We are entering the High Holy Days and Rosh Hashana began last night at sundown in Israel. Everything has really shut down. I thought it might be interesting for some of you to understand what this holiday is all about and it's significance. JUC continues with classes but some are postponed because some of our professors are Jewish. Here's an excerpt from Next Year in Jerusalem by Teddy Kollek (former mayor of Jerusalem) with Tom Dowley, pp. 132-234.
"Rosh Hashana is one of the Jewish High Holy Days or Days of Awe. It is the Jewish New Year falling in the 7th month on the Jewish calendar, Tishrei, celebrating the month in which God created the world. In the Days of Awe and during the preceding weeks, Jews are instructed to scrupulously examine their deeds and misdeeds during the previous year. According to Jewish tradition, God also decides who will live and who will die that coming year. 'God sits in judgment; before Him are three great books. The first volume contains the names of the good; the second the names of the bad; the third the names of those who are neither very good nor very bad. While He gives judgment immediately on those whose names are found in the first two books, those in the third are given 10 days--until Yom Kippur--to attempt by prayer, repentance, and good deeds to have their names moved to the first book. The liturgy prayers on that day also attempt to influence God's decision. The shofar (ram's horn) is blown in the synagogue 100 times each of the 2 days of Rosh Hashana to motivate repentance. On the eve of Rosh Hashana just before the evening meal, everyone dips pieces of apple in honey and eats them; symbolizing the hope that the coming year will be prosperous and sweet'."
This is another beautiful Thursday in Jerusalem with a slight change in the air that makes me think fall is almost upon us.
Joyce Helyer's Blog
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Life in Israel--September 8, 2010
Well, we are official residents of Jerusalem for two weeks now. It's amazing how routines are soon established. This last week was full to the brim with all kinds of activities and learning new routines. We are well, enjoying all our new experiences, and adjusting to a few wrinkles along the way. Here's a little bit about what we have been thinking and doing.
Last Wed. Larry and I found ourselves back in the Old City and walking through the Christian Quarter and we stopped at the Latin Patriarchate Church and went inside. It has beautiful stained glass windows and they were very proud that several popes have visited their church. Italian tourists came in while we were there and started singing hymns together. It really was lovely to hear. On the way out we noticed a Mercedes Benz parked in front of the church!
Wednesday evening I attended my first class for Palestinian Society and Politics. I'm auditing and trying to keep up with the reading. The class is taught by Dr. Bernard Sabella, a member of the Palestinian Parliament and the Advisory Council. He's very knowledgeable about the current situation in the Middle East. His PhD is from University of Virginia and his daughter is a graduate of Earlham College. I look forward to the field trip in November to Ramallah. He is a Palestinian Catholic and feels the Palestinians need to reach out more to Israelis to get to know them. My goal is to gain a better understanding of Palestinian society and how these two cultures--Palestinian and Israeli can live together peacefully. How I pray that will happen. I just read that the next round of Mid East peace talks will be at Sharm El Sheik and then our Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, will meet in Jerusalem with Abbas and Netanyahu. It will be interesting for us to see how these meetings affect life in Jerusalem, if at all.
I had an interesting walk to do some errands last Friday and as I was walking from Jaffa Gate of the Old City into West Jerusalem I was amazed at the number of people I passed who were women and men like me but dressed totally different. I saw Muslim women with the burka, other Muslim women with just their hair totally covered but in Western dress, Hasidic orthodox men with beards, side curls, beaver hats dressed in black and white on their way to the Western Wall to pray, young girls dressed in a very Western style, and orthodox Jewish women with their hair totally covered and in Western dress, old men in long Muslim style dress helping each other walk, and young soldiers with their guns over their shoulders. What a mix! Close to us was a 21st century mall and yet on the other side of me to my right were the walls of Jerusalem from the time of Suleiman the Magnificent.
We were entertained for several nights last week by rehearsals for Israel's version of American Idol. They performed in the Hinnom Valley in the amphitheatre and we could hear everything until almost 11:00 or 11:30 pm. Saturday night was the finale and we had fireworks and strobe lights with a very excited audience screaming and cheering. I heard that they do not call it Israel Idol because Israel is not supposed to have idols so I think it's called something like "American Israel Idol" or "Israel's American Idol." Most of the students here memorized the songs that were sung because they heard them so often.
We have an official dig beginning here at JUC! We met the archaeologist who will conduct the dig just below JUC. The school is trying to connect to the city sewers and before they can get final approval to do this the Dept. of Antiquities sends out a team to do an excavation to determine if there is anything here of historical value. They came this week and have already uncovered the steps that lead to a tunnel that was used by the Israel Defence Forces in 1948 to smuggle food into the Jewish Quarter before and during the war of '48. They have also started to dig a trench that is square and may do several more. They have funding for only two weeks of digging. If nothing of interest is found then we go to the next step. If something important is found, they will dig further. It puts the school in an awkward position. They have waited a long time for this and of course there is lots of history here but if something is found it just delays the sewer project which is really needed.
JUC hosted a BBQ for all students and their families on Friday evening outside in the garden area. It was a lovely evening with Mediterranean breezes turning cool but it was fun to eat outside and meet families who live off campus. We concluded with vespers and we even have a worship team who leads us in singing. Dr. Wright spoke from Psalm 92 and encouraged our hearts as we listened and prayed together.
Sunday was a big day for us. Some weeks we use Saturday as our Sabbath and some weeks Sunday depending on the class schedule. We joined the Physical Settings class for an 8 hour walk through what Dr. Wright calls, Biblical Jerusalem. It was strenuous! We were up and down , climbing and sweating together. We climbed down to the Pool of Siloam and observed the water system that was used in the city of David and the tunnel that King Hezekiah dug. It's not too bad going down but coming back up in the heat was another story. Larry and I made it--helping each other along the way. Our break was over lunch at JUC but we were back at it and among other things, we saw the Pool of Bethesda and went into St. Anne's Church in the Muslim Quarter and sat and sang together Amazing Grace and Be Thou My Vision. What a moving experience. This church has the most amazing acoustics and it made us sound like a majestic choir. We then climbed up to the roof of the Austrian Hospice to see the view that was absolutely amazing. From there we could see the Temple Mount area, the Mt. of Olives, the city of David and all the churches, and Hurva Synagogue and roof tops in the Old City. Ramadan was about to end so by the time we climbed down we were enveloped in a huge mass of Muslims getting ready to break Ramadan with eating so they were all out shopping and we were really packed together. A man with a snake around his neck was calling attention to himself with people clapping and there were Israeli soldiers and police near by just observing. It made several of the students feel very uncomfortable. All of this took place near the Via Dolorosa. What a city! It took us about 20 minutes to make our way back to JUC. The end of Ramadan is Thursday at sundown.
Tonight the Jewish Rosh Hashana begins at sundown and goes through tomorrow evening. We are at the beginning of the High Holy Days. Everything shuts down and families are getting together. I will try to add some information about Rosh Hashana on my next blog. Saturday we are off for an all day field trip via bus to study the various approaches to Jerusalem and we will be going to Bethlehem and to see the Herodium that Herod built plus other sights. We are building our stamina.
We are so thankful for email messages and for the interactions we are having with the students. Larry took the students in his class outside the classroom to the "living" classroom, a section in JUC's garden. on Tues. and they read the story of Jeremiah breaking the pot over the Hinnom Valley. The students loved it. Several have already been on archaeological digs before they came to JUC. One student just spent a month in India before arriving here. Many are world travelers. I'm reading through Joshua right now and all the cities he and the Israelites conquered . There are some hard things to digest in some of these sections as they dealt with the Cananites. God is continuing to teach me lessons of faith and trust. I have been writing and feel as though the book is beginning to take shape for me but it is a very emotional experience as I relive memories of my dear brother.
Last Wed. Larry and I found ourselves back in the Old City and walking through the Christian Quarter and we stopped at the Latin Patriarchate Church and went inside. It has beautiful stained glass windows and they were very proud that several popes have visited their church. Italian tourists came in while we were there and started singing hymns together. It really was lovely to hear. On the way out we noticed a Mercedes Benz parked in front of the church!
Wednesday evening I attended my first class for Palestinian Society and Politics. I'm auditing and trying to keep up with the reading. The class is taught by Dr. Bernard Sabella, a member of the Palestinian Parliament and the Advisory Council. He's very knowledgeable about the current situation in the Middle East. His PhD is from University of Virginia and his daughter is a graduate of Earlham College. I look forward to the field trip in November to Ramallah. He is a Palestinian Catholic and feels the Palestinians need to reach out more to Israelis to get to know them. My goal is to gain a better understanding of Palestinian society and how these two cultures--Palestinian and Israeli can live together peacefully. How I pray that will happen. I just read that the next round of Mid East peace talks will be at Sharm El Sheik and then our Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, will meet in Jerusalem with Abbas and Netanyahu. It will be interesting for us to see how these meetings affect life in Jerusalem, if at all.
I had an interesting walk to do some errands last Friday and as I was walking from Jaffa Gate of the Old City into West Jerusalem I was amazed at the number of people I passed who were women and men like me but dressed totally different. I saw Muslim women with the burka, other Muslim women with just their hair totally covered but in Western dress, Hasidic orthodox men with beards, side curls, beaver hats dressed in black and white on their way to the Western Wall to pray, young girls dressed in a very Western style, and orthodox Jewish women with their hair totally covered and in Western dress, old men in long Muslim style dress helping each other walk, and young soldiers with their guns over their shoulders. What a mix! Close to us was a 21st century mall and yet on the other side of me to my right were the walls of Jerusalem from the time of Suleiman the Magnificent.
We were entertained for several nights last week by rehearsals for Israel's version of American Idol. They performed in the Hinnom Valley in the amphitheatre and we could hear everything until almost 11:00 or 11:30 pm. Saturday night was the finale and we had fireworks and strobe lights with a very excited audience screaming and cheering. I heard that they do not call it Israel Idol because Israel is not supposed to have idols so I think it's called something like "American Israel Idol" or "Israel's American Idol." Most of the students here memorized the songs that were sung because they heard them so often.
We have an official dig beginning here at JUC! We met the archaeologist who will conduct the dig just below JUC. The school is trying to connect to the city sewers and before they can get final approval to do this the Dept. of Antiquities sends out a team to do an excavation to determine if there is anything here of historical value. They came this week and have already uncovered the steps that lead to a tunnel that was used by the Israel Defence Forces in 1948 to smuggle food into the Jewish Quarter before and during the war of '48. They have also started to dig a trench that is square and may do several more. They have funding for only two weeks of digging. If nothing of interest is found then we go to the next step. If something important is found, they will dig further. It puts the school in an awkward position. They have waited a long time for this and of course there is lots of history here but if something is found it just delays the sewer project which is really needed.
JUC hosted a BBQ for all students and their families on Friday evening outside in the garden area. It was a lovely evening with Mediterranean breezes turning cool but it was fun to eat outside and meet families who live off campus. We concluded with vespers and we even have a worship team who leads us in singing. Dr. Wright spoke from Psalm 92 and encouraged our hearts as we listened and prayed together.
Sunday was a big day for us. Some weeks we use Saturday as our Sabbath and some weeks Sunday depending on the class schedule. We joined the Physical Settings class for an 8 hour walk through what Dr. Wright calls, Biblical Jerusalem. It was strenuous! We were up and down , climbing and sweating together. We climbed down to the Pool of Siloam and observed the water system that was used in the city of David and the tunnel that King Hezekiah dug. It's not too bad going down but coming back up in the heat was another story. Larry and I made it--helping each other along the way. Our break was over lunch at JUC but we were back at it and among other things, we saw the Pool of Bethesda and went into St. Anne's Church in the Muslim Quarter and sat and sang together Amazing Grace and Be Thou My Vision. What a moving experience. This church has the most amazing acoustics and it made us sound like a majestic choir. We then climbed up to the roof of the Austrian Hospice to see the view that was absolutely amazing. From there we could see the Temple Mount area, the Mt. of Olives, the city of David and all the churches, and Hurva Synagogue and roof tops in the Old City. Ramadan was about to end so by the time we climbed down we were enveloped in a huge mass of Muslims getting ready to break Ramadan with eating so they were all out shopping and we were really packed together. A man with a snake around his neck was calling attention to himself with people clapping and there were Israeli soldiers and police near by just observing. It made several of the students feel very uncomfortable. All of this took place near the Via Dolorosa. What a city! It took us about 20 minutes to make our way back to JUC. The end of Ramadan is Thursday at sundown.
Tonight the Jewish Rosh Hashana begins at sundown and goes through tomorrow evening. We are at the beginning of the High Holy Days. Everything shuts down and families are getting together. I will try to add some information about Rosh Hashana on my next blog. Saturday we are off for an all day field trip via bus to study the various approaches to Jerusalem and we will be going to Bethlehem and to see the Herodium that Herod built plus other sights. We are building our stamina.
We are so thankful for email messages and for the interactions we are having with the students. Larry took the students in his class outside the classroom to the "living" classroom, a section in JUC's garden. on Tues. and they read the story of Jeremiah breaking the pot over the Hinnom Valley. The students loved it. Several have already been on archaeological digs before they came to JUC. One student just spent a month in India before arriving here. Many are world travelers. I'm reading through Joshua right now and all the cities he and the Israelites conquered . There are some hard things to digest in some of these sections as they dealt with the Cananites. God is continuing to teach me lessons of faith and trust. I have been writing and feel as though the book is beginning to take shape for me but it is a very emotional experience as I relive memories of my dear brother.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Reflections on Life at JUC - August 31, 2010
Sunday morning we walked to Christ Church near Jaffa Gate in the Old City. On our way I noticed two soldiers (a gal and a guy) walking toward us from the Old City Wall. As they approached, I thought they were going to ask us for identification. Imagine my surprise when they asked us how to get to Jaffa Gate! We were directing them? They spoke in Hebrew but switched to English and we told them we were headed that way and to follow us. Ronit and Micha were to meet others at the entrance to Jaffa Gate. Ronit was from Herzeliya (sp?) near the coast. She told us she had a sister living in the US. We found out later from Dr. Paul Wright that a number of Israelis have never been to Jerusalem or only to West Jerusalem and have never entered East Jerusalem. He said, "Many of them are afraid for their safety just like some parents in the US are afraid for their children's safety. "We saw a lot of young soldiers in the Old City that day and Dr. Wright said they were probably in Basic Training and as part of that training they are taken to the Jewish Quarter, the Western Wall and other meaningful places to help them remember what they have fought for over the years. They looked so young to me and carrying a rifle slung over their shoulder. Young men serve three years and the women serve two years.
The worship time at the Anglican Church was very meaningful as we heard a speaker from the Barnabas Fund in the UK preach from Jeremiah 2. Worship had a charismatic flavor to it and was very meaningful. The Barnabas Fund is helping Christians in Pakistan who have suffered from the terrible flood damage. I was touched when he described a mother and her daughter who lost everything. They have nothing and yet the mother said, "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." What faith! He told us the damage is devastating in Pakistan. I do hope you are praying and giving to help alleviate this suffering.
Another pleasant surprise after the service was to meet Allison Barlow a Taylor graduate from 2008 who is teaching at the Anglican School. She met up with us and invited us and other Taylor students to her apartment for dinner over Succot. She did her student teaching at this school and then they offered her a job. She loves being here.
In the afternoon Dr. Wright took his Physical Settings class on a walking tour of the Old City from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm. It was fascinating and exhausting. He is a wonderful teacher and we visited the Upper Room, overlooked the Temple Mount area, visited the Jewish Quarter and walked down the Cardo and looked at the archaeological remains, visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, walked through a portion of the Muslim quarter, and entered and left through Zion Gate. The views were amazing and he helps us understand more how the Israelite pilgrims to Jerusalem must have felt on their journey to Mt. Zion. The Psalms of Ascent have taken on more meaning to me as they must have encouraged each other with these Psalms as they climbed. Psalm 122 and 126 are wonderful to read and think about. My feet were sore by the time I returned back to campus. A regular work day here is Sunday with the Israelis observing Saturday and hardly any traffic on the streets.
I was able to contact Annie Fischler (the woman we met on our way to the King David Hotel last Friday) via email and she is preparing an art exhibition. We have invited her to JUC to join us for dinner next week. She is from Belgium and has lived in Israel for 38 years. We look forward to knowing her better.
Today a Taylor student and I went back to the Old City and went to the Western Wall and sat down in the women's section and observed other women praying and reading the Bible. There were quite a few young teen-agers there in their school uniforms. I sat and stared at the amazing foundation stones from the second temple period that were there during the time of Christ. There were pidgeons flying onto the ledge of the stones and some plants growing out of the wall. We noticed that the orthodox do not turn their backs to the wall so when you leave you back away from the wall and then after so many steps you can turn. Esther and I did the same thing, without tripping! There is a barrier wall about six feet tall that has small openings where we ca peek at the men worshipping on the other side. They were singing songs together and they had good voices! We then visited the Burnt House museum which contains the remains of a house that was probably owned by a priestly family (found an inscription there) and that was burned by the Romans in approximately 70 AD. There were skeletal remains found plus all kinds of pottery and other implements and the outline of the house. What was fascinating to us was to watch the movie that had been put together with actors replicating what it may have been like at that time and the division that existed in Jerusalem between the Zealots (who lived in the lower city and wanted to rebel against Rome) and the priests and others who lived in the upper city. There was much injustice but it was so vividly portrayed with the burning of Jerusalem that it really left an impression of what it could have been like at that time and also another reminder of how many Jewish men, women , and children were killed. Some escaped through tunnels but many were killed.
We found ourselves again walking through the Jewish Quarter and observing how compact and dense everything is. Some of the apartments here go for over $ 1 million. It is such a sacred space to some that they want to live as close to the Temple Mount as possible. Little children are in the narrow streets playing and I wonder who is watching them but they seem to be okay and know exactly where to go. We also walked through the Armenian Quarter - there are four quarters within the Old City walls - Jewish Quarter, Armenian Quarter, Christian Quarter, and Muslim Quarter. Another reason for all the difficulties here.We were in three of the Quarters today and met a lovely Christian woman who owns a pharmacy just inside Jaffa Gate - across the street from Jacob's Pizza! I'm learning my way around but I can easily be confused by the streets .
During dinner last night Larry and I became acquainted with two more graduate students who are amazing women. One is from Hong Kong and has worked for 17 years with Time Magazine in their Marketing Division for the Asian market. She feels God has called her to leave that and learn more about the Bible and it's history and roots so she can more effectively present to the Chinese the validity of Biblical history. The other woman is from New York, not far from Manhattan and worked most recently for seven years as a pharmaceutical rep . Before that she had been overseas for seven years as an entrepreneur bringing food to Gambia, Sierra Leone and other African countries. She learned finance at Carnegie-Mellon then felt God calling her to help provide food to these countries and she became an importer and set up her own company and contacts with store keepers there. She also tithed off the food and allowed those who needed help to come and take the food she had set aside. She has a passion to learn more about the Bible in the land of the Bible. God is doing amazing things in the lives of the men and women here and I am so blessed to be a part of this and to hear these stories of how God leads in different ways with each person. Each person is unique and each story is a little different but our mighty God is working in amazing ways all over the world!
Sunday morning we walked to Christ Church near Jaffa Gate in the Old City. On our way I noticed two soldiers (a gal and a guy) walking toward us from the Old City Wall. As they approached, I thought they were going to ask us for identification. Imagine my surprise when they asked us how to get to Jaffa Gate! We were directing them? They spoke in Hebrew but switched to English and we told them we were headed that way and to follow us. Ronit and Micha were to meet others at the entrance to Jaffa Gate. Ronit was from Herzeliya (sp?) near the coast. She told us she had a sister living in the US. We found out later from Dr. Paul Wright that a number of Israelis have never been to Jerusalem or only to West Jerusalem and have never entered East Jerusalem. He said, "Many of them are afraid for their safety just like some parents in the US are afraid for their children's safety. "We saw a lot of young soldiers in the Old City that day and Dr. Wright said they were probably in Basic Training and as part of that training they are taken to the Jewish Quarter, the Western Wall and other meaningful places to help them remember what they have fought for over the years. They looked so young to me and carrying a rifle slung over their shoulder. Young men serve three years and the women serve two years.
The worship time at the Anglican Church was very meaningful as we heard a speaker from the Barnabas Fund in the UK preach from Jeremiah 2. Worship had a charismatic flavor to it and was very meaningful. The Barnabas Fund is helping Christians in Pakistan who have suffered from the terrible flood damage. I was touched when he described a mother and her daughter who lost everything. They have nothing and yet the mother said, "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." What faith! He told us the damage is devastating in Pakistan. I do hope you are praying and giving to help alleviate this suffering.
Another pleasant surprise after the service was to meet Allison Barlow a Taylor graduate from 2008 who is teaching at the Anglican School. She met up with us and invited us and other Taylor students to her apartment for dinner over Succot. She did her student teaching at this school and then they offered her a job. She loves being here.
In the afternoon Dr. Wright took his Physical Settings class on a walking tour of the Old City from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm. It was fascinating and exhausting. He is a wonderful teacher and we visited the Upper Room, overlooked the Temple Mount area, visited the Jewish Quarter and walked down the Cardo and looked at the archaeological remains, visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, walked through a portion of the Muslim quarter, and entered and left through Zion Gate. The views were amazing and he helps us understand more how the Israelite pilgrims to Jerusalem must have felt on their journey to Mt. Zion. The Psalms of Ascent have taken on more meaning to me as they must have encouraged each other with these Psalms as they climbed. Psalm 122 and 126 are wonderful to read and think about. My feet were sore by the time I returned back to campus. A regular work day here is Sunday with the Israelis observing Saturday and hardly any traffic on the streets.
I was able to contact Annie Fischler (the woman we met on our way to the King David Hotel last Friday) via email and she is preparing an art exhibition. We have invited her to JUC to join us for dinner next week. She is from Belgium and has lived in Israel for 38 years. We look forward to knowing her better.
Today a Taylor student and I went back to the Old City and went to the Western Wall and sat down in the women's section and observed other women praying and reading the Bible. There were quite a few young teen-agers there in their school uniforms. I sat and stared at the amazing foundation stones from the second temple period that were there during the time of Christ. There were pidgeons flying onto the ledge of the stones and some plants growing out of the wall. We noticed that the orthodox do not turn their backs to the wall so when you leave you back away from the wall and then after so many steps you can turn. Esther and I did the same thing, without tripping! There is a barrier wall about six feet tall that has small openings where we ca peek at the men worshipping on the other side. They were singing songs together and they had good voices! We then visited the Burnt House museum which contains the remains of a house that was probably owned by a priestly family (found an inscription there) and that was burned by the Romans in approximately 70 AD. There were skeletal remains found plus all kinds of pottery and other implements and the outline of the house. What was fascinating to us was to watch the movie that had been put together with actors replicating what it may have been like at that time and the division that existed in Jerusalem between the Zealots (who lived in the lower city and wanted to rebel against Rome) and the priests and others who lived in the upper city. There was much injustice but it was so vividly portrayed with the burning of Jerusalem that it really left an impression of what it could have been like at that time and also another reminder of how many Jewish men, women , and children were killed. Some escaped through tunnels but many were killed.
We found ourselves again walking through the Jewish Quarter and observing how compact and dense everything is. Some of the apartments here go for over $ 1 million. It is such a sacred space to some that they want to live as close to the Temple Mount as possible. Little children are in the narrow streets playing and I wonder who is watching them but they seem to be okay and know exactly where to go. We also walked through the Armenian Quarter - there are four quarters within the Old City walls - Jewish Quarter, Armenian Quarter, Christian Quarter, and Muslim Quarter. Another reason for all the difficulties here.We were in three of the Quarters today and met a lovely Christian woman who owns a pharmacy just inside Jaffa Gate - across the street from Jacob's Pizza! I'm learning my way around but I can easily be confused by the streets .
During dinner last night Larry and I became acquainted with two more graduate students who are amazing women. One is from Hong Kong and has worked for 17 years with Time Magazine in their Marketing Division for the Asian market. She feels God has called her to leave that and learn more about the Bible and it's history and roots so she can more effectively present to the Chinese the validity of Biblical history. The other woman is from New York, not far from Manhattan and worked most recently for seven years as a pharmaceutical rep . Before that she had been overseas for seven years as an entrepreneur bringing food to Gambia, Sierra Leone and other African countries. She learned finance at Carnegie-Mellon then felt God calling her to help provide food to these countries and she became an importer and set up her own company and contacts with store keepers there. She also tithed off the food and allowed those who needed help to come and take the food she had set aside. She has a passion to learn more about the Bible in the land of the Bible. God is doing amazing things in the lives of the men and women here and I am so blessed to be a part of this and to hear these stories of how God leads in different ways with each person. Each person is unique and each story is a little different but our mighty God is working in amazing ways all over the world!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Life in Jerusalem--Saturday, August 28, 2010
It has been a fascinating four days for us. My senses are overwhelmed as I try to drink in everything around me. Today is Shabbat so it is much quieter. Tonight, when Shabbat is over, everyone comes out of their homes and I am joining the students for a walking tour in the "New City--West Jerusalem" as part of their orientation. On Wed. the Wrights took us to the Mamilla Mall for lunch and I felt like I was back in a mall in Indianapolis or FT Wayne with stores like The Gap, bookstores, cafes, and women's fashions just like I see at home. The Mall was built all around a beautiful church and we were told that due to demonstrations by the Hasidic Jewish Community construction was delayed for almost four years. They were demonstrating because they did not want a movie theatre in the Mall. Perhaps there were other reasons too???
The students began arriving yesterday from all over. We have met students from Westmont, Messiah, Indiana Wesleyan, Eastern Univ., Calvin, Wheaton, Hong Kong and Japan. Two students are from Taylor and we are enjoying getting to know them better. They are all thrilled to be here and eager to study and experience this amazing land. I've been in orientation sessions with them all day. I had a short training session yesterday afternoon on my work in the library with the Lindsay Collection. I look forward to helping them with this project about one afternoon a week (hoping this non-librarian can provide needed help).
I had a very memorable birthday yesterday. Larry took me to the King David Hotel for breakfast, which is very close to JUC. On our way we stopped to ask a woman and man who were chatting if we were on the right stairway up the hill to the King David. The woman volunteered to show us the way. We had just walked through the artist's colony and I noticed one of the shops was listed as Annie Fischler, Artist. She was friendly to us and walked us by the French Consulate and I asked her if she lived near here and she told me she was an artist. We thanked her and moved on. After our fabulous breakfast buffet in the historic King David, we walked out to the terrace and there was the artist sitting having coffee. We approached her and thanked her for her directions and she asked for our phone number. We don't have a phone except for JUC's phone so she wrote down her name for us and email and her name is Annie Fischler--the shop owner I had just walked by! She would like to come visit us at JUC so I will be contacting her by email. I have been praying that I would have an opportunity to get to know an Israeli woman and possibly interview her about what it is like to live in Jerusalem and raise a family here. Is she the one? We shall see. One more thing--the man who was chatting with Annie was speaking Hebrew but when we stopped he asked in English and with a southern drawl if we were from the school in Texas because he saw Larry's TU on his shirt. We told him we were from Taylor University and he said, "You better buckle up because we are in for quite a ride." We assumed he was referring to something eschatological--perhaps the Rapture??? We are meeting some very interesting people! That was the point when Annie offered to walk with us to the King David Hotel.
During dinner last night the Wrights surprised me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers for my birthday and all the students sang Happy Birthday. They are so sweet! There are about 50 students with some living off-campus (primarily married students and graduate students) with undergrads on the Mt Zion campus. It's interesting to observe how community is formed as people come from all over the world to share life in Jerusalem together and on the field trips. One of the students told me how he woke up at 4:00 am due to jet lag and went to the school rooftop and met God there in a very special way as he prayed and looked around him at the city and at the sky. His joy and delight in this experience was very touching. He is so glad to be here.
In devotions led by Paul Wright he read from Psalm 126, one of the Psalms of ascent. He compared the joy of the Israelites over the restoration of Zion to what we are experiencing as we embark on this "ascent to Jerusalem" and specifically to living on Mt. Zion. "Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, The Lord has done great things for them. The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy."--Ps 126:2-3 He said this can be a Psalm for all places and for all times. I echo this joy--The Lord has done great things for us!
It has been a fascinating four days for us. My senses are overwhelmed as I try to drink in everything around me. Today is Shabbat so it is much quieter. Tonight, when Shabbat is over, everyone comes out of their homes and I am joining the students for a walking tour in the "New City--West Jerusalem" as part of their orientation. On Wed. the Wrights took us to the Mamilla Mall for lunch and I felt like I was back in a mall in Indianapolis or FT Wayne with stores like The Gap, bookstores, cafes, and women's fashions just like I see at home. The Mall was built all around a beautiful church and we were told that due to demonstrations by the Hasidic Jewish Community construction was delayed for almost four years. They were demonstrating because they did not want a movie theatre in the Mall. Perhaps there were other reasons too???
The students began arriving yesterday from all over. We have met students from Westmont, Messiah, Indiana Wesleyan, Eastern Univ., Calvin, Wheaton, Hong Kong and Japan. Two students are from Taylor and we are enjoying getting to know them better. They are all thrilled to be here and eager to study and experience this amazing land. I've been in orientation sessions with them all day. I had a short training session yesterday afternoon on my work in the library with the Lindsay Collection. I look forward to helping them with this project about one afternoon a week (hoping this non-librarian can provide needed help).
I had a very memorable birthday yesterday. Larry took me to the King David Hotel for breakfast, which is very close to JUC. On our way we stopped to ask a woman and man who were chatting if we were on the right stairway up the hill to the King David. The woman volunteered to show us the way. We had just walked through the artist's colony and I noticed one of the shops was listed as Annie Fischler, Artist. She was friendly to us and walked us by the French Consulate and I asked her if she lived near here and she told me she was an artist. We thanked her and moved on. After our fabulous breakfast buffet in the historic King David, we walked out to the terrace and there was the artist sitting having coffee. We approached her and thanked her for her directions and she asked for our phone number. We don't have a phone except for JUC's phone so she wrote down her name for us and email and her name is Annie Fischler--the shop owner I had just walked by! She would like to come visit us at JUC so I will be contacting her by email. I have been praying that I would have an opportunity to get to know an Israeli woman and possibly interview her about what it is like to live in Jerusalem and raise a family here. Is she the one? We shall see. One more thing--the man who was chatting with Annie was speaking Hebrew but when we stopped he asked in English and with a southern drawl if we were from the school in Texas because he saw Larry's TU on his shirt. We told him we were from Taylor University and he said, "You better buckle up because we are in for quite a ride." We assumed he was referring to something eschatological--perhaps the Rapture??? We are meeting some very interesting people! That was the point when Annie offered to walk with us to the King David Hotel.
During dinner last night the Wrights surprised me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers for my birthday and all the students sang Happy Birthday. They are so sweet! There are about 50 students with some living off-campus (primarily married students and graduate students) with undergrads on the Mt Zion campus. It's interesting to observe how community is formed as people come from all over the world to share life in Jerusalem together and on the field trips. One of the students told me how he woke up at 4:00 am due to jet lag and went to the school rooftop and met God there in a very special way as he prayed and looked around him at the city and at the sky. His joy and delight in this experience was very touching. He is so glad to be here.
In devotions led by Paul Wright he read from Psalm 126, one of the Psalms of ascent. He compared the joy of the Israelites over the restoration of Zion to what we are experiencing as we embark on this "ascent to Jerusalem" and specifically to living on Mt. Zion. "Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, The Lord has done great things for them. The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy."--Ps 126:2-3 He said this can be a Psalm for all places and for all times. I echo this joy--The Lord has done great things for us!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
WE HAVE ARRIVED!
Here we are on Mt. Zion acclimating ourselves to life in Jerusalem and at Jerusalem University College. First impressions--it's very hot (but we have a fan in our room), the city is like a metropolis with heavy traffic and yet we can see the golden dome of the Dome of the Rock and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre from a distance, we hear the bells of the Dormition Abbey behind the school but I have not heard the call to prayer from the minaret as yet. We are jet lagged but trying to keep ourselves awake until this evening.
Our flight from Philadelphia to Tel Aviv was 100% full and slightly delayed. The pilot announced we needed to be moved to a longer runway since we were so heavily loaded and that took some time--a little more information than I needed. Heavily loaded?? No problem, however, there were a multitude of little ones on this flight who were very tired and cross so it was noisy but they did quiet down and fall asleep eventually. (: It was interesting for us to hear Hebrew again from so many passengers and many young people. When the plane landed in Tel Aviv everyone on board applauded. I wondered if they were thanking the pilot or expressing their joy about being back in Israel. Out came the cell phones with students calling Ima and Abba (Mommy and Daddy). The Ben Gurion Airport is lovely and we easily found a shuttle to Jerusalem and met the dinner cooks for JUC on the shuttle. They are a young couple from Chicago volunteering at JUC for a year. Paula is a former student at JUC. All the alums want to come back. (: On our shuttle were several orthodox Jewish families with the women having their hair totally covered in very lovely hats and then a young mother with two little ones. It was interesting to see the neighborhoods they lived in as they were dropped off. One of the orthodox men pointed out to us the largest synagogue in Israel right in their neighborhood. He was very proud of it and it is huge! Larry noticed the entrance for the women and another entrance for the men. I feel like I am gulping in so much information and my eyes cannot take it all in.
Paul and Dianne Wright (Paul is President of JUC) welcomed us on our arrival around 6:00 pm and showed us our room and there were several students to help with luggage, etc. The Wrights had placed in our room a lovely dish of nectarines (huge) and apples with a welcoming note on a card showing JUC and then invited us to dinner in their apartment. What a wonderful way to say "We're glad you are here." Several new people were there and she shared some barbequed shredded turkey that we made into a taco or burrito. There melons are similar to cantalopue. What a treat!
After unpacking this morning, Larry and I ventured out to Jaffa Gate and noted all the changes along the way and at the entrance. They are making a plaza at the entrance to the gate. Because of the heat we shortened our walk and turned east and noticed a small restaurant at Christ Church Hospice run by the Anglican Church. They had a lovely buffet in a very cool room and so we stopped. Meals at JUC officially begin Friday evening but we have access to some breakfast items and will probably eat out some of the time. Wrights are hosting all of the early birds for Pizza tonight. We walked back to JUC through the Armenian Quarter and exited through Zion Gate. So many memories for us as we often walked this area years ago. Every place is so busy. We overlook the Hinnom Valley from our room and we noticed the previous years of a soccer field below the school has been changed and now we see an amphitheatre of sorts and it looks like they are building a stage for a concert--maybe this weekend?? I walked the JUC garden area this morning and found it's not quite as green as in previous years. It takes lots of water for everything. Right next to the school is the Jerusalem Protestant Cemetery with many British soldiers buried there along with Horatio Spafford and his wife, plus archaeologists and the founders of JUC, Dr. G. Douglas Young and Georgina.
It looks like my volunteer work will consist of working in the library helping to put in place a collection given by Bob Lindsay, the former pastor of Baptist House and a Southern Baptist Missionary who gave his library to JUC upon his death. When we were students here we attended his church and had the privilege of meeting him. He was a very interesting man who loved Israel and lost his leg when he ventured into a minefield to rescue a young Arab boy who found himself trapped there and afraid. This occurred in the years before the Six--Day War
in the area of no-man's land in Jerusalem. He survived the loss of his leg and wore a prothesis for the rest of his life. God greatly used him.
We love meeting the graduate students who are here finishing there MA degree. Next door to us is a young couple with a baby who is just finishing the program and will be leaving in two weeks. So many interesting people.
Thanks for letting me ramble on as we begin this adventure in Jerusalem and adjust to life in Israel.
Here we are on Mt. Zion acclimating ourselves to life in Jerusalem and at Jerusalem University College. First impressions--it's very hot (but we have a fan in our room), the city is like a metropolis with heavy traffic and yet we can see the golden dome of the Dome of the Rock and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre from a distance, we hear the bells of the Dormition Abbey behind the school but I have not heard the call to prayer from the minaret as yet. We are jet lagged but trying to keep ourselves awake until this evening.
Our flight from Philadelphia to Tel Aviv was 100% full and slightly delayed. The pilot announced we needed to be moved to a longer runway since we were so heavily loaded and that took some time--a little more information than I needed. Heavily loaded?? No problem, however, there were a multitude of little ones on this flight who were very tired and cross so it was noisy but they did quiet down and fall asleep eventually. (: It was interesting for us to hear Hebrew again from so many passengers and many young people. When the plane landed in Tel Aviv everyone on board applauded. I wondered if they were thanking the pilot or expressing their joy about being back in Israel. Out came the cell phones with students calling Ima and Abba (Mommy and Daddy). The Ben Gurion Airport is lovely and we easily found a shuttle to Jerusalem and met the dinner cooks for JUC on the shuttle. They are a young couple from Chicago volunteering at JUC for a year. Paula is a former student at JUC. All the alums want to come back. (: On our shuttle were several orthodox Jewish families with the women having their hair totally covered in very lovely hats and then a young mother with two little ones. It was interesting to see the neighborhoods they lived in as they were dropped off. One of the orthodox men pointed out to us the largest synagogue in Israel right in their neighborhood. He was very proud of it and it is huge! Larry noticed the entrance for the women and another entrance for the men. I feel like I am gulping in so much information and my eyes cannot take it all in.
Paul and Dianne Wright (Paul is President of JUC) welcomed us on our arrival around 6:00 pm and showed us our room and there were several students to help with luggage, etc. The Wrights had placed in our room a lovely dish of nectarines (huge) and apples with a welcoming note on a card showing JUC and then invited us to dinner in their apartment. What a wonderful way to say "We're glad you are here." Several new people were there and she shared some barbequed shredded turkey that we made into a taco or burrito. There melons are similar to cantalopue. What a treat!
After unpacking this morning, Larry and I ventured out to Jaffa Gate and noted all the changes along the way and at the entrance. They are making a plaza at the entrance to the gate. Because of the heat we shortened our walk and turned east and noticed a small restaurant at Christ Church Hospice run by the Anglican Church. They had a lovely buffet in a very cool room and so we stopped. Meals at JUC officially begin Friday evening but we have access to some breakfast items and will probably eat out some of the time. Wrights are hosting all of the early birds for Pizza tonight. We walked back to JUC through the Armenian Quarter and exited through Zion Gate. So many memories for us as we often walked this area years ago. Every place is so busy. We overlook the Hinnom Valley from our room and we noticed the previous years of a soccer field below the school has been changed and now we see an amphitheatre of sorts and it looks like they are building a stage for a concert--maybe this weekend?? I walked the JUC garden area this morning and found it's not quite as green as in previous years. It takes lots of water for everything. Right next to the school is the Jerusalem Protestant Cemetery with many British soldiers buried there along with Horatio Spafford and his wife, plus archaeologists and the founders of JUC, Dr. G. Douglas Young and Georgina.
It looks like my volunteer work will consist of working in the library helping to put in place a collection given by Bob Lindsay, the former pastor of Baptist House and a Southern Baptist Missionary who gave his library to JUC upon his death. When we were students here we attended his church and had the privilege of meeting him. He was a very interesting man who loved Israel and lost his leg when he ventured into a minefield to rescue a young Arab boy who found himself trapped there and afraid. This occurred in the years before the Six--Day War
in the area of no-man's land in Jerusalem. He survived the loss of his leg and wore a prothesis for the rest of his life. God greatly used him.
We love meeting the graduate students who are here finishing there MA degree. Next door to us is a young couple with a baby who is just finishing the program and will be leaving in two weeks. So many interesting people.
Thanks for letting me ramble on as we begin this adventure in Jerusalem and adjust to life in Israel.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Countdown to Jerusalem
Here I am in countdown mode as we are only 11 days from our departure for Jerusalem. I have to admit, the excitement is building in me and I am really looking forward to feasting my eyes once again on this remarkable city and land. Last week I finished reading, O Jerusalem, by Dominique LaPierre and Larry Collins....again. I read it over 20 years ago and thought it would be helpful to refresh my memory on the founding of the state of Israel. The book is amazing and reads just like a novel. I highly recommend it. I appreciated so much the perspective they provided from Palestinians and Israelis. It's really a tragic story because of the loss of life but at the same time an amazing story of how Israel survived the deadly onslaught of five armies.
Now I am in the middle of Jimmy Carter's, Palestine Peace Not Apartheid. My prayer is for peace in that land beloved by so many people.
Suitcases are opened and gradually being filled between visits with friends and various outings. Lots of details to take care of from applying for absentee ballots, Larry finishing his book and my editing, to sweet times with friends who have been so kind. I am very grateful for this opportunity facing us but also for the support and prayers by so many of you. Thank you! Also, thanks to those of you who have encouraged me about my book project and for the connections and stories you have shared with me about your own experiences and struggles. You have been so helpful.
Next posting from Jerusalem!
Now I am in the middle of Jimmy Carter's, Palestine Peace Not Apartheid. My prayer is for peace in that land beloved by so many people.
Suitcases are opened and gradually being filled between visits with friends and various outings. Lots of details to take care of from applying for absentee ballots, Larry finishing his book and my editing, to sweet times with friends who have been so kind. I am very grateful for this opportunity facing us but also for the support and prayers by so many of you. Thank you! Also, thanks to those of you who have encouraged me about my book project and for the connections and stories you have shared with me about your own experiences and struggles. You have been so helpful.
Next posting from Jerusalem!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
"Preliminary Jerusalem Jottings"
As Larry and I make final preparation for our journey to Jerusalem, I want to share with you some "preliminary" Jerusalem Jottings. Part of the whole experience is the anticipation and preparation. I'm at the stage of making numerous lists, updating addresses, having one final lunch, dinner or coffee/tea (I'm a tea lover) with friends, and gathering items I don't want to forget in a sack in the closet before I actually pull down the suitcases from the attic and begin packing.
While living in Jerusalem this fall, I hope to share with family and friends my observations and experiences in this marvelous land. It's somewhat of a deja vu experience for us, since we were students at the former American Institute of Holy Land Studies in 1968-69. Larry had just graduated from seminary and this was our first big adventure overseas. It was life-changing! We continue to be grateful to God for this opportunity that truly launched our thinking and awareness about Middle Eastern issues and allowed us to meet wonderful Israelis and Palestinians. Now known as Jerusalem University College, the campus and program have impacted the lives of numerous men and women over the years and we still keep in touch with some of the friends we made during that significant year. We have been back in Israel for short trips since that time but never for as long as four months.
I hope to provide you with a glimpse of our day-to-day life while in Jerusalem and share with you what God is teaching me about this intriguing land and her people. I will be doing some volunteer work for JUC while Larry will be teaching and I will also travel on field trips with students. Another goal is to continue writing a memoir about my dear brother's life and his struggle with homosexuality and his resulting AIDS. What does "grace and mercy" look like for Christian families who go through this experience with a loved one? It's a little scary to think about writing this and perhaps that's why I have been putting it off. Even if this book never finds a publisher, I pray it will be meaningful to our family and my grandchildren, Jacob (14) and Anna (11) in the years ahead.
Thanks for reading and joining me on this journey. We will arrive in Israel the end of this month. As different ones have asked if we are afraid to be in Israel during this precarious time, I honestly have to admit that we are not afraid but more excited. As my son-in-law Brad (Philosophy PhD graduate student at Baylor University) reminded me, "Hey Mom, what a great place to be if something happens. What a way to go! You know you will be with the Savior immediately!" Well said, I thought. As I was reading in Isaiah, the Lord seemed to point me to this special verse that I am claiming as my own while we are in Israel (of course it is great for all times). Isiah 33:6--He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.
While living in Jerusalem this fall, I hope to share with family and friends my observations and experiences in this marvelous land. It's somewhat of a deja vu experience for us, since we were students at the former American Institute of Holy Land Studies in 1968-69. Larry had just graduated from seminary and this was our first big adventure overseas. It was life-changing! We continue to be grateful to God for this opportunity that truly launched our thinking and awareness about Middle Eastern issues and allowed us to meet wonderful Israelis and Palestinians. Now known as Jerusalem University College, the campus and program have impacted the lives of numerous men and women over the years and we still keep in touch with some of the friends we made during that significant year. We have been back in Israel for short trips since that time but never for as long as four months.
I hope to provide you with a glimpse of our day-to-day life while in Jerusalem and share with you what God is teaching me about this intriguing land and her people. I will be doing some volunteer work for JUC while Larry will be teaching and I will also travel on field trips with students. Another goal is to continue writing a memoir about my dear brother's life and his struggle with homosexuality and his resulting AIDS. What does "grace and mercy" look like for Christian families who go through this experience with a loved one? It's a little scary to think about writing this and perhaps that's why I have been putting it off. Even if this book never finds a publisher, I pray it will be meaningful to our family and my grandchildren, Jacob (14) and Anna (11) in the years ahead.
Thanks for reading and joining me on this journey. We will arrive in Israel the end of this month. As different ones have asked if we are afraid to be in Israel during this precarious time, I honestly have to admit that we are not afraid but more excited. As my son-in-law Brad (Philosophy PhD graduate student at Baylor University) reminded me, "Hey Mom, what a great place to be if something happens. What a way to go! You know you will be with the Savior immediately!" Well said, I thought. As I was reading in Isaiah, the Lord seemed to point me to this special verse that I am claiming as my own while we are in Israel (of course it is great for all times). Isiah 33:6--He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.
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