Three: Old City Jerusalem

As we walked from our hotel towards the Jaffa Gate and our first steps into the Old City the walls begin to appear, ancient, golden, imposing. As soon as you enter the Gate, you are on David Street, a busy market with shops that sell religious items, souvenirs, maps, snacks, fresh squeezed juice and maps. Then you begin to pass into the Souk, a covered bazaar lined with shops and teeming with people. Watch your step on the cobbles and stairs. 

We followed signs, passing beautiful doorways and alleys, jewelry, leather, and embroidered goods, to a small side street that led to Ha-Kotel, the Western Wall. Once their, yelling men directed me to the Women's side. I washed my hands at an ancient well, and simply walked to the wall - where once both my mother and my daughter have been. I had some things to say there, among the crowd of women - at the wall, and in chairs. Then, I had a smiling picture taken - joyful to be here.

Click on the arrow to see a slide show of some of what we saw on this day.

Israel TWO: To Jerusalem April 19

Our hotel – GilGal is blocks from the beach, has beautiful mosaic art depicting bible scenes in several locations. It also has a roof garden with a spectacular view of the city and the Mediterranean Sea. And it was our introduction to the spectacular Israeli breakfast. I promise there will be lots more about food later - this photo is just one of the five laden with amazing things to eat.

View from rooftop

On our cab ride from the airport, our driver told us that today a siren would sound at precisely 10 AM – two minutes of silence in memory of the Holocaust. He told us that everyone throughout the country stops what they are doing and stands still. To be part of this, we climbed to the roof garden. The siren blared – cars on the street below stopped and people stepped out to stand together. I saw paddlers on the sea, stop and stand. I saw people on rooftops, in windows. I had goosebumps.

It was time to head to Jerusalem. 

 Any talk of travel and navigation is talk of Hank. In order to have access to all cellular data of maps and schedules, he purchased an Israeli data plan. This meant he could lead us to the correct bus stop, to the bus station, and to our perfectly timed bus to Jerusalem. And anywhere else we wanted to go. The bus station was our first opportunity to really see the young Israeli soldiers, men and women, with their big guns that swing from their shoulders like oversized purses.

The one hour trip brought us through amazingly lush  green and treed areas, and housing communities built from the golden stone that looks like they sprang from the hills. 

As it was Friday, and the start of Shabbat effects bus transportation, we took a cab to our Apartment Hotel – Hillel 11, in walking distance of the Old City and a great neighborhood. Thanks to all who made it clear we needed to be by the Jaffa Gate. This great location made our four days in Jerusalem perfect. Our lovely little apartment included a balcony where I could look out over the streets. 

After gathering a few supplies at the local bakery and grocery store for tomorrow, when many places would be closed, we walked down the hill, through the ultramodern, upscale Mamilla Mall, up ancient stairs and through the Jaffa Gate for our first visit to the Old City. Our goal was  the Western Wall. 

We spent four days in Jerusalem, three of them largely in the Old City - so I will write about our experiences in a separate piece. The next event on our calendar was to attend a Shabbat of a Lifetime dinner.

"The Shabbat of a Lifetime program offers an opportunity for incoming tourists of all backgrounds to experience an authentic Shabbat (Jewish Sabbath) at the home of a host family in the heart of Jerusalem. Shabbat of a Lifetime participants receive an informative introduction to Shabbat while dining on a five-course meal with their hosts." 

This had been recommended by our daughter, who had enjoyed hers. It turned out to be a highlight of our trip. We had been instructed to meet our host at the Museum of Islamic Art at 8 pm. This was about a half-hour walk through peaceful streets on a beautiful warm Shabbat evening. All around us families were walking too. To their own dinners we were sure. And everywhere we saw cats - many waiting patiently in groups for the dinners they hoped would appear from the homes that lined the streets.

The evening was a complete surprise. I had anticipated others like ourselves wanting to have a Jewish experience in Israel. Nine guests arrived to our meeting place - all early. A young Chinese man who works in Canada, traveling alone before he starts new job. “Are you Jewish – I asked. Why was he doing this?

Young blond couple from Netherlands – she a neurobiologist, he a new graduate wanting to learn more about Jewish culture through travel. A man from Netherlands- traveling alone, healing a broken heart. 

Two women from Yakima – evangelical Christians. One had been to Israel before. She had a message from God to come back, and bring her friend. Lovely women on a tour of religious and spiritual places. We later met them again on the street. 

A young woman from the Philippines who studies Hebrew at the University. She did not want to spend Shabbat alone. And Hank and me. 

I was the only Jew except for our hosts, Batya and Chaim, a couple in their 30’s, who have a 4 year old and baby daughter. This lovely family opened their home and provided a traditional Shabbat with Kiddush, and blessings over the challah and wine, and a full Friday night meal. I was astonished to see the table covered with small plates containing salads and pickles and hummus.  For me, the Israeli way of kosher eating was one of the great revelations of the trip. 

There was much information, and learning, and wonderful conversation that went beyond the time we were meant to leave. And an incredible creamy chocolate dessert that made me wonder how it could be part of a kosher meat meal. I had lots to learn.

A truly memorable evening. The perfect end to a perfect day in Jerusalem.

ISRAEL: Getting there and Day One April 10, 2018

I was nervous about going to Israel. I haven't flown in three years and I haven’t been out of the country for 10. At the same time I was thrilled to finally take the trip we've talked about for years. Our plan was to travel on our own - no tours, no car rentals.

To add to the stress, our El Al ticket details were changed several times in the days preceding our flight. Hank patiently and efficiently followed through with all the details.

I had the ultimate travel wardrobe, a guide book, travel apps, reservations and my camera cleared for endless photos. I may  have been nervous, but I was ready.

Corey arrived - in charge of the dogs and the house, we were off to PDX - JetBlue to JFK.

As soon as I got to the airport, I calmed down, enjoyed two thorough pat-downs at security, bought outrageously expensive bottles of water and a steamed bun, took my tabacum tablets (don’t leave home without them), and boarded the plane. I slept most of the way.

JFK to Ben Gurion – Tel Aviv

From Getty Images 

The scene at the international security gate at JFK resembled a herd of cattle moving along the lines. There were many Chasidic Jews among the crowd, headed back to Israel after Passover. In fact, there was an entire yeshiva of at least 200 boys, 14 – 18, dressed in traditional black coats, velvet yarmulkes, tall black hats, and immaculate white shirts with fringes hanging and pais dangling. This gangly, rambunctious group were all on our flight, in the back, with us. We had the very last seats in the rear – claustrophobia row. 

From the start, the boys were the entertainment. Since all came in wearing hats, several carrying hat boxes as well, the hats, the coats, the hatboxes, the luggage - all had to fit into the already packed overhead compartments.  

My mother’s Israel 1989 journal mentioned that on their El Al trips, religious men would stand for morning and evening prayers. On our flight, all the boys and all the men, three times, got up, opened the bins, retrieved coats and big hats, put them on and stood in the aisles and prayed. Then, off with the coats and hats, back into the bins, back into seats. This was a bumpy flight. They may have been pious, but they were also lively, creating havoc for exasperated flight staff. Anyway, they were a distraction. And I miraculously slept a great deal. We arrived at 5:00 AM Israel time. The sun had not yet risen.

Once through customs, Coffee – no Starbucks! Yes airport cafes with fresh baked breads and pastry. Taxi in the grey early morning to beautiful Hotel GilGal.

Too early to check in, we headed to the beach two blocks away, and, fairly exhausted, I took off my shoes, rolled up my pants and walked into the Mediterranean. My tiredness washed away - I never had jet lag. 

Photo from Museum Site

After settling in, we decided to walk to the Tel Aviv Museum of Art to see the collection of Israeli Art and The Modern and Contemporary paintings including work by many of my favorite painters. It is an extraordinary collection in an exquisite space. I absolutely loved the paintings – I saw works I knew, works I didn’t know by painters I did, and work by Kees Van Dongen, whose paintings of women – faces, and hat, I love, and have never seen real before. I spotted a lovely painting by Toulouse Lautrec – like seeing a familiar face in a crowd. And many beauties by Marc Chagall. 

From Museum Site

IIn one space there were four entirely different Picassos, shown together. In every way - the work in each exhibit was perfectly presented, ordered and shown – organized by color, theme, strokes, feeling, instead of by artist. This enhanced every aspect of the work and the experience. I was impressed.

While on the way to the museum, we realized that today, April 12 was Holocaust Remembrance Day: As we took our first walk through this new city, we kept hearing the intense roar of jet planes. Holy crap – We just got here and its war!  At an angle between buildings, we saw what we were hearing – group after group of F18 fighter jets zooming across the sky. As we joined the people peering up, a woman behind me, tapped me on the shoulder and said “don’t worry – it’s only the army doing a display in honor of the day.” I have to say, it felt pretty great to see the demonstration of strength.

In the evening we found a nearby restaurant – the least good meal of the trip, and went back to the beach to watch the sunset and the wonderfully varied crowds out for a stroll, walk, bike ride, jog, or swim on a gorgeous Tel Aviv evening.