When we woke up this morning, the skies a were a bit overcast, but we still had a clear view of snow capped Mount Hermon, the highest peak in the Golan Heights. We enjoyed another fine Israeli breakfast, complete with fresh vegetables, cheeses, yogurts, and breads and pastries, before we packed up the car for our journey south.
I forgot to mention last night: on our way out to dinner, I stopped into the lobby and saw a large banner welcoming a group from Temple Beth El in Westchester. Sitting in the lobby was their rabbi, Josh Davidson, who I know from HUC. They say you always bump into someone you know in Israel, unplanned, so that counts as one!
We drove south towards the Kinneret, with the Golan Heights to our left and Lebanon to our right. Then we turned southwest in the direction of Nazareth. Just north of Nazareth is an archeological site showcasing the remains of Tzipori, a city that dates back over 2000 years. It has several claims to fame: For Jews it was once the home of King Herod. Later, it was one of the towns in which members of the Sanhedrin, the rabbinic court, lived, and the Sanhedrin actually convened in Tzipori for many years. Judah HaNassi, who was the leader of the Sanhedrin during that time, codified the Mishna here. 
There is a synagogue here with an elaborate mosaic floor. There are homes that have been uncovered that include mikva-ot, Jewish ritual baths. For Christians, this is said to have been the birthplace of Mary. The Crusaders set up a fortress here during the Byzantine period. For lovers of history and art, this was once a thriving Roman city. One of the hundreds of mosaics that have been preserved in this city depicts the face of a woman who is known as the “Mona Lisa of the Middle East.” It’s a fascinating place to walk through and feel the history come to life.
From Tzipori we stopped for lunch en route to Tel Aviv. We drove through the Carmel Mountains, which are home to Haifa in the north, and then down the coast. It was a pleasant and relaxing drive. When we arrived to Tel Aviv we had some errands to run, and then we checked into our hotel, the Dan Panorama, on the south end of the city, just north of Jaffa. We unpacked, freshened up, and rested for about an hour before going out to meet two of my Israeli cousins for dinner.
Oren (25) and Amir (24) are first cousins. Their mothers are twins, and are first cousins to my mother, who is also a twin. Their grandfather was the son of my maternal grandfather's oldest sister. (This would make these boys my second cousins once removed.) I originally met Oren (and his two younger brothers) and Amir (and his younger sister) during my first visit to Israel. I stayed with each of their families for a number of days while traveling throughout the country.
I would continue my relationship with their families and try to see them on each subsequent visit. The last time I saw either of them (or their families) was nine or ten years ago. So it was a little strange to see these boys now as young men. We had a delightful time catching up with one another. It was special for me to introduce them to Shara and Daphne. And now that we’ve reconnected via Facebook recently, I imagine that it won’t be another ten years before we catch up again!
After a long dinner in town, we returned to the hotel and got ready for bed. Right now, Shara is singing songs with Daphne in bed while I type this. I hope to be asleep soon as all of this traveling and excitement are finally catching up to me…
Tomorrow should be another exciting day in Tel Aviv. We were originally going to head back to Jerusalem for Shabbat, but instead we will hang around Tel Aviv during the day and join my cousins (Oren’s parents and brothers, and Amir as well) for erev Shabbat before returning to Jerusalem for the night and the rest of Shabbat.
I forgot to mention last night: on our way out to dinner, I stopped into the lobby and saw a large banner welcoming a group from Temple Beth El in Westchester. Sitting in the lobby was their rabbi, Josh Davidson, who I know from HUC. They say you always bump into someone you know in Israel, unplanned, so that counts as one!
We drove south towards the Kinneret, with the Golan Heights to our left and Lebanon to our right. Then we turned southwest in the direction of Nazareth. Just north of Nazareth is an archeological site showcasing the remains of Tzipori, a city that dates back over 2000 years. It has several claims to fame: For Jews it was once the home of King Herod. Later, it was one of the towns in which members of the Sanhedrin, the rabbinic court, lived, and the Sanhedrin actually convened in Tzipori for many years. Judah HaNassi, who was the leader of the Sanhedrin during that time, codified the Mishna here. 
There is a synagogue here with an elaborate mosaic floor. There are homes that have been uncovered that include mikva-ot, Jewish ritual baths. For Christians, this is said to have been the birthplace of Mary. The Crusaders set up a fortress here during the Byzantine period. For lovers of history and art, this was once a thriving Roman city. One of the hundreds of mosaics that have been preserved in this city depicts the face of a woman who is known as the “Mona Lisa of the Middle East.” It’s a fascinating place to walk through and feel the history come to life.
From Tzipori we stopped for lunch en route to Tel Aviv. We drove through the Carmel Mountains, which are home to Haifa in the north, and then down the coast. It was a pleasant and relaxing drive. When we arrived to Tel Aviv we had some errands to run, and then we checked into our hotel, the Dan Panorama, on the south end of the city, just north of Jaffa. We unpacked, freshened up, and rested for about an hour before going out to meet two of my Israeli cousins for dinner.
Oren (25) and Amir (24) are first cousins. Their mothers are twins, and are first cousins to my mother, who is also a twin. Their grandfather was the son of my maternal grandfather's oldest sister. (This would make these boys my second cousins once removed.) I originally met Oren (and his two younger brothers) and Amir (and his younger sister) during my first visit to Israel. I stayed with each of their families for a number of days while traveling throughout the country.
I would continue my relationship with their families and try to see them on each subsequent visit. The last time I saw either of them (or their families) was nine or ten years ago. So it was a little strange to see these boys now as young men. We had a delightful time catching up with one another. It was special for me to introduce them to Shara and Daphne. And now that we’ve reconnected via Facebook recently, I imagine that it won’t be another ten years before we catch up again!After a long dinner in town, we returned to the hotel and got ready for bed. Right now, Shara is singing songs with Daphne in bed while I type this. I hope to be asleep soon as all of this traveling and excitement are finally catching up to me…
Tomorrow should be another exciting day in Tel Aviv. We were originally going to head back to Jerusalem for Shabbat, but instead we will hang around Tel Aviv during the day and join my cousins (Oren’s parents and brothers, and Amir as well) for erev Shabbat before returning to Jerusalem for the night and the rest of Shabbat.
Wow. This is very complicated. I finally, with Brian's help, got on the blog. By the way,I also stayed at K'far Blum. It was lovely, except that I actually had to buy a washcloth. The kayak trip down the Jordan was a great adventure. I'm glad your trip is going so nicely. Say hi to Shara for me. Willis
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