Jerusalem- A Day in the Holy Land (31 March)

Shalom from Jerusalem, friends and family. This blog entry begins where the last one ended- arriving by bus to one of the most famed and historic cities in all the world: Jerusalem. Israeli's claim it as their capital, Muslims claim the Temple Mount within the city confines as their religions second most sacred location, and Christians from across the world flock to this holy location to see in person the place in which their savior and Messiah, Jesus Christ, is said to have been condemned, crucified, and, ultimately, ascended to Heaven. All told, Jerusalem holds tremendous relevance for the world's western religions, as well as representing the heart of one of the most contentious, significant political dynamics today in the form of the Arab-Israeli Conflict.

Entering this sacred place felt surreal. Jerusalem, our tour guide reminded us, is located atop a mountain, and, as we cleared a pass leading into the city, the Golden Dome of the Temple Mount (perhaps Jerusalem's most heralded image) came immediately into view. I remembered this site from numerous books, articles, and friends' descriptions and felt almost in awe as I saw it for myself. The expressway into the city was a wide, four-lane highway, but our leader informed us that, during the War of Independence (the name used by Jewish Israelis to describe this war), the road utilized by Israeli soldiers was a far thinner, something of a one-lane trail not navigated easily by anthing much more than, well, a small vehicle or animal. It seemed remarkable that in the various hills through which we traveled, historical battles dating to Biblical times had taken place, and I reveled in their beauty and significance.

Our bus pressed on to its first stop, the Mount of Olives. Mount Olives offers a picturesque look out over the city. Before we debussed, our driver took us to a spot where we could see all the way (looking east) into Jordan in the distance, as well as, if we looked hard enough, the Dead Sea (also to the east and a site we plan to visit in the coming days). There was an eery sense of excitement being able to peer into another country, which, in essence, represents another world relative to Israel. As is becoming more and more apparent, Israel proper is incredibly small. For example, Ramallah, where we travel this evening is no more than 15 kilometres from the center of Jerusalem. 15 KM! I could jog that in no more than 1.75 hours! Moreover, our trip from Tel Aviv was all of 60 KMs, and the Gaza Strip exists no more than one hour to our west. Egypt is not far from there and Syria and Lebanon to the northeast and northwest, respectively. It truly has hit me just how centralized I am in the midst of the pre-eminent political contest stoking the modern world. The Arab-Israeli Conflict brings to the fore a clash of cultrues between Islam and Judhaism, as well as a broader battle of ideas between the goliath of the 'West' and cultures working restlessly to preserve their strong cultures while evolving progressively into a new era. It was with these thoughts on my mind that I followed my group to the Lion's Gate, which was our entry point to Jerusalem's 'Old City', which, in many ways, represented the heart of the day's visit.

A Few Words about the 'Old City' and Jerusalem, more generally:
Jerusalem's Old City is divided up into four quarters and, at less than one-half mile in square area and the home to over 30,000 residents, is an incredibly dense piece of land. The four quarters host an Armenian population, Christian population, Jewish population, and, constituting by far the largest portion in terms of population, a Muslim population (roughly half the district's population is Muslim according to our guide). Jerusalem itself was once a moderately-sized city. When the War of Independence took place in 1948, Jordanian forces ramshackled the Jewish portion of the Old City. At this time, the entire population of Jerusalem did not exceed 250,000, whereas, today, it has well over 700,000 inhabitants. Geographically, Jerusalem, again, is situated atop the Judean Mountains and rests just over 2,000 feet above sea level. It's temperature is slightly cooler than the temperate climate of Tel Aviv, and our guide informed us that, on a day or two per year, snow comes to, and entirely shuts down, the city. He informed us, moreover, that, on these days, children greatly enjoyed a respite from school. I chuckled and looked to Alicia, saying, 'not nearly as much as their teachers!' The official stone of Jerusalem is limestone, and the official tree of Jerusalem, Israel, and the Jewish people writ large, is the olive tree, which lined the roads as we made our way into the Holy City.

We began by visiting the Church of Flagellation and Church of Condemnation, wherein Jesus is told to have been beaten by his Roman captors (recall Mel Gibson's raw account of this scene in 'The Passion of the Christ') and condemned to die by Pontius Pilate, respectively. The Church of Condemnation was not much to look at, but many folks were inside praying intensely. I had a seat with Alicia and took a good look around the historic locale. We pressed on, then, with our group, through many of the Old City's Four Quarters.

Our next stop was the acclaimed Western Wall. Thinking back to my class on the Arab-Israeli Conflict, with Dr. Bernard Reich during my sophomore year, I felt particularly excited to visit this site. For Jews, the Western or 'Wailing Wall' represents a site of tremendous significance because it surrounds Judhaism's holiest site, the Temple Mount, which is also the second most holy location for Muslims (Mecca in Saudi Arabia represents the 1st). For Jews, the Temple Mount is said to have been the place at which God gathered the dust he used to create Adam and begin human kind. Two temples have been built there throughout the ages, and a third, according to the Tradition, should be built in the future on the sites most holy site. For Muslims, the Temple Mount is claimed to be the place from which the prophet Muhammad ascended to Heaven to recieve instructions from God on beginning and spreading the Islamic Faith. It now houses two incredibly significant mosques for Muslims: the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Muslims control the area of the Temple Mount itself, though both the Israeli Government and Palestinian Authority claim authority over it. Still, with the area in Muslim hands, the closest that Jews can now get to praying at their holiest site is the Wailing Wall. Hence, its incredible significance to the religion.

Now, when we begin to get into the nitty-gritty of finding a meaningful, workable solution to the Arab-Israeli Conflict, one must understand that dealing with incredibly dense sites, such as those of the Temple Mount and Western Wall, and deciding which people, faith, and governments should control what, is absolutely necessay in order to please all parties. Again, this area is incredibly small- strikingly small- and to think that so much of the world's political contention stems from this particular area gave being there an incredibly powerful feeling. I stepped softly in approaching the Wall, placed a temporary, cardboard Yamukka atop my head, came to the Wall, said a short prayer, wrote a note, and stuck it one of the walls many cracks (there are thousands of these tiny notes filling the Wall). I took particular interest in observing the young Orthodox Jewish men who were engaged in intense prayer at the Wall, rocking back and forth in what is referred to as...I forgot the name of this motion- friends, help me out! As in a Synagogue, women and men are separated at the Wailing Wall, with women heading to an area on the right as you approach the wall and men to the left. Also, we happened to be there on Monday, a day on which Bar Mitzfahs are celebrated (along with Thursday) in Israel. We witnessed many happy, singing, dancing crowds pass through, and a cool thing was that everyone was throwing candy at each other within these parties, leaving small children delighting in their ability to take a bag and snatch up the spoils. I, too, took away a piece of candy that had gone astray. Good times at the Wailing Wall.

From here, we made our way through the Jewish and Christian quarters. Eventually, we came to one of the day's highlights, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (before this, we visited the Room of the Last Supper, which was in a building, the bottom of which was, at one time, a Jewish Temple, at another, a Christian sanctuary (note the use of it by Christ and disciples), and, later, was transformed into a mosque by Muslims. This place, I feel, powerfully characterizes the claim and importance of all three major Western religions to sites in the Old City. To put it plainly- each religion had literally built a site of worship on top of another. Faiths were stacked, I was floored, and we moved on). The Church of the Holy Sepulchre for several reasons. First, and perhaps foremost, this church is built on an area that used to be referred to as Golgottha Hill, at which Jesus is said to have hung from the cross, alongside Barabbas, and died to save mankind (according, of course, to Christian Tradition). As we entered the Upper Room at Golgotha, wherein you can literally situate yourself in the very space where Christ is supposed to have hung roughly 2,000 years ago, I thought of my fellow teacher, Mrs. White, whom, before I departed, literally begged me to take a picture in this cherished spot. I made sure that my friend and traveling mate, Amy, captured a photo of me placing my hand in an open space in the Upper Room (supposedly, I was touching the space where Jesus hung). It was a powerful experience, and Alicia later informed me that she felt a huge amount of heat pulsating through her entire body during the whole experience. Interesting stuff, to be sure.

From here, we went downstairs and approached a small, heavily-adourned structure, which, I learned, suppsedly covers the space wherein Joseph of Arimathea's family tomb, which housed the body of Jesus after Mary took it from Golgotha. Our guide explained that, in the time of Jesus, only wealthier families had family tombs. Jesus, being far from wealthy (remember the whole 'eye of the needle' thing), had no such family tomb, which Joseph provided for him. Now, the originial itself, our guide emphatically explained, was long gone (like so many of the other locations along our tour). It had been destroyed in one of the many battles in what is now the Old City. However, after a battle mostly destroyed the large rock into which Joseph's family tomb had been built, a ruler from antiquity (forget the name) ordered that tomb itself be preserved, due to its historical relevance to Christians. Still, in fighting that ensued in years to come, the whole of the rock, including the tomb, was destroyed, leaving nothing physical of this sacred space. Still, somehow, the site of Jesus' laying has been discerned and a massive line had formed to visit the sacred room. We skipped that and made our way towards the Jaffa Gate, from which we exited the Old City (another quick observation from the Church of the Hold Sepulchre- it's a pretty large church, most of which is controlled by the Greek Orthodox relgion, with smaller sections controlled by Catholics and Armenian Christians. Also, wondering why Armenians had established a quarter in the Old City, I asked my guide, to which he replied that it was 'simple'. Apparently, Armenia was the first country in the world to adopt Christianity as its state religion, giving it a strong connection to the Holy Land. Moreover, he suggested that another factor possibly leading to the attachment was that, according to the Bible, Noah's Ark landed at a spot that is located in modern day Armenia. Interesting stuff).

My key reflection from this day deals more with the current political significant than the area's historical relevance (two elements, which, of course, are inseperable). It seems that each of the three traditions that lay claim to portions of Jerusalem's Holy City do so for valid and good reasons. Still, with that being the case, I conclude that, because each tradition has valid claim to part of the Old City, no one faith can validly lay claim to all of the old city. Particularly with respect to Muslims and Jews, each side must realize that the other will never totally relent on its claim to Old City sights, and, if there is to be peace, each must compromise and find a solution that allows maximum access for each religion to the sites of greatest importance to them. This is, undoubtedly, an incredibly vague pronouncement on my part, but even winning acknowledgement of it has proven difficult for the most acclaimed international diplomats and political leaders. In a place of such physical beauty and historical significance, the world should hope that leaders of these warring sects can find a way to transcend the differences that divide them and unite over their beautiful, rich traditions. I feel privileged to have experienced that land at the heart of such global significance. It was a treat spending a day in the Holy City.

Cheerio,

--Daniel

P.S. Later today, we enter the West Bank, traveling to Ramallah with Anwar, Alicia's Palestinian friend and a director for a micro-lending non-profit organization based in Ramallah with six branches in the West Bank and five and Gaza. Our trip should change from this point on- I look forward to making observations about the ways in which it does.

Dispatches from Israel: Day 1 (30 March)- Tel Aviv and Yafo

Shalom from the Old Jerusalem Hostel! Here's a recap of day one.

I rose early, well before the sun. Lacing up my shoes, I went over the coming run in my mind, as well as the previous day's events. I'd joined Alicia and Amy at the Old Jaffa Hostel (located in Old Town Jaffa, heralded as the world's oldest port city and dating back nearly 4,000 years) just after 8 p.m. on Sunday (9 a.m. Mountain Standard Time for those of you keeping track at home). My trip from the airport in Tel Aviv to Yafo as locals refer to it, had been less than smooth but, ultimately, enjoyable. After a sleep-filled flight from Madrid to Tel Aviv during which I got more sleep than I had for the previous 48 hours, I made my way through passport control, customs, bought a Coke, got some Sheckels (3.5/$1- the Dollar is crap), and hopped on my first bus. ALicia gave me straightforward directions to the hostel, or so I thought. After one bus switch, I arrived at the at the Tel Aviv Central Bus Station, at which I was supposed to hop on 'bus 46'. I quickly dscovered, though, that 'bus 46' made no stop at the Central Station and, after several discussions with non-English bus drivers, I realized that my best bet was to hop on 'bus 461'. Upon doing so, I explained to the driver that I wanted to get to the 'Old Jaffa Hostel' to which he replied with a look of puzzlement but said that I should get on anyway.

We headed through and then out of Central Tel Aviv. One thing that struck me right away was the high number of young people in military uniforms, both male and female (military service here is compulsory, for both genders). They mostly seemed in high spirits, heading home after a long and, I reckon, hard day of work. As we moved further and further away from the city, I began to wonder if, perhaps, I'd missed my stop. My main cue from Alicia's directions was that I needed to get off the bus at the stop just after the clocktower. The trouble was, in the hustle and bustle of the city, I feared I might have missed my cue. Still, I pressed on (I've now been on three trips abroad, and, though this is not much, I've been in unanticipated situations before- they, more often than not, seem to work out) and, fortunately, the bus driver probed other risers as to whether or not they spoke English. One did, mas o menos, and he told me that I needed to ride the bus all the way to the end of the line, get off, go down a couple of levels, and get on the 'DAN 46' bus, which I did, after a pee, coke, and bagel-like piece of bread sold to me by a jolly old baker whose shop had acquired quite an audience due to its broadcasting, on a flatscreen, T.V., of the English Premier League match between Liverpool and Everton. With that, I hopped on a bus and began to make my way through the sprawling, night-time Yafo scene. Young people lined the restaurant- and shop-filled streets. The sound of horns and music filled the cool, breezy sea-side air, which addred a salty touch to each breath. Finally, I saw my clock tower, bid the drive farewell, and made my way up the street. I stopped in with a couple of local vendors to ask for directions to the Old Jaffa Hostel, and, before long, was heading through the doors of a building that looked, and is, several hundred years old.

Amy, our other traveling mate (and Alicia's friend from Peace Corps service in The Gambia), found me in the lobby and ushered me into Room 23, which, I swear, had more charm, space, and character than any room in which I've stayed. I was quite happy to see my friends and began recounting the events of the last few hours and asked them about the beginning of their time in the city. They'd had an opportunity to walk along the boardwalk by the Mediterranean to the hotel from which our Jerusalem tour bus would depart the following morning (I'm currently writing this dispatch from that very bus (I initially wrote this with pen and am now typing at the hostel)). After a few more minutes of discussion, Alicia and I set out for a bite and a walk, while Amy made her way to the rooftop of our hostel, to which I followed her before departing with Alicia.

In sum, the rooftop was incredible. The point overlooked the city, including the sea, a large, green-glowing mosque, and the dramatic juxtaposition (to use the diction of 'Lonely Plant-Israel') of Yafo's Old City and the modern, booming metropolitan area of Tel Aviv. I felt this was a place, coccooned by a cool, pleasant breeze, where one could be free, where one could express their true feelings to another, and where one could make peace with the Earth and remain forever. Remaining forever, however, was not in th cards for me, and I quickly made my way downstairs to rejoin Alicia.

We made our way down the street and stopped in with a street-side vendor. He looked to be cooking up something delicious. Essentially, he had a stand, grill, and an array of large, sesame seed bagels, sauces (cream cheese), and vegetables, and, I saw, was combining them into a panini-like snack. I promptly ordered one and, before long, the young chef sent us on our way smiling.

We walked along the sea, towards the glowing mosque. The city stretched out before us. To the left, the Mediterranean opened up and seemed to continue infinitely. It was a soft, exquizite scene. The embrace of old buildings with their timeless, original walls, the sea, and surrounding gardens brought joyu to the cuddling couples who made their ways near us along the walk.

We proceeded, discussing the good fortune we'd had in planning and, now, making this trip. We remarked on the numerous cats that rushed along the streets (I was reminded of Church Rock and the endless flow of dogs that visit us and, at times, our classrooms) and stopped to observe and enjoy an Arabic wedding taking place at a shore-side restaurant--music, dancing, sheer excitement, and joy.

Both of us felt joy and a sense of wonder at the things to come, and, as I laced up Adidas the following morning and prepared to run, I knew that this trip represented another opportunity to grow, learn, and develop. I need to get tougher, stronger, smarter, and more appreciative. Journeying in the Middle East, I think, will be a major and positive step toward this significant goal.

Shalom, good friends! We've arrived in Jerusalem. In the next posting, I'll have a tale of our dynamic and fast-paced visit to the Old City and its many historic sites. Until then, take care!

Cheerio,

--Daniel

Israel- here I come

Tomorrow is the day. I'll leave Gallup on the wings of a restored, refreshed Sophie and make my way toward Albuquerque's International Sunport. After more than a week of challenge and triumph, in which my car gave way and I had to call upon the graces of committed and concerned friends, I feel strengthened, more hardy, and increasingly appreciative of the value of good friends.

Also, making a new friend from a land far away adds an intensity to my new found excitement that I can scarcely contain. I can't wait to see where this leads. Wherever it does, this special person challenges me in an enhancing and enriching way. Why and how did we meet? I don't know, but I'm glad we did. Life enchants.

Israel awaits. We start Sunday afternoon in Tel Aviv, and will stay at the Jaffa House (hostel). I'll meet up with my travel companions, Alicia (former guest blogger) and her friend and former Peace Corps chum, Amy, at that time. From there, Alicia and I will head for Jerusalem by bus, while Amy does some recruiting for her university in Tel Aviv. We'll spend the 1st in Jerusalem and will be joined by Amy that day. On the 2nd, we'll meet up with Anwar, Alicia's friend, who is a Palestinian man living in Ramallah and a director for a micro-finance non-profit through the Palestinian territories (West Bank and Gaza). We'll head with him to various cities in the West Bank, including Nablus, Hebron, and Jericho, one of the world's oldest cities. We will also make our way through the city in which Anwar grew up and, eventually, make our way to Ramallah. We will spend a day, essentially, job shadowing Anwar, which, to be honest, sounds like one of the funnest elements to me. After this, we'll spend some time at the Dead Sea, bathing in its healthy and salty waters. I hear it's great for the skin. Skinny dipping? We'll see.

On the 5th, I'll make my way, by bus, from Ramallah to Tel Aviv for my flight home. I have many thoughts on this trip. In sum, I feel incredibly fortunate to be going. So many folks have informed me, during our discussions on this coming journey, of their life long desire to visit the Holy Land. This morning, I chatted with an elder woman who works at Gallup's Glenn's Bakery (a must visit if you come here), who expressed this desire. I felt honored and privileged to have the ability at 22 to do what she's wanted to do for a lifetime. I think the best way for me to honor her is by soaking it all up and appreciating the trip to the fullest extent possible. After the experience I've had over the last 8 days, both basking in the glory and wonderment of having caring friends and becoming endearingly close to a new friend, I feel like life is an open book, and we live it to become stronger. When I report back, hopefully a week-plus in Israel will have taken this important process to a newly elevated level.

Shalom.

--Daniel

An Adventure in the Middle East

On 29 March, I leave for Israel. I will spend eight days traveling through the country, as well as the Occupied Territories in the West Bank with a good friend (and former guest blogger), Alicia Fitzpatrick, as well as one of her close friends, Amy. We arrive in Tel Aviv on the afternoon of 30 March and will spend the night in that city. The next day, Alicia and I will travel by bus to Jerusalem and spend the day enjoying and seeing the city’s many remarkable sites of historical and contemporary significance. We will spend 01 April doing the same, staying the night on that day, as well. On 02 April, Alicia’s friend and former co-student in the University of Southern New Hampshire’s masters program in international development, Anwar, who serves as a director for a non-profit microfinance organization based in Ramallah with 11 branches within the Occupied Territories (6 in the West Bank and five in the Gaza Strip) will meet us in Jerusalem and take us back to his home in Ramallah. With him, we will make important stops in Nablus, Hebron, and Jericho, each of which promises to hold a unique and informative experience both on the history of the region, as well as the evolution of the Arab-Israeli Conflict, which, unfortunately, burns just as fiercely today as it ever has. During the remainder of my trip, we will make stops in Bethlehem and also spend a day basking in the glory of the Dead Sea. I hear that the waters of this, the lowest elevated body of water in the world, has sensational cleansing power for the skin, and I look forward to reporting back with first-hand testimony at the conclusion of my voyage.

All told, this trip should be remarkable in many regards. First, the Arab-Israeli Conflict arguably constitutes the most significant dynamic in contemporary international affairs, with its impact affecting power relations amongst countries in the Middle East and stretching across the world. Secondly, the importance of this region in world history is unparalleled. I cannot wait to observe the religious sites of Jerusalem, which marks one of the most relevant settings for the Western World’s three major religions: Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. Finally, growing up in the U.S. we receive a perspective of the Conflict which focuses predominantly on the security struggle of Israeli’s and that state’s ongoing battle to solidify its existence as an independent country. What we hear less about is the plight of Palestinians in places like the West Bank, Gaza, as well as Arab-Israelis, the discrimination against whom is powerful, but not as widely reported in the U.S. media as that facing Israeli citizens and the Israeli state, more generally. I look forward to experiencing all of these things first-hand and feel exceedingly fortunate to have the opportunity to take a trip that will shape my thinking on the world in a profound way for years to come. Stay tuned for updates.

1st Annual Dr. John Nasi Memorial Tennis Scramble Takes Gallup by Storm

1^st Annual Dr. John Nasi Memorial Tennis Scramble Takes Gallup by Storm

Thirty-one tennis players from as far away as Austin, Texas hit the courts on Saturday, March 1^st at Ford Canyon Park in Gallup for the 1^st Annual Dr. John Nasi Memorial Tennis Scramble.

Hosted by the Gallup High School Tennis Team, the tournament was initially envisioned as a way to build awareness of the Bengal tennis program in the community, as well as raise money for equipment, clothing, and travel. As the booster club began to discuss the event, however, it realized that an opportunity existed to create something far more meaningful.

Dr. John Nasi worked in Gallup for many years and was known as one of the city’s leading supporters of tennis, especially the high school’s program. Unfortunately, last year, Dr. Nasi passed away, leaving dozens of players without a mentor and scores more without a good friend. With this in mind, the booster club decided to dedicate the tennis tournament to this remarkable man as a way to immortalize his commitment to tennis in our community.

The scramble featured local players, as well as some who traveled in from Grants and Albuquerque to participate. Three of Dr. Nasi’s relatives traveled in to take part in the event, with two coming from the Duke City and one flying in from Austin. Players broke into foursomes and, throughout the day, each played three sets, one with each of the three other members in their group. Competitors kept track of the total amount of games they won, and everyone walked away with a prize, which were donated from local businesses. Rob Lloyd, a local player, took the day’s top prize, winning 20 games in three sets of play, while Gallupians Mark Gartner and Erin Black took away the second and third place crowns with 19 and 17 games won, respectively.

Tournament attendees endured a scary moment early on in the day when Grants native James Gaddy tripped while moving backwards for an overhead. Despite a cut on his head, which prompted a quick call for an ambulance, Mr. Gaddy was on his feet in no time and able to leave the park of his own accord.

All told, the day was characterized by great tennis, high spirits, and immaculate weather. The GHS Bengal Tennis Team plans to make the Dr. John Nasi Tennis Scramble a perennial event and is also considering forming another tournament to take place during the summer, as well as possible league play for the summer months. The strong enthusiasm for this year’s tournament indicates the level of excitement for tennis within our community, and the GHS Tennis Team plans to lead the charge in showing that tennis is both alive and well in Gallup, New Mexico!