What A Weekend!

Well, I knew I would probably get a cold eventually but I was hoping I would escape it but on Friday I succumbed to a full-blown cold. Thankfully, with Mucinex and cough drops I am much improved. It managed to slow me down a bit but I was still able to go on the field trip on Sunday. However, before that event we participated in the Shabbat dinner on JUC's campus with everyone sitting outside and about half of the student body and staff seated under a Succah (shelter) that the students had built over the grape arbor that sits atop a stone platform. It's like an outdoor patio. The students had draped blue and white side panels and white sheets to partially enclose the Succah and hung fruit at different spots and laid down floor coverings. Many families sleep and eat in their Succah during Succoth (Feast of Tabernacles).

It was a lovely evening to be outside with grilled chicken for our dinner and special Shabbat bread called Challah--very tasty. We light the candles and have special prayers before the meal lead by Dr. Wright. Following dinner Larry spoke at Vespers. He wrote on his blog some of what he shared with the students. His message was very well received.

On Thursday I made my way to the old Super Sol--a market we used to shop at when we were students here years ago. With my backpack I can manage to carry back to campus items we needed--like more kleenex! It was a memorable walk for me as I passed Independence Park, the US Consulate office, and saw so many interesting people on the way. A young girl was walking with her father who was an ultra-orthodox Jewish man with the side curls, big fur hat, and black coat that comes to the knees with white shirt. He was carrying some items needed for their Succah and his daughter was a teen-ager carrying a silver box and she was dressed in a black skirt and silk white blouse with a shawl. I was very curious as to what was in the box. I passed the new Waldorf-Astoria Hotel under construction and it is huge with beautiful stone balconies in a Roman style for the rooms facing the street. Every walk seems like an adventure to me.

On Saturday evening I went to the art exhibition for our new friend, Annie, at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer inside the Old City and very close to the great Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This was the first time I actually went inside the Lutheran Church and behind the stone facade is a beautiful courtyard filled with plants, palm trees, and flowers. A bassoon quartet was rehearsing for the concert later that evening. Annie's exhibit was held in the Refectory and the Dean of the Church was there to welcome everyone and then Annie spoke about her art work and what it represented. Her accent is very heavy and sometimes difficult to understand. She was dressed in a beautiful white and gold pantsuit and welcomed each person. She gave me the traditional Middle Eastern kiss on both cheeks. She exhibited Chinese calligraphy with a peace theme, photographs she had taken of orchids, trees, and leaves that express to her our connection to the earth, and then she had some Japanese Ickebana flowers and explained how the shape of the vase is important for holding the origami flowers. People could come and go during the hour before the concert. We are hoping Annie will join us here at JUC for a Shabbat dinner in October.

The Lutheran Church houses three congregations--a German-speaking congregation, an Arab congregation, and an English-speaking congregation. According to tradition, the land on which the church stands today was given to the emperor Charlemagne as a gift at the beginning of the 9th century by Khalif Harun al-Rashid. Such history all around us!

On Sunday, Larry and I were back on the bus for another field trip. Packed with my box of kleenex I felt I could make it. On our way to the bus we passed a large number of police and some soldiers near the walls of the Old City who were getting their final instructions for the day. Because of Succoth and the recent difficulties near the Temple Mount area, there is extra security all around. The traffic is very heavy and lots of Israelis visiting Jerusalem for the holidays in addition to other tourists. We heard there is a Christian Festival here with over 5,000 expected. They are praying for peace, conducting a march for peace near Independence Park and holding special meetings. It's very crowded. As I was near Jaffa Gate on Friday, a group of Christians stopped near the gate and prayed in a circle before they entered the Old City.

Sunday was another amazing day as we had the opportunity to explore the land given to the sons of Joseph--the Ephraim and Manassah territory north of Jerusalem. There is so much one can see in a day because the country is not that large--about the size of Rhode Island. As we wound our way up to a look-out point we discovered that it was very hazy and almost like a fog settled over the valleys. Nevertheless, we persevered . I continue to be amazed at how hilly the land is and how much energy and stamina it takes to walk this land. We visited Shechem and stopped at the Greek Orthodox Church that was built over Jacob's Well where Jesus met the Samaritan woman. The church and grounds are beautiful and a service was going on as we entered but the priest directed us down the stairs below the church to the well which is around 90 feet deep. People were pulling up the bucket filled with water and washing their face in it. A nun was busy hoisting up the bucket for her group. Larry and I had to at least get our hands wet since we were there! After admiring the art work and chapel, we were off to Mt. Gerizim where the Samaritans live. At the top of the mountain, still hazy, one of the students read out the blessings that Joshua recited years ago. We didn't go to Mt. Ebal where the curses were read out to the children of Israel but we could get a vague glimpse of it through the haze. We met the son of the Samaritan High Priest who explained to us a little about their history and allowed us into the museum there. The remaining Samaritans in the world total 746 with half of them living on Mt. Gerizim and half in the community of Holon near Tel Aviv. They follow the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) and at Passover they slaughter about 50 goats for sacrifice for their families and around 10,000 people come to observe. This is a small place so I wondered how everyone gets around. We were allowed to eat our lunch on the porch of a restaurant and store and the owners brought us tea--very hospitable. Again it was hot but not as hot as Jericho.

I was so impressed with our visit to Shiloh where the Tabernacle of the Lord was during the days of Eli and Samuel. Close to the Tel is a West Bank Israeli settlement that is highly developed. It is now a city called Shiloh and a Yeshiva (like a seminary) is being built on top of the mountain. We were told that the housing in the settlements is much cheaper than other places and that is appealing to Israelis who want to get out of apartments and have some land around them. We observed young families with their children enjoying family picnics and exploring the Tel together. The loookout point was fantastic and we read from the Bible the story of Hannah when she came to the Tabernacle to pray for a son and God gave her Samuel the prophet. So many biblical events occurred at Shiloh and around that area. As we gathered on the bus for our trip back to campus we noticed two men in an arena that looked like a training area for horses but instead they were training attack dogs. It was really interesting observing how each dog was brought out and one man hid in a small enclosure and how the dog would search for him and then attack his arm that was encased with a huge amount of padding and how they directed the dog to hold on until they gave the command to release. I had never seen training like this before. It saddened me because I knew this training was for protection of this West Bank settlement and the dogs probably patrol at night. As we left one of the buildings, I saw a father and son walking by. The father was in Western dress with a yarmulke on his head and the son, about 20 years old, dressed in shorts, with long side curls, a yarmulke on his head and a huge rifle slung over his shoulder. I'm not used to seeing this even though it is everywhere here. All reminders to me of how intense security is and that for these Israeli families they are determined to protect their homes and land. On the other hand, I see the Palestinians who feel their land has been stolen from them and want to do all they can to try to get back the land. Many of them live under difficult circumstances. As we go through the checkpoints, we see the Palestinians having to go through a separate line because of their license plate indicating they are from the administered territories, and we get to go through a different line. They usually just pass us through, but at one stop the soldiers did come on the bus and ask to see everyone's passport. They were friendly to us and one of the soldiers was from Maryland and spoke with an American accent. Another interesting story I am sure.

As I am learning more and more about the political issues here, I realize how difficult it is for both sides. The history and culture Israelis and Palestinians bring to the table shapes their views and makes resolution of the issues even more difficult. There is such a lack of trust. It will only be by God's grace that this land and people will be able to experience true peace. There are individuals on both sides who can work together but there are hurdles that seem intractable.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

On Monday evenings the Wrights host a Forum Table in their apartment over dinner. Students who choose can bring their trays and ask questions about statements their professors make, discuss the Middle East situation or any theological question they have. It makes for some fascinating conversations.