim Dror-“The Builders of Freedom”

In case you wanted to read up more on my youth movement here is some information.  Habonim Dror is a Jewish-Socialist-Zionist worldwide youth movement in over 20 countries including Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, England, France, Germany, Holland, Hungary, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, Sweden, Turkey, United States, Uruguay and Zimbabwe.  These movements and camps share common ideology, beliefs, goals, traditions, and methods.

• Habonim Dror North America (HDNA)

• Habonim Dror Mexico (HDM)

• Habonim Dror Uruguay

• Habonim Dror Brazil

• Habonim Dror South Africa (HDSA)

• Habonim Dror United Kingdom (HDUK)

• Habonim Dror Holland

• Habonim Dror Netherlands

• Habonim Dror France-Belgium

• Habonim Dror France Nancy

• Habonim Dror Hungary

• Habonim Dror New Zealand

• Habonim Dror Australia (HDOZ)

• HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed (Israel)-this is the sister movement in Israel

A Short History

Habonim was established in London in 1929 by Wellesley Aron.  By the mid 1930’s the English movement already boasted 10,000 members and had spread to North America (1935), South Africa (1930) and then later to India (1935), Australia (1940), Argentina and Brazil (1945), New Zealand (1949) and Holland (1950).

Dror was established in 1915 in Russia as a Socialist-Zionist youth movement.  Dror soon spread to Poland and throughout Europe and by the 1930′s had also opened centers in South America. By the mid-forties, the movement existed in South Africa and in 1961 Dror in England was founded.

Habonim in North America was born out of the 1935 convention of the Poale Zion (Workers of Zion).  It was formed on the principles of Zionism, the answer to the question of the fate of the Jewish people, and Socialism, the solution to society’s problems.  In 1982 Habonim merged with Dror and Habonim Dror North America was created.

https://www.habonimdror.org/about-us/history

Ideology

• Cultural Judaism
• Labor Zionism
• Actualization (self-actualization)-encouraging acting on one’s goals and dreams, achieving one’s potential
• Socialism-the creation of a new social order throughout the world, based on the principles of self-determination, individual freedom, political democracy, and cooperative economics, the equality of all people and the equality of human value
• Social Justice

Methods

• Community Service (Tikkun Olam, healing the world)
• Workshops, meetings, Veida-amendments or changes to the HDNA Constitution or other areas Constitution
• Youth as leaders
• Peaceful protest
• Discussions (peulot)-Every day during summer camp the counselors hold thought-provoking, informal discussions for each age group.  Every camper is encouraged to speak up and share his thoughts.  It is through these discussions that we learn about each other, important events in history and current ones, our beliefs about the movement and the ideology and  we learn to respect other’s opinions and let them have a chance to voice them.
• And more

According to a recent study conducted by Eco Peace/Friends of the Earth Middle East, if Israel wants to preserve the Jordan River, it must take huge steps in the rehabilitation of this natural resource. In the 1800s and early 1900s, the river held 1.3 billion cubic meters of water. In 2009, only 20-30 cubic meters of water, all of which is sewage, remains in the once vibrant river. Researchers say as much as 400 cubic meters of water a year is necessary to replenish the rivers water and maintain current ecological life.

Sewage remains in our once life giving river

The Jordan River is an essential resource flowing from the Kinneret to the Dead Sea. This problem is not unique to the Jordan River. Because all areas of Israel are experiencing this water crisis, which water source will be prioritized and receive the limited resource is a big question.

Read more about the Jordan River running dry in the Jerusalem Post article.

Start of a mountain to valley relay

By Ulla Hadar

Ulla Hadar

TIMRAT, Israel–Several weeks ago I attended a lecture performed by a man that had gone through several difficulties in his life but nevertheless had decided to participate in an Ironman competition, which involves a 180 kilometer bike ride, 42 kilometer run and 3.8 kilometer swim.

He was sharing his experiences with the audiences and his accomplishments, explaining that you can do anything as long as your mind is set to it. He finished the lecture by throwing the question to the listeners “So what is your Ironman???”

Well I think I found mine, I signed up for the 2nd annual Mountain to Valley, a 200 kilometer relay race. A competitive run that starts at Kalat Nimrod in the North, near Mount Hermon and finishes at the town of Timrat situated in the valley of Jezreel. The relay competition has 24 pieces each of a different length, ranging from 4 to 13 kilometers.

The participants run along dirt roads, cobblestones paths, ascending and descending, far from the lights of the city. Each and every runner passes to a team member at 23 exchange stations along the way a relay bracelet and a chip which records the time.

Gidon Gal and Shmuel Ruchin, the two main organizers of this event, brought the idea to Israel after participating in Vermont, USA, in a similar race known as the “Green Mountain Relay” a 320 kilometer race.

Two hundred sixty groups comprised of 1350 runners signed up for this competition, each group containing 2, 4, 6 or 8 runners. Several ultra runners did 120 kilometers on their own and one Brazilian runner Maoro Chasilev started from Kalat Nimrod and did the entire 200 kilometers on his own.

Based on the time estimation for each runner, the teams were sent off between 8 AM to 4 p.m in an attempt to spread out the crowd and ease the pressure on the 24 stations and enable everyone to arrive at Timrat at the same time more or less.

My stomach was turning upside down in the days leading up to the event. I kept asking myself, Why do I need this? What have I gotten myself into? And surely I will fail to finish this race. Among the four in our group I was the weakest link and I knew that before starting. As a lover of sport I need a new target to train towards, lest weekly running or biking training  get boring and not challenging enough.
You want  to prove to yourself how much power your body contains, what hurdles you can overcome and what you are able to push yourself through to reach the limits and even stretch them further on, to an unbelievable point.

On a nightly training run two weeks before the event I stumbled and strained my left ankle. I had to convince myself that it was nothing, just continue more or less as usual and it will pass.  This was in the midst of the BikeIsrael2010 and one day I rode 60 kilometer with a sprained ankle.
 

The night before the race, my team arrived at a small hostel at Nimrod close to the starting point.  Our team was a four member group two men and two women: Rafi Hadar (my husband), Atara Ron, Dubi Dover and myself, all of us 40+, some of us even 50+!!

Logistically we were very organized thanks to team member Atara Ron. Two cars driven by Dalit Dover (Dubi Dover’s wife) and Eliezer Shamir (Atara Ron’s husband) escorted us along the way, dropping off and collecting the runner from one station and driving the runner to his or her next assigned race leg.

The drivers also supplied runners with food and drink along the route as it is important that the body is nourished throughout the different relays. In the middle of the night you can become disorientated and distracted and can easily forget this important factor.

An hour before our start the air was electric, all runners very excited and everyone eager to start. For my part I had “saved” myself from running for a few days and the adrenalin and the need of endorphins was making my body scream out to start. My number in the chain was four so I still had a couple of hours to wait before it was my turn.

The sign to start went off and Dubi our first runner ran down the steep road going from Kalat Nimrod towards the Baniass. The escort car drove towards station number 3 where I was to wait for Rafi for my first relay shift. As a pilot project this year, 55 teams where provided with a GPS phone in case of an emergency, and we were among the teams receiving one.

Transferring monitoring devices at relay point

We all had 6 runs to finish; mine were of the following lengths: 9 km, 8.9 km, 7.4 km, 5.3 km, 6.4 km and 10.6 km for a total of 47.6 kilometers (approximately 29.5 miles).

At the beginning it was very hot. Descending from Carcum towards Kfar Nachum and the Kinneret I felt all my senses being intoxicated. It was just so beautiful I didn’t feel the heat, noticing the orange groves, the fields and the lake shining with sun beams gently touching the water. Two weeks ago I was at exactly the same spot with the bikers from BikeIsrael2010, but now I was crossing the fields not the roads.

The relays I was most worried about were the night runs. As a woman it is not the nicest experience to run on your own through fields and forests. Although there are other runners, most of the time you are by yourself.

Luckily a good friend of mine Ofra Gafni waited for me at station 12 for the start of my first nightrun (I had three in the dark) and she ran with me as a companion until we reached Timrat.

At one of the night runs we passed through the forest of Ramat Hashofet and again our senses were intoxicated by the smells, the sound of the Shofet stream tingling next to the path we were passing. At the same time, 5 a.m.,  the birds were starting to sing their morning tunes–sweet melody for the ears.

The last relay leading to Timrat was mine to run. One of my advantages was that each run I started I was sent off by my husband and he awarded me with a kiss on my lips which each time gave me a push to go forward.

Exuberance at the finish

The route was not easy; it was the hardest of all my relays. The path started winding up the hillside. Ofra kept  feeding me with optimistic words and joy. I had to walk some of the ascent because my body was just starting to say to me that it was tired and had just a bit too much by now. Once we reached the top of the hill and had another 2 kilometers to go towards the finish line suddenly my body filled with energy and I started to run as if it were the beginning of the race. I just raced towards the end, being greeted by people who shouted words of encouragement and compliments. All my teammates waited for me  at the last corner and we entered the finish line together everyone hugging and cheering.

It is an event  that I will never forget. The togetherness, the friendship. the patience and empathy everyone was showing  towards each other. If this could be copied throughout the world it would be a better place to live.

The adrenalin rush is still in my body. The excitement of the event and the feeling of achievement of finishing and conquering the problems on the way are impossible to describe. Perhaps only the people who experienced the event can fully understand what I am talking about.

The teams that shared the same moments, the volunteers that even at four o’clock in the morning had the power to smile to you, to encourage and cheer you filled my heart with joy and pleasure. I am glad that I decided to sign up for this although having been very hesitant before. This is something I will remember anda story to tell my grandchildren about. It was my “Iron man.”

*
Hadar is the Sha’ar Hanegev, Israel, bureau chief for San Diego Jewish World

Three beaches along the eastern side of the lake offered free entrance, giving visitors even more reason to spend their vacation along the shores of the Kinneret. As the Kinneret Association of Towns so proudly declared, the beaches of Kursi, Halukim, and Lavnun were expected to be maintained during the holiday rush, allowing campers to enjoy what they had come there to enjoy: nature. Instead, visitors complained of heavy amounts of trash, broken toilets, and destroyed beach shelters. During the nighttime trash was thrown about by cats and other animals, creating an even bigger mess.

The Kinneret Association of Towns, however, made a strong effort to keep it clean. The high volume of visitors who left their trash and food lying about made it difficult to maintain a spotless shoreline. Upon arrival, visitors were handed trash bags and told to keep their areas clean, however, some disregarded this request. The Kinneret Association of Towns indicated that they had employees working “around the clock to clean the beaches that were open to the public.” By this measure, they had hoped to gain some cooperation from the public.

To get the full story about the shores of the Kinneret during Pesach in Haaretz, please follow this link.

–{Danielle and her family just returned from a trip to the Holy Land with Karl Coke}–

Israel was/is amazing! We are all homesick and cannot wait to go back. Before we left, people told me that when I came home I would read the Bible in “color” instead of black & white (or sometimes red). But they were wrong – very wrong – it is now in full-blown 3D motion picture! I still can’t believe that we really went. I was trying to find a way to lose our plane tickets for the trip home (not really, but I thought about it and would have been more than eager to stay if need be) but that didn’t work out, nor was it Adonai’s plan, so I’ll have to be content where He has me now.

I was surprised at the variety in the landscape and the amazing diversity in the fruit & vegetables – it is marvelous. Our Creator really put some extra work into the Land. The south is not my favorite, as in I would not choose to live there, but it certainly has its own beauties. You can see why David Ben Gurion loved it – there are absolutely no people.

In Eilat we were able to snorkel and see the incredible tropical fish there. I wish we had an underwater camera – the pictures would have been spectacular!

Jerusalem was interesting in its own way. It is very much a city, but at the same time you feel like you traveled back in time. The city also has aesthetic qualities but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Being able to walk to the Kotel is really glorious. On Erev Shabbat we were able to be there following the Jews as they were rushing to the Wall. The atmosphere is one of hustling around, but once you arrive at one of the entrance points to the Kotel an extraordinary spirit of shalom and calm surrounds you.

The north is more of the place for me. Its beauty is stupendous, absolutely breathtaking! When your eyes behold the Galilee (Kinneret), you don’t know where to look first! It has such an extraordinary elegance to it – indescribable. The mountains are so green and the fields are so fertile. The farms there are thoroughly amazing. From the top of Mt. Tabor you can see clear up to Mt. Hermon and all the fruitful valleys in between. If I was given a choice of where to live, my choice would be very easy: the Galilee.

If you have never been to the Land I urge you to go! It is most definitely the trip of a lifetime, and it is also a trip that will change your life.

On Thursday I had no volunteering. What does one do when there is no volunteering on a Thursday? Go to Abu Hassan for gigantic plates of the best humus I’ve ever had in my entire life.

So much delicious

Of course, afterwards certain unmentionable people forced a walk around Old Jaffa on those of us fully prepared to sink into food-coma-ocity for the next lifetime. Which we promptly did, once a bed was readily available.

That night was MASA culture night. We all hit the busses and headed to the Cinemateque for a film workshop on Waltz with Bashir (click here for my film blog reactions to this film). During this workshop I had to restrain myself from punching almost everyone in the room. A bunch of young Russians couldn’t contain their disrespectful chattering, and apparently most of the mono-lingual audience was also deaf, and needed their translating earpieces on the highest available volume. But wait! There’s more. The presenters couldn’t be bothered to label their computer documents in any coherent fashion, so spent much of their presentations searching through file after file. When it finally came time for questions, one girl raised her hand–the inventor of the two part question should really be shot–and asked in all seriousness: “Where have I seen your animation style before?” The presenters had just spent the last 45 minutes explaining in detail how their animation style was revolutionary. I felt like Charlie Brown banging his head against the tree.

Check out that mood lighting

After the “enlightening” workshop, we all got trucked to the Tel-Aviv Port for a Subliminal Concert. There was NOTHING subliminal about these guys. Maybe it was the confrontational mood the talk put me in, but really? A leather-jacket clad opera singer cooed into a mike next to the Israeli version of a Jonas Brother, next to a rapper complete with Jewish bling and a sidewise trucker’s hat. They had the volume up as loud as it went (for those deaf Russians, I’m sure), and the lights pulsed with a be-impressed-by-our-performance-abilities-or-go-blind fervor.

For the weekend, the group took a trip to the Kinneret. On Friday, we drove for ages listening to unlabeled mix CDs (there really is nothing quite like the dreadful anticipation of what song will follow the last 90s boy-band hit). We finally reached a flower part and went on a Flower walk:

I feel pretty, oh so pretty ...

That’s right. Our guide stopped to explain the biology behind the Iris of the Gilboa using a coke advertising analogy. And yes, someone had to be the bee in this equation …

I hope she calls me in the morning ...

Off to Kibbutz Dagenya, the first kibbutz in Israel. We toured around the kibbutz, farm and cemetery with one of the first600,000 Jews in Israel when it was established as a state. He told story after story that wound in a circular web as we chowed down some ice cream in the heat.

Finally we pulled into Kibbutz En-Gev for the night. As I waded into the murky water of the Kinneret, I put to rest that latent messianic fantasy–Jesus walked ON these waters, not IN them.

Really, really cold water

The next morning I took a bracing swim in the Kinneret before breakfast–yep, definitely not the messiah. The water was absolutely beautiful, though. Little did I know how close I would be getting to this water in the near future …

They called it a water hike. I call it river-stumbling. They said that every year, kindergartens do this hike. I say Israeli’s must breed super-human chit-lins if this is the hike they did. We literally walked down the coursing riverbed, stumbling frequently on loose, mossy stones. There were sections of the river that were up to my chest (and I am no short-nelly). By the end of the river portion, we were all scraped, bruise and thoroughly wet. But we were all in good spirits … until … we got lost trying to find the road and had to wade through knee-deep, sun-kissed mud. Not such a happy group when 4pm rolled around with no cars and no lunch.

Clutching each other for balance, we made it through

But like all good Jews, we complained and persevered. Three sandwiches later, everyone was much happier, if no less muddy and exhausted. We headed to a hot springs for some R&R. Nothing like some hot, sulfury water to ease away the pain.

Back at the ranch everyone collapsed into bed, ignoring all cleaning schedules and volunteering responsibilities. I don’t think I’ve slept so well on my (impostor of a) twin bed in a long time.

The Kinneret

Lake Kinneret is 13 miles long and 8 miles wide. It makes up 30% of Israel’s total water supply. The Water Authority marks three threshold lines on Lake Kinneret: the upper red line, the lower red line, and the black line. The lower red line is about 209 meters below sea level. The upper red line is 213 meters below sea level. The black line is 215 meters below sea level. When the lower red line is reached, pumping water from the lake is prohibited. If water is drawn when the black line is reached, permanent damage will be caused to the Kinneret.

The average Israeli person consumes 160 liters (approximately 42 gallons) of water per day – 35% flushing the toilet, 35% bathing, 20% drinking, cooking, and dish washing, 5% laundry and cleaning, and 5% gardening.

Every minute in the shower equals about 13 liters (approx. 3.5 gallons). The most obvious way to conserve water is to reduce consumption where is counts. For example, by flushing the toilet less (“if it’s yellow, let it mellow”) and bathing for shorter amounts of time.

By Rabbi Baruch Lederman

SAN DIEGO–Avraham & Sarah, Yitzchok & Rivkah all lived their lives with faith and dedication to Hashem. They understood the power of mitzvos and prayer, and they realized the Hashem  runs the world. This is an inheritance to their descendents as the following true story illustrates:
 
There was a chareidi (religious) family that took a vacation to Teveria. The wife and two daughters went down to the Kineret to go swimming. The girls started to wade in the water.

The older daughter steps too far in and is swept into a current, but she couldn’t swim, and begins to go under. The mother is watching as the daughter is pleading for her life, but the  mother can’t swim.

The mother runs onto the highway, desperately trying to flag down cars for help. Finally an elegant car stops and a well dressed man asks what’s happening. The mother screams  my daughter is drowning. He throws off his coat and runs and dives into the water.

He  comes up with the little girl. The mother breathes a sigh of relief for a moment, until she realizes that this was the younger daughter who must have
jumped in to save the older daughter. She screams “I have another daughter there!” He jumps back in and screams “Where is she? Where is she?” The mother is pointing   “Over there, over there.” He dives to the bottom and begins to drag her limp body to the shore, but now there are people on the shore, who are screaming “Her head is still in the  water! Her head is still in the water. Lift it out!!!” He lifts her head and puts it on his shoulder and brings her ashore.

They called the ambulance, but her head was in the water too long, there’s nothing they can do. They go off to the hospital, and the doctors say there’s no hope. The family began davening for a miracle. They’re waiting and waiting, davening. The Doctor took an MRI, and when he saw the results, runs back in and said, “I can’t believe it, regular brain activity  resumed”. The daughter finally wakes up and leaves the hospital two days later. The doctors said they never saw anything like it, she was deprived of oxygen for so long.

A few days later, the family made a Seudas Hod’ah (meal of thanks) to thank G-d for the miracle, and wanted to invite the man who rescued their daughter. They couldn’t find him, so thought maybe he called into the hospital to see how she was, and they were right. They found him. He was an attorney from a non observant kibbutz, with no connection to  yiddishkeit his whole life. They invited him to the seudah and he told them this story. He was recovering from a heart attack before this incident, and he and his wife were headed  up North for a vacation, when he saw this chareidi woman in the street.

He told the family that he had been sick for awhile, and used to be an Olympic swimmer, but hadn’t swam in YEARS. But just last month, as part of his therapy for the heart attack,  he started to swim laps. He told them that If he hadn’t done this he wouldn’t have been in shape to rescue their daughters. “As I was pulling your second daughter to shore, and  realized during those crucial last few moments, I didn’t bring her head above the water, I was going out of my mind.”

Afterwards, I came home and cried to my wife, “I killed that girl.” My wife said what are you talking about, you saved her. You risked your life. “But I’m so stupid, I didn’t take her  head out of the water.” No, she said, you just didn’t realize. “NO, She died because of my stupidity” I said, “It was my fault, she would have lived!”.

I ran back to that place, and climbed to the top of a mountain, and I said, “Ribbono Shel Olam (Master of the Universe), never in my life did I pray to you. I was raised on a kibbutz,  and laughed at prayer. I wouldn’t be caught dead praying; I would have been so embarrassed. G-d, this is the first time in my life I’m praying to you. I’ll never be able to live this  down. I won’t be able to go on. PLEASE, Hashem, consider it as if I prayed to you my whole life, and combine all those prayers that I could have said, and use them to save this  girl. Please G-d”

“I went back home and called the hospital, and they told me that an hour ago (as I was saying this prayer) she woke up!”

This story was told by Rabbi Fishel Schacter who pointed out that instead of falling to despair, he took that broken heart, and instead of letting it turn into depression and sadness,  he converted it into Tefillah. A tefillah that he never had before in his life. And miracles came from it. There are moments in life that we think we blew it. Those very moments, if used  correctly, are the seeds for redemption.

Dedicated by Avraham & Roz Dimenstein in memory of Rabbi Henry & Rebbetzin Esther Soille.

*
Rabbi Lederman is spiritual leader of Congregation Kehillas Torah in San Diego

The menorah was engraved in stone around 2,000 years ago and found in a synagogue recently discovered by the Kinneret.

Pottery, coins and tools found at the site indicate the synagogue dates to the period of the second Jewish temple in Jerusalem, where the actual menorah was kept, said archaeologist Dina Avshalom-Gorni of the Israel Antiquities Authority, according to The Associated Press (AP), cited in The Jerusalem Post newspaper.

The artist might have seen the menorah during a pilgrimage and then recreated it in the synagogue, she suggested.

A small number of depictions of the menorah have surfaced from the same period, she said, but this one was unique because it was inside a synagogue and far from Jerusalem, illustrating the link between Jews around Jerusalem and in the Galilee to the north.

The AP report says the menorah, depicted atop a pedestal with a triangular base, is carved on a stone which was placed in the synagogue’s central hall.

The temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by Roman legions in 70 CE. The Arch of Titus in Rome, erected to mark the Roman victory, depicts troops carrying the menorah from Jerusalem to symbolize the defeat of the Jews. The menorah became a Jewish symbol and is featured today on Israel’s official emblem.

Most other depictions of the menorah were made only after the temple’s destruction, and if this finding is indeed earlier it could be closer to the original, said Aren Maeir, an archaeology professor at Bar-Ilan University in Israel, the AP report stated.

“If you have a depiction of the menorah from the time of the temple, chances are it is more accurate and portrays the actual object than portrayals from after the destruction of the temple, when it was not existent,” he said.

The ancient prayer house was discovered in the town of Migdal, usually identified as the birthplace of the New Testament’s Mary Magdalene, whose name is thought to be based on the town’s.

Report from the Christian Telegraph 

The Med Sea: Full of water, but thirsty for more.

The next time you go out dancing with your friends, try to fit a rain dance somewhere in your steps because Israel could really use some rainfall. The country is starting out with water levels up to a meter lower than last year. Officials say that if Israel has another dry winter like last year, it might have to import water and set up portable desalination plants.

Regardless, the coming year is going to be a tough one for Israel’s water crisis. The Water Authority has taken the matter upon themselves to take all necessary precautions, including a drought levy. Per request of the Water Authority, the Foreign Ministry has been in contact with Turkey about shipping water across the Mediterranean Sea. Even so, it would take an estimated 12 to 18 months for 30 million cubic meters of fresh water to hit Israel’s shores says Water Authority head Professor Uri Shani. Officials believe the desalination project won’t ease the water crisis until 2013. Entry points would be at the desalination plants in Palmahim, Hadera, and eventually in Ashdod, which could each accommodate 30 million cubic meters per year.

In the past few years, there has only been 70% of the average amount of rainfall in Israel, according to the Authority. Lake Kinneret is 5 meters below the top red line and it will take a good 600 million cubic meters of water a year to get the water situation back to where it should be.

To read more information about this, check out this article from the Jerusalem Post or visit Zalul’s webpage if you are interested in any of our campaigns for water in Israel.

מי לא אוהב כמה שערות על הלשון?
מי לא חווה בחייו את ההתעלות שבליקוק?

רצינו לחלוק איתכם היום (ברשותו האדיבה של ידידי מאור), חוייה מזעזעת שהיינו עדים אליה. בסוף השיעור האחרון של הסמסטר היה לנו הכבוד להפרד ממרצה שהוא יותר ממרצה, ואף יותר מחבר, האיש הוא
משפחה (דם מדמנו). הפרידה הייתה קשה, ונאמרו שם מילים שהדהדו בחלל החדר שעות ארוכות.

הגדילו לעשות דוד ומאור (שלא עשו זאת למען הציון, כי אם לשם שמיים) שאמרו את המילים הבאות: (לא נגענו)

דוד: איך הייתי? נכון שאני בסדר? הייתי ילד טוב. (קריצה מרומזת)
מאור:הקורס היה מעניין מאוד, למדנו הרבה, תודה רבה לך (את השערות סופרים בשירותים)
חגי וייל: איכס (מבט של מתנחל עצבני)

כל מה שנותר, זה לנגב את הדמעות ולנפנף במטפחת לשלום. דוס-וודניה.