Reyna's last couple of days; A night at the Israeli Philharmonic to hear and watch Murray Perahia play piano and conduct... at the sametime!

On Reyna's last day, we take a ride to Levinski Market to find her treats for her plane ride.  We also take our bikes and ride north- a long way past the nemal- the port- and ride up the tayelet which is extended for many miles along the sea. 

Later, we go to Ra'nana and have dinner with our family.  Micki shows us her paintings and she has us pick one that we like.  She will have it mailed to us.  She also gives me a painting painted by a good friend of hers.  I love it. 

This says: 

כשהנשמה מאירה, גם שמיים עוטי ערפל מפיקים אור נעים

keshehaneshamah meira, gam shamayim otei arafel mefikim ohr na-im.

When the soul shines, even the skies wrapped in dark clouds radiate a pleasant light.

The saying is from Rabbi Kook. He lived in from 1865 to 1935 and was the first Ashkenazi chief Rabbi of British mandatory Palestine. He was a great torah scholar.  He was born in Russia - Latvia. He believed in unity among all Jews of varying religious and secular beliefs. He was a strong believer in the nation of Israel. His thoughts and sayings are renowned he was considered very wise and wonderful man.

Reyna has had a great trip and we are so happy to have been together. we leave her at the airport.  She will fly home all night; arriving in Philadelphia at 5:30 a.m. tomorrow- we will be there in a couple of days.  

On Saturday, we have a grand finale.  in the evening we are to go to a concert.  we dress, go to a Japanese restaurant called Moon, and eat the best sushi we have ever had.

We make our way to the philharmonic hall.  We are to hear Murray Perahia play and conduct the Philharmonic orchestra in a Bach, Mozart and Hayden concert.

The concert hall is gorgeous.  The concert is sold out; all around us we hear French and Hebrew.  No one is there speaking English. 

A smaller orchestra is on stage; Perahia comes out after the orchestra is seated.  He plays Bach: Piano Concerto no. 2 in E major; BWV 1053.  If you heard it you would easily recognize it.  And while he plays- he is also conducting! 

An amazing site to see.  He may have one hand on the keyboard, and he quickly waives his hand to give a direction.

He does the same for the Mozart: Piano Concerto no. 20 in D minor, K. 466.  equally recognizable and equally enjoyable. 

Following the one short intermission, the piano is removed, and Perahia comes out to conduct the Haydn: Symphony no. 103 (Drum Roll). 

All of these pieces were certainly not "mind-benders" and we are delighted by their simplicity, the love that the audience has for Perahia; they seem to clearly know him. From the concert schedule, he is there for an entire week. 

Perahia is the director of the Jerusalem Music Center since 2009; he resides in London. He is American born of Sephardi parents and grew-up speaking Ladino.  He is so accomplished a pianist and this continues despite problems he has suffered from with his hands. 

we have heard him at a Gilmore concert and as I read about him, I realize that not only were we so fortunate to hear him in little Kalamazoo, but, also to get to hear him and see him "conduct from the keyboard" in Tel Aviv.

What a glorious ending to our fabulous trip.

Maura presents her project at school about her thesis with images from her tour and what she learned at kibbutzim in Israel.

We are so grateful for Maura to have undertaken this project so that we could enjoy this trip with her and as a family.

 

Our last Day! to Jaffo and the Shuk Pishpishim (flea market) with Maura

Pishpishim means Fleas- and is adjacent to the old city of Jaffo.  We take Maura to Jaffo and to the Shuk for our last day.  We wander through the shops and artists galleries.  We wander through the streets of the now chic shops in the shuk.  And- go to an early dinner/late lunch at Pua.  The last time I was there I ate Moussaka and loved it.  I asked if I could go into the kitchen and they told me they were too busy. 

 This time, the restaurant was quieter.  And so I asked if I could go into the kitchen to ask about a couple of recipes.  And- they said yes!  

Mousska from Puaa: this is a layered dish of potato, quinoa, eggplant with béchamel and tomato sauce.  This is delicious! First all the ingredients are cooked separately and then assembled.

Boil the potatoes and prepare the quinoa.  Fry the eggplant; make the béchamel sauce (with fresh basil) and tomato sauce.

Layer potato, quinoa, eggplant, sauces and after layering, spread mozzarella cheese on top.  Bake.  

 

 

 

Touring in Tel Aviv with Reyna and Maura... and Liat

As a family we have family stuff to take care of- grocery shopping, touring with Reyna- who makes travel so much easier since we now have a translator. 

we ate at a great brunch place, went to a great grocery store and returned home. 

On Monday we took a walk and met up with Liat.  She recommended we go to the Chaim Bialik house;  Bialik is the Israeli National Poet. A home was built for him in the 1920s in Tel Aviv on a street that now bears his name; His home has been preserved as a museum and is around the corner from where we live.

The home is beautiful; a true Bauhaus, beautifully decorated.

here is what I read about Bialik:  Chaim Nachman Bialik, combined in a unique way his own wish for love and understanding and his people’s desire for a homeland.

He was born in the Ukraine in 1873, and died in Vienna, Austria on July 4, 1934, following surgery. Fatherless at the age of seven, Bialik received an Orthodox Jewish education. In his youth he studied at the Volozhin Yeshiva in Belarus, while leaning toward the enlightenment movement, an attraction that led him to move to Odessa at the age of eighteen. There he devoted himself to studying Russian and German, and the reading of secular literature. Two years later he married, working for a living as a Hebrew teacher, and a coal dealer, for a decade.

In 1901 Bialik’s first book of poems was published in Warsaw, where he lived from 1903-1905, editing the journal Shiloah, and later founding the Moriah publishing house for classic Hebrew textbooks. In 1904 and 1908 he visited Palestine. Throughout these years Bialik turned increasingly to writing and translating, publishing in Hebrew works from the European literary canon: the poetry of Heine, Schiller’s Wilhelm Tell, Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, and Cervantes’ Don Quixote. In 1921 he founded the Dvir publishing house in Berlin and moved to Tel Aviv three years later, where he occupied himself with cultural activities and other public works.

Ever since that time, to this very day, Bialik has been considered the foremost modern Hebrew poet. His poetic oeuvre is small, but broad in its themes: Bialik often depicted the suffering of his people, but to his contemporary readers he offered mainly a direct approach to doubt, desire and the isolation of human existence. In contrast to his lyric and epic poetry, his stories excel at their movingly realistic descriptions, often touched with humor, and characterized by their author’s rich imagination, and a blend of joy in the every day with the sorrows of life.













We also toured the City of Tel Aviv museum in the old city hall.  This building is just a block from the Bialik house. 




Tel Aviv was founded in 1909 by a group of 136 families. within just a few years the growth was over 100,000 people.  Tel Aviv was always a cosmopolitan and very European city; the people who settled the city were transplants from western Europe seeking to live in a community with many of the cultural and educational enjoyments of living in Europe. 

Sylvester

In Israel, New Years is not celebrated as it is celebrated around other parts of the world.  The Jewish “New Year” is generally celebrated at the high holiday of Rosh Hashanah – literally- the head of the year.  It is at this time of the year that we begin rereading the five books of Moses- the Old Testament.- the Torah. 

 I found the following information at the website:  http://www.jewfaq.org/calendr2.htm

The Jewish calendar is based on three astronomical phenomena: the rotation of the Earth about its axis (a day); the revolution of the moon about the Earth (a month); and the revolution of the Earth about the sun (a year). These three phenomena are independent of each other, so there is no direct correlation between them. On average, the moon revolves around the Earth in about 29½ days. The Earth revolves around the sun in about 365¼ days, that is, about 12 lunar months and 11 days.

So that means that New Years as we celebrate in the U.S. and other parts of the globe is based on the Gregorian calendar.  In Israel some people were getting ready for New Years- many visiting Americans, and many Russian immigrants who were also celebrating Christmas, as well as many Israelis.

Some Israeli’s refer to new years eve – December 31 – as “Sylvester”.  This was confusing and we kept asking what Sylvester meant, but, no one could seem to answer it. Even some young people said:  "it is the cat".  So, I finally looked up Sylvester.

Sylvester is the name of a sainted Pope who lived during the time of Constantine  (about 300 C.E.).  In fact, he is credited with influencing Constantine to convert to Christianity.  Sylvester’s saint’s day is December 31/January 1- which is the 8^th day after Jesus was born.  This would be the day of Jesus’ brit.  – the day he was circumcised.   Sylvester was also anti-Semitic, recommending to Constantine that he prohibit the Jewish people from living in Jerusalem. 

Sylvester was important to the eastern Europeans.  In Jewish villages (shtetls) in eastern Europe, on the night of Sylvester, the people kept their homes dark.  This was because Sylvester was commonly known as a night of progroms in eastern Europe; the people kept their homes dark in the hope that the marauding gangs would not find them and burn their homes, etc. 

The thought is that when many immigrants came from Europe, they brought with them the name of this night.  Somber though this may sound, on our new years eve,  there was an air of festivity- but- kind of funny; some people just ignore the night- after all- it is a Wednesday night- and the weekend begins Thursday night.  But, other places were getting ready for the spirit of the “New Year”. 

And we didn’t miss out on a lovely dinner, welcoming 2015. 

Ein Gedi hike

We return after swimming in the Dead Sea to our rooms at the Kibbutz located in the oasis.  The grounds here, like everywhere we have been are very beautiful with specimen trees and shrubs and the ever present scent on the air of herbs like oregano and rosemary and lavender that grow like small trees- giant shrubs.  Reyna and I laugh at how I coax a little rosemary from summer through January and here the plants are taller than us!  I love to brush my hand and pinch leaves everywhere I walk and hold my hands to my nose and breathe deeply.  

 

We have a great dinner in their dining room; the options again are impressive. 

the view from our kibbutz- ibex and views. 

 

 

 

 

 
 
There is a very old field school at Ein Gedi:
 

 

 
 
Rock Hyrax is a commonly seen mammal:
 

The kibbutz overlooks the oasis and the hiking trails that make-up ein gedi.  The views are biblical in their expanse and feel truly awesome and contemplative. 

 

Up close to a rock hyrax. 

 

On Wednesday, New Year’s Eve day at home, we pick an easy hike through the hillsides to see 5 waterfalls and animals.  We are certainly not alone.  Almost all hiking trails are crowded with families and tours and hikers- the Israelis love to be outside and take advantage of all the hiking trails that are everywhere. 

After hiking, we stay at the lodge for a couple of hours, enjoying the 3 pools – and even a Dead Sea pool in which we can float in the warmed and salted water.  There is a spa here (like many places!). 

Finally, we return to our car, and start to head for home; north on route 90, turning west past Jerusalem along the highway to Tel Aviv and home. 

Here New Years Eve is just another day… or is it.  The evening is called Sylvester and we wonder why.  We go to a favorite restaurant  called "The Kitchen" for dinner. 

 

The Dead Sea and Ein Gedi

At last- we go to the Dead Sea.  Going to the Dead Sea is not like going to the beach on the Mediterranean or the ocean, or Lake Michigan- one place to park and slip into the water after another.  This beach, along the Israeli and West Bank coast has very few beaches and accessible points.  In fact, the shoreline looks nearly desolate.  The air feels heavy; there seems to be a constant mist.  On Tuesday, we could see the opposite Jordan shore- but, just barely- making out the mountains.  On Wednesday, we couldn't see the Jordan shoreline at all.

we stop on the road to overlook the Sea and the landscape:

Some Dead Sea facts: 

The Dead Sea is 67 kilometres (42 mi) long and 18 kilometres (11 mi) wide at its widest point. It lies in the Jordan Rift Valley and its main tributary is the Jordan River.

The surface and shores of the Dead Sea are 423 metres (1,388 ft) below sea level, making it Earth’s lowest elevation on land.

The Dead Sea is 377 m (1,237 ft) deep, making it the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. A hypersaline lake is a landlocked body of water that contains significant concentrations of sodium chloride or other mineral salts, with saline levels surpassing that of ocean water.

With 33.7% salinity, the Dead Sea is one of the world’s saltiest bodies of water. Although Lake Assal (Djibouti), Garabogazköl and some hypersaline lakes of the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica (such as Don Juan Pond) have reported higher salinities.

The Dead Sea is roughly 8.6 times saltier than the ocean. This salinity makes for a harsh environment in which animals cannot flourish (hence its name). The high salinity prevents macroscopic aquatic organisms such as fish and aquatic plants from living in it, though minuscule quantities of bacteria and microbial fungi are present.

When in the Dead Sea- you can't submerse yourself- you could literally float and read a book in the water.

The Dead Sea area has become a major center for health research and treatment for several reasons. The mineral content of the water, the very low content of pollens and other allergens in the atmosphere, the reduced ultraviolet component of solar radiation, and the higher atmospheric pressure at this great depth each have specific health effects.


And now we are here- we find Mineral beach- a location here many tourists stop to soak up the health benefits; take mud baths, and sit peacefully- sort of. 

We partake!  Connie and Walter's bus arrives; we join together and make a significant life memory by floating together in the Sea and then, of course, covering ourselves in mud, and floating some more.  Connie and I have known one another since we were 14 and 15.  She is my oldest friend.  She and Walter are god-parents to Reyna and Maura. we are all together.  we can't believe our good fortune. 

The map below gives  you an idea of where we are...

Mineral Beach: 

The Dead Sea at a distance.

we are here!

Connie at the bus. Going back to Jerusalem. 

After our swim:

Off to the Dead Sea for an overnight and Ibex galore.

We are off for one more overnight away from the bustling city.  We drive south and through the semi-desert and desert landscape.  The landscape changes so rapidly. Even so, wherever we see Israeli development, the landscape is green and covered in trees. 

Bedouin settlements start to appear; they dot the countryside with their semi permanent homes and "barns";  we begin to see herds of donkeys and then camels! 

we wend our way through the south, and finally see - in the distance- the Dead Sea.  We turn north on route 90 and our way along the west bank of the Jordan River, toward the Ein Gedi Kibbutz hotel to check-in. we have a few minutes to drop our bags in our room and to have lunch before we are to meet Connie and Walter at the Mineral Beach on the Dead Sea.

Connie and Walter have been touring with their group today from Jerusalem to Masada, then to hike in Ein Gedi preserve, and then to the beach.

We have a quick lunch among the .... Ibex! they are everywhere and they are munching on the flowers and shrubs, let us come very close, and stand still as though they expect their photo to be taken.

 

 

 

The dead sea:  I have always wanted to float in the dead sea and the chance to do this with my family and with Connie and Walter is a dream come true.  The sun sets early - by 5, and so we descend on the beach just after 3. 

A shabbat ride through gardens; a worldwide photo exhibit and Maura comes back from the South

Liat and Hillel tell us that in Ramat Aviv- just north of Tel Aviv- in the large University campus there is a museum complex.  the 2014 photo journalists awards were given for world wide photos; these photos- there must have been more than 500- were on exhibit at the museum.  And rode our bikes up the tayelet, and turned east, riding through the miles long gardens called the HaYarkon.  - along the Yarkon river.  I could not stop to take many pictures, but, I have never ridden a bike through so many throngs of people, making picnics, pushing strollers, riding bikes, playing games along the lawns; and of course, in the river, people in kayaks and row boats.  what a sight to see!

At one point we saw  a group of people who gather routinely dancing to Israeli music; they have specific moves to various songs; they seem to be moving for exercise and for pleasure.  They move in a circle.  People of all ages- primarily elders.  So many people are fit here. 

 

 

 

We met up with Liat at the museum and toured the exhibit together.  The exhibit of photos was very moving, sobering images of war, pain and destruction.  Some were sweet and funny, but, last year was marked by so much war and sadness around the world.  The summer war in Israel was also depicted, from both sides- Gaza images and Israeli images.  So many times the people look the same- they are brothers and sisters.   It would be worthwhile to see again.  I understand the exhibit may come to DC at some point. 

 

we went to a local restaurant for lunch, and Liat asked us to come back to her apartment to visit with Meir, Iyra and Yoeli.  Iyra and I had a chance to work on her little weaving project again.  This is so much fun!

Friday; To Mount Carmel, The Rothschild Gardens and a Druze Village

Randall, Reyna and I were up and out early.  Hillel picked us up by 8:00 a.m. and we went north to Ramat Aviv to pick up Liat, Meir, Iyra and Yoeli.  In tandem we went up the highway.  Everyone was so happy to see Reyna and Iyra insisted on riding with Reyna. When Reyna lived in Israel for the year, Yoeli was just born; Meir was finishing his Masters in architecture, Liat was starting her dissertation. Reyna helped out routinely with Yoeli and Iyra and so strong bonds were formed. 

We headed north and our first stop was an American style pancake house.  Everyone had pancakes and off we went further north.

Not many miles are driven before one is driving through the hills and rolling agricultural countryside.  we turn off and head toward a garden area called Ramat Hanadiv.  This large preserve of hiking trails, memorial gardens is also the burial place of  Baron Edmund de Rothschild, who, in the mid-twenties bought a great deal of land in Israel as a place for Jewish people to go. 

we check in at the shop and office where we obtain maps of the area, the hiking paths and ancient ruins.

We select a hike of about 1.5 hours; we have views of the hills of Samaria, and see prehistoric agricultural areas, the remains of a farmhouse from the Ottoman period and Roman baths. 

 

 

Hillel, his oldest daughter, Liat and Randall; over looking the orchards and vineyards.

Reyna, Liat, me, Hillel and Meir.  This is such a typical weekend activity- to hike in a park with your family. 

If you recall, we heard about the red flower called callaniot- these flowers grow prolifically in the south near kibbutz Be'eri.  here they are starting to blossom on the hillside.  Hillel explains to me that the British were called Calaniot because they wore red-coats.

we stop in the shade of the Tabor Oak- a deciduous native tree that grows from the Sharon Plain  to the Galilee and Golan Heights.  The large acorns are a source of food for Eurasian Jays, rodents and wild boar. 

 



 

 

One of the fascinating stops along the path is the ruins of the Roman baths.  The water supply came from an adjacent spring- pictures will follow- the residents of the site could bathe in hot water.  there are 4 long consecutive rooms- a dressing room, a cold water room, a warm room and then the hot bath or saunea.  



 

 

 

The steps go down into the dressing area. 

The pillars supported a mosaic floor; from underneath, the floor was heated for the sauna room.

You can still see the pillar supports.

The Romans created a water system water was accumulated in a tunnel and supplied water for the baths.  the water flowed from this path- covered- to the baths.

 

A view from the bottom of the well, looking up.  this is where the water was collected.

From inside the well system- the water was collected and then flowed out toward the baths; the water was also used for irrigation.

 

 

The water system coming from the well. 

This arch was built as part of a farmhouse in the late 1880s. 

 

From inside the arch.

 

 

 

 





Nearby, a ruin of a "dovecote" was still evident.  The Romans built a columbarium- a round tower of a height of over 18 meters (60 feet!!) high that contained many openings for doves to have nests.  Columba means dove;  doves were very important in Roman society.  The romans used the eggs, and meat, and the excrement was used as fertilizer.  The plaster outer walls prevented predators such as repties and other animals of prey. 

 

Once we returned from the hiking trail we selected we wanted to see the memorial gardens.  This large and graceful botanical garden is spectacular.  Built in a large circle,  of many acres, the beautifull tended gardens contained many specimens of tree, shrub and flower.  This is one of the nicest botanical gardens I have been to. 

 

The gardens were designed to remember Baron Edmond de Rothschild (1845-1934) He gave a great deal of support to the Yishuv- the pre-state Jewish community in the land of Israel.  He acquired large tracts of land and provided support to new farmers.  44 villages were established with his support. 

 

For generations amounting to over 200 years. the Rothschild Family were supporters and contributors to nations including educational support for Israel- even through today.  The photos of the gardens do not do it justice.  Baron Rothschild and his wife are buried there.

 

 

Our next stop of the day was to an Arab village nearby where many Druze live.  There, our family arranged for us to go to a restaurant called Nora's Kitchen.  this was not an easy place to find.  It looked like a house off a tiny side street or driveway. The laundry was hanging on the line.

Inside, were several tables and it was a quiet afternoon- being nearly Shabbat- Friday afternoon.  The Druze signed the peace pact with Israel in 1948; they fight in the Israeli army; are, like many Arabs, Israeli citizens.  The Druze religion is a secret one; no one knows their practices.   No one can convert to the Druze religion either.  But, the warmth and charm was evident in everyone we met; the food was spectacular. 




The restaurant was like a living room in some ways and a restaurant in other ways.

As is typical, the salads come out first.  Hummus, a spicy pepper dip and olives.  All the food comes out in courses;  there are no menus; the courses just keep coming!

A slaw like salad, stuffed cabbage rolls and stuffed grape leaves. 

Nora took us to her kitchen.  This is her oven!

 

 

 

 

 She brought out Kubeh ( a roll filled with meat); and a chicken dish with rice.  Also served was a fabulous eggplant dish. 

 

 

This is Nora's sister.  Yoeli wanted to know where bay leaves come from. She took us across the street, and pulled off some bay leaf stems for him.  She was so sweet.  What another wonderful day.