Reflections on the trip

"Only a broken heart is complete. Only a slanted ladder is straight."


There are so many stories, so many narrative perspectives crowding my consciousness. Both of our guides were great story-tellers. Yuval, our Israeli guide, also a journalist, had special gifts. An autodidact with comprehensive, encyclopedic knowledge of history, literature, music, religion--his fluency was accompanied by an ability to find and use poetry. He speaks and writes with equal facility in Hebrew and English and he also conducts tours in French.

Yuval told us stories of his family and especially memorable was the story of his grandfather who made his way as a 14 year old from Romania-- escaping as the rest of his family did not. He had with him a leather coat and a diamond ring. He arrived in Israel with only the leather coat and a share in a toothbrush with a traveling companion. He was put in a detention camp for a year and then spent the rest of his life in a trade. I wish i could remember all the details-- including Yuval's returning to Romania, finding the family home, wishing that it might be returned or at least not occupied, and having his wish realized as the house was never again used for living quarters.

He and several of his colleagues, including Asiz Abu Sarah write for an online magazine 972mag.com.

Yuval told us the story of the development of modern Hebrew thanks to the efforts of Ben-Yehuda who created new words using ancient Hebrew. The work of Ben-Yehuda insured that the language of the modern state of Israel was Hebrew, rather than the other possibilities considered, i.e. Yiddish or German. I hope I am rembering the essentials of Yuval's account. It was the conversation around the significance of the Dead Sea scrolls that initiated the telling of this story.

Although clearly an advocate for peace and an outspoken opponent of injustices perpetrated by the government that cause the Palestinians to suffer, Yuval was an articulate and passionate spokesman of the Israeli narrative. He spoke about Israel's history as a semi-nomadic and often persecuted people. His own family knew the horrors of the holocaust. He understood the deepest desire in the hearts of his people for a home, for the land long promised. He spoke feelingly about understanding the fear that is the roots of what appear as extraordinary, even oppressive measures to ensure security.

He acknowledged that he and many other Israelis are disturbed by the injustices of the occupation but rarely do they speak out against it or attempt to end it. Each creates or recreates the narrative that works and each shapes a reality for himself/ herself.

Husam and Asiz spoke from the Palestinian perspective. Asiz suggested that the Palestinians need a galvanizing text that will speak for them to the rest of the world-- something akin to Uncle Tom's Cabin accessible and available and impossible not to understand. The Palestinians as we heard from several people are not unified in their support of a single leader. They need to work to keep their profile shaped to be something other than it so often is. That was one explanation offered as to the motivation in part of Abbas' request to the UN. While that event happened before our trip, the UNESCO took place as we were in our last traveling days.

I am afraid that the consequences of withdrawal of American support as a result of the recognition afforded Palestine will cause more suffering to those who least deserve to suffer more.

I have said elsewhere how oppressive I found the restrictions on freedom of movement. Such restrictions make 10 minute transits into hour long trips. The looming wall and the 523 checkpoints are almost everywhere evident.

The impact of the restrictions includes the lack of opportunity to assemble in any kind of mass nonviolent protests. Someone told us that the IDF doesnt think too much of Gandhi and his nonviolent strategies to effect change. Thus,when people from Zilwan, aka the City of David, gather in the tent to protest the demolition orders for their homes in which they have lived 12 generations, they are dispersed and arrested. One of the residents who spoke to us explained that his two elder sons had been imprisoned for demonstrating in protest ( in two different prisons) and his youngest son who was 11 years old had been arrested 8 times.

Husam spoke of the distinction between structural violence-- a strategy exercised to systematically make rights into priviliges and personal violence-- exemplified in the young people who throw stones-- not aiming to hurt or even hit but rather to protest the oppression. (When the frustration escalates and there is no change or relief, the condition is ripe for desperation-- and this makes possible an individual's considering the last resort of such acts as suicide bombing.)

When someone throws 10,000 stones and never hits a single soldier, might this be considered a non- violence that confronts rather than avoids; a non- violence that expresses opposition to oppression and speaks/acts out against it.

On the Sea of Galilee

We boarded a "Jesus Boat" and set out on the Sea of Galilee where the apostles fished and Jesus walked. I initially had trouble getting the pictures to load, so I did not post this in sequence. I will select some of the representative photos and include them here without more text.

Contemplating Walls

The city of emotion, the city of rocks and stones, is also a city dominated by walls. The same is true of the entire landscape of the country. I was so moved by the western wall and so overwhelmed by the barrier wall. At both I prayed for many people and for peace.

Last day . . .

The plan to travel from Haifa to Safed/Tzfat as part of our last day was revised and instead we visited Tel Aviv and Caesarea. Tel Aviv is Yuval's beloved home town. The safest city of its size in Israel and maybe in the world. Bustling, politically active, culturally vibrant, ideally located on the Mediterranean coast.

We drove after that to Tel Aviv for tour of the city, final reflections, conversation with a Sufi holy man, our last supper together, and a last bus ride with our ace driver Ismail to Ben Gurion Airport. Our wonderful guides accompanied us into the waiting area where we would begin the multiple security screenings.

We all hugged Husam and Yuval and thanked them from our hearts for being our guides and becoming our friends.

Where Jesus Walked

Nazareth, the home town of Mary and Joseph, is today far from the image of the tiny village in the Gospel narratives. It is densely populated and is now home to two churches that mark the place of the annunciation-- the angel's visit to Mary. We stopped at Mary's well-- the place where women came to draw water and likely where Mary may have been first approached by the angel. Close by, the eastern rite Church of the Annunciation, claims to mark the place where Mary heard the angel's message. Pilgrims filled the place and one group broke into song while we were there.

We trekked through some narrow winding streets and one of the wonderful open market areas to the newer church of the annunciation. Built quite recently, the church is filled with works of art from countries around the world-- each depicting a concept of Mary reflective of and rooted in the culture of the country.

We drove without stopping through Cana, noting it was the site of the first miracle of Jesus and stopped at Magdala for lunch. Many of us had St Peter fish--before driving a short distance to the Sea of Galilee. There we boarded a "Jesus Boat" and sailed on the waters where the disciples fished and Jesus walked. We saw the site of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus spoke the beatitudes.

While we drove along and sailed on the Sea of Galilee, we were acutely aware of the other side of that lake-- the Golan Heights, site of critical conflict in the recent history of Israel.

We drove back toward Haifa, stopping briefly at Capernaum with its old synagogue and church built over the home of St Peter. The statue of St Peter dominates the entrance to the site that is today home to a Franciscan community.

With daylight fading we arrived at the baptismal site on the Jordan River, Yardenhit. Pilgrims dressed in white gowns were immersed in the waters of the Jordan where John the Baptist baptized Jesus. I walked down the steps to the water and stepped in, dipping a bottle in to take some water. Friendly fish and large rodent like critters approached anyone willing to feed them.

After a stop in the very commercial and huge shop, we boarded the bus and made the long drive back to Haifa. After another excellent meal in a local restaurant, we engaged with Gaby, one of the founders of the Sulha Peace Project. He talked to us and told us stories--a great one about his meeting with the Dalai Lama--and got us all to sing peace songs with him. A great ending to another long but wonderful day.