Israel

One of my favorite things about the Olmsted experience is seeing other scholars in their element.  There is something so moving about witnessing this magical adventure on the turf of our fellow Olmsteders.  The Welches became our dear friends while in language training in DC.  We met them when Abraham was just two weeks old and Gabriel was one!  Their children, Will and Lydia, are some of our kid's first friends.  It has been extra special to build friendships with Stew and Elizabeth while watching our children also become friends.  Just one step ahead of us in the game of parenting, they have been our models in many ways.  Furthermore, we immediately connected over our excitement and hesitations about embarking on this Olmsted journey together.  With all that said, we had an extra special time seeing how their family has grown and embraced life, Israeli style!
Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv was our home base during our stay in Israel.  We happened to be in town on the Jewish holiday, Purim!  At the local market, the streets were alive with public celebrations and costumes.  Will let Gabriel borrow his pilot costume, and Abraham borrowed a superhero costume.  That evening, the kids were put to sleep with a babysitter and we celebrated the holiday with the Welches, the Moores (Olmsted 2012, Tel Aviv), and some of their Israeli friends.  We spent most of our time in Tel Aviv catching up over great food and conversation, and of course, beach party wagon rides with dads being dads.  

Jaffa

Our first outing was to a small Arab town located along the coast.  This quaint and quiet town is such a nice little escape right next to the bustling city of Tel Aviv.  It's small streets are full of art galleries and boutiques.  The market has great finds from all over the world and of course some amazing Falafel and pomegranate juice!  Elizabeth gave us a tour of the ancient port city and even sported Abraham in the Deuter!  It's written in the Bible that Jonah, Solomon, and Peter all did amazing things here!  Ever heard of Jonah and the whale?  Versions of this story are found in the Bible and the Qur'an.  Like most cities in the Holy Land, Christians, Jews, and Muslims all have rich history here! 

 

Dead Sea, Masada & Ein Gedi

The earth's lowest elevation on land, the Dead Sea, is estimated to possibly dry up within our lifetime!  We are so fortunate to have seen this historic and uniquely amazing body of water.  Sure enough, it's true; the water is so densely packed with salt, that you can't help but float!  It is truly an unusual feeling being forced to float.  There is no pushing your feet to the bottom to stand up.  As much as you force it, they'll just pop back up.  Speaking of feet, be sure to wear shoes so that your feet don't get cut on the salty but beautiful shore.  As for the mud spa, let's just say that the word "spa" is seriously pushing it.  As long as you're cool grabbing fists full of mud out of dirty, old, tin cans or cannon balling your whole body into the tin itself (yes, we saw this), then you'll be just fine.  Honestly, it was an awesome experience, and we got to share it with lots of other Olmsteders!
Masada overlooks the Dead Sea.  Great hiking routes are available, but the cable cars won the vote with our group.  We rode to the to the top to see where Herod the Great built palaces and fortified the area.  For lodging, we stayed in a kibbutz in the village Ein Gedi.  There is a beautiful national park with waterfalls (David Falls), caves, wildlife, and magnificent views of the Dead Sea.  Tip: You might want to take your rowdy boys hiking through Masada and Ein Gedi after visiting the Dead Sea.  That way all the open scrapes on their knees won't cause complete and utter meltdowns in the salty water.

Jamil Musa (Olmsted 2011, Rabat), Joe Wall (Olmsted 2012, Freiburg), Stew Welch (Olmsted 2011, Tel Aviv), Garrett Moore (Olmsted 2013, Tel Aviv) 

From Sweet...

...To Silly...

...To Just Plain Adorable!

I love these kids, and I love watching their friendships bloom.

Check them out below 2 1/2 years ago in DC!

Trista, Joe, Stew, Garrett, Brittany, Jamil, DeDe (Photographer: Elizabeth)

Day 2: Ein Gedi & Dead Sea Take Two!

Posed?  No!  Okay maybe a little.
Caesarea

Another amazing location, just a day trip away from Tel Aviv, was the town of Caesarea.  The Roman ruins right on the coast were built by Herod the Great.  This prime Mediterranean real estate was conquered again and again throughout history.  We strolled through the ruins, enjoyed the scenery, grabbed some ice cream, and caught the sunset on the beach.

Tulkarem
We were fortunate to visit a town close to the village where Jamil's father was born.  It was a very special experience, and of course we couldn't leave without some real Arabic coffee!

 

The Jordan River & The Sea of Galilee 

Today, the Jordan River serves as the eastern border between the State of Israel and the West Bank and the western border for the country of Jordan.  After sitting down for a nice lunch of fresh fish overlooking the river, we visited the place believed to be where John the Baptist baptized Jesus.  

The Jordan River is also the main source of water for the Sea of Galilee.  This sea, or lake, is mentioned many times in the bible but is best known as the region where the ministry of Jesus began; recruiting his first disciples, the Sermon on the Mount, walking on water, and feeding the multitudes to name a few.  We drove around the lake and stopped at many of these locations.  In Tel Aviv, we purchased the painting below of the Sea of Galilee to forever remember this special trip.

Church of the Beatitiudes 

Matthew 5:1-12 The Sermon on the Mount

Bethlehem

Bethlehem is located on Palestinian Territory.  Since the town attracts so many tourist, the border is typically considered a safer place to cross.  Crossing the border from Israel into Palestine is a truly humbling experience, especially when traveling to the location where Jesus also entered the world in such humble surroundings.  Being this close to the dividing wall was quite difficult, and the graffiti, of course, spoke volumes.  We visited the church built on the sight believed to be where Jesus was born, grabbed some amazing food, and bought a Palestinian embroidered scarf and a nativity set made from olive wood.

Jerusalem

Both Israelis and Palestinians claim Jerusalem as their capital.  This is one of the many reasons why Jerusalem is the city at the heart of the conflict in Israel.  Important religious sights for Christians, Jews and Muslims are squeezed into the Old City, some even on top of others.  There is really no way for me to explain the political and religious history surrounding this area today.  What I do know is that is it extremely complicated and disheartening.  The Welches encouraged us to watch the short documentary, Mixed Up In The Middle East, and we highly recommend it as well.
The Wainwrights (Olmsted 2012) live right in the middle of this incredible city.  They graciously hosted us as we set out on our final adventure.  The Welches so kindly offered the watch the kids for the afternoon so that we could take a tour and actually... now here's a wild idea... listen to the tour guide.  They dropped Jamil and I off at the gates of the Old City where we met Ken for a fantastic free tour.  Afterwards, all three families dined at a great restaurant near the Wainwright's home.  We stayed the night and set out the next morning for our last full day in Israel.  Ken was available to show us around, which was such a huge help.  It's always great to see the city through an Olmsteder's eyes.  It's such a great combination of foreign and local charm!  He helped us pack it all in with the boys in tote, and we had an amazing day.

Ha-Kotel Street overlooks the Western Wall/Wailing Wall/Kotel.  The Western Wall is at the foot of the Temple Mount and is believed to be the remains from the wall that surrounded the Jewish Temple.  Many consider it the most sacred place in the Jewish religion, and people travel far and wide to pray facing the wall.

 

Latin for Way of Grief/Sorrow/Suffering

Via Dolorosa is believed to be the street Jesus walked while carrying the cross to his crucifixion.

Below is The Church of the Holy Sepulcher where many Orthodox and Catholic Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected.  It is one of the most important sights on the Christian Pilgrimage, which dates back to the 4th century.

Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque located on the Temple Mount

The Temple Mount is one of the most important and debated religious sights in Jerusalem.  It is believed to be Mount Moriah where Abraham's son (Isaac to Christians and Jews and Ishmael to Muslims) was spared by God.  al-Aqsa Mosque rests on the mount and is the third holiest sight in the Muslim religion.  It is believed that Mohammed was transported from Mecca to this mosque during his Night Journey.  The Dome of the Rock is located right next to the mosque where Mohammed is believed to have ascended into heaven.  This location is where the Second Jewish Temple was destroyed and where it is believed the third and final temple will be built.  Today, this land is claimed sovereign by both Israel and the Palestinian Authority. 

The Garden Tomb

There are two sights believed to be where Jesus was crucified, buried, and rose again.  The church pictured above on Via Dolorosa is within the walled Old City, and the Garden Tomb below is just outside of Damascus Gate.  Many Protestants believe this to be the accurate location.  Both sights are quite magnificent, and I personal found that exact locations are not what is most important.

Jamil ate Jerusalemite mix, which includes chicken heart, lungs, liver, and spleens heavily coated in Middle Eastern spices...YUM!

The Garden of Gethsemane

This garden rests at the foot of the Mount of Olives and is said to have been where Jesus and his disciples prayed before he was arrested and crucified.  The garden is gated, but guess who got to go inside?  Me!  A group of nuns visiting were offered a rare tour of the inside of the garden.  I was right beside them (not blending in at all), but the garden keeper asked me a few questions and then let me in as well.  He even gave me two olive branches from these ancient trees.  One we kept and one we gave to the Welches.

Toda to the Wainwrights, Welches, and newcomers the Moores for your fabulous hospitality.  Visiting the Holy Land is such a gift, but visiting Israel with the Olmsted community is truly a blessing!