Shabbaton in Jerusalem

  Thursday began our Shabbaton to Jerusalem and our first stop was directly to Yad Vashem.  Yad Vashem, established in  1953, has become the world center for documentation, research,  education. and commemoration of the Holocaust.

T

Davening Mincha at Yad Vashem

The Valley of the Communities in Yad Vashem

is a massive 2.5 acre monument literally dug out of

 natural bedrock. Over 5000 names of communities

 are engraved on the stone walls in the Valley of the Communities. Each name recalls a Jewish community

 which existed for hundreds of years.  Today, in most cases, nothing remains but the name.

Mr. Wollis finding his
 Grandfather's birth city.

Yonaton meeting his uncle, aunt and
cousin by chance at Yad Vashem.

Later on, Max K. reuniting with his half-
brother Yehuda and family after 14 years.

A truley amazing dinner with Mark
and Marlene Kurman...We thank you!!



Especially Yonaton!!





Davening Friday morning at the hotel.



Off we go exploring Jerusalem on foot

Gilad Shalit is an Israeli soldier who was
captured on June 25, 2006 by Hammas.  A  tent
has been erected by his family to keep the hope
of his safe return alive.  We sign our names and
give our prayers.

A Jewish Art exhibit

Soon after we walked up to Mahane Yehuda,

 which is the largest shuk in Jerusalem.  Not only

can you buy the best and freshest of everything

edible....it is a great place to people watch.

Jake and Zeke Dwek meeting us at the shuk.

A beautiful stroll back to
get ready for Shabbos.

Bayla being picked up for Shabbos dinner
with her family by brother Yaakov.

Night Hike, John Deere Land, and an afternoon in Safed

Saturday night we were lucky to have a few of Shluchot's

 finest Ex-soldiers to take us on a" night-hike" and to teach

 us a few army maneuvers.

We were running, crawling and rolling....
But having lots of fun!!



Mission accomplished.....Let's eat!!



  

Tuesday we were off again to spend the afternoon in Safed. First stop on the way was Mount Tabor (Har Tavor) which is a hill rising 1640 feet above the Jezreel Valley in the region of Galilee.  Due to its strategic location along the north-south road, it has been an important fortress since ancient times.



On top of Har Tavor




Next stop....... John Deere Land for
 a little fun. John Deere tractors are an
 essential part of the farming operation
 on Kibbutz Shluchot.



 

                      A beautiful picnic lunch in the woods.


           Safed  (Tzfat) is one of the four holy cities in Israel,
            together with Jerusalem, Tiberius, and Hebron. 
          The old part of town consists of narrow cobblestone
               alleys revealing artists' galleries, medieval
                synagogues, tiny cafes, private homes and
                                   small guest houses.




                   According to legend, Safed is where Shem
                       and Ever, son and grandson of Noah,
            established their Yeshiva where Yaakov Avinu
                                 studied for many years. 







In the 16th century, many famous Jewish religious

scholars and mystics moved to Safed following the

Spanish Expulsion, fleeing from the horrors of the inquisition.  Safed then became the spiritual center of

 the Jewish world, where Kabbalah reached the peak

 of its influence.

Watching a candle being made.

Max is amazed that this "teva"
 is made soley of wax.

Bayla exploring some of the art galleries.

Relaxing and laughing.

After a big group hug, we head back home.

Beit Guvrin Caves and Army Base

Wednesday we became amateur archeologist exploring several caves in the Beit Guvrin area where numerous quaries produce limestone for cement and for the typical natural stone faces of many houses found throughout Israel.  The Soreq Cave, the first of many we visited, was founded by accident in 1968 by miners blasting away the stone with explosives.  The site quickly became a nature preserve as it contained beautiful stalactite and stalagtite formations that have been forming for millions of years underground.

Stalactite is above and hang down like icicles and
stalagmite is below and sticks up from the ground. 
After hundreds of thousands of years they
can meet and become columns.

Into the Columbarium Caves at Beit Guvrin -
Maresha National Park

This cave was used in Byzantine times as a place for
 nesting pigeons.  Pigeons were used for many purposes
 such as a food source for the people, sending messages
 and collecting the droppings for fertilizer for the crops.  Centuries later, the Jews used these caves to hide in.

The last cave we visited was the Bell Cave which is VERY large with ceilings over 60 feet high and an entrance that is easily accessible.  This cave was a quarry which was excavated at different times in history, and dates back to the 4th century B.C.  Because of its fantastic acoustics and grand design, today this cave is used for many unique occassions.

After "Cave hopping", we were invited to an Israeli Army base in the Beit Guvrin area to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah with soldiers and officers.

Armored Humvee

M-16 machine gun simulator

Lighting candles, singing and eating
"sufganiyot" (jelly doughnuts)

HAPPY HANUKKAH!!