Miscellaneous pictures from the week

We seem to have a continuing fascination with the shuk especially on Fridays when there are so many shoppers there buying for Shabbat. We both worked at the Distribution Center today - Larry is repairing some of the walls in the Gates of Hope area - so when we got off work, we decided to mingle with the crowds before going home. It is always this crowded on Friday as people are doing their last minute shopping for Shabbat - it's really fun to go watch as long as you aren't the one having to shop.

A young Haredi Jew

Some entertainment for the masses

Challah bread for dinner tonight

Fresh flowers are always sold on Fridays

The bus line-up on Jaffa Road outside the shuk and our apartment. A light rail system is being constructed along side.

Larry and Vern (from near Atlanta, GA) who is head of maintenance at CFI.

They were in Sderot (the city that is only 2 K from Gaza) this week to continue their work in upgrading a kitchen for a family and next week they return there to start work on the bathroom. It is a 1 1/2 hour drive from Jerusalem so it makes for a long day for them. I am very excited about the upcoming week as I will have an opportunity to go on an outreach on Wednesday with Forsake Them Not, which is the holocaust team, then on Thursday I will go to Sderot with Cary Jarrett of Communities Under Attack. This is the first chance I've had to get out into the communities and I am so pleased to have the opportunity. This weekend we are planning to go to Bethany near the Mt. of Olives to visit the tomb of Lazarus and church over the house of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Sunday there are English tours at the Knessett so we are hoping to be able to get in on one of them as well as a visit to Ammunition Hill, a battle site from the 1967 Six Day War. We are trying to pack it all in as time is ticking away!

The Palestinian West Bank

Sunday we had the extraordinary experience of visiting Hebron and a Palestinian refugee camp near Bethlehem, both in the West Bank. The trip was a long time in the planning but something we aren't likely to forget. We went to Bethlehem (only 20 minutes away) to meet Samer, our Palestinian Christian guide, who drove us first to Hebron to visit the Tomb of the Patriarchs. The conservative Muslim city of Hebron with a population of 166,000 of which 400 are Jewish and 3 are Christians. The Jewish settlers are all in the Old City and each settler is protected by as many as four armed soldiers stationed on rooftops and the streets. Being Palestinian allowed Samer to enter only the Muslim side of the divided Tomb so he visted with some local friends until we met up with him after our visit inside the Jewish portion. The Tomb was divided after 1994 when a settler killed Palestinians while they were in the mosque leading to violent clashes between the two groups.
The Tomb of the Patriarchs is the burial site of Sarah and Abraham, Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob and Leah (Rachel is buried near Bethlehem.) This site is second in importance to Jerusalem's Temple Mount (Muslims) and Western Wall (Jews.)

Tomb of Abraham which can be seen from both Muslim and Jewish sides

Tomb of Jacob which is on the Jewish side

Tomb of Leah also on the Jewish side

The Old City's souq which has seen violent events and is a source of conflict. Above the shops in the souq, you can see the homes of settlers - note the Star of David flying - and as the settlement expands, the Palestinians are being forced to leave the area. Trash is thrown from the apartments onto the souq and the shopkeepers have erected a net to keep the garbage and trash from landing in the shopping areas.

The net to catch the trash.

As we walked through the souq, merchants who knew Samer would come running out with tea or really strong Arabic coffee. Of course to refuse would be offensive to them so we drank our way through to the little hole in the wall restaurant were we had lunch with several of his friends. We just sat and listened to all they had to say and they definitely want people to hear their side of the story. Many families have been in Hebron for a long time and are angry at being displaced by the settlers especially when they are new immigrants to Israel. This group is strongly opposed to Hamas but tried to explain why they are in power and why people support them. One young man that we meet was born near Hebron but now works with Christian Peacemakers Team and lives in Washington, DC, but is back in Hebron as part of an observer program. It was not uncomfortable for us being there as they were very friendly and kind (that Middle East hospitality prevents otherwise) and we sat with them for several hours over tea. Nobody we talked to either in Hebron or at the camp feels a two state solution is viable and although some envision and hope that both sides will someday live together peacefully, they feel it will take generations to overcome the past. What we heard at our next stop made us wonder if that was even a remote possibility.
The sign you first see when entering Dheisheh Refugee Camp near Bethlehem

We met up with Samer's acquaintance, Hamid, who served us even more tea and we settled back to hear his now familiar story. His grandfather had land that he was forced to leave following the 1948 war of independence and settled in the camp in Bethlehem. Now, 61 years later, the family is still in the camp and there is no hope that they will ever see their land again. The people are not restricted to living in the camp but most stay as they have no other real option. Hamid seemed to be around 20 years old and has grown up in the surroundings of the camp and is very vocal about his outright hatred for the Jews. He was talking about the war in Lebanon and how many soldiers were killed by Hezbollah and came right out and said what a good thing that was and that he wishes it had been more. Larry spoke to him about the rockets coming into Israel from Gaza and again, he felt that was all good and any Israeli deaths as a result was a good thing. He did not want to hear our observations regarding what Hamas is doing in Sderot. We walked through the camp which is now all built up and in pretty good shape - we certainly have seen worse looking accommodations in Jerusalem - but he feels powerless and with little hope. He complained that soldiers can enter the camp and homes at will - breaking down doors and harassing the residents. Of course, the fact they are looking for would-be-martyrs didn't come up in his conversation. In spite of this, he was very pleasant to talk to just very vehement in his convictions. The banner is a picture of a 15 year old "martyr" who was throwing stones at soldiers and who was shot to death. That is the story they are telling but who really knows what provoked the soldiers to fire.
Kids from Dheisheh Refugee Camp

Although the trip was unforgettable, there is no possible way I can make sense out of it. I don't know how people - both Israelis and Palestinians - can live under such constant stress. The Israeli's near Gaza are on anxiety and anti-depressants while the Palestinians seem to be nervous chain smokers. It's hard to keep things straight - who is allowed to go where and who is doing what to whom - even the color of your license plate is relevant. We had to drive to Bethlehem out of Jerusalem in a car with yellow plates to meet Samer at his home to get into his car which has green plates to drive into Hebron and do the reverse to return to Jerusalem that night. Go figure.

Meet Mentwav

As a Jewish family, Mentwav, husband and 6 children fled the terrible persecution in Ethiopia for a better life in Israel. After giving birth to twin boys 4 years ago, her husband died suddenly leaving her with 8 children and no means of income. Mentwav found work cleaning homes and the Israeli government provides some financial assistance, but short of what is needed. Her oldest son, David (20), shown in the picture below, is in the Army and is granted leave every other week to assist at home.

CFI through their Hope For The Future Program (HFTF), provides Mentwav with support from an anonymous sponsor for monthly income, food vouchers and materials for maintenance services. HFTF also provides after school programs for her chidren as well as 93 other Ethiopian children and assistance with family counseling.

The CFI maintenance director, Vern Lefler and I provide the free maintenance services and have been working in Mentwav's apartment. We repaired exterior window blinds called transims, replaced toilet drain, electrical outlets, light fixtures, switches, sink drains, tub /shower faucet, and installed light bulbs throughout. Yes the family had no light bulbs in their apartment.

Larry and Mentwav

Mentwav, Larry & David

Mentwav was so appreciative of our maintenance assistance and for the continued help, love and friendship from CFI.

Update

What I learned this week regarding Experimental Israeli Cooking:

Stick with what you know!!

Apple Pie, Bacon & Pancakes, and Hot Dogs & Onions

Everyone was very nice at the DC about the disastrous entrees at lunch

especially the fish balls that were an amazing imitation of mush. The yellow

cake with vanilla cream frosting (thank you, Sharon) was a big hit. The cook

at Headquarters quit after only one week on the job so I think they were afraid

to react about the food - they just ate and smiled. They are great people &

I've come to really appeciate them.

Shashuka, Fried Fish Balls, and Falafel

More Pictures Less Talk

Abu Ghosh Village- known in Old Testament as Kiriath-Jearim and Emmaus in New Testament

Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant - traditional site of where the Ark was kept before David moved it to Jerusalem. 1 Samuel 7:1 and 1 Chron 13:5-8

Statue on top of Ark of the Covenant Church

Crusader Church in Abu Ghosh

Outside of Crusader church

Mount Herzl and Military Cemetary Grave of Yitzhak Rabin

Many of the graves have the picture of the fallen soldier

All graves after 1948 have the Star of David on them

The Judean Desert south of Jerusalem Camel from a group of eleven belonging to local Bedouin Flowers in the desert

Safari in a Land Rover

Desert with Dead Sea and Moab Mts. (in Jordan) in the background

From Bagels to Shakshuka

Each Wednesday afternoon at our weekly CFI staff meeting, we have a speaker who comes to talk about an aspect of Israeli life. Just in our short time here, we have had some very interesting people speak including an orthodox rabbi but this week was very special as we had a soldier (a tank commander) who participated in Operation Cast Lead in Gaza. The room sat spell bound for an hour and a half while he relayed his experiences of being told the country was at war and that he was "going in." He seemed so young - only 21 - to be in charge of other soldiers but displayed such maturity and was obviously very dedicated to his men and what they were doing in protecting their country. He felt they were forced by world opinion (especially the US) to stop the mission and knows that he will have to return another time. He starts Officer Training for the next 8 months and will stay in the Defense Force although his mother wants him to become a doctor. He had a wonderful sense of humor and had us laughing followed by very serious moments when he described the Friendly Fire that killed several soldiers. Although military service is mandatory, it seems many if not most are proud to serve in what they consider the toughest defense force in the world. For your information, CFI has a ministry to the Israeli soldiers providing fleece jackets and bathrobes. The woman who runs the program has been doing it for 14 years and has a wonderful reputation with the soldiers and officers; they can't believe that Christians through out the world care about them and are providing these items as well as other care packages. It has made a major difference in their lives and the way they think about Christians.

Next Wednesday is Independence Day (61 years) and we are celebrating at

Anita wrapped in the Star of David

the Distribution Center by hanging flags and having Israeli food for lunch (that's where I come in.) When Ranil suggested we do the holiday food, I thought, Ok, how hard can it be to buy some bagels and cream cheese and I even know how to make kugel. Little did I know another learning curve was on the way. We really got into the festive mood and decided we should have Israeli food all four days we are working. I got suggestions from everyone (my first mistake) and spent time on the internet looking up recipes and came up with the menu for the week. Forget the bagels and kugel - we are going for shakshuka - I can barely say it but I'm going to cook it. It sounds just awful but I've been assured it tastes wonderful (?) One day we will have falafel with tahini sauce - I was told to buy ready made frozen falafel because the texture has to be just right or people can choke (?)(?) I'll do that as I certainly don't want to kill anyone. One recipe that really sounds good is chicken marinaded in date honey and grilled along with Mediterranean zucchini. Ranil is making shwarma using red turkey meat (?) served with various salads (piled in the pita bread.) I've already checked with the butcher who tells me he sells red turkey and will have it for me on Monday. (I have found a new butcher located next to my laundry who has become my new best friend - he speaks English very well and is so nice and helpful - unusual.) The only thing I'm actually sure about cooking next week is the cake for Tuesday. When we come home, anyone reading this blog is invited to come to the house for shakshuka and red turkey. Can you tell my life is about food these days.

Yom HaShoah or Holocaust Day of Remembrance

Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day when Israel commemorates the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust. At 10 a.m. this morning, sirens sounded throughout the entire country for a period of two minutes. Everyone stopped what they were doing and the country came to a complete standstill including all cars and buses, even those on the highways. We at CFI went into the street and stood with everyone else - it was very moving - nobody said a word but just stood with bowed heads. Last night the television had no entertainment but had documentaries and actually some movies on the Holocaust or related talk shows. Some stations had 6 burning candles up on the screen with solemn music playing and flags are at 1/2 staff today. Each day brings the realization of what this country has endured from biblical times forward.

Paul, The Crusaders and Lebanon

Yesterday we had our first opportunity to venture outside of Jerusalem and took an all-day tour north along the Mediterranean. Our first stop was at Caesarea built by Herod in 22 BC and the seat of the Roman government in Palestine for over 500 years. Peter came to Caesarea and preached the Gospel in the home of Cornelius following his vision. (Acts 10)
Remains of a palace from Roman times
The U-shaped hippodrome for chariot racing
Ruins of the bathhouse
The port of Caesarea where Paul was sent off for Rome
Paul spent two years in prison in Caesarea. He made his defense before Felix, Festus, and King Herod Agrippa II before being sent off at his request to Rome (Acts 23-27)

The next stop was at the Crusader City of Acre (or Akko) - another amazing city with a well restored Subterranean Crusader City with a Knight's Hall, courtyard, dining hall and a Templar's tunnel which connected the port with a Crusader palace. Your imagination can really conjure up all sorts of fantasy in this place.
This is where the knights resided

The final stop with at Rosh Hanikra on the border with Lebanon
The grottos of Rosh Hanikra
The border gate with Lebanon (reminded us of North and South Korea)
Beirut was closer than Jerusalem

Note on today's shopping - I got all the receipts I needed this week and in good time as well. I did, however, end up by mistake in the express lane at the supermarket with a huge amount of food for check out while the people behind me had one or two items. I know what they were thinking as I've thought the same thing myself when I get behind "one of those people."

Orthodox Easter

Thinking that many visitors and pilgrims had left the city following Easter, we thought today would be good for going into the Old City and visiting some of the smaller, less visited churches and perhaps even be fortunate enough to go into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre without all the crowds. As we neared the Jaffa Gate, we saw a huge crowd of people just standing around waiting for something to happen - that something to happen was the opening of the Gate. No one could go in because of the Orthodox Easter celebration and processions. Not to be detered, we went around to the Damascus Gate and entered that way. We though last weekend was crowded but it paled in comparison to this weekend. Many Russian, Greek, Syrian and Armenian Orthodox were represented with the groups having their own drum and bagpipe "band" (for lack of a better word) which paraded all over town. We were surprised that Syrians were permitted into the country but we talked to a Syrian woman who was in the city visiting her sister for the holiday. There was once again a very large police/military presence and everyone was stopped at check points. Once you were in the city, it was hard to get back out because of all the people lined up at the various check points or the processions and bands blocking the narrow alleyways. We once again got caught up in the whole mixture. So on our church-seeing day, we saw only one church, Christ Church, and then just went with the flow - literally - for the rest of the day. It turned into another 8 hours of walking and gawking but we went to our favorite Italian restaurant near the Jaffa Gate and had a great lunch plus a very interesting conversation with two Christian Arab men. Obviously there are two sides to any story and they wanted to tell theirs. The following are some miscellaneous pictures inside the Old City and outside as well. Orthodox pilgrims celebrating Easter

The old Arab village of Silwan, climbing the slopes

of Mount of Olives and across from the City of David

Replica of Liberty Bell in Liberty Bell Garden
US Liberty Bell has inscribed on it the words written by Isaiah:

"Proclaim liberty throughout the land, and to all the inhabitants thereof."

The same words were used to announce Israel's independence in 1948

The famous King David Hotel bombed

during the British Mandate Period

Christ Church, the Holy Land's first

Protestant Church built in 1849

Toy shop

Ready-made bridal bouquets

Spice mountain with Dome of the Rock on top

Street vendor

Jerusalem sized bagel

Some colorful fashions with matching scarf

The lively Damascus Gate which is

the entrance to the Muslim Quarter

Prayer shawl covering

Haredi jew and sons going to Wall

A rare close up of a Haredi jew

The Dome of the Rock built in 688-91
with Western Wall in front - a retaining

wall from time of the Second Temple