Entering the Muslim Quarter

We entered the Old City of Jerusalem through the Lions' Gate which leads into the Muslim Quarter. Interestingly enough, the Via Dolorosa begins here. Very shortly after you enter, you see the "birthplace of Mary", which my colleagues enjoined me to pose in front of, since they all knew the struggles I've been having with the authenticity of the holy sites.

The View from the Mount of Olives

To begin our tour of Jerusalem, Aharon took us up to the Mount of Olives, where we could see the city from across the Kidron Valley. Here you see a small sample of the hill from which Jesus made his triumphal entry on what celebrate now as Palm Sunday (which is mostly covered over with buildings, parking lots and graveyards now) and the view of Jerusalem over which he wept.

At Yad Vashem

We left Yaacov and headed to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial. I've been to the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. and I've been to Dachau. I was really not looking forward to this experience. Here you see pictured the front of the museum and me as I've come out the other side. It's always an excrutiatingly painful thing to see what we human beings can do to one another. The insight or the realization that was particularly palpable to me on this trip was the sheer numbers of people whose lives were lost or brutalized through the horror of the Shoah. May we never forget and may we always work to stop injustice such as this no matter what the cost to ourselves.

On to Day 5

This morning we met with Dr. Yaacov Lozowick, former director of the Yad Vashem Archives, at the hotel. Dr. Lozowick was extremely articulate, knowledgeable and engaging - we have definitely not lacked for high-caliber intelligent well-spoken program leaders. Dr. Lozowick (who asked us to call him Yaacov, so I will from now on in this blog)

spoke a lot about the institutional memory of the Jewish people, how it is developed and what it means. He posited that memory is a central component of Judaism and that their ritual process teaches them from a young age to bear a collective memory. He also shared that he believes that Israelis take four insights from the Holocaust as a result: 1) when people say that they hate and want to kill you, they mean it. 2) Not only do they mean it, it is possible for them to do it. 3) As a result of what has happened to them, they are very aware of the inhumanity that humankind can perpetrate upon itself and are fiendishly scrupulous about examining and debating their own behavior in the world arena. 4) Being a victim cannot and does not give people the right to engage in immoral behavior. Suffering gives you the obligation to stop suffering, not to impose it upon others. Debatable points? Perhaps some. Certainly thoughtful ones.

Backing up to Day 4

We ended yesterday by having dinner with Rabbi David Rosen, the International Director of Interreligious Affairs for the AJC at Beit Moses, their Middle East office. It's hard to imagine when I have met a more articulate diplomatic individual. He works with numerous interfaith and interreligious organizations in a variety of ways, sitting on boards, acting as one of the advisors to the Chief Rabbinate of Jerusalem (I think I have that right - If I don't, sorry David!), as a member of IJCIC, etc. One of his points that resonated with me was that we must make sure that religious entities participate in the peace process, are visible actors within it, if we don't want the religious extremists to highjack the role from us and win the day as acting on behalf of religion. Here he is at dinner with Kevin to his immediate right and Kimberly beyond Kevin.

Day 5

I woke up this morning so tired. I got enough sleep, but my body is on overload. The pace is just grueling. As wonderful an experience as this is, at this moment I just want to be home with my daughter and my community of faith. I feel especially for those on this tour that are older than I and that have physical issues (e.g. knee or hip problems) that make it tough.

Today we go to Bethlehem. I wouldn’t want to miss it for all the world, but I surely would like a day of rest!

Ma'ale Gilboa Yeshiva

We spent the afternoon at a Yeshiva where young men are trained for 1 year in Torah and religious studies, then spend 1 and a half years in the army, then return to the Yeshiva for another year before finishing their final year and a half in the military. The aim is so that the soldiers they become might be as invested in a moral code as they are in enforcing military might. The kids were thoughtful and engaged, the rabbis were wonderful models of humility and learning; it is a program that has been in existence for over 30 years, although I believe I remember about 15-20 at this site. If nothing else, to be engaged in study of Bible while working in the military would keep a human face on the job to be done. An admirable effort.