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July 29, 2007
Jerusalem Reflections
Jerusalem Reflections
Day 1 july 16
The taxi driver that took us from the airport to the Regency Hotel seemed to think that a lot of people are against the wall that the Israeli army has been building around the Palestinian settlements. In his words “it’s just not nice”. He talked about his generous Arab friend and how there are good and bad people in any people group.
New words: Thank you: tow da
No Problem: im bai ya
Day 2 july 17
I love how these Israelis tell you what they think. I was working out and had forgotten my towel and this old guy comes up to me and points out the sweat on the machiene and is obviously disturbed that I wasn’t wiping it off. I finally got out today at 5 and walked up the street and ended up coming across this little Palestinian NGO called International Center for Peace and Cooperation, dedicated to promoting initiatives that promote a peaceful democratic future for the Palestinian people. The head of the board invited me to sit down and have coffee and we chatted about this “wall”.
New words: Yes: ken
Day 3 july 18
So I decided to jump right in and take an aerobics class this morning at the gym in the hotel. I thought I could just watch and follow along, and it was all going fine until the instructor turned and looked at me and kept repeating the same phrase in Hebrew. Finally this kind old lady next to me says, “she wants you to turn to the other side,”. This is the down side to Israelis telling you what to think, you can feel stupid. Really I don’t see why she couldn’t have just felt sorry for the clearly out of place blond girl and just let me do the same side twice.
One thing I didn’t know, or much to my teacher’s chagrin forgot, Hebrew is read right to left.
New words: Please: Bevakasha
Day 4 july 19
What a great day with so many things learned. I had breakfast with my friend who is studying international relations at Hebrew University and we discussed everything from Israel’s foreign policy to her love life. I experienced the up and down side to the this cultural assertiveness. The taxi driver that dropped me off at the Jaffa gate had a question for me immediately upon entering the car, “ Are you a Jew Christian or Muslim,” usually in the states identifying one’s faith is left for conversations with close friends, but right off the bat we were talking about Christianity and how difficult it was for him as an Arab Christian in Jerusalem. Then the downside later was standing in line to order coffee, five people must have passed in front of me before my friend finally told me that I had to push my way to the front to order in my proper turn.
New words: Hello: Salam (in Arabic)
Day 5 july 20
A day of learning new things. The top three that I still remember were one, that the price of gas is about six dollars per gallon because Israel’s middle eastern neighbors won’t sell them oil and they have to import it, two, that one of the reasons that Israeli soldiers are always killing innocent Palestinian civilians could be that they are usually 18 year olds that have just graduated high school, and three that ultra orthodox Jewish males do not work and so the more liberal jews are very angry that they are living off of welfare.
New Words: Trust me: Schmuc Allay
Day 6 july 21
I was surprised to how pervasive the observance of Shabbat is here in Jerusalem. Everything is shut down from grocery stores to the air conditioning, and every variety of Jewish head covering is out on walking display. We could not get into the convention center to set up until sundown on Saturday- which was set at 8:30, as the Jews who worked at the convention center could not do any work until that time even if it meant opening a door or turning on a light. Another obvious sign of Shabbat was that there was a special elevator for observing Jews that stopped at every floor so that they would not have to push any buttons. Some ultra- orthodox sections of town take the law of the Sabbath so seriously that if you were to drive your car into these sections or walk as a woman uncovered you would be stoned. The Arab businesses, however, are open and ready to take advantage of non-Sabbath- observing tourists, and you wonder if the Jews must be grateful to have them sustaining the tourist industry while they take the appointed rest. As for me I enjoyed feeling free to just sit at the pool and read and not do much. It is kind of nice to have the whole country calling you to rest.
New Words: Gentile: goyim, Shabbat Shalom (a special Sabbath greeting)
Day 7 july 22
So I finally had some time to get out and explore. There is something so invigorating for me about finding my way around a foreign land. The main highlight was this social activism museum that was hosting this exhibit on workers rights. My favorite piece was by this visual Spanish artist by the name of Sierra. It was a video of these workers doing absurd things like trying to lift a huge cement block with a single crowbar, or holding up one end of a massive metal tunnel. It was supposed to signify the disturbing irony of what we require of many of our unskilled workers. The downer of the outing was visiting a sop in the old city where I was pressured more than usual and so was more rude than usual. Both the owner and I walked away annoyed and I regretted buying anything from him and not being honest about how his sales tactics were effecting me. Tonight was also the first night of the convention in which the main speaker talked about a second Pentecost. Although I believe in the miraculous, I am wondering as I read this book on social justice if God would desire us first to enact his kingdom through our care for one another through radically generous and sacrificial ways before he pours out his the supernatural evidence for his kingdom- just a thought.
New words: the Arab Israeli conflict: Entefada
Day 8 july 23
After the convention in the morning I went on a tour bus to the pools of Bethesda and I think I got more out of the devotional time there that the Jewish tour guy shared than all of the convention sessions there. It was just so moving to be at the very place where Jesus healed a lame man who had been crippled for 38 years- the exact same time that the Israelites were wandering in the desert. I was challenged to think of areas in my life where I have settled for frustration rather than asking for God’s intervention.
New words in Hebrew: going up: Nach allay
Day 9 july 24
I looked all over Jerusalem for Thank you cards and couldn’t find them today. It was like people hadn’t even heard of a thank you card and any blank cards I found were either cartoon or rose covered tackiness.
New words in Hewbew: love: Ahava
Day 10 july 25
I went to Yad Vashem today the holocaust museum and having gone to so many holocaust museums it was difficult not to compare this to others I’ve seen in Berlin, D.C. etc. The unique thing at this location was the children’s garden where there you walked through a dark hall with mirrors and candles all around. I think they were trying to portray these children that were killed as in heaven. One new thing that was emphasized so strongly in the museum was the many families and whole nations who saved the Jews when the Germans came to invade. The point was continually made that the Jews fate in certain town and nations was not sealed, but rather was in the hands of courageous individuals and leaders who made a way for their escape. Many cities complacently accepted the fate of their Jewish neighbors though others bravely risked their lives to ensure their safe passage. I wonder what makes the type of difference in the atmosphere of a city to turn hearts toward courage and not fear. I want to be a voice willing to take risks for another’s safety.
Day 11 July 26
Speaking of safety Brad and I and another couple ventured into occupied territory today. We wanted to get some idea of the Palestinian perspective amidst the Christian Zionist view that was emphasized so much during the conference. We took a public Arab bus t Bethlehem and transferred to a private taxi to ride into Hebron. We met with some members of the Christian peacemaker Teams, they gave us a tour of the old city and described the many conflicts between the Arab sections of town and the small Jewish settlements. They see their mission as promoting peace and justice, which often looks like accompanying Arab children to school so they don’t get harassed by the Jewish settlers, making sure innocent people can get through the Israeli checkpoints etc. After seeing how the land allotted to the Palestinians was less and less after every war and how even the land they have is monitored by Israel, I can understand the squeeze they must feel. I also can sympathize with the Israeli government in both its frustration with inconsistent, corrupt Arab leadership, and its fear of suicide bombers targeting the innocent. I’m so glad we went and saw firsthand how difficult it is to assign blame or praise in this situation. It was also great to get to see the tomb of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, over which sits a mosque.
New or remaining questions:
Who are true children of Abraham- Isaac and Ishmael, or are they the Church those who have faith in Christ? Do the biblical promises of land to the Israelites still stand, or is it a mistake to think that the new covenant consists of literal physical blessings that must be contented for by force? How significant or prophetic is it that a Jewish state was established in 1948- does the fact that blood was shed to accomplish this mean anything?
Day 12- july 27
We visited Masada, the dead sea, and Qumran today and though I have visited both these places before, new or forgotten aspects of this historical place stood out to me. My first musing was on whether it was justified for the Jewish rebels to take their own lives rather than be captured and enslaved by the Romans. In 70 AD the last group of Jewish rebels escaped the Romans and fled to the opulent Roman fortress on top of Masada, after successfully defending themselves for 7 years the Romans decided to build a ramp for a battering ram up to the wall. The fascinating part of this story was when the guide asked us how the Romans managed to build a ramp when all the Jews had to do was to throw stones at anyone who was working to construct it. He described how the Jews did not throw a single stone down because the Romans sent innocent slaves to construct it. This profound respect for human life sealed their tragic fate while preserving an incredible legacy. It was also neat to see Qumran and hear about how the Yaseen Jews lived who found the dead sea scrolls. The most significant thing about the scrolls was that they affirmed the authenticity of the Old Testament, because though they were written about a thousand years before the oldest manuscript the textual variations between the two were very minimal
New words in Arabic: dear one: habibi
Day 13 july 28th
We spent the day in Jerusalem walking along the via Delarosa. It was so commercialized especially the church of the holy sepulcre (the traditionally held place of Christ’s crucifixion and tomb). I wonder if Jesus would have the same reaction today towards the salesmen selling crosses, candles, and rosaries, as he did towards the money changers in the temple. It was strange figuring out what the appropriate genuine emotion was. I did not identify with the many religious pilgrims kissing the sacred sites, and yet I wanted to be moved into a state of solemn reverence. At the site where Jesus was condemned by Pilate, I asked myself if I would have condemned the Savior, while wondering how Pilate could be held accountable for his inditement when Jesus was prophetically destined to die. The visit to the garden tomb did not entail any conflicting emotions, but rather a pure state of wonder at the risen savior. It was interesting hearing various tourists at the sites; I remember this one man casually remarking that he thought that Jesus supposedly died and three days later his body was not in the toumb. If there was any good evidence for Jesus body being stolen, I would not stake my life on this faith.
New words: congratulations: Mazel tov
New expressions: to eat your heart, means to destroy your own peace
Day 14 july 29
After visiting the western wall and the southern steps, I asked our tour guide why the Jews don’t continue to offer the animal sacrifices prescribed by the old testament. He said it was because there is no temple (the mosque called the dome of the rock is built over the place where the temples had been), and so the synagogue has replaced the temple and the rabbis have replaced the priests. Many Jews believe that there are many signs indicating that the temple is going to be rebuilt and are now preparing the various articles for use therein.
New words: have a good week: shavua tov
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