From Here To There & Back Again

As a newbie to the call of Israel advocacy and Jewish/Christian relations, I arrived in Israel with a mind eager to learn, heart softened to understanding, and eyes awkwardly wide open. Such hopes for learning became my prayers, and as the Father loves to give good gifts to His children, God abundantly exceeded my most idealistic expectations for discovery.

Although it has taken 70 pages of journaling, 750+ pictures, 80 videos, 17 blog posts, and countless conversations to record the breadth of my experience, a few impromptu sentences, from an unexpected source, ring the loudest in my mind as an encapsulation of the trip. These words were posed by a beautiful, soft-spoken Israeli woman. Mid-desert, late in a restful Shabbat dinner full of peaceful revelry, Ester unassumingly rose and said to our group:

‘I have had to hold back tears during this dinner as I have listened to you speak of your love for Israel. Thank you. Thank you so much for coming. I feel something unique about this group, unlike any that I have hosted before. I think there is something very special about what is happening here. Thank you.’ [paraphrased]

Ester’s words have pinned humility, understanding, and a sense of family into my being with their penetrating sincerity. They speak loudly over the commotion of details from our trip, focusing the cloud of memories into a clarity during the trip, our importance as advocates for Israel, and my “in-grafted” family relationship to the Jewish People.

A tour of Israel is unquestionably awe-inspiring. Aside from the endless Biblical sites, modern Israel is a wonder in its own right. Vineyards, orchards, and crop fields filled the gaps between the developments of Israeli towns, high-tech businesses and military infrastructure as we bussed around the Land. Between the Israeli innovation we witnessed on tours of the Or Movement (developing the desert) and Better Place (bringing electric vehicles to the world on a massive scale) and the sobering realities of the nation’s security nightmares that we saw through 5 separate security briefings by IDF Colonels, I was astounded by Israel’s collective resolve and advancement. Ester and her people are together brilliant and inspiring to be around, so her thankfulness towards us was almost shocking to me. I felt, and still feel, that I am the one who must hold the position of humble appreciation.

Ester’s gratitude also helped me understand our role as advocates. Her people often fee alone, isolated, and precariously on the edge of tragedy. She made it clear that our support resonates deeper than we may understand. Praying for the “peace of Jerusalem” is no longer a fluffy, distant vagueness for me; it is now stamped with faces and relationships. We are standing for the largest causes, yes- Democracy, freedom, God’s promises. But only these first hand experiences in the Holy Land could put such flesh on the bones of my intellectual understanding for what we might do through CUFI.

So now, as I reflect on it all- the site visits, relationships formed within our group, and bonds sealed with new friends like Ester- I try to summarize how my “expectations for discovery” were so “abundantly” met. My head is crammed full of knowledge, I can answer hundreds of factual questions, and I have spoken first hand with many Israelis- Arab, Jewish, and Druze alike. However, its not my head, but instead my heart, which has been most moved.
The words of my dear friend and trip mate, Conner McMakin beautifully relate my experience at Shabbat with Ester and the trip as a whole:

“I learned that Christians and Jews can have full and loving fellowship with each other, even after nearly 2,000 years of persecution of the Jews by the Church. That has to be a God movement, an Almighty intervention. My heart tells me we are supposed to do this. Even if my brain or limited knowledge doesn’t fully understand our sacred connection, my heart understands it.”

My heart understands. My heart is thankful. God is on the move.

Settling On Sand

With the harsh reality of life in Sederot fresh in our minds, we headed further south-east towards the desert. Conveniently our bus’ air conditioning crashed and burned just in time for the 110 degree heat of the Negev. Thankfully, during our visit to the regional waste treatment center, a replacement bus arrived to transport us to the final locale for the day.

When we arrived in Givot Bar (below right), a sleepy, one-road neighborhood bordered by sand dunes, I was a bit skeptical that the stop would be very thrilling. We were greeted by Roni Flamer, a reserved yet passionate 33 year old who I assumed was just a tour guide for the area. Roni started by telling us that were standing in one of the newest settlements into the Negev Desert. He began to explain the vision for the initiative – develop communities for 600,000 Israelis to move into the (pic-planted forest in the distance, new development in foreground) Negev by 2020.

Israel Fact #24: As understood through all of the controversy concerning the expansion of apartment buildings in Jerusalem, Israel experiences a major land shortage. The Negev Desert, located in the southern region of the country, makes up 60% of Israel’s territory; however, the majority of this area is uninhabited….because it’s the desert.

In typical Israeli fashion, that fact hasn’t deterred an inspired group of young Jewish visionaries. Only after I was already fully impressed by the initiative, did Roni (below, right) show all his cards. He said, “when I was 17 years old, 3 of my friends and I were sitting around talking about what we wanted to do with our lives. We wanted to do something with meaning. So we decided to start this movement.” Really, Roni??! 17??

Dang, when I was 17, I was just trying to decide where to go do college and how to stop a lacrosse ball from going into the net behind me. Meanwhile, Israeli kids are figuring out how to change the face of their country.

A bit more on the Or Movement: Or means ‘life.’ One of the most pervasive themes of my trip in Israel has been the discovery of how deeply the Jewish people love life. In fact no less than 4 different speakers have declared this passion to our group. Whether it’s a struggle for peace and safety for their children, a determination to re-plant and cultivate the whole country with flowers, orchards, vineyards, and expansive crop fields, or a vibrancy of art, music, religion, and never-ending debate, these people live fully. No of course that is a generalization, which is always dangerous- there are just as many problems with Israeli society as there are in America, I guess I’ve just found Israel to be very similar….except that a group of 17 year olds started developing the desert 16 years ago.

Back to Or… the organization has facilitated the planting of forests, building of infrastructure (roads, sewage lines, wells, electricity, etc.), and planning & development of communities- synagogues, kindergartens, public parks, etc. To date 4000 families have already moved to the Negev, with 11,700 currently in the process. Seriously- if you’re looking for somewhere to move in the world, this place would be incredible. (and they are starting a community for families who speak English as a first languate). Huge emphasis on community, family, young couples with a pioneering spirit, and with an underlying understanding that the movement is fortifying the strength of a nation which in most other regions finds itself pitted with enemies who claim its Land as their own….oh yea, and not to mention that these new communities are adjacent to the city of Be’er Sheva, the place where Abraham started the nation of Israel 3700 years ago. NBD.

Day 10: Beautiful Bomb Shelters

Most children get their exercise on the playground or at sports practices. I know I did. My childhood was full of adventures in the woods, on the farm, or in the mountains as well as peaceful days of soccer, basketball, and football practices. In America our specified times for running at sports practice is usually at the end of practice and consists of running up and down the field. In Sederot, Israel my contemporaries spent their childhood running from Hamas rockets. Can you imagine over 500 rockets being shot into your town and the surrounding area over the course of 2 years…in 2007 and 2008? Bomb shelters built every 300 yards along the streets, sirens going off at random while you’re eating breakfast, taking a spelling test, playing at recess, or taking a shower after a long day at school- this was life for the children of many towns in southern Israel.

Thursday morning we were greeted at our hotel by Bentzi Gruber, and IDF colonel who commanded 20,000 Israeli troops during the war in Gaza 2 years ago. He is still big-tymin in the IDF and is one of the heads of the army’s missions to conduct ethical and moral battle practices. If you’ve seen any of the videos in which Anti-Israeli activists absurdly interrupt Israeli speakers in the middle of talks and forums on University campuses in the US, Bentzi is most likely the one being interrupted. He gave a presentation on the ethical methods and dilemmas that the IDF deals with when fighting terrorists. Talk about hearing it from the horse’s mouth. This man ran the show. He showed us videos of Hamas soldiers firing rockets from Mosques, loading troops into the back of ambulances, and driving TNT infused vehicles across the boarder into IDF hummers.

So we saw some pretty crazy stuff on a slide show. In a hotel meeting room. Big deal, right? Well, imagine seeing that… and then loading on a bus to drive to where it all happened. Intense.
From our hotel in Tel Aviv (which, by the way, is now within missile range of Hamas’ rockets) we headed south. Driving parallel to the coast we passed the port cities of Ashdod and Ashqelon (which was hit by a rocket 13 days ago) and into the sleepy town of Sederot. The bus weaved through the homey neighborhoods up to a dead end under a dusty hill. Cresting the hill, we walked up to an expansive view of ‘it.’ There it was, Gaza. Literally highway, boarder fence, a bit of open pasture, and then less than 3 miles away, the city of Gaza. Bentzi pointed out multiple spots from which Hamas has often launched rockets into the down in which we were standing….Now I realized why they had explained the bomb siren procedure to us on the bus ride. Whew.

Israel Fact #23: Ill throw a few Gaza facts at you here- 11,000 Palestinians from Gaza were given medical care in Israel last year- that’s 98% of applicants who applied to cross the boarder and receive it. 35% of Gaza’s electricity comes from Israel- ironically from a power plant in Ashqelon that Hamas has targeted. Last year 16,000 truckloads of goods from the private sector and 3,000 truckloads of aid from NGO’s were delivered from Israel into Gaza. An estimated $ 1.1 billion, yes billion, of goods passed through the network of 600-800 tunnels from Egypt into the Gaza Strip. Humanitarian crisis inflicted by Israel? Ill let you use your brain to figure that one out. If you need some help figuring out whats going on, this might help
After the overlook we stopped by the Sederot police station which has stockpiled all of the rockets fired into their town over the past 10 years. My mind was boggled- how on earth did these people conduct normal lives like this? Rockets dropping into your streets at random without more than 15 second notice. Sirens blaring, men, women and children springing to the nearest shelter, cell phones jammed while everyone tries to call their loved ones at once- not knowing if they could have been killed. These thoughts rushed through my head, down into my chest, as my hand ran over the rough, rusty rocket casings.
To put a stamp on it all, we were taken to a local daycare that had been built by some loving American organizations. Ordinary daycare for the most part- basketball goals, climbing wall, concession stand, movie room, computer lab…all encased in a bomb shelter. And with counseling for the many children with post-traumatic stress. That’s when it hit me for good- of course these people want peace. They have to drop their children off at a concrete daycare instead of at the park. They have to sprint to shelters at all hours of the night. They have to send their children off to the army as soon as they graduate from high school. They all have a relative, high school classmate, or co-worker who has been killed in the never-ending war. If no less than that- I saw it in the eyes of Israeli after Israeli who spoke to us about their struggle and quest for peace. Psalm 122
To be continued…

Day 9: Goodbye Holy City; Hello terrorist weaponry

The last 4 days in Jerusalem have been some of the most unforgettable of my life. Biblical sites, political sites, markets, light shows, archeological excavations, local dinners, and much much more. Today, however, it was time to roll out and continue on our journey through the whole country. We headed west. After visiting one last site in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City in Jerusalem, we departed on a bus ride all the way across the country to the west cost. It took 55 minutes. Ya, this country is that small. It’s the size of New Jersey.

With unknowing excitement, we rolled through the gates of an IDF (Israeli Defense Force) around noon. A few things that you notice when arriving on an IDF base for the first time- 1) Most of the soldiers are younger than me. 2) It is pretty laid back. 3) There’s a ton of old weapons displayed around the premises.

Israel Fact # 20: Israel has a conscription policy- meaning, all high school graduates, both men and women, serve a 3 year stint in the army before college. They then serve in the reserves until the age of 40. Why, you ask? There’s really no other choice. With a population of only 7 million and pressing military threats on most of their boarders, the army needs all the resources it can get. If you didn’t know, the IDF is one of the most powerful militaries in the world, despite its size. It is by far the most dynamic and innovative.

Once at the base, we were given an introduction to the unit’s functionality- something I’ll not disclose here, and then we were taken into a back room… Walking in, our group of 40 students crammed into a fairly small room filled with weaponry. Knives, guns, rockets, bombs, etc. All decommissioned of course. The first stack of material that caught my eye was a shelf of knives, clubs, and daggers. I thought to myself, ‘why would they have little dinky weapons (comparatively) in here with all of these machine guns and explosives?’

Ever heard of the ‘Flotilla Incident?’ Seen that video? Most of the world has. The soldier-guide told us a few thing about that incident. Sad things. First of all, the men who were delivering ‘humanitarian aid’ to Gaza were jihadist terrorists (you probably knew that). What I didn’t know- they were ‘high’ on heroine. Think the same strategy used by the sick-o prostitute traders depicted in the movie “Taken.” It is legitimately heartbreaking to think how demonic the evil has manifested that would drive men to blow themselves up in the name of holy war..hole ‘nother subject for another time.

So on that video, the IDF soldiers were attacked with knives, clubs, and daggers, etc. The ‘dinky’ weapons that I was looking at and touching were the actual weapons used on the Flotilla. (heart beating fast now, eyes wide). Seriously. That’s nuts- talk about taking something that normally seems half-a-world away and putting touch and sight to. These soldiers who we were interacting with are actually on the front lines of the war against terrorism. Now not to belittle anything that our American Troops are doing in Afghanistan, Iraq, etc, but these guys are really on the front lines. They sit on the boarders that are constantly being attacked by suicide murderers. And they just graduated high school. How’s that for a graduation present?

Israel Fact #21: Terrorists from Hamas and Hezbollah along with other organizations disguise bombs inside of everyday devices in order to blow up as many ‘Infidels’ as possible at random. Depicted is a chicken feeder outfitted with a bomb. Think for a second about an innocent child walking out to refill the chicken feed for his morning chores….

Israel Fact #22: Hamas, the reigning terrorist organization in Gaza, stashes weapons and terrorist cells in and around hospitals, elementary schools, and neighborhood areas. This is in order to make it nearly impossible for the IDF to take out the terrorists without injuring innocent women and children. Notice one of the rockets in the right of the picture. It is covered in kindergarten-looking colors and famous celebrities in the Palestinian culture. These rockets were found stashed in an elementary school classroom and were painted in order to look like toys to the children. Think about it. Side note- these are examples of the thousands of rockets launched into southern towns in Israel for around 8 years starting in 2000.

On a lighter note- post IDF base, we headed to visit Better Place, an fascinating start-up EV car company. My business juices were flowing even before arriving , but driving the cars for myself and leaning a bit more about the business plan far exceeded my expectations- common theme of the trip. This company plans to change the way the world transportation system works. It claims to be changing the entire country of Israel to electric powered car use in the next 10 years. Quote me on this in ten years- I believe them. So cool. Israel’s entrepreneurial and innovative genius is bar-none the most miraculous in the world. If you have any interest in business or entrepreneurship go buy “Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle” By Dan Senor and Saul Singer.

Now snoozing up in Tel Aviv- the modern, progressive business hub on the Mediterranean- where we grabbed a quick swim and talked with some Israeli families on the beach this afternoon. Full from a ritzy dinner capped with a lecture on the demographics and political situation of Israel today. Looking at the schedule for tomorrow, if I thought that the IDF base was intense today, the morning will crank up the heat at a whole other level….

Day 7 & 8- Yad Vachem (Holocaust Museum) & Mt. Herzl; Security Fence & Archeological Dig

Yesterday we visited Yad Vachem to start off the day with a bang. If you’ve ever been to the Holocaust Museum in D.C. you will understand the severity in which I say that such an experience moves the depths of your soul. More questions than answers usually result- they did for me. Why? Why would human beings conduct such savage havoc on other human beings? How? How could a society allow something so evil to take place? Walking through the story of the Genocide of the Jews in Europe, I was filled at times with hurt, anger, and sorrow. Although the message of the museum was to leave visitors with hope as we exited to a sunny, breezy vista of Jerusalem, I was left thinking- we can never let something like this happen again (not to say that it hasn’t or isn’t in other parts of the world).

Israel Fact # 17: Many people in the world are beginning to deny the occurrence of the Holocaust. Namely Mahmoud Ahmadinejad- you know, the crazy dude in Iran. The Holocaust is bar-none the most well documented genocide in history. Hundreds of thousand of documents, pictures, and human testimonies attest to it. We all know that. Here’s the punch line- the sad truth that: a lie told over and over again becomes seen as the truth. Many men in the world today repeat lies and repeat lies and repeat lies until

(Memorial Children murdered in the Holocaust) the truth becomes hard to see or remember clearly.

In the afternoon, we visited the Mt. Herzl Cemetery and Museum. Theodore Herzl is Israel’s equivalent of George Washington to a degree. Imagine G.W. mixed with the pilgrims mixed with Martin Luther King. Legit dude. Check out the story of Zionism; its incredible- its still being written daily.

This morning we began the day with a surreal tour of the world famous Security Fence, which borders the West Bank. We were guided by none other than the commanding officer of the construction of the fence, Colonel Danny Tirtza. I saw everything we are shown on the news and more. Observation #1- the world media puts ridiculous spin on this thing. Danny took us to 3 locations along the fence. 1) an Israeli neighborhood where many of the first wave of suicide bombers walked across to blow up buses in Jerusalem back in 2000. Before the fence was built, murderers could literally walk from their houses, up a hill of olive trees, and onto an Israeli road to load morning buses filled with school children- kaboom. 2) one of the boarder crossing terminals where any and all Palestinian workers are allowed to easily cross into Jerusalem on the way to work each morning. 3) an overlook of Bethlehem, which is currently inhabited almost exclusively by Muslim Arabs.

Literally, we stood next to houses that were being shot at by terrorists just 5 years ago. We heard directly from the man who planned and constructed the fence. We listened to his story of struggle to construct a security barrier while working his tail off to respect and appease all of the individual residents along the fence- whether Jewish or Arab.

Israel Fact #18: The security fence is only 5% concrete wall (although the media would have you think otherwise). 95% of the barrier is a chain link fence- no electric shock, no automatic machine guns, no punitive action taken if you touch it. The only stretches where concrete walls exist are in areas where there is not enough room to implement the entire fence unit- includes two fences and a road, which are all layers of a system to stop terrorists without having to shoot them on the spot. In the concrete wall areas, bombers could set off a bomb on the outside of the fence and still blow up civilians on the inside- walls = mandatory here. http://www.securityfence.mod.gov.il/Pages/ENG/default.htm

Israel Fact #19: Arabs and Jews live on the outside of the fence. Arabs and Jews live on the inside of the fence. Arabs living in East Jerusalem are still given voting rights in Jerusalem’s municipal elections. Arabs living on the west side of the fence are full Israeli citizens. They live, work, raise children, play sports, enjoy the parks, and attend religious services with equal freedoms as any other Israelis. They are not oppressed- I saw this, I drove through the neighborhoods. People are people. This political issue, as any other, is clearly a human issue. Our guide, Danny continually referred to many of his close friends, who are Palestinians living across the fence in East Jerusalem.

At the end of the tour, the man, who himself designed and conducted the construction of the fence, left us with this plea in a heartfelt air of sincerity: “I want to be the one to take the first stone down from the wall…I hope that this day will come as soon as possible!”

Day 6 – Jerusalem: Holy City and Historical Goldmine

Spent the morning touring the Mount of Olives, the Temple Mount, and the Via Dolorosa. In the words of Harry Carry- Holy Cow! (no pun intended, we are not in India but Israel)
I do not think I can put words to the feelings and experiences that take hold when being present in the physical locations where Jesus walked. Heart beating, and eyes wide open, we quickly moved from one pivotal Biblical site to the next. I found it fairly difficult to steal away moments to take in the experience, since Avi (tour guide) was continually educating us about the history of the sites; however, the images and thoughts burned in my mind from those sites will travel with me for a lifetime.

Israel Fact #13: The Mount of Olives represents 3 (and probably more) key events recorded from Jesus’ life. Picture a midsized hill opposite of the Temple Mount; literally only a 10 min walk from the Temple. The events depict the three different sides of Jesus’ being/character. In geographically ascending order from the bottom to top of the hill: 1) Jesus as man crying out in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane (bottom of hill) 2) Jesus as prophet while mourning the coming destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem (mid hill) 3) Jesus as God ascending to heaven after his resurrection (top of hill).

Walking around on the Temple Mount -you know, where the big gold dome is- was surreal. That place is a powder-keg and could basically be where World War III could start if things were not handled diplomatically. The site is directly above where Abraham was sent to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Oh ya, and it also happened to be where the Jewish temple was built twice – by Solomon and by the Jews returning from Babylonian exile.

Israel Fact #14: Since the Six Day War of 1967 in which Israel reclaimed Jerusalem for the first time in nearly 2000 years, the State of Israel has handed the Temple Mount over to the Muslim religious authority to maintain and run. However, the Israelis control the security around the perimeter of the Mount in order to maintain, well, order. Ironically, the Dome of the Rock sits directly on top of the historic Jewish Temple, built over 2700 years ago and partially destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.

Israel Fact #15: In the 1990s the Muslims wanted to expand their mosque underground in the southern portion of the Mount. Without permission and with extremely heated controversy, they brought in bulldozers and backhoes and began to carelessly dig up dirt under the Mount in order to build this underground extension. Here’s the problem- They dug up priceless archeological history that is illegal to touch without proper excavation. With utter disregard for ancient world history, they tossed the dirt-now churned up and out of place- into the valley below. Apparently this priceless cultural treasure of a site is just seen as a place to expand an agenda by force. Really tragic.

We spent the early afternoon shopping and eating a local lunch of humus and falafel in the market of the Arab Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem. Thoroughly enjoyed getting to know a few Palestinian shop keepers whose shops have been in their families for over 300 years- that’s what I call a family business (yes, Sumner & Wallace, I found some sweet Israeli stuff to bring back- gotta show the sisters some love here, cause you know shopping can be painful for me).
As a cap on the day we walked through Hezekiah’s tunnel- which snakes under the City of David (oldest part of Jerusalem) for over a half a mile. Dudes literally carved this thing through solid bed rock and somehow came out the other side. At the end of the tunnel we came out at the remains of the pool of Siloam (where Jesus healed the blind guy). From there we walked under a Palestinian Arab neighborhood that sits on top of the original road from 2000 years ago. Ya, the road where Jesus hop, skipped, and jumped around (I wonder if Jesus ever danced?). Anyways…

Israel Fact #16: Much controversy has been made about Jewish archeologists who have excavated this area (which is way underground and doesn’t affect those living above). Some conspiracy theorists claim that all of Israel’s archeological digs are propaganda and all of the evidence is conjured up. Honestly, I straight up laughed when I heard this. Why? Because I’ve spent the last 3 days viewing, touching, reading, walking on, and exploring endless amounts of ancient ruins with Hebrew writings all the heck over them. This is a hint of a continuing theme that exists in the world media’s bent toward Israel- delegitimization. Lies are told over and over in attempts to vilify this country. Well, I feel a small sense of accomplishment for dispelling at least this one lie for now. It was easy to do- all I had to do was walk around and use the vision-providing eyes that I was created with.

Day 5: Massada, Dead Sea, and Israel Museum

Saturday morning we loaded the bus, drove past the controversial settlements in East Jerusalem, and seemingly instantly found ourselves in the desert. After passing Jericho, we drove through a security point. We virtually drove straight through since the IDF guards saw that our bus was full of Americans led by a Jewish-Israeli guide, who bluntly told us, “Israel unabashedly racially profiles.” (haha. ie they dont roll with that thing we like to call political correctness in America) They basically have to profile ever since the Intifada in the early 2000s in which hundreds of civilians were murdered by suicide bombers throughout the country.

On the way to Masada, we drove by the Dead Sea on our left and seemingly misplaced groves of palm trees on our right. The desert is blooming with date trees (although the farming is not really economically feasible since H2O is such a hot commodity). Masada was fascinating- definitely worth reading the story if you haven’t heard it – HERE. Basically the last stand of a remnant of the Jewish resistance against the Romans after they sacked Jerusalem in 70 AD.

Dead Sea came next. If you haven’t heard- its ridiculous. You literally float in the water. Think David Blaine levitating mixed with Luke Skywalker using the force to hover over that little midget, wrinkly dude- Yoda.

Israel Fact #11: Due to the water diversion of its tributaries from Israel and Jordan, the Dead Sea is shrinking by 1 meter per year in depth. Big environmental problem- lots of sink holes and salinity is increasing.

At the Israel Museum we got a first real perspective of the ‘Old City’ from the ‘Second Temple’ period (ie when Jesus was walkin around- the Temple rebuilt after the Babylonian exile of the Jews – fun fact for free: Herod actually helped rebuild it and fix it up later on). Got to see the Dead Sea Scrolls, which are fascinating support for the veracity of the Biblical Text. These as well as hundreds of other archeological artifacts help the Bible to be the most historically accurate and supported text from antiquity.

Israel Fact #12: We viewed a stone from the old temple with an inscription that stood on the wall of the inner court of the Jewish Temple and read something like: “Gentiles are not allowed to enter past this point. If you do, you will be subject to death by execution—a punishment that you bring upon yourself by failing to adhere to this law.” (I horribly paraphrased that, but you get the point). Intense. Points to something ahead of its inscribing…

More to come from today: Mt of Olives, Temple Mount (Dome of the Rock), Golgotha, City of David, etc)

Day 4 Part II. Western Wall and Shabbat Dinner 100 yrds away

We arrived in Jerusalem just in time for a quick overlook of the city from the south before heading to the Western Wall for the coming in of Shabbat (the Sabbath). I have been churning for a while, trying to find some sort of words or metaphor to describe the aura, weight, and experience of being present at the Western Wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem for the beginning of Shabbat on a Friday night. Nothing would do. I have nothing of appropriate description to paint and relate it. Singing, Praying, Dancing in Circle, Mourning, Observing, Crying, Sweating, Pushing and Shoving, Black and White Garb, Rocking and Twisting, Peace, and Organized Chaos. All words to describe, yet so much more.

(My buddy, Clark, and I. Jerusalem in background-Dome of the Rock over my bum shoulder)

From the wall we walked one half block to a Jewish community center for Shabbat dinner hosted by a wonderful, young couple who have recently immigrated to Israel from Canada. We were greeted as family, hosted as honored guests, included in the singing of the Hebrew blessings and songs, and fed very well (a common theme on the trip- each meal seems to outdo the last). Over the course of the meal, Patrick, our host asked two of our group members to speak about their impressions of Israel so far. They both spoke factually yet from the heart and afterwards, one of the Jewish-Israeli women who was eating with us rose from her seat in a purely impromptu manner. She spoke of holding back tears while hearing from us and being with us over the course of the dinner. She said that she felt a unique connection to our group and that we were unlike any student group that she has hosted before.

The dinner invoked in me a strange since of connection to our hosts and an increased love for this nation and its people. I felt a certain sense of being at home at that dinner. All of the unfamiliar and uncomfortable tensions that I have felt in the past at religious functions with which I am not accustomed faded away. Everything just seemed to click- sounds strange to most, I guess. That’s the way it is though. Patrick taught us that Shabbat is, of course, a time of rest. Shabbat dinner is supposed to be a time of joy and rest. Those two characteristics certainly lived up to their claims.

(no pictures of Wall & Shabbat because it is inappropriate to have electronic devices at the Wall during Shabbat out of formality and respect)

Day 4 Part 1: Visit to Boarder between Israel and Lebanon

Early this morning we drove north from Galilee to the Lebanese border. Ya, the one you’ve heard about on the news growing up. The one where 2 wars have gone down in recent memory. Oh ya, and the one where an Israeli soldier was murdered while doing maintenance on the boarder fence last week.

(Boarder fence below, UN base in the distance- UN troups 'mantain the peace' of the Israel/Lebanon boarder)

Israel Fact # 9: Israel’s border fences are built 150 yards inside of the actual border so that they can maintain the fences without having to cross into Lebanese territory. Secondly, Israel sends memo’s to the UN forces (they maintain the peace of the border) each time that they plan to even cross the fence, into their own territory, in order to work on its upkeep. So when you see pictures on the news of Israeli troops ‘over the fence,’ they are actually still peacefully in their own territory.

We drove to an overlook at Misgav ‘Am and met retired IDF Colonel Kobi Merom, the same officer who toured Rahm Emmanuel along the boarder last year. With a backdrop of southern Lebanese towns in front of our faces, Colonel Merom spoke with reserved conviction about the conflict with Lebanon.

We saw the fence. We saw charred earth below. We drove past mine fields. We heard the haunting calls to worship echoing through the hills as they flowed out of mosque towers below. I felt the hurt and the resolve in Kobi Merom’s heart . I saw both in his eyes. He told us of losing 73 of his soldiers, his adopted children, in a helicopter crash. Although he is strong, seasoned, and sharp, we could feel his longing for peace.

Walking through memorials to fallen soldiers, driving through towns which had been destroyed by rocket fire in the early 2000s, and listening to Merom portray the existential struggle for survival that Israel faces from all fronts again bought a sobering yet invigorating sense of understanding into my chest. He spoke with pride saying, “I am very proud to be a part of a military that cares so much about the human citizens on the other side of the border.” Harkening to…

Israel Fact #10: Hezbollah has recently won the elections in Lebanon and is now the ruling party. Over 60% of the population is now extremist, Shi’ite Muslim. Lebanese Christians, who we prayed for (along with the rest of the civilians) while overlooking the boarder, have mostly fled to the northern region of the country. Iran continues to pump weapons and propaganda into the nation, ignighting an increased sentiment of Islamic extremism among the population.

(our fearless guide, Avi, contemplating the impending threats facing his Country, his family, his people while overlooking southern Lebanon)

Day 3 Part 2: Golan Heights and Dinner/Lecture with Elliot Chodoff

After a quick swim in the Sea of Galilee, we bussed up to the Golan Heights. For a bit of strategic perspective, Israel has maintained control of the Heights since the Six Day War in 1967, partially because they overlook our hotel. Our tour guide’s father was swimming at this same location in the 1950s and was shot at by Syrians from above. Peyton Manning could literally throw a grenade off of the top of the heights, which would reach the roof our hotel room at HaOn Kibbutz before blowing up. Kinda important to keep that sucker occupied. Farmers cant farm well when being sniped while trying to pick bananas.

Next, we bussed up to the top of Ben Tal, an extinct volcano overlooking the Syrian boarder. The contrast between the fruitful vineyards of the Israeli side and the dusty dirt-lands of the Syrian side were unbelievable stark. (check out Zechariah 8 if interested cf vs. 11-13)

Israel Fact #6: The Syrian boarder has been the most ‘quiet’ Israeli boarder over the past decade. Instead of fighting directly, the Syrians fund Hezbollah, who are a terrorist organization occupying southern Lebanon. Syria is currently hemorrhaging from economic downturn and is therefore willing to undergo negotiations with Israel for $ and some territory (which was lost in the Six Day War of 1967).

From the overlook, we were able to soak in yet another picture of the proximity of the conflict to Israeli citizens. The blossoming vineyards almost directly abut the temporary boarder with Syria, yet the farmers seem to be plugging away, cultivating the land. The Golan region is known for producing some of the finest wines in Israel.

For dinner we were served another huge meal. Every time we sit down to eat somewhere, it seems like the waiters continually bring new dishes of food for the entire 2 hours of the meal. You gotta know I love that. Anyways, dinner was particularly powerful for me since I had the privilege of sitting one seat over from Elliot Chodoff. Mr. Chodoff is a former IDF (Israeli Defense Force) officer whose claim to fame is the writing of the Tactical Field Manual for the Israeli troops. He now works as a counter-terrorism analyst and does private consulting with US and Israeli intelligence agencies. As you can imagine- one of the most legitimately Rambo-esque men I have ever met.

When lecturing at Cal Berkley a few years back, a student who he believes to be associated with Hamas (terrorist organization operating in the Gaza strip) came up to him after his lecture and directly stated: “I am going to kill you.” Chodoff jovially explained to us that his response was equally as direct: “Ok, why don’t you come visit me in Israel and I will show you the graves of the other people that have tried.” Wow. Dude is not messing around. Legitimately- I am realizing that when you live your life in a country and defending a country that faces a daily struggle to maintain its existence, there is little to no room for mincing words or living passively. After dinner he gave us an extremely eye-opening and sobering talk about the state of terrorism in the world today.

Israel Fact #7: Israel constantly faces threats from terrorist organizations on their northern and southern borders. Hamas and Hezbollah, both of which receive funding and weapons from Iran, were founded by charters pledging to “eliminate Israel,” to “obliterate it” through Jihad. Most of you probably know all about this. Mr. Chodoff described the weight of this extremism for America and Israel and I found myself extremely angered and disturbed by the reality of this evil in the world. Elliot’s stealy resolve and commitment to his country’s heart rang through though. He firmly explained that, “if western military democracies cease to fight like western military democracies, then they (the terrorists) win.” Such a statement harkens to…

Israel Fact #8: After 8 years of daily rocket fire into Southern Israeli cities and towns, the IDF had no choice but to move into Gaza in 2006 to break up the infrastructure of Hamas. Here’s the crazy thing- before they dropped bombs, they dropped warnings- papers to warn the citizens in target areas of the coming attacks so that they could leave and not become collateral damage. Result- unheard of military precision in attacking combatants without causing significant civilian suffering. According to the Geneva Convention, an acceptable ratio of non-combatants killed to enemy troops killed in urban warfare is 35:1. Israel’s ratio in Gaza: 1:2 (or 2:1 if you want to make assumptions in the Goldstone Report). Ridiculous accuracy and humanitarian care here.

**Technical problems again (Ironic in a country that has more cell phones per capita than America and invented the Intel Centrino processor that is in my computer as i type)...Pictures to be added later- time for bed

Day 3 Morning: Biblical Sites around Sea of Galilee

I stumbled out of our hotel (more like a complex with lots of small condos- very simple condos) door around 6:45 am to experience a first real morning in Israel. Walking out on dock over the Sea of Galilee, I felt a certain sense of wonder as I thought of the many times that Jesus awoke early to spend time with his Father around this same freshwater lake. The hazy morning sky certainly added to this mystique.

After some time alone by the water, a huge Israeli breakfast buffet was served, and the group hopped on the bus to head around the Sea of Galilee towards Capernaum. The first site we stopped by was the location of a recovered Galilean ship dating to the days of Jesus. Our guide, Avi, explained the life of a fisherman of the time period. Ships were quite expensive and the occupation of fisherman indicated that the disciples were men of means for their day. Such a realization struck me, as I realized that when Jesus called his disciples saying, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men,” (Mark 1:17) they were actually abandoning a very comfortable and successful lifestyle to follow him. Its not as if they were some poor fishermen who left to better their situation physically.

Second, we proceeded to Capernaum, the hometown of Peter and likely of Jesus during his 3 year ministry in the region. Israel Fact #5: When the New Testament refers to crossing over the Sea of Galilee to the “other side,” it is implying that the characters are traveling to the pagan side of the lake, which is across from Capernaum. So in Mark 5, when Jesus crosses to the “other side” to cast out demons from Legion, He is actually beginning the spread of His Gospel to the Gentiles (non-Jews). Like basically everything He does, this is a very controversial crossing to the Jewish culture of the day, which did not associate with the pagans for the most part.

(with my buddy, Conor McMakin from OU)

Mount of Beatitudes came next. Aka the place of the Sermon on the Mount. As with all of the other Biblical sites, physically standing at the location has given me an unbelievably fresh perspective on all of the Scripture involved in them. We were given some time to sit and be present for a while at this site. Definitely needed. I decided to read through the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5). Sitting in context sparked me to relish in the fact that as Jesus says His words “never pass away.” He physically uttered those words over 2000 years ago, yet they speak to the heart and the head of the human race with equal power today.

Jesus said: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.. until heaven and earth disappear,[nothing] will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” (Matt. 5:17-18). Do you want to be a part of seeing them fulfilled? He offers us entrance into the adventure of it… “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law (my money’s betting that there is no one who can claim that), you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (v. 20)… well dang, then what. Thanks, Paul for clarifying- “But now a righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” (Romans 3:21-22)

Day 2: Arrival in Israel, ‘Biblical Breakfast’, Caesarea, Megiddo, and Moshav Nahalal

Flight was fairly uneventful except for the fascinating prayer times for the Hassidic Jewish men on board. Three times throughout the flight, including once during sunrise, the men gathered at the back of the plane, in full garb, to pray. It is incredible how the traditions of Judaism have been passed down nearly seamlessly for thousands of years.

Upon arrival we were met by our tour guide for the week, Avi Ben-Hur. Avi is a New Yorker by birth who immigrated to Israel after graduating from high school in 1983 and is now one of the most well-renown guides in Israel. He introduced us to his home land as we headed by bus to our first stop on a long-days journey. We toured Neot Kedumim, which is a ‘Biblical Landscape Reserve,’ meaning that the park is modeled after biblical times. From the reserve I got my first glance at the uniqueness of Israel’s situation geographically.

Israel Fact #2: At its most narrow point, Israel is only 9 miles wide. As we looked out from a 1700 year old cistern on the side of a small hill, we could easily see the security fence along the West Bank to our right and Tel Aviv on the coast to our left. No wonder this country is hard to constantly defend.

As we drove North along Route 6, we followed the security fence, which in some sections has been built into a concrete wall in order to prevent terrorists from literally sniper-ing Israeli cars as they drove to and from work along the highway.

In Caesarea, we toured Roman ruins of the city built by the infamous King Herod. The three smoke stacks from Israel’s main power plant in the background stand in stark juxtaposition to the ancient theater to the right. This theme of modern infrastructure and advancement blossoming alongside world-changing ancient sites will be a common theme of the trip, no doubt.

Next- Armageddon. Another 45 min bus-ride north brought us to Megiddo (aka Armageddon in the Greek translation- aka the place talked about in Revelation as the site of the last battle on earth). Standing on the top of the Tel (layer-cake of civilizations progressively built on top of each other, forming a hill) it becomes clear why this location has been home to countless battles over the course of history. The Tel overlooks the Jezreel Valley below and is located in a strategic corridor through hills in northern Israel.

Israel Fact #3: before the Jews returned to the land, the Jezreel Valley was a malarial swamp and the surrounding land was virtual desert (Mark Twain quote). In the past 80+ years, the Jewish landowners have drained the swamp and cultivated the land. It is now blossoming with abundant crops, flowers, and trees. Anyone who knows my love for the farmland of Hickman County and the mountains of North Carolina understands my fascination with this transformation.

As an unbelievable finally to our first day in Israel, we were hosted by Ofer Aviran and his family for dinner at the Moshav Nahalal. Nahalal is the first settlement of its kind in the world and represents a spin-off of the Kibutz settlement system. Basically, this farming community is a collective of 75 families, each with equal land parcels arranged in a circle (see pic). Each family has independent land rights yet all other institutions are run collectively by committee. To be frank- this place was utopia. Imperfect, I’m sure, yet there seems to be an incredible harmony of life within their collectivism. Upon arriving, we were toured through the community cemetery which rests on a hill overlooking the blossoming valley and settlements below.

Israel Fact #4: Israel follows a system of conscription. Each highschool graduate serves a mandatory 3 years of service in the Israeli Defence Force (dominant army). Ofer allowed us the privilege of visiting the graves of all of the sons and daughters of the Moshav community who have been K.I.A. He did this with grace, dignity, love, and clear pangs of a deep hurt.

Next our group was served a delicious, kosher meal. The dishes seemed to be never ending, and with each piping-up to talk that Ofer offered, we felt more and more like a part of his family. Its pretty hard not to gain an attachment to these Israelis as they began to tell us their stories and offer us a taste of their way of life.

Sleeping by the Sea of Galilee tonight. Following Jesus’ footsteps tomorrow. Peace out till the flip side- thanks for reading. More facts to come.

Day 1 (Monday, August 2)- Arrival in Newark and exploring NYC

After my gracious sister, Sumner, drove me to the airport, I made my way through the BNA to board my sixth individual plane flight in the last two weeks. Bound for Newark, Israel, and the most anticipated trip of my life, I found myself fairly mellow and laid back. I navigated travel with one arm in a sling yet again and found myself in the lobby of the Marriott Hotel in Newark New Jersey among a group of 37 students that I had (for the most part) never met.

Our group quickly adopted a family atmosphere. Briefly telling our stories of how we became involved with CUFI, we all began to feel a unity around a common love for Israel and the Jewish People. Once introductions were made, the Executive Director of CUFI, David Brog, addressed our group and spoke of the importance and exceptional privilege of our trip. He then went on to explain the more practical side of modern day foreign policy as it relates to Israel…

Israel Fact #1: Since 1937, Israel has made 5 offers for a 2 state solution with the Palestinians. All 5 times they offered land which they had rightfully either purchased over the course of history or won in battles initiated by the Arabs themselves. Fact: all 5 times, the Palestinian Arabs (different than the Israeli Arabs, who have Israeli citizenship and rights) rejected the offers for peace.

Irving Roth, a Holocaust survivor, who endured the atrocities of both Auschwitz and Buchenwald, narrated his story to us in beautifully and painfully vivid terms. As I listened to this history, which he lived and still breathes- as you can see it in his eyes, I found myself enthralled and also horrified at the pace with which a tinge of prejudice spawned into wicked Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust. Lies are most often crafty and subtle. If we don’t know Truth, as humans, we fall prey to them so easily. As Mr. Roth concluded his story and offered us signed copies, I found myself profoundly effected by the authenticity of a history which I have never before connected with personally and particulary excited to visit Yad Vachem (Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem) later this week.

A crew of students and I then hopped on a train and headed to check out the bright lights of NYC- a failing effort to outwit jetlag on the front end (by not sleeping much the night before the overseas flight). I was overjoyed to get to meet up with my dear friend Lucie Rhoads, who has been living in NYC for the summer while helping to start a charter school for KIPP Academy. Lucie guided us through Greenwich village and then over to Time Square where we hung out and chowed down on some late-night Carnegie Deli cheesecake. After snapping out of the daze inflicted by the intoxicating lights of American Advertising, I said ‘see ya soon’ to Lucie, and the crew and I headed back to the hotel.

3 hours of sleep. Final Breakfast in Newark (sitting with Irving Roth). Intense check-in and basic interrogation with El Al (Israeli Airline) employees….And we were headed to Israel.

I'm in

Voicemail: “Hi Carver, this is Jeremiah calling from Christians United for Israel. Would you give me a call when you get a chance? I would like to discuss something with you..”

‘Huh?’ I wondered. I guess he wants to talk about the upcoming Summit. So of course, after about 24 hours of putting off the returning of his call, I dialed up Jeremiah in Texas.

“Hi Carver, good to hear from you, I wanted to get in touch with you to let you know that you have been selected to participate in our Advocacy Mission to Israel in August. Would you be available to travel with us?”

My first thoughts- well, uh, I don’t know. That’s Linville time (family vacation in the mountains). I don’t know if I could. “Wow, man, thanks for the invite. Let me get back to you.”

So I hung up and I thought about it….for a week. Seriously!? It took me that long to realize how big of a deal it is to get to go to Israel. From my vantage point a month down the road, it is easy to see how insane it would have been to even question for a moment whether I would accept the invitation. However, as much of this summer has brought on, I have had to learn to let go of preconceived plans and notions in my head. Stubbornness manifested itself as I was stuck in the mindset of following what was known, safe, and secure- that being my plans to go to Linville in August. Thankfully, I came to my senses once I finally sat in the realizations of how incredible it would be to travel to Israel.

One week had passed. Last day to decide. Easy decision- I’m going to Israel.