Celebrating the 1st night of Chanukah at "Minaret" restaurant in Jerusalem.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
The Old City of Jerusalem
Today, for our first time, and for nearly eight hours, we walked the reunified city of Old Jerusalem. Standing where our ancestors stood millenia before us was indescribably moving. The pulse of the ancient civilization is still quite palpable.
Day 2
VERY happy to report that I slept like a log last night. My wake-up call came at 6:30am and I couldn't believe how hard I was asleep. Felt like I was in the Twilight Zone before gaining enough consciousness to answer the phone! Unfortunately, most of the rest of the group was up at 2:30am, 3:30am, 4:30am....
Started this morning with the much-anticipated Israel breakfast... a treat for all! I'll try to remember to post some pictures of the buffet tomorrow. So many cheeses, yogurts, nuts, olives, pickles, cereals, plus traditional American breakfast items like french toast, eggs, etc. Oh, and I shouldn't forget the HALAVA LOAF! One at EACH END of the buffet -- you shouldn't miss it!
We rolled ourselves out of the hotel at 8:00am -- ON TIME!!! much to the delight of our guide, Nir -- and made our way to the Old City of Jerusalem. Once inside the walls, we toured the Davidson Center where we learned much about the history of the Old City and the ongoing excavation work. We walked around the Southern wall area to view the ancient steps that the commoners would ascend to bring their sacrifices to the Temple.
We then descended to an uncovered section of the orginal streets of Jerusalem dating back to the Temple-period. A fascinating peek into what likely existed in the Temple's earliest days.
For the next hour we wandered around the Kotel area (the Western Wall) and enjoyed the incredible sights and sounds of more than 30 Bar Mitzvah ceremonies taking place around the perimeter of the men's side of the Wall area. Pix will be posted later, hopefully. (Still trying to figure some of this out as I go along. Patience...)
From the Wall area we descended 25 feet below current "street level" to walk through the Western Wall "tunnel" to the lowest currently-known point at which the Western Wall sits upon the ground of Mount Moriah.
And then an amazing treat. Not since I was first in Israel in 1979 have I had the opportunity to walk on the Temple Mount. As a very last-minute suggestion, I convinced our guide that this was a better option than the "ramparts walk". The opportunity to walk atop the Temple Mount doesn't come around that often, and is usually based on the level of tension in the region. Today was a "good day" and we were able to visit. Of course, no non-Muslim is allowed to enter the Dome of the Rock or the Al Aqsa mosque, but we stood right next to both and learned much of the history of this phenomenal place. My great thanks to Nir for making "the right phone calls" to get the tour company's consent to bring our group there!
LUNCH....felafel and shewarma in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. DELICIOUS. I will say that the restaurant had no bathroom. When I asked the proprietor for directions he (typical of Israelis) pointed this way and that in absolutely meaningless gestures. So...4 of us started walking and, of course, got horribly lost. We wandered into an actual neighborhood within the Jewish Quarter whereupon I asked a little boy if he could tell us where the bathrooms were. In true Israeli fashion, he, too, muttered a bunch of meaningless directions while gesturing this way and that. As we started walking away he asked if we wanted him to show us. Our bladders were MOST appreciative of this 6 year old's lead!!!!! He was accompanied by his two sisters who couldn't have been much for that 4 and 5. What a great experience!!!
We spend the balance of the afternoon shopping and meandering through the Arab Marketplace having so much fun enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells, and the wonderful bargains we scored. Nothing like it ANYWHERE in America. NOTHING!
We are back at the hotel now (which is lovely) enjoying a little down-time. At 6:00pm in the lobby we are going to join the Chief Rabbi of Israel!!!!! in lighting the Chanukiah. THAT was unscheduled, and discovered by good luck this morning.
From there we are off to dinner at a WONDERFUL restaurant called Olive & Loaf. Been there before, but I'll report on that after...
Have a great day... it was 85 degrees and sunny here in Jerusalem. It's like Summer in December, and quite unbelievable.
Best to all,
Rabbi Jeff Astrachan
We rolled ourselves out of the hotel at 8:00am -- ON TIME!!! much to the delight of our guide, Nir -- and made our way to the Old City of Jerusalem. Once inside the walls, we toured the Davidson Center where we learned much about the history of the Old City and the ongoing excavation work. We walked around the Southern wall area to view the ancient steps that the commoners would ascend to bring their sacrifices to the Temple.
We then descended to an uncovered section of the orginal streets of Jerusalem dating back to the Temple-period. A fascinating peek into what likely existed in the Temple's earliest days.
For the next hour we wandered around the Kotel area (the Western Wall) and enjoyed the incredible sights and sounds of more than 30 Bar Mitzvah ceremonies taking place around the perimeter of the men's side of the Wall area. Pix will be posted later, hopefully. (Still trying to figure some of this out as I go along. Patience...)
From the Wall area we descended 25 feet below current "street level" to walk through the Western Wall "tunnel" to the lowest currently-known point at which the Western Wall sits upon the ground of Mount Moriah.
And then an amazing treat. Not since I was first in Israel in 1979 have I had the opportunity to walk on the Temple Mount. As a very last-minute suggestion, I convinced our guide that this was a better option than the "ramparts walk". The opportunity to walk atop the Temple Mount doesn't come around that often, and is usually based on the level of tension in the region. Today was a "good day" and we were able to visit. Of course, no non-Muslim is allowed to enter the Dome of the Rock or the Al Aqsa mosque, but we stood right next to both and learned much of the history of this phenomenal place. My great thanks to Nir for making "the right phone calls" to get the tour company's consent to bring our group there!
LUNCH....felafel and shewarma in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. DELICIOUS. I will say that the restaurant had no bathroom. When I asked the proprietor for directions he (typical of Israelis) pointed this way and that in absolutely meaningless gestures. So...4 of us started walking and, of course, got horribly lost. We wandered into an actual neighborhood within the Jewish Quarter whereupon I asked a little boy if he could tell us where the bathrooms were. In true Israeli fashion, he, too, muttered a bunch of meaningless directions while gesturing this way and that. As we started walking away he asked if we wanted him to show us. Our bladders were MOST appreciative of this 6 year old's lead!!!!! He was accompanied by his two sisters who couldn't have been much for that 4 and 5. What a great experience!!!
We spend the balance of the afternoon shopping and meandering through the Arab Marketplace having so much fun enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells, and the wonderful bargains we scored. Nothing like it ANYWHERE in America. NOTHING!
We are back at the hotel now (which is lovely) enjoying a little down-time. At 6:00pm in the lobby we are going to join the Chief Rabbi of Israel!!!!! in lighting the Chanukiah. THAT was unscheduled, and discovered by good luck this morning.
From there we are off to dinner at a WONDERFUL restaurant called Olive & Loaf. Been there before, but I'll report on that after...
Have a great day... it was 85 degrees and sunny here in Jerusalem. It's like Summer in December, and quite unbelievable.
Best to all,
Rabbi Jeff Astrachan
from Kelly Reigart
Day 1 or was it day 2, with time change, sleep deprived from the morning of pictures, bus drive to Lancaster Train Station, train to Philadelphia, next train to Newark Air;port. Finally the airplane to Israel. From airport we went to sooooo many things to see and we hadn't even got to the hotel yet, and we had already seen most of the things, I thought we'd seen almost everything in this city,BUT, day promises to be a wonderful day high of 85, Kelly Reigart
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
We're HERE!
13 travelers... ONE of us actually slept on the plane. It wasn't me. Most of us have now been awake for more than 35 hours!
The trip started off great. We were met at the temple by a very nice group of well-wishers to see us off, and the bus picked us up perfectly on time.
We made it to the Lancaster Amtrak station with plenty of time to spare, and got to Philadelphia where we had to change trains with a 45-minute layover. We made our connection just fine, but while signage indicated we had to go just TWO stops to get to the Newark Int'l Airport...um, turns out it was THREE STOPS. We started pushing and shoving to get us off the train... only to find out that we were about to lose the train at the wrong place! OOPS!
Finally made it to Newark Int'l Airport and boarded the AirTrain to the terminal. All 13 of us fit into a single car of the train... annoucement plays, "Stay clear of the closing doors." The doors start to close and then open again. This happens about 10 times before a train representative finally comes over to take a look. Seems as though one of our group (who shall remain nameless) was actually sitting agains the emergency override button, keeping the doors from closing!!! OOPS!!
So we get to the terminal and follow the crowd inside. An agent tells us to proceed via elevator to level 4 for check-in. We get up to level 4... unload the elevator... and are told we have to go to Level 2. We pile back into the elevator and ride it to level 2... unload the elevator... go to get on line for check-in... and are barked at AGAIN that we need to be on Level 4. Finally get that straightened out... and they can't find our reservation. OOPS!!!!!!!!!!
Eventually --- after already feeling exhausted -- we get where we needed to be... boarded our plane... and a simple 10+ hour plane ride is over. We made it. We are in Israel. We are in Jerusalem.
Today was really a great first day to be here. We historical monuments to the Maccabees and had the opportunity to plant trees. We ate lunch at a wonderful little sandwich shop (very much like Cosi but with a lot less English goin' on!) then made our way to the Haas Promenade which provides a magnificent view for saying Shehecheyanu, Kiddush, and Motzi overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem.
On to the Old City where we had a chance to visit at the Wall for a bit, lay t'fillin, and take in the sights. This was a very emotional moment for us all. We are looking forward to go back there tomorrow.
Finally a brief chance to check in to the hotel (it's very nice), see our rooms, take hot showers, put on some clean clothes (everyone's luggage arrived!!!!), and head back out for a very traditional Middle-Eastern dinner at the Minaret Restaurant.
Dinner -- as anticipated -- was fantastic. An endless supply of family-style Israeli/Lebanese salads followed by skewers of a lamb/beef mixture and chicken along with cumin-flavored rice. Our FIRST dessert of the evening consisted of unlimited fresh Israeli oranges and plates of baklava.
Our SECOND dessert was some amazing ice cream on Ben Yehuda Street. Didn't you know... there are NO calories in Israel.
So...looking forward to tomorrow's formal tour of the Old City after a traditional Israeli-style breakfast at the hotel.
Hope everyone back home is following allong... I'm going to sleep.
Rabbi Astrachan
The trip started off great. We were met at the temple by a very nice group of well-wishers to see us off, and the bus picked us up perfectly on time.
We made it to the Lancaster Amtrak station with plenty of time to spare, and got to Philadelphia where we had to change trains with a 45-minute layover. We made our connection just fine, but while signage indicated we had to go just TWO stops to get to the Newark Int'l Airport...um, turns out it was THREE STOPS. We started pushing and shoving to get us off the train... only to find out that we were about to lose the train at the wrong place! OOPS!
Finally made it to Newark Int'l Airport and boarded the AirTrain to the terminal. All 13 of us fit into a single car of the train... annoucement plays, "Stay clear of the closing doors." The doors start to close and then open again. This happens about 10 times before a train representative finally comes over to take a look. Seems as though one of our group (who shall remain nameless) was actually sitting agains the emergency override button, keeping the doors from closing!!! OOPS!!
So we get to the terminal and follow the crowd inside. An agent tells us to proceed via elevator to level 4 for check-in. We get up to level 4... unload the elevator... and are told we have to go to Level 2. We pile back into the elevator and ride it to level 2... unload the elevator... go to get on line for check-in... and are barked at AGAIN that we need to be on Level 4. Finally get that straightened out... and they can't find our reservation. OOPS!!!!!!!!!!
Eventually --- after already feeling exhausted -- we get where we needed to be... boarded our plane... and a simple 10+ hour plane ride is over. We made it. We are in Israel. We are in Jerusalem.
Today was really a great first day to be here. We historical monuments to the Maccabees and had the opportunity to plant trees. We ate lunch at a wonderful little sandwich shop (very much like Cosi but with a lot less English goin' on!) then made our way to the Haas Promenade which provides a magnificent view for saying Shehecheyanu, Kiddush, and Motzi overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem.
On to the Old City where we had a chance to visit at the Wall for a bit, lay t'fillin, and take in the sights. This was a very emotional moment for us all. We are looking forward to go back there tomorrow.
Finally a brief chance to check in to the hotel (it's very nice), see our rooms, take hot showers, put on some clean clothes (everyone's luggage arrived!!!!), and head back out for a very traditional Middle-Eastern dinner at the Minaret Restaurant.
Dinner -- as anticipated -- was fantastic. An endless supply of family-style Israeli/Lebanese salads followed by skewers of a lamb/beef mixture and chicken along with cumin-flavored rice. Our FIRST dessert of the evening consisted of unlimited fresh Israeli oranges and plates of baklava.
Our SECOND dessert was some amazing ice cream on Ben Yehuda Street. Didn't you know... there are NO calories in Israel.
So...looking forward to tomorrow's formal tour of the Old City after a traditional Israeli-style breakfast at the hotel.
Hope everyone back home is following allong... I'm going to sleep.
Rabbi Astrachan
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Welcome TBI Bulletin Readers...
Any day now, the November issue of the TBI bulletin will "hit the news stands" and the members of the congregation will hear about this blog. With high hopes, many of you reading this post are here because you saw the link in the bulletin, and were curious about the blog (maybe, for some, you've never even heard the word "blog" before).
So...WELCOME!!!
As of today (October 26), our group departs in 35 days. The group that traveled with the JCC/Rotary trip just returned home last week, and I've been hearing only GREAT stories of their journey. It sounds like they had a fantastic time exploring and learning... and our group is preparing for the same.
We hope that many of you will join us -- electronically -- along the way, and will post messages to us so we know people are "watching".
Feel free to comment on anything you read or see here, and check back often for updates... especially after November 30. If all goes well, there might even be a posting or two from 35,000-feet.
Stay tuned, and stay connected...
Rabbi Jeffrey Astrachan
So...WELCOME!!!
As of today (October 26), our group departs in 35 days. The group that traveled with the JCC/Rotary trip just returned home last week, and I've been hearing only GREAT stories of their journey. It sounds like they had a fantastic time exploring and learning... and our group is preparing for the same.
We hope that many of you will join us -- electronically -- along the way, and will post messages to us so we know people are "watching".
Feel free to comment on anything you read or see here, and check back often for updates... especially after November 30. If all goes well, there might even be a posting or two from 35,000-feet.
Stay tuned, and stay connected...
Rabbi Jeffrey Astrachan
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Next Month in Jerusalem!
Today I spent several hours putting finishing touches on the full-group meeting taking place this evening. Very exciting to be putting final details on the itinerary, gathering information about our guide (Nir Ofer), making last-minute adjustments to the travel arrangements, and organizing all the paperwork for the agenda.
We'll be spending Chanukah in Israel -- and looking through the itinerary, it's very exciting to see the different places we'll be able to light our candles. The last time I was in Israel for Chanukah was in 1990 as a seminary student. It's very exciting to be taking a temple group during the Bar Mitzvah year of my ordination (13 years since I became a rabbi in 1997).
Milestones like these are very important. I know that this trip will provide lasting memories for all the participants. I am honored to be a part of this experience in each of their lives.
We'll be spending Chanukah in Israel -- and looking through the itinerary, it's very exciting to see the different places we'll be able to light our candles. The last time I was in Israel for Chanukah was in 1990 as a seminary student. It's very exciting to be taking a temple group during the Bar Mitzvah year of my ordination (13 years since I became a rabbi in 1997).
Milestones like these are very important. I know that this trip will provide lasting memories for all the participants. I am honored to be a part of this experience in each of their lives.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Readings and Music
A few weeks ago, those traveling with me began receiving weekly Shabbat readings to prepare them for the emotional and spiritual journey that is so quickly approaching. In addition, just last week, I sent each traveling household a 2-CD set of wonderful Israeli music to also help then to further solidify that bond with with Eretz Yisrael.
Perhaps they might write in an comment about these readings and the music....
Rabbi Astrachan
Perhaps they might write in an comment about these readings and the music....
Rabbi Astrachan
Sunday, August 15, 2010
This year in Jerusalem!
With great excitement, we are t-minus 106 days until departure...
At 3:55pm, on November 30, 2010, I will have the remarkable joy of taking off for Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel) with a small number of travelers from my congregation in York, PA. At this moment, there are 13 of us signed up to go...but we could be as high as 19, or even 21, with a few folks who are still seriously considering joining us.
This will be my 11th trip to Israel -- the 2nd congregational tour I have led -- and my first with this community. Each has been so memorable -- from my first in 1979, when I was surprise by my father's group one night, celebrating my birthday in the lobby of our hotel, to my last, in 2007, with a group of my own from my former congregation in New York.
Many of us have vacationed, traveled, journeyed, etc... but there is NOTHING that compares to walking the streets of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, or Old Jaffa. Nothing is quite like the ancient Arab marketplace, with its unique and powerful aromas. And there is no way to adequately describe the brilliant and magical way that the sun sets over the horizon on the Mediterranean beach in Tel Aviv. Some things just have to be seen to be believed.
And it doesn't matter how many times one has visited these places...each time is as breathtaking as the very first time.
I hope, through this blog, you will journey with our group. We will do our very best to share our experiences with you so you can enjoy our sacred pilgrimage almost as much as us.
We look forward to hearing from you along the way, as well. Postings will be shared with the group each morning (or as often as possible).
May you each have the opportunity to travel to Jerusalem...often. We are so very much looking forward to ours.
Faithfully,
Rabbi Jeffrey Astrachan
Temple Beth Israel
York, PA
At 3:55pm, on November 30, 2010, I will have the remarkable joy of taking off for Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel) with a small number of travelers from my congregation in York, PA. At this moment, there are 13 of us signed up to go...but we could be as high as 19, or even 21, with a few folks who are still seriously considering joining us.
This will be my 11th trip to Israel -- the 2nd congregational tour I have led -- and my first with this community. Each has been so memorable -- from my first in 1979, when I was surprise by my father's group one night, celebrating my birthday in the lobby of our hotel, to my last, in 2007, with a group of my own from my former congregation in New York.
Many of us have vacationed, traveled, journeyed, etc... but there is NOTHING that compares to walking the streets of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, or Old Jaffa. Nothing is quite like the ancient Arab marketplace, with its unique and powerful aromas. And there is no way to adequately describe the brilliant and magical way that the sun sets over the horizon on the Mediterranean beach in Tel Aviv. Some things just have to be seen to be believed.
And it doesn't matter how many times one has visited these places...each time is as breathtaking as the very first time.
I hope, through this blog, you will journey with our group. We will do our very best to share our experiences with you so you can enjoy our sacred pilgrimage almost as much as us.
We look forward to hearing from you along the way, as well. Postings will be shared with the group each morning (or as often as possible).
May you each have the opportunity to travel to Jerusalem...often. We are so very much looking forward to ours.
Faithfully,
Rabbi Jeffrey Astrachan
Temple Beth Israel
York, PA
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