Lost . . .

Yes, this is late.

It's been a busy couple of weeks.

Saturday night, July 21, was Tisha B'Av (the 9th day of the Hebrew month Av), a day that will live in infamy for the Jewish people. The list of calamities that occurred on that date goes all the way back to Biblical times.

The Hebrew slaves left Egypt in the month of Nissan, roughly April on the solar calendar. Seven weeks later they reached Mt Sinai and received the 10 Commandments. There followed a period of about a year during which a portable tabernacle was built. When it was completed they were ready to set out for the Promised Land. The distance from Sinai to the Promised Land was only a matter of a few weeks. So far so good. When they got close to the border, Moses sent 12 scouts to scope out the land they were about to enter. When they returned from their reconnaissance mission 10 of the 12 reported to Moses that the land was unconquerable. It was inhabited by giants who would wipe out the Jewish people. When news of the report spread throughout the encampment people were distraught and, not for the first time, said why did we leave Egypt? Slavery might not have been a picnic, but at least we weren't going to be crushed like bugs. These same people had witnessed the 10 Plagues, the splitting of the Reed Sea (not a typo - the actual name of the sea is Reed, not Red), they'd eaten manna and fought the Amalakites and won. But when 10 of the 12 scouts reported a land of giants, they fell apart. Well, this was the last straw for the Ruler of the universe. If the people who left Egypt and experienced all those miracles didn't have faith that they would prevail in the land that was promised to them ... well, that generation simply didn't get to inherit the land. That's why it took another 38 years of wandering in the desert; the slave generation had to be replaced by a new generation that didn't know Egypt. And when did all this crying and complaining take place? Yup, the 9th of Av.

Other notable events that occurred on that fateful date:

Both Temples were destroyed. The first in 586 BCE, the second in 70 CE.

The Battle of Beitar, the final losing battle of the revolt against Rome.

In 1095 CE the first crusade was declared. Crusades weren't very good for the Jews; hundreds of thousands were killed by crusaders on their way to the holy land.

In 1290 CE the Jews were expelled from England, and in 1492 from Spain.

The liquidation of the Warsaw Ghetto began in 1942.

And for anyone who doesn't believe in coincidences ... 9/11. The 11th month of the Hebrew calendar is Av.

So with all these events to commemorate, the 9th of Av is a national day of mourning and a fast day. Although observed by Jews worldwide, the date has a more visceral feeling here in Israel. We can actually see where these events happened. It begins at sunset with reading the Book of Lamentations, and there are some very creative locations where this takes place; it's not just in synagogues. There are public readings at the Western Wall, at a promenade overlooking the Old City, and at Herodium (see last week's post), from where the flames of the fires that burned Jerusalem were visible. And for the past 24 years an organization called Women in Green has sponsored a reading of Lamentations in Independence Park followed by a walk around the Old City Walls. We never knew about the walk; we're never here in the summer. So we had to go and it was quite an event. Several hundred people participated, and all the streets along the route were blocked. Naturally there was a large police presence and very few onlookers. Women in Green is a Zionist movement dedicated to safeguarding the Biblical Jewish homeland.

Setting off from Independence Park

Speeches at the end. Too many speeches at the end. It was around midnight.

On Monday the 23rd we went to the Hebrew Music Museum. Sounds boring as hell, right? Well, next time you are in Jerusalem be sure to visit, and don't do the self-guided tour, go with a docent. The museum itself is gorgeous and the collection of instruments is eye-popping. The plus of going on a decent tour is that you get to play the instruments. It was delightful.

Plaza outside the Museum.
Half a dozen great restaurants + an art installation.

This is a "psantranit", which is a precurser to the piano.
It's a72-string instrument described in the Book of Daniel.
There were 12 of these used in the Temple.

This is a Jericho trumpet, as in the walls came tumbling down.
It was also used in the Temple.
The example above comes from Bukhara and sounds like the Swiss horns in the Ricola commercial.

This stringed instrument is a camenche and is covered in fish skin.
The thinking is this is the kind of lyre played by King David.

The flutes on the right are of the type played by King David; also used in the Temple.

Yeminite shofar

This kid was adorable.
He was "volunteered" by his parents when the docent asked if someone wanted to play the instruments.
That's why you want to take a docent-led tour. 

This is a bagpipe. They were made of small goats or cows, and used by merchants in Egypt and Persia to announce their arrival in local markets. The sound is very much like a Scottish bagpipe.

Wood ceiling in the Moroccan room. Hand carved in Morocco by the King's master craftsmen. 

No reason why kids should have all the fun.

The final part of the tour was an astounding virtual reality experience. It was a tour and explanation of the Temple.

And then the roof fell in.

We got home and I couldn't find my American phone. The Samsung 8, which isn't even a year old. We tore the house apart. Then I reconstructed our steps. I know I had it at the museum. From the museum we stopped at a grocery store. Then home. Could I have left it at the museum? The grocery store? I called the museum and they didn't have it. We walked back to the grocery store and they didn't have it. I was beyond inconsolable. The phone is gone, and with it a lot of data that I wouldn't want anyone to get their hands on. I called AT&T and had them block the number. Then I got busy changing all my passwords.

And apparently losing a phone wasn't enough for one day. I was checking emails and lo and behold I had one from Nordstrom. There's no reason to get a Nordstrom bill, since the last time I was there was in May. I opened the bill and saw a $716 charge. No way was this possible. So I called and explained that I'm out of the country and there had to be a mistake. The guy I spoke to checked and said my card was swiped at the Nordstrom on Michigan Avenue on June 26 ... for a pair of designer shoes. How could this be? My Nordstrom card is safely tucked away in Chicago. Well, it seems that my card was due to expire and they sent a new one. Apparently someone got hold of it, activated it and used it. But very cleverly. I have an $750 spending limit, and the charge was just below that threshold. The really bad part was that in order to activate the card whoever took it had to know my social security number. And he or she obviously knows my address, and with the internet it's not hard to find my date of birth. So my next call was to Experion to put a block on my credit report. There's someone out there who could be opening all kinds of credit cards in my name. I've been monitoring my accounts and so far haven't noticed anything odd. But I wouldn't know about any new cards.

Needless to say, I was devastated. This was too much for one day. But it was only one day of a week that was too busy to sweat the small stuff.

On Tuesday we went on a tiyul (outing) to a place called Ga'ash. I'd never heard of it. It's a kibbutz located over a natural mineral spring near Netanya. It's a big attraction for everybody, and I do mean everybody. Old and young. Families. Jews and Arabs. The ultimate melting pot. It was the first time I saw women (Jews and Arabs) in burkinis, which are modestly designed swimming suits.

On the way home we stopped at the music museum, hoping maybe someone found the phone. No luck.

On Wednesday the 25th we met our friends Doris and Norm Levitz and Timna Hurwich for lunch. Doris and Norm are, literally, the accidental immigrants. They came here for Passover and never went home. Fortunately they have someone back in Chicago who is taking care of emptying and selling their house. And they have kids, grandchildren and great-grandchildren here who are taking very good care of them as they settle in. At least one of the kids comes over every day. They are waiting to move into a retirement complex in Shoresh, which is a kibbutz about 15 minutes outside of Jerusalem. Kibbutzim these days aren't just agricultural and manufacturing. They have diversified, and several have gone into the geriatric business. Doris and Norm both look fabulous and are very happy with how things unfolded.

And on Thursday the 26th my niece and nephew, Jenny and Dave, arrived from London. The first place they wanted to go was the shuk, of course. In the evening we went to an amazing dance performance at the Jerusalem Theatre - Flamenco and Classical Spanish.

We took a fascinating walking tour of the Tower of David on Friday morning. Things I learned ... 

It's called the Tower of David, even tho it was built long after King David. Medieval Christians toured the area with their bibles and knew that King David ruled from the "high place". This was a high place with a tower. Unfortunately the tower was a minaret, and the "high place" King David ruled from was across town. But the name stuck.

It was mostly a palace built by Herod, after he reconstructed the Second Temple. Ever the politician who used architecture to make political statements, he built his palace on a hill that was slightly higher than the Temple Mount, and it had the same dimensions as the Temple. The message was unmistakable - I'm the boss.

The moat around the palace never had water (understandable in a desert) or wild animals. The purpose was an early warning system. The moat is too narrow to be effective in an attack. The walls angle outward for a better defensive line of sight. 

Water was always an important feature in Herod's buildings. He was able to channel underground springs into the cisterns that held water for drinking and for his pools and bathhouses. 

I always thought the word kishle was Turkish for prison. Turns out it means barracks. During the 500 year Turkish occupation, they built a police station and barracks. That same police station was used by the British who followed the Turks, and by the Israel police today. The barracks were used by the British as a prison during their rule here. 

The archaeological dig at the site has been slow-going, but they've dug down to 1st Temple times, again confirming various portions of the Bible.

I'd love to post photos, but I couldn't get my Israeli phone to work. 

And so the week ended ... stay tuned for the next installment.

From Jerusalem,

Peggy and Sid

Herodium

Regrettably, the concept of diversity has been so thoroughly co-opted that I have all but eliminated it from my vocabulary. On occasion, however, no other word will do and exceptions must be made.

My summer semester at Pardes wrapped up yesterday. We were asked to submit an evaluation, and in response to one of the questions I had no choice but to answer "diverse". There was a diversity of classes, instructors and most of all students. It was very unusual to be with 20-somethings. Other than at the gym, where I out-last and out-perform them, it's a demographic I know nothing about. That hasn't really changed. But I did learn a few things from teachers who were remarkable and introduced me to areas of study and practice that were compelling. Most important of all I met people who I hope will be lifelong friends.

On Tuesday we had a tiyul (outing) to Herodium, one of King Herod's palaces - the one he chose as his final resting place. It was a place I'd wanted to visit for years. To give you an idea of how controversial Herod was, there is not one street in Israel that bears his name. He was brilliant and paranoid, an egomaniac and self-promoter, manipulative and ruthless, a contemporary of Anthony and Cleopatra, an adroit politician who knew how to balance competing domestic factions while simultaneously keeping his Roman overlords happy enough to remain in power. He was a visionary planner who built palaces, ports and aqueducts. His greatest architectural achievement was the Second Temple, one of the most spectacular in the ancient world. It was so well constructed that the outer retaining wall, the only part of the Temple compound that wasn't destroyed by the Romans in 70CE, survives to this day. That's what the Western Wall is. And to this day no one has figured out how the multi-ton blocks of limestone that support the structure were quarried, transported and put in place. The engineering required for the Temple and projects such as the port of Caesarea and the winter palace of Massada are marvels to this day.

Like Massada, Herodium was considered the invention (and exaggeration) of Josephus, himself a very controversial character. Prior to the Six Day War, when the purported locations were under Jordanian occupation, no one could even explore to verify his writings. Post the '67 War, the Department of Antiquities turned loose the best and brightest to find these fabled palaces. Herodium was identified in the early 70's and the excavations are on-going. But the real prize was the tomb itself, which was located in 2007. There is a very sad story attached to the tomb. In 2010 Ehud Netzer, the archaeologist who spent 35 years of his career working at Herodium, tragically fell to his death at the site, just days before it was to be opened to the public. He was giving a press tour, leaned on a wooden railing which wasn't secured and fell to his death. How ironic that he died in the very place where Herod was buried.

Lower Herodium. It's hard to tell, but this was actually a pool with a large platform in the center.

At the model of the site. 

The model.

The hike up. Way easier than Massada.

Overview of the site.

Our guide. We were sitting in what was originally a banquet hall, but later converted into a synagogue by soldiers of the Bar Kochba revolt.

You have to use your imagination, but this is actually a domed ceiling, one of the tallest for its time.

One of the cisterns.

My soldier boy finished his second week in the army. As always it was a very good experience for him, and invaluable to Israel. I'm very proud of him.

Shabbat shalom from Jerusalem,

Peggy and Sid

Borrowed Time

We've been coming to Israel for 2-1/2 to 3 months every year for the past 5 years. We've always stayed in the same neighborhood, Kiryat Shmuel. It's a lovely area, a 20 minute walk to everything, with good shopping, cafes and bakeries, great public transportation and a good vibe. Coincidentally we know several people who live in the neighborhood.

This time, well let's just say we're not in Kiryat Shmuel anymore. Not that we're in a bad neighborhood ... not by a long shot. Rehavia is one of Jerusalem's nicest. About 10 minutes closer to downtown, which also makes it 10 minutes farther to Pardes, and very quiet. There's no supermarket in the immediate vicinity, but there are three small grocery stores, several cafes, a pizzeria and the all-important gelateria around the corner. There are several bus lines but the stops are farther away. Our old neighborhood only had 2 bus lines, but the stop was almost across the street, and it seems we could get anywhere we needed to go on one of them. After 4 weeks we have concluded that we prefer the old neighborhood.

So imagine my surprise when on Tuesday night about 11PM I heard a racket that sounded like maybe someone was taking a building down. I went out to investigate and there was a bulldozer digging up the street. The city is replacing water pipes, and the work is done at night, 11PM to 4AM. So for two nights it was like being in a battlefield, but it was only two nights.

The apartment itself is very nice. Totally renovated. Two bedrooms and two bathrooms, one ensuite. This one has a washer AND a dryer, which isn't the norm in a country whose climate allows clothes to line dry in a couple of hours. And yes, people do hang laundry out to dry. I'm still stymied by the appliances. I can't figure out what all the symbols mean. All I know is that at home we have 3 temperature options - hot, warm and cold - and 3 types of laundry - dirty, really dirty and delicate. Here you need a decoder ring to figure how what settings to use. I decided the best way to go about this would be to use the setting that seemed the most reasonable in terms of time, which is one hour. At least it's not the 9 hour machine we had a few years ago. And I set the bar pretty low. If it's cleaner when it comes out than when it went in, that's good enough. The oven is also giving me grief. Too many symbols to figure out. And the landlord isn't much help, so I take my best guess and hope nothing blows up.

Sid completed his first week in the army. Once again he's at the central medical supply depot, packing kits and lifting cartons. He's with the same manager, in a group of about 30. He doesn't like his roommate, apparently no one else does either. This is unusual. I've never heard of anyone who participates in this program who isn't nice. I guess there always has to be an exception.

You probably don't hear about what's been going on here because the media can't bring themselves to report anything sympathetic about Israel. This past week a new treatment for Crohn's Disease was announced. This is on top of a string of recent advances in early detection and treatment of cancer.

On the other hand, there has been a constant barrage of terrorist attacks from Gaza by means of, believe it or not, kites, balloons and condoms armed with Molotov cocktails. Several thousand acres of farmland have been destroyed; the devastation is unimaginable. This low tech terrorism is very difficult to counter. The missiles, which leave no radar signal, are nearly impossible to detect. The IDF has tried using drones and lasers, with minimum effect. As long as the prevailing winds blow from west to east, this is going to be something to deal with for a long time.

If they would only use their creativity for something good, like establishing the institutions that would form a functioning civil society and earn the public trust ... but who am I kidding? What they really need to do is find a better use for the condoms ...

The other event that grabbed the headlines this week is the series of earthquakes that have occurred in the Galilee near Tiberias. They've been relatively low on the Richter Scale. I think the strongest was 4.2. But Israel is bisected by the Great African Rift Fault, which causes a major quake every 90-100 years. The last one was in 1927 and claimed 500 lives. We're almost overdue.

We're having our first Shabbat guests tonight - my Krav Maga instructor and training partner. We do have to keep in shape, mentally, physically and socially. After all, we are on borrowed time.

Shabbat shalom from Jerusalem,

Peggy and Sid

The Week That Was

There was more going on this week than usual ... and usual is pretty busy.

Nir and his girlfriend Hannah arrived on Friday. There weren't enough brass bands in Israel to welcome them. We all gathered for brunch at Batsheva and Eli's to celebrate their arrival and to celebrate Moshe's birthday. So what does that mean? More food than usual and 3 cakes. If I don't put on 10 pounds on this trip it will be a miracle.

L to R
Nissim, Hannah, Nir, Batsheva

L to R
Moshe, Talya, Hila, Nissim

Sid & Hannah

L to R
Yonatan,  Tomer, Arel

Jerusalem has the most amazing and unusual cultural events imaginable. On Sunday we went to a light show in the Old City. We meandered the alleyways, following an incredible laser light show. We wound up at the Kotel, which is simply splendid at night.

The Western Wall at night

I started school on Monday. We were introduced to the Pardes Institute about 4 years ago, and have attended many classes and lectures there. It's a top notch academy with an exceptional roster of instructors. The course offerings were mind-boggling and it was difficult to choose which ones to attend. 

I didn't realize what I was getting myself in to. I'd been looking forward to summer school at Pardes for months, but I didn't realize it would be like going back to college. My brain hasn't had this kind of workout since, well, college. And when I walked in, all I saw were kids. Uh-oh. Me and 20-somethings. Great. But grown-ups started to drift in, and someone told me that roughly one third of the 100+ students in the program are over 50. They come from everywhere - US, Canada, France, Australia, South Africa and Israel.

The days are long; I leave the apartment at 8AM and don't get back till after 6PM. The classes are 2-1/2 hours each, and I'm taking four, two of which complement each other. By the time the semester ends I'll be an expert in the Book of Exodus. Plus additional tours, lectures and classes that get squeezed in. As an added bonus the school is across the street from a very nice mall, and I rewarded myself for surviving the first week by buying a nice pair of Teva sandals.

We had a tour on Tuesday afternoon. A walking tour. In 90 degree weather. We started at the top of the Mount of Olives, walked all the way down to the bottom of the Kidron Valley thru the cemetery, with a stop at the tomb of the prophets (where none of the prophets is buried) and Absalom's tomb (where Absalom isn't buried) and back up to the Old City. The Mount of Olives saw a lot of action during Biblical times, and not merely because it was the 50-yard line for watching the destruction of both Temples. There is a place that has a direct line of sight to the doorway of the Temple, and it was on this spot that the priest burned the red heifer. On Yom Kippur the two goats were taken to the same location. Neither had a happy ending; one was thrown off the mountain and the other was sacrificed.  The cemetery, which is about 3000 years old, is the final resting place of people from all walks of life. We visited the common grave of some of the defenders of the Jewish Quarter in the 1948 war. The youngest was a 10 year old boy. Most of the people buried there were civilians, but they were killed in combat, and they were enlisted in the IDF posthumously, given ranks and when the bodies were finally recovered from the Jewish Quarter after 19 years of Jordanian occupation, re-interred on the Mount of Olives. And it was from here that the operation to recapture the Old City in the 1967 war was launched. I had always understood that to be buried on the Mount of Olives today costs upwards of $50,000. Turns out it's not true. An Israeli citizen who resides in Jerusalem can be buried in any municipal cemetery. Hmmmm. Something to think about.

Mount of Olives Cemetery; my future home

Tomb of Nissim Gidi, the 10 year old defender of the Jewish Quarter in the 1948 War

Common grave of the last defenders of the Jewish Quarter in the 1948 War

Ossuaries, where bones are stored after removal from burial caves

But without the prophets. In fact a burial cave for the well-to-do

Inside the burial cave where the caretaker did his best to convince us that
Zacharia, Haggai and Malachi, the last three prophets are buried

Absalon's tome, but no Absalom

First Temple era burial site
Oddly reminiscent of Petra

Wednesday was the Fourth of July. It's a diplomatic event here, even among the many Americans who live in Israel. We attended a very interesting conference sponsored by the Middle East Forum. It was called the Israel Victory Project, which is a new approach to resolving our 100 Years War. The premise is that Oslo and the "Two State Solution" were destined to fail from the get-go, and the only way progress can be made on the "peace process" is by convincing the Palestinians that there is no way they will ever be able to take over the region and wipe Israel off the map. What none of the geniuses who run the world can grasp is, that's the core of the stalemate. As long as any single Palestinian believes that one fine day they will have a country from the Jordan to the Sea, as they like to chant, there will never be any kind of resolution. The idea has merit. But someone has to figure out how.

We should be so lucky

Maybe by next week I'll have an answer.

Shabbat shalom from Jerusalem,

Peggy and Sid

The Red Carpet

People who live in LA, NY or DC are used to seeing celebrities and power brokers. People who live in Chicago, not so much.

Israel too sees lots of the internationally known and recognizable. Ringo Starr was here this week (finally, for the first time). He performed two shows in Tel Aviv (to mixed reviews, I might add).

But we've never had a member of the British Royal Family here on an official visit. This wrong, in a very long line of wrongs committed by the Brits against Israel and the Jews, was righted this week. Or maybe not.

Prince William's visit stirred controversy the moment his 4-day itinerary was published. What ruffled feathers here was the wording that identified the Old City as being located in the "Occupied Palestinian Territories". The announcement came from Kensington Palace, but was likely formulated by the Foreign Office, which has a deep and abiding hostility to Israel, not unlike our State Department.

I don't have a lot of respect for the Royal Family. I think they are a dysfunctional tribe of inbreds, who have been programmed to walk, talk, ride horses and dress well, but they're not known for their brains. This might not be a bad thing. It would be unthinkable if they were allowed to say whatever is on their minds, as proved by an unscripted comment the Prince made during his visit with Mahmoud Abbas. He used the phrase "our two countries", which could have caused a big diplomatic dust-up had Israel decided to pursue it. Someone obviously forgot to tell William that "Palestine" is not a country. Or maybe that's exactly what they wanted him to say.

The fact that a member of the Royal Family was here on an official visit is a big deal. Commentators have weighed in on what the visit means and what it's supposed to accomplish. Some think it's a counterweight to all the love Israel is getting from the Trump administration. Others think it might reflect a small change in the Foreign Office's attitude. The visit was a departure from 70 years of tradition, an acknowledgement that in spite of its best efforts the Brits weren't able to derail Israel. And if he has eyes to see for himself, the future king of England would have to note two realities. One, Israel is a dynamic, successful country. Two, BDS, which is actively promoted in the British media, not to mention the Labour Party, is a complete lie. There is no apartheid, there are no massacres.

The Prince stayed at the King David, which was British Military Headquarters when they were the occupying power in this region under the Mandate. The hotel pulled out all the stops to make William feel at home, including importing his favorite tea from England. Our friend Jeremy is the assistant manager for guest relations, and he told us a little back story, known only to a select few. Jeremy's mom personally went to Fortnum & Mason to buy the tea, and hand delivered it to the hotel last Sunday. I'm sure no one mentioned this to the Prince, but now she wants to get a royal appointment as a buyer of deliverer of tea.

We had another royal event this week, in the sense that on their wedding day brides and grooms are compared to a king and queen. Our friends Evelyne and Jacques' son Yaniv got married to the lovely and charming Natalie. The wedding was held in Caesarea and it was beautiful. Weddings here are not like they are at home. They are not staged, there is no bridal party, procession or recession. There is a reception before the ceremony, with plenty of food and drink. You need the sustenance because you can count on at least 3 hours from the start time on the invitation until dinner is served. Traditionally the bride and her mother and mother-in-law are seated and female guests tell them how beautiful they look and give them their best wishes. The groom and male guests are in a separate area where they sign the ketuba, learn some Torah, and knock back a few shots. Two things you can count on when you go to an Israeli wedding in the summer. One, it won't rain so you can hold the ceremony outside. Two, the food will be sensational. It's not uncommon for people to stand during the ceremony, and it's very participatory. The rabbi usually makes lighthearted comments to put everyone at ease and there's a lot of singing. 

L to R Natalie's mom, Natalie and Evelyne

Under the chuppa

Note the groom's tallit. In some traditions a man doesn't wear one until he gets married.

Yes, they pass out swag at these parties

We finished the week with the Melabev Sunset Hike. Melabev is an organization we got involved with 5 years ago. It provides care for Alzheimer's patients and families. They have day centers with activities geared towards patients with varying degrees of the illness. They also have a phone center, staffed by volunteers, who make daily wellness calls. In addition they provide services to homebound elderly, such as shopping, transportation and small repairs, again by volunteers. In addition they have a research division that has made significant contributions to medical treatment options. All this costs money, and we are reaching out for help. Please click on or copy the link below and sponsor us in ANY amount. Every penny is appreciated and wisely used.

https://walk4alz.melabev.org/walkers/?page=2

Because this is Israel's 70th anniversary, we began the hike at Mt Herzl, the military cemetery. It's the highest point in Jerusalem; Yad Vashem in the adjacent valley is the lowest. The placement is no coincidence. Also buried at Mt Herzl are Theodore Herzl himself and several presidents and prime ministers. Soldiers' headstones are marked with their names, ranks, dates and places of birth, dates of aliya for those who were not born in Israel, and when and where they died. Talk about the ingathering of exiles. Two of the graves we visited were those of Bibi's brother Yoni Netanyahu, the only casualty of the Entebbe Rescue on July 4, 1976, and Michael Levin, a lone soldier from Philadelphia who was killed during the second Lebanon War in 2006. Michael's grave is one of the most visited in the cemetery because his story resonates with so many people. There are hundreds of mementos in solidarity to his devotion to Israel. He had no family in Israel, yet his funeral was attended by literally thousands of strangers who wanted to make sure he was not buried alone. 

The hike itself was in the Jerusalem Park, a wilderness area within the city limits.  It is part of the Israel Trail, a hiking route that bisects the country from north to south. We only did 1.5 kilometers, but it was a bit challenging, downhill on rocks and gravel almost the entire way. There's a real sense of accomplishment when you get to the end of the hike ... and they rolled out the red carpet with a great barbecue dinner for us.

Registration

Jeff, our guide, explains the cemetery's layout

Yoni Netanyahu's grave 

Michael Levin's grave covered with mementos

This is the terrain. We hiked down to the road in the background.

And a good time was had by all

Till next time ...

Shabbat shalom from Jerusalem,
Peggy and Sid

Getting over jetlag: a thankless task

One of the highlights of being here for me is my Monday morning women's class. The intellectual level beats anything I've ever experienced. The class consists of three 45 minute lectures - Prophets, Torah and a guest lecture. In the Prophets class we're studying the relationship between the books of Samuel and the Psalms of David. In the Torah class I think we've moved ahead by two weekly portions in the 6 months since we were here last. The guest lectures vary in quality. This week's guest is someone highly regarded in the ultra-Orthodox world, but her topic was entry-level and honestly I think she misjudged her audience. Oh well, they can't all be winners.

Sid walked me over to the class. It was a perfect Jerusalem morning - sunny and about 75 degrees with a light breeze. There is something about the air in Jerusalem in the morning. You get the scent of jacarandas without the fumes from buses that still run on diesel and leave clouds of black smoke in their wake. This is rapidly changing. The new buses are air-conditioned, wifi-enabled and equipped with charging stations. And they're much nicer to the environment and the air we all breathe.

Afterwards we needed to go to the shuk and then return the car. Well guess what. Another ticket. WHY????? The girl who set up my parking account told me the meter would automatically start at 8AM and shut off at 6PM. But that's not what happened. When I looked at the app the meter wasn't running. So now I'm the proud recipient of two 100 shekel tickets. It's useless to complain to the parking company, but I will throw myself on the mercy of the municipality and claim tourist-ignorance. We'll see how it goes.

So we went to the shuk, which is always a treat It has become the second most visited site in Jerusalem. By now I think there's an equal number of vendors and restaurants. This says a lot about how food is distributed and how the city has developed. 

Once upon a time when I lived here the population was about 325,000. You had three options for buying groceries: the makolet, the shuk or one of Jerusalem's two supermarkets. 

The makolet is more or less what we would call a convenience store. They were very small but had most things people need on a daily basis. At the time people shopped every day or every other day. Fridges were small and there's a thing here about fresh bread, produce and dairy products. There was a makolet every few blocks to serve the neighborhood, and the owners knew their customers. They played a significant role in the economics of the city. It's important to remember that between 1948-1967 Jerusalem was a backwater. There was very little business and almost no industry. It was a struggle to make a living, and to make it to the end of the month as we used to say. A lot of people had to buy on credit until they got their monthly paycheck, and they could do so at the local makolet. Fast forward 50 years. The population of Jerusalem is about 860,000 and new planned neighborhoods sprang up all over the place. Part of the planning included shopping centers with supermarkets, hardware stores etc. In the older neighborhoods many of the makolets have turned into 24-hour stores, or disappeared altogether. We have an authentic from the old days makolet a couple doors down from this apartment. 

The first supermarket in Jerusalem, Supersol, opened in the early 60's. It was a phenomenon and a curiosity. People flocked to see this new world of shopping and it was a great success. But it didn't replace the local makolet. Back then owning a car was the exception and shlepping a week's worth of groceries on the bus was difficult. Besides, there was the freshness factor and Supersol didn't extend credit.

Third was the shuk. No question about freshness. Produce that was picked in the morning was sold the same day. Everyone had their favorite vendors and they got to know each other. They could chat, get advice on cooking (and life in general), exchange political opinions. Most of the shopping was done on Thursdays and Fridays in preparation for Shabbat, and people did shlep on the bus. But the vendors didn't extend credit. 

It's different now. Everyone has a car, a credit card and a larger capacity fridge. Shopping habits have changed, the makolets began to disappear and even the shuk sees nearly as many tourists as shoppers.

A few years ago someone had the brilliant idea of developing the shuk after-hours. When the vendors went home at the end of the day it was a large empty space. The metamorphosis began when a famous graffiti artist started tagging the metal shutters that came down on the stalls at night. That in itself was a draw. Then someone figured out that where people gather maybe they'd like something to eat or drink. The idea caught on; now the shuk is full of restaurants, cafes, bars and a few boutiques. When it's time for the produce vendors to retire one of their options is to sell their space to a restaurateur. The ratio is changing and this has become a concern. The vendors' association is considering putting a limit on the number of non-produce businesses that can open. 

Then we returned the car. When I pulled into the rental garage the guy who took the car said I look angry. Was something wrong with the car? I was taken aback. I explained about the tickets. He listened patiently and said calling the parking company wouldn't get me anywhere, but calling the city parking department might. When he handed me the receipt I asked him if I still looked angry. No, he said, and I really did feel better. Shows what a sympathetic ear can do for a person.  

We walked home and I made one of our favorite dinners - schnitzel. 

On Tuesday we went to Tel Aviv for a meeting with the Jaffa Institute. They provide three types of social services to a very disadvantaged population in south Tel Aviv and Jaffa: a residential facility with 10 kids, after school programs and a parent-child drop in center. The stories are heartbreaking, and the work they do is amazing. Details on their website www.jaffainstitute.org. 

The residential facility

We got back to Jerusalem around 630PM and had dinner in the shuk. Someone set up a large screen and broadcast the World Cup game between Poland and Senegal. It was a sensational game. The Senegal goalie was amazing, but one got past him. Still, they won 2-1.

Last night we went to Nissim's for a barbecue and family reunion. Cousins from the States were visiting, and their kids, who are second cousins, met for the first time. An Israeli barbecue is serious business. Mountains of chicken wings, lamb ribs, burgers, kabobs, grilled vegetables and the requisite selection of salads. Plus dessert.

Wings

Salads

All this waiting to be grilled

Nissim, Shlomit & Sid

Some of the kids in the trampoline cage, where they can't get into too much trouble

Nissim and Shlomit live in the suburb of Mevasseret. It used to be a small village; now it's almost all the way to Jerusalem

Sleep still eludes us. They say (whoever "they" are) it takes one day for each hour of time difference to adjust. We arrived a week ago so maybe we're in sync. Maybe.

Shabbat shalom from Jerusalem,
Peggy and Sid

Getting here June 2018

The lyrics to Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again" keep running thru my head. Getting here took almost as long as a road trip.

We got to O'Hare at 10AM on Thursday June 14. Our flight to Philadelphia left at 1150, so we should have had plenty of time to sit in the Admiral's Club and relax. Except the guy who checked us in was a moron, and I don't suffer fools. It took him about 45 minutes. He had a confused look on his face, and I expected him to say something about a flight being cancelled or not being able to check our bags through. But no, he was just slow.

The flight to Philly was fully booked, and since I no longer have Gold status, we were in boarding group 8. As they boarded group 7 they announced that there was no more overhead space and all roll-aboard bags would have to be gate checked. Great. No way was I going to go along with that, particularly when the gate agent said they'd be checked to their final destination. Forget it. I had all my valuables in that bag. I begged and pleaded. I negotiated. I was willing to have the bag checked as far as Philly; we had enough time for me to get it from baggage claim and go back through security, but he said it has to go to the final destination. In fact this wasn't true. His colleague told him he could tag it to Philadelphia. Another idiot. Finally I told him I had medications that couldn't be in the heat and he relented, and a flight attendant actually cleared me a space in an overhead bin.

So we got to Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love. When we landed Sid realized he had forgotten to bring a change of clothes for the long flight to Prague. No worries, he said, there must be a souvenir store where I can buy a sweatshirt and sweatpants. Sure, at airport prices, I thought to myself. Well, I've never seen anything like the mall at the Philly airport. I don't know what motivated them to do this, but there's a shopping center in the terminal with stores like Brooks Brothers, Johnson & Murphy, The Gap, Mac, Victoria's Secret etc etc etc. And The Gap was having a sale ... imagine that. Problem solved. And then we went to their very nice Admiral's Club. For 4 hours.Yes, that long a layover. We could have taken a later flight out of Chicago, but flying at this time of year is actually more delay and cancellation prone than during the winter. Thunderstorms and lightening are not good for airplanes or the people inside.

The flight from Philly to Prague ... American is trying to out-do themselves in hiring idiots. We were in business class, where you get treated better, and there are certain things that you come to expect. Such as, when you board a flight attendant comes around with a tray of water, OJ and champagne. One of them did come down Sid's side, but not mine. I had to go to the galley and ask for a glass of water. Then the purser came around to get everyone's dinner order. I had pre-ordered - red snapper for Sid and a stuffed portobello mushroom for me. But Sid and I switched seats, which totally threw the purser; he just couldn't figure it out. And he kept referring to the fish as salmon. I thought maybe they had to change the menu for some reason. But in fact it was snapper. As far as my order, they kept bringing me multiple versions of vegetarian meals, which were for other people. Finally the flight attendant gave me something that was identifiable only by the covering of spinach on top of something that looked like oatmeal. No, this isn't what I ordered, and I showed her the menu that was very clear - PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM STUFFED WITH BULGAR WHEAT. How does that even remotely resemble spinach? Another confused look, but she finally brought the right item. I don't know who got stuck with the other vegetarian meals; maybe the crew. And the plane was a retrofitted 767 which should have been retired 20 years ago. I know, I'm a snob. Welcome to my pity party.

We landed in Prague and fortunately didn't have to change terminals. Just one thing ... the departure board doesn't give gate information. It says A, B or C, but no gate number. We asked two people, both of whom said the gate is A2. Having flown El Al many times and being very familiar with their security procedure we expected the gate to be open; it was 2 hours prior to departure. But no. No sign, no info, no staff. Nothing. We parked ourselves right across from the gate, and I took a little walk, just to move around after the long trans-Atlantic flight. I wandered into a Moser store, which makes Baccarat look cheap in comparison. You can buy a cordial glass for about $400. Absolutely the most stunning stemware, bowls and plates in Europe, if you can afford it.

The gate finally opened. It seemed everyone was waved through except us. Most likely it was because we were in transit. So we got asked the usual security questions (who packed your luggage, did anyone give you anything, who do we know in Israel etc) until we convinced the security officer we were trustworthy. We even had to identify our luggage, since we checked in at O'Hare; the security officer showed us a photo of our bags on his cell phone. Are these yours? Yes, and it's nice to know they hadn't been lost.

The flight was full, seats were small, overhead space crowded. That didn't bother us. The 3 women behind us, who never shut up, did. They talked nonstop during the 3-1/2 hour flight and they were loud. But to give you a sense of the contradictory nature of Israelis, when we landed and got up to get our bags from the overhead bin, the first to offer to help us were those women. We arrived at the far end of the airport, where the maintenance hangars are. That's what happens when you take a cheap airline. (We were on UP, which is the budget version of El Al.) We had to be taken by bus to the main arrival terminal, about a 10 minute drive. We got through immigration in no time, and our bags were priority (another perk of business class) so they came right away. And someone at baggage claim helped Sid grab them from the conveyor and put them on our carts.

Next came the rental car counter. There were 3 clerks taking care of 3 customers, so it should have taken about 5 minutes. Except the couple in front of us was trying to figure out the cheapest way for them to handle their cars. One of them was Israeli, meaning she has to pay VAT. The other was American, meaning he doesn't. I think they had to develop an algorithm to figure this out. When one of the other customers finished, Sid made a bee line to the open clerk. She had all our info, since we've rented from Eldan before, and it really did take only 5 minutes.

At last, we were on our way to Jerusalem. It was around 6PM and there were very few cars on the road. Within 15 minutes we were almost at Beit Shemesh when we hit the first traffic jam. It took 25 minutes to get through. It was a very bad accident; the car was completely burned up. We hadn't gone another 10 minutes when we hit the second traffic jam - another accident. Finally, traffic cleared and we sped our way to Jerusalem, only to discover that in the 6 months since we were here last, traffic patterns had changed but they hadn't gotten around to putting up directional signs. We took our best guess, which turned out to be right, and within 5 minutes got to the apartment. The landlord met us, gave a quick orientation, helped us get our luggage, and 5 minutes later we left to have dinner at Batsheva and Eli's.

Food, glorious food. They pulled out all the stops, as they always do. Everyone was there, all the kids and grandchildren (except Nir, who will be back from the States in 2 weeks), 15 in total. The girls, Hila and Talia, had a growth spurt. I think both of them added 6 inches. To give you an idea of how thoughtful Eli and Batsheva are, they sent us home with food for breakfast, knowing we wouldn't be able to go shopping till Sunday.

Neither of us slept well, tired as we were. Sid was up at 230 and for some odd reason, starving. It's a good thing we had food. I woke up at 345, tried my best to get back to sleep and failed. I got up at 530 and for some odd reason I too was starving. When you're wide awake at that hour, there's not much to do except unpack. At least we made good use of our time.

There was a sharav (sirocco) on Shabbat, which is a strong wind that starts in the Sahara and brings heat and sand. The temperature hit 105. We ventured out anyway, just for a 10 minute walk, which was as much as we could handle.

Finally around 3PM we were able to nap.

We spent the rest of the day in the apartment, which is very nice. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, totally renovated, and a nice garden. The landlord supplied us with milk, eggs, jam and ketchup. Yes, an odd combination. He also gave us a nice bottle of wine. It was like a welcome amenity at the hotel. Photos will be forthcoming.

Again we had a bad night last night. We both woke up at 3, tried to get back into sleep and couldn't. We finally did what we should have done on Friday - we took a sleeping pill, and slept soundly until 1130AM.

We had two objectives for today. The first was to go and see the US Embassy. We couldn't park. As soon as we slowed down guards shooed us away. Telling them we voted for Trump didn't matter to them. We managed to take a photo. The second was to provision the apartment. We went to my new favorite store, Osher Ad, which is like Costco. $350 later we returned home.

My next project was figuring out how to pay for parking. There was a 100 shekel ticket on the windshield when we got into the car today, In many parts of the city, even residential areas, parking has to be paid for from 8AM to 6PM. Unlike what we have in Chicago, where you buy parking from a vending machine, here everything is automated. Once upon a time you could buy parking stickers and put them on the dashboard. Not anymore in Start-Up Nation. Luckily there was an ad for two parking companies on the sign that tells you the parking hours. I called and spoke to a very nice agent who walked me though the various options and set up my account over the phone. We'll see tomorrow morning if it worked. I don't want any more tickets.

Tomorrow we resume our regularly scheduled programming, which I'll report on in my next post on Friday.

Shavuah tov - have a good week - from Jerusalem,

Peggy and Sid