Monday, January 25, 2010

Ellen's Guest Blog: Two Cities and Four Millennia






It was a dark and stormy night….but that came later.


This is Paul’s sister, Ellen, honored to be Pam’s first guest blogger. We began the day with a walk to the Old City to visit the Temple Mount. Paul and Noa both have blogged about their first visit to this place, with its four thousand-year history, one of the most contested 35.5 acres on the planet. I had pretty high expectations as I walked by the plastic riot shields strategically placed on the walkway past security. I was struck by the separation feeling of walking by (and above) Jews praying at the Western Wall onto Temple Mount, controlled by an Islamic Waqf. What is holiness? There’s nothing visually remarkable about the Temple Mount. The al-Aqsa Mosque isn’t pretty, it isn’t even majestic. Non-Muslims are barred entry to it and the Dome of the Rock – selective holiness? I listened to a tour guide say the Dome of the Rock is, in fact, in direct contravention of Mohammed’s dictum that money should not be wasted on temples. Apparently the $8.2 million spent by King Hussein in 1998 to purchase the 80 kg of gold for the latest dome refurbishment was critical. 


Apparently holiness doesn’t prohibit either trash burning on or general trashing of Temple Mount. Apparently holiness doesn’t extend to taking care of this tree section, which has been carbon dated to the time of the First Temple, built by King Solomon about three thousand years ago. Maybe holiness is what you make of it.

Pam and I walked to the Central Bus Station in spite of the forecast for rain and thunderstorms in Tel Aviv (which did not materialize, rather we enjoyed six sunny, warm hours!). Paul and Noa went home for a productive day of study and work in the warm, sunny Jerusalem apartment. Except for driving past burned out remains of military transport left on the side of a major highway, the east to west bus trip was an uneventful hour.


Tel Aviv shows every bit of the four thousand year difference from where we began the day. As secular as Jerusalem is religious, as modern as Jerusalem is old, as wide open as Jerusalem is narrow. Pam, an ace after living here for five days, took me on a whirlwind tour. With no map, we headed directly from the bus station onto Levinski St. courtesy of Ruth, a lovely young woman who guided us to her favorite spice shop. As we were the only people, we were showered with the proprietor’s enthusiastic pride in his custom-made spice blends and procured a delightful selection. My quinoa will be well-spiced when I return home, and I’ll need to keep yogurt at the ready by any dish in which I include the chili powder – it’s about a 9/10.


Continuing on our mapless way, we roamed through Neveh Tzedek (trendy) and the Carmel Market (Whole Foods just DREAMS about produce this good and fresh) to visit Serge and Michael, the hosts of the bed & breakfast with whom Paul, Pam and Noa stayed last month. How Serge’s face positively lit up when he opened the gate is testament to Pam’s ability to connect with people. In spite of the lovely invitation to stay, we could not tarry and moved on.


Another key difference from Jerusalem is that Tel Aviv is on the ocean. So it has a beach. A beautiful beach. But unlike the beaches of Southern California, even on a winter’s day, there were no crowds. There were hardly any people. True, the wind was blowing above 30 knots, which made walking a bit….refreshing.  And, like all winds, it was directly against us. But the windsurfers and kiteboarders were in heaven.


We finally clawed our way into Old Yafo and stopped for a delicious pre-lunch gelato. Life is short, eat dessert first. We asked the store clerk for directions to Puaa, our lunch restaurant destination. “Go down this street past the clock tower, at not the first street but the second, turn left and ask the people there, they’ll direct you.” So we did. At the furniture shop, we then asked a woman how to find Puaa. “Go straight, at not the first street but the second, turn right and ask the people there.” So we did. We went through this same scene two more times and deep in the heart of Old Yaffo we found Puaa! We then enjoyed possibly the best two dishes we’ve had – lentils & rice and pumpkin dumplings in curry sauce.


More wanderings took us through trendier upscale neighborhoods and a West Village-like (NYC) shopping street before succumbing to weariness reflective of the 30,000 steps (~15 miles) we’d trod and taking buses all the way home (intra-Tel Aviv, TA  Jerusalem, and intra-Jerusalem). On the bus back to Jerusalem, a nice 41-year old Israeli named David used the 20-something boy next to him to talk to us and invite me to go with him for a drink tomorrow night. Given that he didn’t particularly speak English, and I certainly don’t speak Hebrew, I had a difficult time imagining even what the cultural benefits could be. Pam, supportive as ever, made sure to get his phone number. Oy.

There are, of course, similarities between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, but Tel Aviv produces extremes - the chazzerei in Old Yaffo is junkier, the produce in Carmel Market is oversize and beautiful (that may be a Tel Aviv thing – even the bagels are huge!), and the rebuilding/renovation appears be conducted at a furious pace. Both cities have intense energy. But Jerusalem looks to the past. Tel Aviv looks to the future. God doesn’t choose. But I think s/he’d prefer to live in Tel Aviv.

Friday, January 22, 2010

And there were all these dead people and religion...


Finally some adventure again! Poor Paul had to work...again, those Fulbright folks expect so much. Oh yeah, that's why we're here. We were on our way to Tel Aviv for the day when Paul called to let us know it was pouring there, at least Jerusalem had some blue sky poking through the clouds.
 We bailed on TA.



Off to the old city yet again, we head back to East Jerusalem (Muslim part of Jerusalem) to see if we could find access to  the "GOLDEN GATE"    (See photo with me Noa and Ellen)
For those of you who don't know what the Golden Gate is, here's a quick primer:  The Golden Gate has long interested many Muslims, most Jews and Christians as the place of the Last Judgment. Historically, judgments were rendered in the gates of the city (Gen. 19:1, 23:10, for instance). Since the Messiah was to come from the East (Matthew 24:27), it was concluded that his judgment would be at the eastern gate. This is one reason for the many Muslim, Christian, and Jewish graves on the Eastern slopes of the Temple Mount, in the Kidron Valley, and on the Western slopes of the Mount of Olives.  The Golden Gate was walled up by the Arabs in the year 810. It  has remained closed now for nearly 12 centuries. (Photo above is Arab cemetery adjacent to Golden Gate).


Because of the Messianic association with the Golden Gate - which clearly symbolizes both judgment and mercy because of the Arabic names attached to the gate - adherents to all three faiths have wanted to be buried as close as possible to the Golden Gate. The assumption was that the dead in the immediate vicinity would be the first to be raised. In the Middle Ages the Jews were forbidden to bury on Mount Moriah. Instead they buried their dead opposite the gate and to the South on the Mount of Olives. This Jewish cemetery is the oldest in continuous use anywhere in the world. A burial plot, it is said, if it were available there, could cost $50,000 or more. The Christian cemetery lies in the bottom of the Kidron Valley (in sad condition) while the Muslim burial area covers the eastern Temple Mount hillside up to and surrounding the Golden Gate. Thank you to Mr. L. Dolphin who's website I lifted this from:-) 
 

 When we were on the Temple Mount a few weeks ago we came close to the Golden Gates from inside the old city we were YELLED at and told to "GET OUT" by the Muslim security person.  Getting to the gate was a no brainer from outside the old city. We walked the Kidron Valley (Vale of Jehoshaphat which contained the Tomb of Absalom and the Tomb of Zechariah, which are believed to be part of a 1st Century necropolis that encircled Jerusalem and served wealthy citizens and/or nobles of the Herodian court.

 We then crossed the street to the east and were on the mount of Olives the Jewish cemetery side. The gravestones were lined up perfectly and all faced the Golden Gate (waiting for the Messiah). This is a photo of a funeral I was able to shoot with a good zoom (I am using a point and shoot camera).



We walked about 15 miles today as we couldn't stop, each step (all uphill of course) was more and more interesting. On the way down we walked through the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus was betrayed; the olive trees (I think 8 of them are said to be over 2000 years old and is said that it was from one of these trees that Judas hung himself).  Continuing on we walked into a small church which just happened to hold Mary's tomb. (mother of Jesus).  It is so strange to wander into places and History happened there.


My least favorite part of the day was when we were walking up Jericho Road and I spied the photo of the bombed bus carcass:-( 

Well it is late here and I need to sleep so I can walk and discover more tomorrow.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Aunt Ellen and a few Favorite Things





Paul's sister Ellen arrived last weekend, for those of you who don't know the story Ellen and I were pals in Los Angeles long  before I met Paul. After every visit with Ellen I always have tighter abs from all the laughing we do... as in non stop.  Here we are atop the ramparts in the old city.  We have had the best run of weather 60's through 80's since we arrived... until two nights ago when the largest storm in recent years hit, the lightening was so bright and thunder so loud sleep was difficult to come by and we are fortunate to have a skylight above our bed so I was able to watch the production while Paul slept and  missed the whole thing.






We walked the usual 15 miles today,  Noa and Paul kept up.  We toured the usual tourist hot spots with Ellen and saw the following, Kosher McDonald's, interesting people, including sleeping soldiers. lots of religious sorts, the scene above is in the Church of the Holy Seulchre at the place where Jesus was taken down from the cross.  People rub everything from their linens, to candles, and  water bottles on the stone over this sacred place.... and hope their items are blessed.


This religious man covered his hat (all of this sect appear to) as it was raining outside, you may have noticed each sect has a different type of hat, some wear what look like bathrobes, some wear knickers... all look very religious as they walk down the street praying or talking on cell phones... perhaps to the lord.







I can't tell much about,this man, only that he looked very ...umm different, and was drinking a cappuccino.

My dear friend Marilyn is a bit of a shoe fanatic, this is a piece of art by a famous Israeli artist named David Gerstein.  How did they say in "Fiddler on the Roof"... If I were a rich man, I would buy my friend a shoe sculpture for $22,000? It is made of small butterflies and is 3 layers deep:-)  And VERY BEAUTIFUL.



Saturday, January 16, 2010

Cats







Ever since we arrived over three weeks ago I have seen hundreds of feral cats.  My initial reaction was to complain to the government about starting a campaign to spay and neuter the cats on the street as there are truly dozens on almost every block!   Some live near the open markets, some in the old city hiding among ruins, ancient buildings and roads and all look pretty streetwise and thin.  Some have missing eyes from fighting, some show the wounds of recent fights.  All make me sad. The local people seem indifferent.

At first I thought the Israelis were lazy or didn't care about animals.  I talked to many people about the stray cats, and the fact that there aren't many birds for a place in such a Mediterranean and perfect environment.  I was told that the cats were initially brought in to "take care of the rodent problem".  The rodents disappeared and the cats multiplied.  There was an uproar by the citizens about all the cats, so they were... taken care of too,  Soon the rodents returned, and cats were brought back in... Can you say vicious cycle?

These cats were in the oldest part of the old city in the Kardo fighting.  I broke it up and the aggressor (the black cat that looks like Mr Gryff) became my friend.  I have seen him every time I've gone through that area and he purrs and lets me pet him... and Noa says "USE THE PURELL"



The cats congregate near open markets especially around fish and meat sellers  Many nice people leave out fresh water, we even saw an old man feeding 30+ cats in a park.  You can walk down a major shopping street and see cats in the trash bins or just walking down the street.  Some even walk into restaurants, we saw one on a chair in a Tel Aviv restaurant.

I don't know what the answer is, but a country that has loads of smart people can certainly do better than this.



Thursday, January 14, 2010

People

It's been two days without earth shattering things to write about.  It's been very calm and sweet spending time with Noa as Paul has been working and traveling.  I took Noa back to some of the places I discovered on my own and just did everyday things like laundry and grocery shopping.  I always take a camera as I never know what I will stumble upon or what interesting characters I will see.  Here are two days worth of people I wouldn't see in Portland.
This is Hussein we met him at the entry to the Damascus Gate.  He was very kind and offered to help us with any thing we needed, and didn't try to sell us anything.


This is not a person but I had to include it as it was so beautiful. We walked past a spice shop and saw this pyramid of powdered oregano, chili peppers and sesame seeds.  I mindlessly touched it as it was so perfect and I didn't think it was real... there was a very small avalanche and I didn't get yelled at or my hand cut off.



 Photo from my patio, old woman putting out her grown sons laundry

Old religious man

Not so religious woman but very spiritual:-)


I saw this Russian woman reading by the entryway to the Temple Mount.  Later in the day she was preening and plucking  her eyebrows in a luxury mall restroom.

Cutest boy in Israel (per Noa)  we call him Potato Boy as he served us cold roasted potatoes




Christian Orthodox man in a hurry with his shopping bags.

I hope to have another adventure tomorrow.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

What do Alaska and Jerusalem have in Common?


They both have a bridge to nowhere, and the Dollar Store... well sort of.  We walked to the main bus station with Paul so he could see where to catch his bus to Tel Aviv and Alon Shvuk in the West Bank... OY.  Paul tells me the bus to the West Bank bus is bullet proof, Noa and I feel better:-)  The security to enter the bus station was tighter than any US airport! Questions, conveyor belts, and a magnetometer.  We saw more IDF soldiers in the bus depot than anywhere else in the country.  We have seen so many soldiers that we can now tell army, from air-force, and border control.  Most are cute and very young carrying huge guns!


We saw the Bridge to Nowhere which we heard about from our taxi driver to Jerusalem.  It was beautiful and when we saw it in the distance we had to walk over it... we were 3 of 6 people who used it today.  Here are Paul and Noa coming and going:




In the bus station there were many restaurants and shops, bakeries, sporting goods, chazeri, and yes the 5 Shekel Store!  Israel also has junk from China.  5 Shekels is about $1.30, and yes it is the same stuff we can get in Portland (and it really is called the 5 Shekel Store!.


We passed through a park with all sorts of gym equipment for the people.  Noa and I took full advantage of the sort of... elliptical machine:-)

Last but not least my favorite photo of the day:  Religious man with a mission on the Bridge to Nowhere!

Monday, January 11, 2010

Wandering again

So much to see and so little time.  After spraining my ankle yesterday and being stuck in bed with my leg on ice I needed to make up for lost time.  I was on my own and needed to see something new.  I was walking down the main street in our neighborhood and found the wine store, I then bumped into Avital, my dear friends Rabbis Laurie and Gary's daughter from Portland.  I backtracked with her (schlepping 3 bottle of red wine) and then went back to our apartment to unload  (only 3000 steps).  Now I was really off to adventure!


For me all roads lead back to the old city... but I was determined to find a new way in... I was going to find the Zion Gate and without a map. Where as Paul will use a map... I point and shoot.  I get a direction and aim and will crawl over, under or through private property to get where I want to go.  After moseying through the "Tombs of Herods Family" I saw the road I need to cross to get onto the hill I needed to climb... aren't I fun? The 1st photo is a house (sort of) that I passed climbing up towards my goal.  Past mountains of garbage... this place really needs to learn to take better care of the sacred land they all want.


I saw the back of a church and had to hop a rock fence but a pathway was in view.  Through an open rock wall I walked and I thought I had found a new gate to the old city... I felt like a true explorer!  Not quite, this old building and other structures were special... OK; King David's Tomb, but I was not inside the old city yet... They couldn't put his Tomb inside?  I wandered through and avoided the few people I saw or who offered me a cheap tour...





Next I saw a rather lovely church and just looked a round a bit and asked someone what it was...remember, no map.  That would be the Dormition Abbey Where The Last Supper too place (Coenaclum). Where can you wander in Portland like this? Finally I found the Zion Gate, anticlimactic at this point.

I walked through portions of the Jewish Quarter I hadn't seen before,  the remaining photos were taken there. I love seeing the way trees can survive in just about any condition... the oranges were amazing.  The Jewish man was collecting money for the poor, and the old Arab man was such an interesting character.