One does not travel to Jerusalem, one returns: Israel
I never believed that a place could really change you. I am still not entirely sure if it can. But I did learn that there are moments of impact that change your perspective, open your mind, and allow you to understand the depth of what is in front of you. You encounter these moments in the most unexpected ways, and that is what makes them so distinct.
Our international program had the opportunity to take a 6-day educational field trip to Israel. The intensive, packed tour was hands-down, one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. Here is some of it that I would like to share with you.
Day 1: Arrival
We left Lausanne at 4 a.m. with a juice box, couple granola bars, and some luggage filled with excitement, anticipation, and a little bit of butterflies. We boarded our bus for Geneva airport, and arrived at our gate about an hour and a half later. I think I left on this trip not really knowing what to expect. I mean, I never even imagined myself traveling to the Middle East. Of course the anticipation sent rumors around; like how we may have a bodyguard, or how soldiers walk around with their weapons in public areas. The news seems to portray the Middle East in a certain way, and little did I expect Israel to be the way it really was.
We arrived at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel-Aviv in the afternoon safe and sound. Passing through the immigration checkpoint was probably the catalyst for my eagerness to explore this new area of the world. As I was getting my passport stamped, the officer asked me why I was visiting Israel. I responded telling her it was a trip with my university, and she was immediately elated, telling me that I was incredibly lucky to have such an opportunity. I grabbed my passport and walked away, really trying to think about what she said. I really was lucky. I mean, I am in school, and am going to Israel, a place many people dream of visiting all their lives; and I was here as a college student. Not only that, but I had been given the chance to bond with 80 other students, faculty, staff, and even our International Programs dean! It was honestly such an awesome chance to build life long memories among so many others.
We met our tour guides, Uri and Yishay, and boarded our busses. Our guides were incredibly involved and caring, making sure our experiences went comfortably and free of worries. They introduced us to many different Israeli cultural ideas, snacks, and the way of life, throughout the week. We departed for the Mediterranean Coast first. About an hour later, we arrived at the Sea of Galilee, just in time to watch the golden sun set into the water. Everyone rushed out of the bus, grabbing cameras to snap the beauty of our first site in Israel. Along the rocky beach were the remnants of the 2,000 year-old aqueduct built by the Romans, which once brought water to the city of Caesarea. We clicked away at the beautiful ruins before the guides called us together for a brief introduction, “the Holy Land in the Prim of contemporary World Affair”. The guides introduced us to the history of Caesarea, and recited a Hebrew poem as the sun set behind us.
This would be a week of learning, questioning, and overcoming our own fears and preconceptions. The guides shared and Israeli dessert called rugelach, a croissant like dough filled with chocolate, which according to our guide include enough calories for the day; but hey, they were delicious! That was only the start of the tastiest week of food. We wrapped up and got back to our hotel in the Upper Galilee area. We had our first Mediterranean meal at our cute, village style outdoor hotel, followed by a second introduction of the geography of Israel, and the itinerary for the week.
Day 2: Nature, Security, and Spirituality in the North
Let the trip begin! Bright and early, 7 a.m., we were packed and ready to go. WE walked a couple hundred meters to the Sea of Galilee Yigal Allon Centre. There, we spend a short time at the “Man in the Galilee” museum to check out the ancient galilee boat, which is dated back to the time of Jesus. The 2,000 year old boat had an entire museum dedicated to it, and video clips showing the process of excavation. Next, we took a ride up to the Mount of Beatitudes, a traditional site of Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount”, overlooking the Sea of Galilee. The octagonal church was surrounded by lush greenery, and a beautiful view of the sea.
We then visited another church, “Sacellvm Primatvs: Sancti Petri”, the site of the Restoration of Peter at Tabgha. Our next stop was Capernaum, another town on the shores of the Galilee, at the heart of the ministry of Jesus and the site of Jesus’ teachings and healing. We then drove to Tiberias for lunch, where I had my first real Israeli falafel.
After lunch, we boarded the bus for Beit Shean National Park, one of the largest archeological sites in Israel with its’ Biblical Tel and ongoing excavations exposing the vast Roman-Byzantine city. This place was massive and just to think that was all dug up is so impressive. We hiked up the hill to a flat area overlooking a valley and Jordan in the distance. We left the park and drove through the Jordan Valley to Jerusalem. Jerusalem is a 3,000 year old city. We stopped at Mt. Scopus, a breathtaking pot from where we say the night scene of Jerusalem.
Day 3: The Layers of Jerusalem
Our first stop was the Mount of Olives, the traditional site of Jesus’ ascension to heaven, and for a view of the glorious Old city and new city of Jerusalem. We walked down the hill, passing thousands of burials in the Ancient Jewish Cemetery, down to the Garden of Gethsemane and across the Kidron Valley. We ventured through the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem, visiting a few churches, including the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where certain believers think Jesus was crucified and resurrected. The church was very ornate with many candles and metallic décor, and filled with pilgrims from around the country and world. In the Christian quarter, our tour guide introduced us to the Jerusalem bagel, which was a large, oval bagel you dipped in zatar spice.
After lunch, we continued through the Jewish quarter of the Old City, walking through the Cardo, a Byzantine street that is now the world’s oldest shopping arcade. We walked through the Hurva Square, the central square of the Jewish Quarter. We even visited the 2,000 year-old Herodian Mansions and the room of the Last Supper.
Lastly, we visited the Jerusalem Archaeological park and the southern wall excavations. We had the chance to walk along the wall, and even visit the stone where Jesus is believed to have stood, at the historically single entry for Jewish people to the walled mound. We met back to visit the Western Wall, or the “wailing wall”. Each of us wrote a prayer to put into the wall, as a sign of respect to the site. We walked through the Western Wall tunnels, along the interior side of the wall along the Temple Mount. After dinner, we had a speaker from Tel Aviv University come in to speak to us about Israel I the Arab World.
Day 4: The Dead Sea Basin
Our fourth day began with a trip to Masada, in the Dead Sea Basin. Masada is the sit of King Herod’s mountain palace, and the site of the Jewish Zealots’ last stand against the Roman Legionnaires. We discussed Masada’s role as a symbol of Jewish defense, and its current significance in modern Israel. The ruins were very interesting and the view across the desert was spectacular.
We then took a short hike in the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve to the freshwater spring, Nahal David, a lush oasis in the Judean Desert overlooking the Dead Sea. We came across a few hyrax and ibex on our way up.
I remember always seeing pictures of people floating in the Dead Sea in our earth science textbooks in elementary school, but never did I think I would be able to do it too. We spent a few minutes floating in 35% salt water of the Dead Sea…the salinity of the Pacific Ocean is around 3.5%! There was no sand at this beach, they were just pearls of salt. We then hopped out to cover ourselves in the healthy mud mask by the water, and relax as its healthy properties seeped into our skin and hair. Even our dean joined in on the muddy fun! After washing it off, we enjoyed some more time in amazement at our inability to sink.
After floating in the Dead Sea, we visited Genesis Land, a biblical style encampment in the Judean Desert, to experience Biblical Hospitality with a camel ride through the desert and an evening ‘Hafla’ feast.
Day 5: Memory and Renewal
Probably the most emotionally stirring day for all of us, we spend the majority of our fifth day in Israel at the Yad Vashem complex, the Jewish National Memorial to the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, including the Avenue of the Righteous, the new Historical Museum, the Children’s Memorial, and a concluding memorial service.
You know when sometimes when you feel like you are expected to feel a certain way, or show certain emotions because that is how you are supposed to feel? The Holocaust Museum felt like that at the start. I mean, we are visiting an extremely terrible and sensitive part of human history, so of course we are supposed to feel sympathetic and remorseful, maybe even hatred…but I did not expect to be as emotionally stirred as I was.
All through school growing up, you are told the facts: who, what, where, and when, about the Holocaust. You are never really told to think about why or given the opportunity to question why. I feel like it is difficult to feel immense emotions without experiencing its cause. I have to say though; this museum honestly did an incredible job at allowing the visitor to deeply experience the memories, and it broke my heart.
I still have trouble trying to find the words to encompass my emotions, but what I do know is that I dare not place myself in the shoes of the victims, as it seems impossible for us today to even imagine the severity of their pain. I felt emptiness inside me, and my head kept spinning around the first hand accounts, the difficult images, and uncensored videos of the events of the Holocaust. We try to place these feelings in the back of our heads as we go on with the day, but I know this museum left me with a lot of questions on human nature and capabilities.
Later, we departed for Bethlehem, the site of the birth of Jesus, crossing a large, cement wall checkpoint into Palestinian territory. There, we visited the Church of Nativity before returning to Jerusalem for our farewell dinner near the Jerusalem Railway Station complex. A local Palestinian couple joined our dinner to answer any questions we had about the current politics, and shared with us their hopes and dreams for the future.
Day 6: Departure
After checking out from our hotel, we visited two more last sites before our departure back to Switzerland. Our first stop was the Garden Tomb, the traditional Protestant site of Calvary. We then visited the Israel Museum, one of the most creative and innovative museums in the world showcasing a wide collection from Judaica and archaeology, to Renaissance and cotemporary Israeli art.
We ended the visit with a tour of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Shrine of the Book and newly restored Second Temple Period model of Jerusalem. After our lunch and wrap-up session at the museum, we said our good-byes and departed for the airport.
Remarks:
Being constantly on the go, I did not have enough time to really soak in all that I had learned and experienced about a new part of the world, and about myself, until I boarded our flight back home. So many preconceptions were broken, and I discovered how the news could be deceptive toward the nature of a place and it’s people. It amazed me how important peace and living in love really is to the people in Israel. It really is about the people, not just the monuments. Opening my eyes to what the Middle East truly is allowed me to mature in my thoughts. I learned that you can infect, not educate love; at the same time, you have to give it the opportunity to leave its’ mark on you.
The stones of the ruins provided a framework, but it is not about that. The stone is just a guide; it is about what you do with it that matters. So go, and do good.
Six days in Israel; it’s just not that kind of trip.
