Israel 2

I have neglected writing in the blog since I have been in Israel—partially because we have been so busy, but mostly because the idea of trying to capture this experience in writing is just far too daunting. I feel like anything I say has either been said, or does not do justice to the experience. This is simply a magical and miraculous place that is utterly impossible to understand or describe unless you are here.

As you drive through the country (which you can do completely in less than seven hours), you see an unbelievably diverse array of sites: ancient ruins, desolate desert, rich and prolific agricultural fields, upscale wine vineyards, indescribably beautiful bustling cities, charming villages, sparking blue oceans and vividly beautiful coral reefs, the holiest and most important religious sites for almost every major world religion—and this all in a country that is smaller than New Jersey (an often sited, albeit incongruous, analogy). As you hike through the deserts and through some of the astounding archeological sites, you feel as though every spoonful of sand in this country contains the mysteries and answers of the thousands of years of questions. And, in the midst of all of the ancient ruins and rich history, is this incredibly cosmopolitan and sophisticated place in which cutting edge work in every industry and artistic discipline is occurring every single day. When we read about Israel in the papers from abroad, the stories are limited to the political upheaval and the many extremely problematic actions taken by Israel. While true, important and often disturbing, these stories miss the miracle that is Israel, built in just over 50 years essentially by refugees and Holocaust survivors. We spent a morning at the Theodore Herzl Museum, which included a slightly hokey if enjoyable and informative interactive presentation about the man who conceived of modern Zionism—the concept of a homeland for the Jewish people in Israel—and established the mechanisms for the creation of the state of Israel which was not to happen until 40 years after his death. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, this was an absolutely audacious, even ridiculous dream. Indeed, were it not for the Holocaust, it is likely that the State of Israel would never have come into being, despite the tireless work of this visionary man. The fact that it even exists at all is in itself a miracle. After spending the last four months in the developing world, and seeing the country that Israel has become, the enormity of this miracle is even more acute and it is hard as a Jew, not to feel incredible pride at the accomplishment.

After our first week of exploring Jerusalem, Adam’s parents arrived and we had a wonderful week during which we covered a fair bit of the country in a relatively short time. We spent time in Jerusalem (including a 4:00am visit to the Wall on Shavuout), saw some remarkable newly excavated archaeological sites, hiked in the Golan Heights with the Syrian and Lebanese borders in spitting distance, and enjoyed the beautiful, if packed, beaches of Tel Aviv (more details from Adam’s blog). It was absolutely terrific to be with Don and Nancy—and not just because Adam and I got a few nights alone. It was great to be all together after four months and we were all sorry to see them leave.

There is so much more to see, and we look forward to exploring it further at a relatively leisurely pace.