Tel Aviv and Jaffa

We went on tiyul (a road trip) to Tel Aviv this Friday.  We left HUC around 9:45 on a very comfortable bus.  It was nice, for a change, to be on one of those rolling oases of comfort and air conditioning that I see tooling around Jerusalem, carrying tour groups, as I am hiking my way around the city in the heat of the day.

The trip from Jerusalem out to Tel Aviv travels a cross section of geography, going from the heights of the central highlands down to the agricultural plain and then out to metropolitan Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean coast; from rocky highlands, to fertile farmlands, industrial and commercial areas, into the city, and then to the Sea.

Our class split into groups; some going directly to the beach, some going to the shuk (market), and the rest of us heading for a tour of Neve Tzedek.  Neve Tzedek is now a suburb of Tel Aviv but was the first neighborhood built outside of the ancient city walls of the Port of Jaffa.  Tel Aviv didn't even exist then.  Upon getting out of the bus, I immediately began to appreciate the climatic difference between the coast and Jerusalem.  Hotter and stickier!

We were received warmly by our tour guide in her beautiful home in Neve Tzedek, and got to know one another.  Michael Danziger even gave us a few jazzy notes on the piano before we departed for our tour.

Neve Tzedek is a community full of history and character.  There has been much restoration and upgrading over the past few years.  Some of this is to truly beautify and enhance while some efforts, like the completely disfunctional narrow sidewalks, are like putting a beauty queen in an ill fitting jump suit.  Like anywhere in Israel, Neve Tzedek is an agglomeration of its many past and present lives.  Unfortunately for us all, I think the heat of the mid-day detracted from the significance of its beauty and the importance of its historic sites.  But, it is not lost, there will be many opportunities to return to explore this gem of Tel Aviv.

Next stop, the old train station.  On Friday mornings there is a farmers market with absolutely gorgeous fresh produce - onions, potatoes, grapes, beets, gourds, olive oil - all wonderful looking.  I wasn't feeling too hungry until I saw all of the wonderful food.

A smaller group of us - Leah, Sarah, Abram, Kenny and myself were headed to Jaffa.  We stopped for lunch before departing from the train station area and were blessed with a table situated in the shade and next to a fan.  Even better, at a table near us was a family celebrating a birthday.  The adults looked to be brothers and sisters with their spouses and children.  With them were three gorgeous little Israeli girls of about 3 or 4 and three little babies.

As anyone with children knows, sometimes these outings are a mixed bag.  Fun interspersed with conflict management, beautifully sweet smiles pointed with tears; a tip left in appreciation for understanding the incredible mess left behind.  As I miss my own children and family, it was wonderful to see mothers and fathers loving on their sweet ones.

After that sweet desert, it was on to the Port of Jaffa.  This was only a short walk from Neve Tzedek.  However, the heat was definitely getting to all of us.  After a short tour around the port, a quick stop in a pottery shop, and a few pictures,

it was time to move on.  It was simply just too hot.  We didn't do Jaffa any justice at all.  Like Neve Tzedek, it is on the list of places which deserve a return trip for more exploration.  The water of the Mediterranean looked as if it was our only relief from the heat of the day.  Despite the heat, we decided to forego a taxi and hoof it up Tel Aviv and meet up with our other beach going classmates around the area of the Sheraton Hotel.

What can I say about the beach . . . this isn't Jerusalem any more.  I saw way too much of way too many people.  A lot of people crammed into a very small area.  I'm not much of a sun bather so it was directly into the water for me.  The water was warm like a bath.  Unfortunately, it also was littered with trash . . . disgusting but still the only respite from the sun and heat.  I put thoughts of bacterial counts out of my mind and swam as far out as I could with Manda and Leah to get away from the trash.  We climbed out of the now clear sea onto the breakwater boulders, enjoying the views of sailboats, swimmers, the sea, and beach.  The trash will be the subject of a different blog.  I'll leave it alone for now.  Rose colored glasses in place for the time being.

Following the dip in the sea, it was on to the port promenade for erev Shabbat services with Beit Tiffilah, a non denominational group, self described as a liberal, independent, inclusive and participatory community in Tel Aviv.  There was a shabbat sweetness in the air.  Seeing the setting sun as shabbat began, singing Eli, Eli  by the sea, joining my voice with hundreds of other Israelis singing Lu Y'he was a moving experience.  However, after all of that, I longed for the quiet of Jerusalem.  The most powerful voice was that of the waves during just a brief moment of human silence.  With Shabbat upon us, the quiet peace is what I wanted most . . . that, a cool shower, and a bar of soap.
That would come, but only after an hour wait for the bus to show up.  Thanks to our interns for thegreat thinking of arranging the bus stops on the way back into Jerusalem to help us get just a few steps closer to our beds.
I must say thanks to our wonderful summer interns, Leslie Niren, Amy Goodman, and papa bear, Daniel Bar-Nahum.  They are truly doing a wonderful job setting the scene for the meaningful experiences of a lifetime during our YII quest.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart!