Friday in Jerusalem: Life the Midst of Violence
Friday, Oct. 16: Post by Christina
We started our day with a tour of the 1967 line. The Muslim Brotherhood has called for a day of rage so our drive is altered.
We had planned to go into East Jerusalem today and we are planning on the West Bank tomorrow, so we are making some changes. They have cancelled the home visits in East Jerusalem. We have now driven the Seam (road that divides East and West Jerusalem) and we head to the Museum of the Seam.
The Museum on the Seam is a fringe place, you see the logo they created "Coexist" everywhere. They were established 20 years ago with funding from the municipality and a private German family but that has changed and so they will close in 2 months after this last exhibit which opened when we walked in the door. It is in a building just next to the gate that existed in 1967 between Israel and Jordan, now East Jerusalem. It is a space for artists to explore the difficulties of coexistence and most of the art is very disturbing. We have become enamored of Kadishman's sheep and the museum had one of the screaming heads from his installation in Berlin called "Fallen Leaves". Many of us bought Coexist t-shirts and are back on the bus headed to the fruit and vegetable market for a walk and lunch.
The market (Machne Yehuda) is the Jerusalem farm market writ large and with tremendous variety. The smells and the foods are glorious. Part of what makes the vendors kosher is giving a percentage of their profits to the poor. We walked through to the area called the Iraqi Market to a restaurant that Julian's daughter used to work at, the food was tremendous. I posted a picture, but it doesn't begin to show the variety and complexity of the foods and flavors. On the way back I picked up three pieces of baklava🍥
After a quick stop at the hotel we were back on the bus for a talk and tour by Colonel Ron Schatzburg who explained the geography and demographics of the Jerusalem problem. He was so intelligent and pragmatic, an interesting contrast to the dreamers we have seen the past few days. They are wonderful and necessary, he is trying to look not at what may be but what is. We went to look at the wall, which is 90% fence and only 10% wall. Things I learned, women soldiers manage the observation posts because they are more patient, and women monitor the check points as volunteer observers because they are not threatening and do not escalate situations and everyone behaves better. The IDF uses Bedouin and Druze trackers to follow people who manage to get through the fence. The fence is not electric but sensing, so it sends a message to the watchers if it is cut or even stepped on. The UN offices are on the hill of evil counsel. While we stood on overlooks we saw smoke at Rachel's Tomb and near French Hill, heard the alarms, and smelled some tear gas. Pray for Jerusalem.
In the evening we went to Shabbat Service at a synagogue that is very progressive and welcomed us, (Kol HaNeshama) It was a lovely service and we all participated as we could. I have not been to a Shabbat Service and it was lovely, Tom cried. Abby was kind enough to answer all my questions about the liturgy. I will go again to David Straus's synagogue (Main LIne Reform Temple in Wynnewood) and see how it feels in the US. David, Lynn, and Julian were yet again so thoughtful of Chukri, Foza and Zakiya and sat enclosing them during worship.
Back again to the hotel for dinner and it was a joy to have Rabbi David say the blessings and tell a story about why the grape was chosen as the special fruit (to make the wine/grape juice) for Shabbat meal blessing, along with the braided bread (challah). Mayor DiBlasio is in town so he and his people were at a table nearby.
We started our day with a tour of the 1967 line. The Muslim Brotherhood has called for a day of rage so our drive is altered.
We had planned to go into East Jerusalem today and we are planning on the West Bank tomorrow, so we are making some changes. They have cancelled the home visits in East Jerusalem. We have now driven the Seam (road that divides East and West Jerusalem) and we head to the Museum of the Seam.
The Museum on the Seam is a fringe place, you see the logo they created "Coexist" everywhere. They were established 20 years ago with funding from the municipality and a private German family but that has changed and so they will close in 2 months after this last exhibit which opened when we walked in the door. It is in a building just next to the gate that existed in 1967 between Israel and Jordan, now East Jerusalem. It is a space for artists to explore the difficulties of coexistence and most of the art is very disturbing. We have become enamored of Kadishman's sheep and the museum had one of the screaming heads from his installation in Berlin called "Fallen Leaves". Many of us bought Coexist t-shirts and are back on the bus headed to the fruit and vegetable market for a walk and lunch.
The market (Machne Yehuda) is the Jerusalem farm market writ large and with tremendous variety. The smells and the foods are glorious. Part of what makes the vendors kosher is giving a percentage of their profits to the poor. We walked through to the area called the Iraqi Market to a restaurant that Julian's daughter used to work at, the food was tremendous. I posted a picture, but it doesn't begin to show the variety and complexity of the foods and flavors. On the way back I picked up three pieces of baklava🍥
After a quick stop at the hotel we were back on the bus for a talk and tour by Colonel Ron Schatzburg who explained the geography and demographics of the Jerusalem problem. He was so intelligent and pragmatic, an interesting contrast to the dreamers we have seen the past few days. They are wonderful and necessary, he is trying to look not at what may be but what is. We went to look at the wall, which is 90% fence and only 10% wall. Things I learned, women soldiers manage the observation posts because they are more patient, and women monitor the check points as volunteer observers because they are not threatening and do not escalate situations and everyone behaves better. The IDF uses Bedouin and Druze trackers to follow people who manage to get through the fence. The fence is not electric but sensing, so it sends a message to the watchers if it is cut or even stepped on. The UN offices are on the hill of evil counsel. While we stood on overlooks we saw smoke at Rachel's Tomb and near French Hill, heard the alarms, and smelled some tear gas. Pray for Jerusalem.In the evening we went to Shabbat Service at a synagogue that is very progressive and welcomed us, (Kol HaNeshama) It was a lovely service and we all participated as we could. I have not been to a Shabbat Service and it was lovely, Tom cried. Abby was kind enough to answer all my questions about the liturgy. I will go again to David Straus's synagogue (Main LIne Reform Temple in Wynnewood) and see how it feels in the US. David, Lynn, and Julian were yet again so thoughtful of Chukri, Foza and Zakiya and sat enclosing them during worship.
Back again to the hotel for dinner and it was a joy to have Rabbi David say the blessings and tell a story about why the grape was chosen as the special fruit (to make the wine/grape juice) for Shabbat meal blessing, along with the braided bread (challah). Mayor DiBlasio is in town so he and his people were at a table nearby.
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