Mahane Yehuda, More Than Just A Market

Posted on September 21, 2012 by

Mahane Yehuda is the main outdoor food market in Jerusalem. It is known for its wonderful assortment of fresh fruit and vegetables, baked goods and spices. Over the past few years, it has become gentrified and has spawned a proliferation of boutique style eateries and up-market stores.

The area was first developed during the Turkish rule of the city, when a kind of ad hoc market sprang up on an empty plot of land near the horse and carriage stop which brought tourists to Jerusalem from Jaffa. Today’s light rail stops in almost the same spot and brings visitors in their droves to do their shopping.

Under the aegis of the British, the market became a more permanent feature with transactions taking place from established stalls. The British also imposed various health and safety rules. They specified the size of the shops and how far away from the entrance a seller was permitted to display his goods. They also decreed the shops had to be of a uniform style and that all shop fronts had to be made out of the local Jerusalem stone. This is an ordinance we still keep in the city, which does much to improve the overall appearance of the buildings. The first public toilets in Jerusalem were also established in Mahane Yehuda.  

After the Arab riots of the 1920s, locals from the newly formed neighbourhoods outside the Old City walls replaced the original Arab fellahin as vendors. Today you can find representatives from many different communities selling their wares. Your senses are assaulted by a multitude of colours and scents, tastes and cries. Depending on what season of the year you are visiting you can purchase ruby red pomegranates in the run up to Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year), juicy watermelon (in the hot summer) or witness the kaparot ceremony before Yom Kippur, (the Day of Atonement). A live chicken is rotated around the buyer’s head three times, and by so doing he symbolically transfers his sins on to the bird. The chicken is then ritually slaughtered in atonement and the bird is donated to a needy family. The more squeamish use a sum of money instead of a live chicken and then donate it to charity. A controversial custom over the years, with many rabbis speaking out against it, the live bird version of kaparot is less widely practiced in modern times than in days of yore, but Mahane Yehuda, as well as in some more orthodox enclaves of the city, is a place where the tradition still takes place.

A recent walk around the vicinity of the market proved that another ancient custom is still alive and well. Flyers, pasted to the local notice board advertising pigeons for sale, caught my eye. The pigeons are used to cure those who suffer from jaundice. The pigeon is placed on the stomach of the sick person in the area of the navel. A male pigeon is required for a man and a female one for a woman. The pigeon somehow “absorbs” the jaundice and the patient is cured. The pigeon, however, is less fortunate and dies. Whilst the rationalists amongst us might remain skeptical, this remedy is still very much in vogue, particularly amongst certain ultra-orthodox segments of society.

An interesting building on Yosef Schwartz Street is the Sfas Emes Yeshiva, a replica of the Gur yeshiva as it was in Gora-Kalwarja in Poland, a major hassidic centre until World War II. The third Admor (head) of the Gur hassidim, Rebbe Mordecai Avraham Alter, escaped to Palestine from Poland during the war and lived in Geula. During the War of Independence in 1948, he moved to the area of Mahane Yehuda as it was considered safer. He lived in this building in rooms on the third floor. However, when serious shooting began nearby, the Rebbe who had been ill for several years and was unable to walk unaided, was brought down to the first floor so he wouldn’t be so isolated if he needed help. He is said to have turned to his students and said “I want to go up”. They understood him to mean he wanted to be returned to the third floor, in actual fact, he meant he wanted to go up to the great yeshiva in the sky, and he died very shortly after. Due to the ongoing war, he could not be buried in the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives, so he was “temporarily” buried in the back courtyard of the yeshiva.  After the war it was decided not to move him, so the grave is still there. In fact, you can see two graves, as his son Rebbe Pinchas Menachem Alter, who passed away in 1996, is buried next to him because he said he wanted to be interred beside his father. The decision was opposed by the municipality who were concerned about a health hazard in the now developed city, but the funeral went ahead anyway. A special structure was built over the graves and they are frequently visited by Hassidim and the occasional group of tourists.

Another yeshiva, Etz Hayim, was originally located in the Old City. However, once people started to move out from the confines of the city walls they bought a property next to the present day market on Jaffa Road. Apparently the yeshiva was bought for a bargain price as the building was said to be haunted. Despite their good deal, the institution was still short of money so they built a series of shops which they rented out and used the income to finance stipends for their students. If you walk down Etz Hayim Street (the main thoroughfare of the covered market) from Jaffa Road, you will see that the shops on the left hand side of the market have back windows which face into what was the yeshiva courtyard. In the morning, vendors could come into the courtyard and unload their supplies right outside the back window of their shop. The yeshiva moved out of the building a couple of years ago and rumour has it that two twenty eight story towers are going to be built in its place.

The area around the market is an interesting mixture of old and new styles. As the neighbourhood keeps pace with modernity, another feature which is worth noticing is the artwork. The trompe d’oeil fresco on the side of 70 Agrippas Street, showing a lively market scene is one of a number of murals around the city centre. Created by the French artistic group “Cite de la Creation”, the ethos behind the artwork is to upgrade run-down areas by recapturing local history through art. In so doing they hope to give the residents a sense of pride in their surroundings. The artists spoke to the market traders and tried to incorporate some of their stories into the painting itself. Another example of their art can be found in the Mahane Yehuda car park. The mural is painted on an historic building, which was part of the campus of the Alliance school, and depicts the same structure it as it looked some 150 years ago.

In addition, in the Iraqi section of the market a project of urban art showcases the talent of local artists. Tabula Rasa, Latin for “blank slate”, presents an eclectic selection of murals in a collaboration between the city’s art students, the municipality and the market. The project features twenty artists and their work can be found on any available space including garbage cans, window shutters and exposed walls, in Dekel, HaShikma and Beit Yaacov streets. It is worth taking the opportunity to amble along there and enjoy some of the fun and funky talent on display.

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Mahane Yehuda, More Than Just A Market

“If you hear that Caesarea and Jerusalem are both in ruins or that both are flourishing peacefully, do not believe it. Believe only a report that Caesarea is in ruins and Jerusalem is flourishing or that Jerusalem is in ruins and Caesarea is flourishing”. Talmud, Tractate Megilla 6a.

Posted on August 19, 2012 by

I am often asked where I most like to guide outside Jerusalem. With a country so varied and beautiful as Israel, it is not an easy question to answer, but undoubtedly one of my favourite spots is Caesarea and its surroundings. Many people are familiar with the site as the place where the Roman King Herod built his stunning water-front palace and where he allowed his artistic creativity free reign, as opposed to Jerusalem which he built with Jewish religious sensitivities in mind. One only has to marvel at the larger than life statues, the Roman theatre and frescoed hippodrome to understand that Caesarea is where Herod’s alter ego was unleashed. Caesarea was seen by the Jews as the antithesis of holy Jerusalem, a den of iniquity and the place where Roman and Jewish cultures clashed. The Crusaders also left their mark on Caesarea and their moat still surrounds the northern part of the old city. Pagan cultic deities were worshipped here and the city also played an important part in the development and history of Christianity, particularly after the fall of Jerusalem when it became the country’s capital. Because there is so much to see, visitors are often unaware of the many additional areas of interest outside the national park, so read on to learn more.

Modern Caesarea is once again avowedly secular, albeit with a small, but vibrant modern Orthodox community. What is less well known is the fact that Caesarea also has an important Jewish history. It was in Caesarea that the Great Revolt broke out in 66 CE/AD, when the Jews attempted to purchase the land next to their synagogue and were rebuffed. The land in question was owned by a pagan Greek and not only had he repeatedly refused to sell the land to the Jews but he had put up all kinds of buildings which obstructed their access to the synagogue. By this time Caesarea had a very mixed citizenry of Jews, Pagans and Christians. Herod had successfully managed the diverse population throughout his empire, but after his death a series of inexperienced and ineffective leaders were unable to control the tensions that erupted between the disparate segments of society. When the Jews offered a way above market- value price to purchase the land, which was owned by one of the pagan inhabitants of Caesarea, not only were they turned down, but the next day, a Friday, the pagans sacrificed a bird on an upturned chamber pot as the Jews went to their evening prayers. This was a tremendous insult because it was a parody of the sacrifice a leper would have to make when he went to the temple. Contemporary anti-Jewish literature claimed that the Jewish exodus from Egypt was not as told in the bible, but rather they were thrown out by the Egyptians because they were lepers! Riots ensued, during which 20,000 of Caesarea’s Jewish citizens were killed. An incompetent local procurator, a Roman named Floris, added fuel to the fire when he looted funds from the temple in Jerusalem and before they knew it, the Romans had a fully fledged revolt on their hands!

Almost 70 years later, during the Bar Kochba revolt 132-135 CE/AD, the Romans put to death ten prominent Jewish leaders in the city’s hippodrome. The nearby town of Or Akiva takes its name from Rabbi Akiva, one of the generation’s most esteemed sages who was amongst them.

Perhaps Caesarea’s best known icon is the Roman aqueduct which brought water to the city from springs near the present day town of Binyamina. Remnants of it can be seen on Aqueduct Beach, a short distance from the national park. Most people don’t realise what they see is only one of two aqueducts that supplied Caesarea. The second one, built later on by the Byzantines, brought water from springs north of Caesarea near Ma’agen Michael. It was lower in height but at this point runs parallel  to the first, it is clearly visible, although easily mistaken for a sand dune. The water system provided both drinking water and water for agricultural needs. Part of the original 23 km channel has been restored and it is possible to walk through it, with the cool, crystal clear water providing a welcome relief during the hot days of summer.

A walk along the sandy beach, which consists of miles of natural coastline and stunning scenery, yields a treasure trove of goodies. It is impossible not to notice the huge quantities of red pottery sherds which are washed up along the shore, testimony to the large population that once lived here. Some suggest there were as many as 100,000 inhabitants when Caesarea was in its heyday during the Byzantine period. You are almost guaranteed to find a jug handle or piece of mosaic as you stroll along. Remnants of earlier dwellings are also clearly evident along the sandstone (kurkar) cliffs.If shells are more your style, there are no end of beautiful specimens waiting to be collected.

Between the Aqueduct Beach and the national park is the area considered to have been the Jewish quarter throughout Caesarea’s existence. In the third century a school for rabbinical studies was established here and during the Talmudic era the city had a well-known Jewish community that made Caesarea famous throughout the Jewish world. Remains of a synagogue with a mosaic floor dating from the fifth century can still be seen. The site seems to have served as a synagogue since the time of King Herod, although renovations were carried out several times over the years. In the third century, the synagogue was adorned with a different  mosaic floor with an inscription on it that scholars have identified as a list of the names of the priestly families that served in the temple.  Perhaps it was in this place that the argument with the pagan Greek community which sparked the Great Revolt  occurred. It must have been an awe inspiring experience to worship here with the sound of the crashing waves only a few metres away.  

A few hundred metres to the east of the beach, in the midst of residential Caesarea, a wonderful mosaic “rug” has been discovered. Decorated with medallions of birds and and framed with pictures of wild beasts and fruit trees, it is thought to have been part of a sumptuous villa from the sixth century.

A short distance away are two very special art museums open to the public free of charge. The first of the two, a magnificent building built in Spanish Colonial style exhibits largely Spanish and Latin American art and sculptures, including some pieces by Salvador Dali. In the basement of the building is a permanent exhibition on the history of Caesarea. The second structure, even more impressive in appearance, displays art from the 16 -18th centuries depicting biblical themes.

Many people have been enchanted by the beauty of Caesarea throughout history. In more recent times Baron Edmond de Rothschild was one of them. Known throughout the country by the moniker “HaNadiv” or “The Benefactor” for his investment in the colonies of the early Jewish pioneers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, he is said to have spent the modern day equivalent of 50 million dollars in supporting land development in Palestine. In 1948, when Israel became an independent nation the baron gifted all his acquisitions to the state, with the exception of Caesarea. He had a special affinity for the area and chose to build his home in Israel there. In addition, he established a family foundation which using private funds continues to develop and improve Caesarea lands. Any profits made are channelled into education, welfare and institutions of higher education throughout the country. The communities of Or Akiva and Jisr a Zarka (a town of black Bedouin inhabitants) immediately adjacent to Caesarea, also benefit from the foundation’s largesse.

The overall area of Caesarea is approximately 35,000 dunams (or almost 9,000 acres) and its residential area is growing rapidly. Boasting the country’s only 18 hole golf course and an enviable standard of municipal services, new neighbourhoods are being built at an alarming rate. Whilst the earlier sections house comfortable but modest dwellings, the newer architecture reflects the Disneyland approach of mercenary contractors and the fantasies of the nouveau riche. It does however, make for an interesting tour!

Closeby is Sdot Yam, the kibbutz where Hannah Szenes briefly lived. There is a small archeological museum there and a memorial room. Both are slated to be expanded and updated soon. Born in Hungary in 1921 to an assimilated family, anti-semitic incidents in Budapest led to Hannah’s involvement in Zionist activities and she came to Palestine in 1939, when she graduated high school. First she went to agricultural school in Nahalal before joining the kibbutz. When news of the fate of European Jewry reached her she decided to volunteer for the Palmach. She was one of twenty six agents parachuted into Europe to penetrate enemy lines. Her goals were to gather intelligence, help prepare an escape route for downed Allied pilots and rescue Jews and organise them for immigration to Palestine. Dropped in Yugoslavia, she made her way to her native Hungary, where the Jews were about to be deported to Auschwitz. Caught with a radio transmitter in her possession, she was handed over to the Gestapo. After five months of interrogation and torture she was executed on November 7th 1944. 

Only after her death did the kibbutz members open the suitcase she had left behind for safe-keeping and there they discovered her notebooks, her diary and her poems. The most well known of her poems has been set to music and is called “Walking to Caesarea”:

My God, My God, I pray that these things never end,
The sand and the sea,
The rush of the waters,
The crash of the Heavens,
The prayer of Man.

Posted in aqueduct, art, Christianity, Crusader, Hannah Szenes, Herod, Jewish, Pagan, Roman, Rothschild, Sdot Yam, synagogue, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on “If you hear that Caesarea and Jerusalem are both in ruins or that both are flourishing peacefully, do not believe it. Believe only a report that Caesarea is in ruins and Jerusalem is flourishing or that Jerusalem is in ruins and Caesarea is flourishing”. Talmud, Tractate Megilla 6a.

Of Cabbages and Kings

Posted on July 16, 2012 by

Almost anywhere you travel in Israel you can observe a wide variety of building styles, materials and construction techniques. These are all legacies remaining from the many different cultures which have passed through this region throughout the ages. Under Turkish rule of Palestine, non – Moslems were banned from purchasing land. This policy changed after the European support of the Turks against the Russians in the Crimean war, and after 1856 the ban was lifted, which led to intense building throughout the country, largely by the various European powers wanting to stake a claim in the Holy Land. In Jerusalem, it is easy to see how foreign intervention has made such an impact on the city. With its Russian Compound, German Colony, Italian Hospital and Austrian Hospice, to name but a few, we can tell how Israel’s capital became a magnet for different communities around the world who wanted a religious and political presence in the Middle East. As a result, the face of the capital was permanently altered and each of these master builders left an indelible imprint on the character of the city.

Of all the foreign powers that claimed a stake in the New Jerusalem of the nineteenth century, Germany did more building than any other country. An imperial visit played an important role in the development of the architectural landscape of Jerusalem and contemporary sources tell us that not only was the city changed forever by the German building projects, but that it was repaired and beautified in anticipation of the Kaiser’s visit.

If we start at the entrance to the Old City, the breach in the defenses by the Jaffa Gate was as a result of the large entourage that accompanied Kaiser Wilhelm and his wife Augusta Victoria on their sojourn to Jerusalem in 1898. The Turks very kindly agreed to blast a hole in the wall surrounding the Old City and fill in part of the defensive moat to enable them to make a grand entrance in their carriage which was too wide to fit through the gate. The purpose of their visit was to attend the corner stone ceremony of the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in the Christian Quarter. This was an interesting architectural project as it incorporated the remains of a Crusader church built on the same spot many centuries earlier. Just so there should be no mistake as to who the current builders were, they integrated an eagle, the symbol of the German Reich into the façade. To make absolutely sure the German presence was seen by all, the church was designed to have the highest tower in the Old City.

As a result of this project, the Kaiser’s Catholic subjects in Jerusalem felt that the time was ripe to request a church of their own. This led to the construction of the Dormition Abbey on Mount Zion. This striking building modeled on the medieval Aachen Cathedral and built by the German architect Heinrich Renard, loudly advertises Germany’s presence, not least because of the church tower with its personification of the Kaiser with his helmet, eyes, nose and moustache.

An interesting footnote to this story is the claim that the land on which Dormition Abbey was built was originally owned by the Armenians and that the Turkish sultan forced them to sell it to the Germans. In revenge, they vowed that one day they would build a church higher than the abbey. In 1975 they began constructing the New Saviour’s Church in the Armenian compound next door, however, they ran into financial difficulties and construction halted in the 1990s. The scaffolding surrounding the incomplete structure is testament to their efforts.

Germany continued to have an impact on the urban skyline outside the Old City walls. The central one of the three towers on the horizon between Mount Scopus and the Mount of Olives is the Augusta Victoria Hostel, also built as a result of the imperial visit of 1898. A delegation representing all the German groups in Palestine visited the Kaiser and his wife and requested funds to set up a hostel to accommodate German pilgrims. Their petition was met with favour and the Empress who had admired the breathtaking view of the Old City from the Mount of Olives decided that was where the new project would be situated, it was also named after her. The Augusta Victoria compound was built in 1910 and included a sanatorium, in addition, a large church was built at the Kaiserin’s specific request.  A condition of the Kaiser had been that the new building must resemble his ancestral castle at Hohenstaufen.  He also insisted that the Mediterranean be visible from the west and the mountains of Moab to the east, so to that purpose a 60 metre high tower was built.  Four large bells were also imported from Germany and brought up from Jaffa by special train. The Germans were determined that the bells in the Augusta Victoria tower should toll the loudest in Jerusalem.

During World War One this compound became the headquarters for the German and Turkish armies and during the Mandate period it served as the residence of the High Commissioner. He remained there until 1927 when the premises were damaged by an earthquake and he moved location to Armon HaNatziv, where the UN headquarters are located today. Augusta Victoria currently serves as a hostel, an Arab hospital and a church.

Another impressive building erected by the Germans during this period in the first decade of the twentieth century, is located opposite the Damascus Gate. At the time, the land on which the school stands was hugely sought after and it was only after outbidding both the Russians and the Jews that the Germans acquired ownership. With crenellations in its walls echoing those of the Old City ramparts facing it, the building is a fusion of European and Eastern styles. Designed by Heinrich Renard, the same architect that built the Dormition Abbey on Mount Zion, there are many similarities between the two projects. But by the time he planned this structure, Renard had obviously been influenced by regional architecture and departed from his strict adherence to European detail to include arches and domes, concepts which he must have seen in local design. Originally called the St. Paul’s Hospice, built to accommodate German Catholic pilgrims, today it is known as the Schmidt School. The present name commemorates the headmaster of a German Catholic school, originally located on Hillel street, where the Italian synagogue is today. The school moved to this location by Damascus Gate and currently functions as a girls’ school for Catholic Arabs. It is reputed to have one of the highest percentages of bagrut (matriculation) passes in the country.

Conrad Schick was a Swiss Protestant, who came to live in Jerusalem in the mid 1800s. Apart from his reputation as an architect (he designed several buildings in the city) and as a highly regarded researcher of Jerusalem, he was noted for creating a series of replica models of the Temple. They were held in such esteem that he was awarded a German knighthood in recognition of his work. Some of Schick’s models are on display in the basement of the school.

All of the above were constructed as a result of Wilhelm IIs visit and personal involvement, but German influence on the city does not stop there. In fact, preceding the emperor’s visit by around thirty years, a group of German Templers settled in Jerusalem. They were part of a new radical religious sect who believed they could set up the kingdom of G-d on earth and, in doing so, managed to get themselves ex-communicated from the Protestant church. The incentive for their move to Jerusalem was increased by an atmosphere of religious persecution and a distinct lack of funds. It wasn’t until the Kaiser’s visit to Jerusalem in 1898 that relations with Germany were repaired. The name “Templers” has nothing to do with the Knights Templar of Crusader times, but rather referred to their belief in a divine temple of the living. They wanted to hasten the coming of the Messiah by a synthesis of work combined with service to G-d, with its members leading an exemplary Christian life according to the principles of the Bible and the New Testament. Where else could we expect that community to live if not in the Holy Land, creating its centre in Jerusalem?

Actually, the first settlement was not in Jerusalem but in Haifa (where the German Colony still exists today), which served as an absorption point for those who followed them. The Templers established five colonies throughout the country: in Jaffa, in Sarona (today’s Kirya in Tel Aviv), Wilhelma (near Lod and today known as Bnei Atarot) and Bet Lehem of the Galilee between Haifa and Nazareth. The special quality of Jerusalem’s German Colony stems from its rural and village like atmosphere and in fact the layout mimicked that of a typical German street village. It includes narrow streets lined with red tile roofed houses, surrounded by low stone walls and pine trees. The facades of many houses in the German Colony still bear biblical inscriptions which express trust in the Lord’s help and provide encouragement. The remaining Templer neighbourhoods also preserve the rustic simplicity of the original founders.

The first generation of Templers were simple working class folk who actually provided assistance to the Jewish pioneers of the First Aliyah (1882-1903), teaching them farming methods and introducing them to European building techniques. However, they sent their children back to Germany to be educated and by the third generation they were imbued with the values of Hitler and the National Socialists. Hard as it is to believe, they held local Nazi parlour meetings and various items of Nazi paraphernalia including flags with swastikas and standards with SS emblems on them have been discovered in their former homes. With the outbreak of World War Two, the community was expelled by the British as enemy aliens and, for the most part, deported to Australia where many of their descendants still live today.

The slightly more modern Rehavia, is another neighbourhood whose appearance was influenced by German trends, albeit some decades later. Although it was created in the style of an English garden suburb during the time of the British Mandate, it was designed by the German Jewish architect Richard Kauffmann. Whilst Tel Aviv has received the UNESCO world heritage status of the “White City” because of its wonderful collection of Bauhaus buildings, Jerusalem can boast not a few of her own. Throughout the area, homes with clean, simple lines typical of the Bauhaus philosophy can be seen. In some cases this is fused with local architectural elements creating an “international style” deviating from the strict principles of functionality and form. A number of other Jewish German- born émigré architects also contributed to building in the area, such as Erich Mendelssohn who designed the windmill complex on Ramban Street, Yohanan (Eugene) Rattner who designed the Jewish Agency building and Fritz Kornberg who designed the Rehavia Gymnasium. Ironically many of the influx of German Jews (Yekkes) during the Fifth Aliya (1929-1939) settled in Rehavia where they contributed greatly to the city’s cultural, intellectual and culinary development.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Leviticus 19:18).

Posted on June 5, 2012 by

Israelis don’t have much of a reputation as big money donors, but one thing they are well known for giving, is their time. Voluntary work is a large part of people’s lives here. In fact it is considered such an important social trait, that all tenth graders are required by their school to participate in some voluntary activity for a minimum of two hours per week. They need to clock up sixty hours in order to receive their Bagrut (matriculation) certificate. This initiative, established by the Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture, aims to create a relationship between young people and their local community, particularly the weaker segments of the population.

When visitors come to Israel, most of them are interested in the historical, political or religious experiences that the country has to offer. However, one aspect that is far less well known, is the number of opportunities to contribute to the well-being of Israeli society by visiting or dedicating a few hours to a specific project or community. These activities are generally free of charge and, for the most part, end up enriching the lives of the visitors as much as those they have gone to support. I cannot possibly outline all the different organizations that would welcome foreign volunteers (or local ones for that matter), but I have chosen to highlight a few where visitors have a chance to interact with those people they have come to help.

As life expectancy continues to rise, the number of elderly people in need of assistance increases. Yad LaKashish is a non-profit organization that enables seniors to feel they are making a worthwhile contribution long after they have retired and gives them a sense of self-worth and dignity. Through its multiple workshops that include bookbinding, paper recycling and ceramics, to name but  a few, it “employs” over 300 elderly and disabled individuals, largely immigrants who came to Israel in their 50s, 60s or even 80s and reintegrates them into society. These are people on social benefit and the stipend and hot meal they receive, coupled with the sense of purpose they are given, enables them to find a reason to get up in the morning. Some of them have been coming to Yad LaKashish for more than 18 years. When visitors tour the facility and interact with them, they are imbued with a sense of importance and love meeting new people and showing off their talent. Their products are on sale in the gift shop and everyone is stunned by the high quality goods they create.

Another organization that assists the indigent elderly is Ezrat Avot. Many of those whom they care for are housebound and eagerly await the meals on wheels service that Ezrat Avot provides. As well as the tasty and nutritious food, they also appreciate the volunteers who bring a little of the outside world into their home. For those who are more mobile, Ezrat Avot also has a senior citizens center where they put on shows and activities. Volunteers can assist in the preparation of the meals by cutting up fruit and vegetables, baking, or packing up food parcels. In addition, drivers (even those with a rental car who can spare an hour or two), anyone with performance skills to provide entertainment, or home improvement skills to carry out home maintenance and repairs, are all highly sought after and much appreciated.

If you follow the Israeli news, you will know that last summer was characterized by the wave of social protests that swept the country. Whilst all strata of society are affected by the high cost of living, it was the middle classes that were the backbone of the demonstrations. Many of those who had managed perfectly well financially, suddenly found themselves in trouble as a result of the economic recession. Carmei Ha’Ir recognizes the sense of shame experienced by those unexpectedly thrust into a situation of dependency and aims to preserve their self esteem. Their open restaurant in downtown Jerusalem serves everyone, whether or not they can afford to pay for the meal. It looks just like any other restaurant, with set tables and wait staff. No-one who dines there knows whether those on the next table are out for a regular meal with their friends or are benefitting from charity and eating their only hot meal of the day. Volunteers can help prepare the food, wait on tables, or help to clean up at the end of the day. In addition, Carmei Ha’Ir operates a clothing store, a wholesale food market, provides sandwiches for school children and delivers meals to the homebound. If you would rather sample the food, you can do that too and, at the end of the meal, leave a donation to help cover the cost of some of the other diners’ meals.

Neve Michael children’s village provides refuge and a loving home for over 250 children and youth at risk, many of whom have suffered mental, physical or sexual abuse. The children range in age from 4 -18, and, in many cases, come from families where their parents are drug addicts, alcoholics or suffer from mental illness. The staff aim to provide these youngsters with a loving family environment and to break the cycle of violence which has characterised their lives. Their multidisciplinary center tries to help the children overcome the trauma they have experienced and go on to a better future. The campus, ten minutes drive from Caesarea, has a 24-hour emergency crisis center, a teenage girls’ crisis center, an elementary school, day care facilities that also serve disadvantaged children in the area, a therapy enrichment center tailored to meet the individual needs of the children, and an external crisis center and therapy counseling unit which helps keep families at risk intact, even under the most trying circumstances. Visitors can tour the campus and meet some of the children, who love receiving guests. If you think you might want to stay and join them for lunch, this can be pre-arranged.

Standing Together wants to show Israeli soldiers just how much their army service is appreciated both by those who live in the country and those who come to visit. News headlines worldwide frequently condemn the Israeli military and question its actions. Such negativity affects those who are serving, so when they are visited in their army base by people who express their care and voice their admiration for the risks they are taking and the fact that they are putting their lives on hold to serve their country, it acts as a great morale booster. Standing Together asks for a donation of $650 to arrange an unforgettable evening at an army base. They will collect you from wherever you are staying in the Jerusalem area and drive you to the soldiers where they will provide all the ingredients for a barbecue or whatever food you decide upon. You will cook the food and run the evening together with help from Standing Together volunteers. This way you will be able to meet the soldiers and give them a wonderful treat at the same time. The organization can also arrange for activities during the day at bases throughout the country.

Obviously, these are just a small sample of the ways in which you can add an extra dimension to your visit to Israel. Whether you are a frequent visitor or a first timer, this kind of interaction gives you an insight into Israeli society that you would otherwise miss. All of the places I have mentioned can adapt their activities to different ages, so that both the very young and the young at heart can contribute and participate. If your interest lies elsewhere, be it a project involving animals, helping to improve the environment or almost anything else you can think of, let me know and I will try and set up an encounter with the appropriate organization. Wherever you choose to visit, you can be sure it will be one of the most memorable highlights of your stay!

NB. ALL PHOTOGRAPHS ACCOMPANYING THIS BLOG ARE FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES ONLY AND HAVE NO CONNECTION TO THE ORGANISATIONS MENTIONED ABOVE.

Posted in Carmei Ha'Ir, Charity Projects, Children's Village, Elderly, Ezrat Avot, Neve Michael, Soldiers, Soup kitchen, Standing Together, Tzedaka, Uncategorized, Volunteer in Israel, Yad Lakashish | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Far From the Madding Crowd

Posted on May 1, 2012 by

With the festivals of Passover and Easter overlapping this year, large numbers of day trippers hit the roads all looking for the ultimate day out. In an attempt to avoid the crowds, yet still travel somewhere with relevance for the holiday, Hubby and I took ourselves off the usual tourist trail to the shores of the River Jordan.

Qasr el Yahud is known to Christians as the site of Jesus’ baptism and subsequent epiphany and is marketed primarily towards the Christian pilgrims that visit the country. Less well known, is that it is also considered the spot where Joshua is said to have crossed the Jordan River with the Israelites and entered the Promised Land. Given that the festival of Passover commemorates the Israelites exodus from Egypt and their deliverance by G-d, this seemed an eminently suitable spot to contemplate these events. The day on which Joshua crossed the river with the children of Israel in tow was five days before they celebrated the Passover festival. What a wonderfully fitting end to the exodus saga when, after forty years of wandering in the desert, the Jewish people finally get to celebrate their deliverance in their new homeland.

The miracle of the parting of the Red Sea is familiar to most people, but the fact that another similar miracle took place here, when the Israelites crossed the River Jordan, is less well remembered. The flow of water coming towards the people from upstream was stopped and “piled up in a single heap” (Joshua 3:16) and the waters which were flowing downstream from them dried out completely, enabling the people to cross over on dry land.The verse continues: “So the people crossed near Jericho” (Joshua 3:16). The entrance to Qasr el Yahud is directly opposite the city of Jericho. We read that Joshua and the Israelites went there shortly after their arrival in the land, after their initial encampment at Gilgal.

Until a couple of years ago, Qasr el Yahud was inaccessible without prior co-ordination with the army. Throughout the 1970s this was a place where infiltrators made their way into the country from Jordan. As a result, the Israeli army enclosed the area and scattered land mines to deter terrorists. Over the years, requests were made by many of the local churches to come to the site and conduct religious ceremonies at Epiphany and Easter. These applications became more numerous, until even Pope John Paul II held a private prayer service here in the year 2000, during his official visit to Israel. This event only increased the sacredness of the place for Christians and the Israeli authorities decided to clear some of the mines in order to allow access to the site. You are still sternly warned not to stray from the clearly marked paths.

Heavy flooding in 2003 set back renovations that had already begun, as the pavilion that had been erected was swept away. But an investment of seven million shekels by the Ministry of Tourism has ensured the opening of the area to tourists and provided the necessary facilities for their comfort. Various churches at the site testify to the importance of the place for Christian worshipers.

The day of our visit was Easter Sunday and a mass was in full progress. In addition, there were several people immersing themselves in the rather murky water. As you can see from the photo, the River Jordan is very narrow at this point and it would have been a desirable spot for the Israelites to cross over from the eastern shore.

Another biblical episode is also reputed to have taken place at this location and that is the taking up of Elijah the prophet to heaven. He and his successor Elisha stood on the banks of the Jordan and, yet again, the waters parted when Elijah struck the water with his cloak. As they crossed, a fiery chariot and horses appeared and took Elijah heavenwards in a whirlwind, leaving Elisha alone.

One of the explanations for the Arabic name of the place is that “Qasr” comes from the Arabic word “break” and the name was given because this is the spot where the Jews “broke” the waters. In any event, it is definitely worth a short visit to soak up the atmosphere (pun intended) and ponder on the events attributed to have taken place in these tranquil surroundings.

A fifteen minute drive away, one and a half kilometers off the main road that connects Jerusalem to the Dead Sea, is another site that has a somewhat different association with the holiday. The seven day festival of Passover recalls the story of the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt. Moses is the dominant player in this drama (although his name is not mentioned in the traditional recitation of the story as it appears in the Haggada), but after forty years of leading his unruly charges in the desert, he is ultimately denied the opportunity to enter the Promised Land and has to content himself with a far off glimpse. Jewish and Christian tradition place Moses’ lookout on Mount Nebo in Jordan, across from Jericho and the Dead Sea. Having seen the land his ancestors are to inherit he dies and his grave is unmarked and the exact location unknown.

A Moslem tradition dating to the days of Saladin, introduces a seven day festival where the participants march from Jerusalem to Jericho from where they can look over to Mount Nebo and the tomb of Moses. Nebi Musa (meaning “Prophet Moses”) was built as a hostel on the way, from where the celebrants could also look over towards Moses’ final resting place.

Under the Mamlukes and their leader, the Sultan Baybars, a small shrine was added to the site, as part of a general policy they carried out when conquering towns and rural areas. Usually, they are better known for their scorched earth policy all over the country, where they reduced existing structures to ruins. These shrines were mostly dedicated to biblical prophets and the one in Nebi Musa was no exception, dedicated to the Prophet Moses. 

Over the years the hostel to accommodate the travelers was expanded to one hundred and twenty rooms. With time, the initial purpose of the site became blurred and rather than being a lookout to a distant burial place, the area became confused with the site of Moses’ actual tomb.

Around 1820, renovations to the rooms were once more carried out. This time by the Ottoman Turks, who also initiated a national and religious pageant to the tomb, in order to compete with the large number of Christian pilgrims who came to Jerusalemfor the Easter holiday. This new tradition with an agenda soon became a symbol for Moslem religious and political power. Thousands of Moslems would gather in Jerusalem for the trek to Nebi Musa. Their expenses were footed by the Moslem religious authorities and wealthy Moslem Jerusalemite families. On the seventh day, the pilgrims would make a triumphant return to Jerusalem. By the early twentieth century an estimated 15,000 people participated in the pageant.

In 1920, the pilgrimage took a distinctly sinister turn, degenerating into riots and attacks on the Jewish population of Jerusalem. The Balfour Declaration of 1917 and its assurance of a national homeland for the Jews, combined with Arab disappointment regarding promises of independence they claimed they had been given during World War One, led to this nationalist attack. Goaded by inflammatory political speeches and Arab and Moslem agitation from outside the country, what was ostensibly a religious parade turned into a pogrom. Six Jews and four Arabs were killed, over two hundred Jews were wounded, large amounts of Jewish property were burnt or pillaged and torah scrolls desecrated. In what would be an uncanny foreshadowing of the events of Kristallnacht which would take place in Nazi Germany eighteen years later, the Jews were blamed for the riot. A significant decision implemented by the British as a result of the violence was that legal Jewish immigration to Palestine was halted. This was a major demand of the local Arab community.

The processions to Nebi Musa were finally outlawed by the Jordanians when they conquered the area in 1948. The event had become a vehicle for political protest, something the Jordanians had no desire to encourage.Since 1995, as a result of the agreements of the Oslo Accords, Nebi Musa has been under the control of the Palestinian Authority.

When you visit the site today, none of the turmoil of the past is evident. It is a sleepy structure with a few Bedouin selling drinks and trinkets near the entrance. The locals are friendly towards visitors and are happy to answer their questions. There is none of the usual tourist infrastructure or even explanatory signs, but for those looking for something a little off the beaten track, it makes for an interesting detour. If you are lucky, like we were, you may even come across a herd of wild camels grazing peacefully in the stunning desert landscape.

Posted in Easter, Judean Desert, Nebi Musa, Passover, Qasr el Yahud | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Far From the Madding Crowd

Welcoming Back the Swifts

Posted on March 27, 2012 by

“Even the sparrow has found a home and the swallow a nest for herself in which to set her young, near Your altar.” Psalms 84:4

Having lived in Jerusalem for close to 25 years, I have received invitations to attend many different kinds of celebrations at the Western Wall. They have tended to be fairly traditional in nature, such as bar or bat mitzvahs, tefillin laying ceremonies (the first time a boy puts on phylacteries), “upshers” (the ceremony where at the age of three a Jewish boy has his first hair cut), swearing in parades of various military units and welcoming of new immigrants. However, when my friend Fiona sent me an invitation to a ceremony welcoming back the Common Swifts to Jerusalem, my interest was piqued. How would the birds know when the ceremony was? Would they attend? And what was all this fuss about a few birds anyway? It seemed a little wacky even for Jerusalem where just about any excuse to have a ritual celebration is acceptable.
So, armed with a healthy dose of cynicism, I duly made my way to the Old City event to see what it was all about.
As both our mayor Nir Barkat and deputy mayor Naomi Tsur, were in attendance, I realized that perhaps this was a more significant occasion than I had imagined. There was even a smattering of overseas visitors who had come to Jerusalem especially for the occasion. These were members of Urbis, who are a group interested in promoting biodiversity and sustainable tourism. I found it somewhat touching that the feathered residents of the city were garnering such a star studded line-up.
The story begins more than 50 years ago, when Uriel Safriel, who was then a 16 year old boy, and is today Professor of Ecology at the Hebrew University, noticed the swifts coming to nest in the crevices of the Western Wall. He began to keep a diary of when their migration path brought them to Jerusalem and discovered they were creatures of habit as they returned to their nests on almost exactly the same date over a ten year period.
They spend most of the year living in South Africa and in the springtime migrate north in order to breed. Israel is apparently one of their favourite destinations. Once the chicks have fledged, they head back to African climes at the beginning of June.
They have an interesting lifestyle as most of their time is spent on the move, as their feet are not built for walking or hopping from branch to branch. They eat, drink, sleep and even mate while flying. According to Dr. Yossi Leshem, of Tel Aviv University, who has been involved in bird research for the past 38 years, it takes the chicks about three months to develop the necessary muscles to enable them to take on such a strenuous way of life and they even engage in a bird version of press ups in order to build up their strength. However, once they take off they can fly at over 100 kilometres an hour. Apparently special light weight sensors have been attached to their backs to chart their progress and map their flight path.
Like the swallows mentioned by King David in my opening quotation, the swifts also chose to make their home near G-d’s dwelling place in Jerusalem. It appears they like old structures in which to build their nests and as the Western Wall is close to 2000 years old, having been built by King Herod as part of the structural renovations he made to the Temple, it certainly fits the bill. Apparently there are 88 such nests in the wall and these were recorded by the researcher Mr Ulrich Tigges and the late Professor Heinrich Mendelsson in 2002 and are shown in blue on the picture below.

During the recent work cleaning the Western Wall and restoring the gates and walls of the Old City (apparently there are more nests in Zion Gate as well as various other places) this study map served as a guideline, to ensure that none of the nests were blocked up.
Because of their strange physiology, the birds need to be able to fly straight into their nests and the holes in the stones in the Western Wall seem to suit their requirements.
Despite the strenuous efforts taken by the municipality of Jerusalem to ensure the swifts continue to visit the city, apparently not all places are so considerate and there is considerable worry as to their continued survival.
The Friends of the Swifts Association, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, and Tel Aviv University are working together to ensure the future of the Common Swift by all available means: saving existing nesting sites, designing and building new ones, facilitating special educational programs in schools, assisting wildlife rehabilitation centers, and creating PR activities to increase public awareness of this special bird and the problems it faces.

One of the more interesting suggestions made at the ceremony, by Dr Yossi Leshem, is the potential for these winged creatures to be the harbingers of peace and cooperation between the three major monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Because of their predilection for old buildings, as well as building their nests in the Western Wall, they have also found the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem and ancient structures in Jordan suitable places to call home. The hope is that by encouraging all these places to work together for a common cause devoid of politics, the birds may succeed in bringing the sides closer together far more successfully than the politicians.

In Jewish mysticism, birds are one of the symbols used to herald in the messianic age. Maybe by doing our utmost to make the swifts feel welcome, Jerusalem is pioneering a new diplomatic approach to creating goodwill and harmony amongst men. So if you find yourself in the vicinity around this time next year, drop me a line and I’ll aim to ensure that you too can participate in this unique ceremony!

Posted in Western Wall | 2 Comments