Visit to Israel

            My recent pilgrimage to Israel was a lesson in brotherhood, history and religion. Our 37-member group was wonderful. We had no whiners or malcontents. As I told my fellow travelers, I was the only jerk in the group.

           Our leaders were a Christian Arab, a Muslim and a Roman Catholic bishop. Their example of friendship and harmony could well be copied by world leaders and politicians. I don’t claim the ability to understand or to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict which has been going on for thousands of years. The real problem seems to be that Jews, Muslims and Christians all regard Israel as a holy land. No one wants to give up any part of it, so attempts  to create a Palestinian state and an Israeli state have defied everyone.

            Iyad, our Christan Arab guide, is totally against walls and barriers to the people getting along. He thinks the people themselves, not politicians, could solve their own problems. He constantly chided us and looked out for us, his words always tempered by “Did I tell you that I love you?” His bus driver, a Muslim, Mohammad, did not say much but followed the lead of Iyad who said, “Mohammad is like a brother to me.” They proceeded to demonstrate his words every day. Our third guide was the Rev. Joseph Sartoris, retired Roman Catholic  bishop of the San Pedro Region of the Los Angeles Archdiocese. I grew up around priests. I went to Catholic school. My mother and father constantly were involved with the caring and feeding of  priests. My brother was a priest. There are many wonderful priests, but I confess, Father, that I have never met one who is the equal of Bishop Joe, one of the most spiritual, respected, compassionate, interesting, talented and likable men, not just religious, that I have ever known.

            With this trio at the helm, how could our trip not be a success? The uprising in nearby Egypt was escalating at the time (late January), but we felt nothing but safe. First of all, if I only regarded the trip from a historical perspective alone, it was worth my time and money. The most striking thing of all was to be walking in country whose civilization went back thousands of years. We went into dwellings that had walls or rocks from the 400 B.C. It seemed like Israel had kippas (yarmulkes) older than the U.S.. Here are some of the memorable places we visited.

            Tiberias, a city on the western shore of Galilee, is venerated in Judaism since the 2^nd century and since the 16^th century as one of Israel’s four holy cities - the others being Jerusalem, Hebron and Safed.

            Mt. of Beatitudes, home of our first four nights lodging, has an incredible view of the nearby four-mile long Plain of Gennesaret, where Jesus was supposedly healed the multitudes and “faced Pharisaic condemnation for ritual impurity.”

 Tabgha lies on the northwestern shore of Galilee and is famous as the site of the multiplication of fishes by Jesus. It takes its name from the Greek Heptapegon ("seven springs"); St. Jerome called the area “the solitude” (eremos).

Capernaum, on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee, has a nearby church, said to be the home of St. Peter, and we went into a synagogue that goes back to the time of Christ.

 Nazareth is known as the childhood home of Jesus, and was one of my most reverberating experiences. Mass was said in the Basilica of the Annunciation. We visited St. Joseph’s Workshop and Mary’s Well and an ancient archeological dig.
            Sepphoris was chosen by Herod Antipas to be the capital of his government in 4^th century B.C. It was the largest city in Galilee, and we visited the ancient ruins dating back to Roman times.
              Cana was the site of Jesus’ first miracle where He changed water into wine.  We went to a Franciscan chapel where we renewed our wedding vows.
             Mt. Tabor is in the lower end of Galilee. It is said to be the site of the transfiguration of Jesus (He was said to become radiant and spoke with Moses and Elijah and was called son by a voice thought to be God). We had Mass there and experienced the calming of the waters on the Sea of Galilee.
           Jordan River was one of my favorite places where I walked on water; well, at least I waded. This is where John the Baptist baptized Jesus, and we all were allowed to take some water home.  We also visited an ancient boat, found in the Galilee area, dating back to. Egypt B.C.
           Jericho is near the Jordan River and the site of the Judean Wilderness where Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights. It’s also the lowest inhabited it place on earth and the world’s oldest inhabited city. Led by Joshua, the Israelites returned there from bondage in Egypt.
           Wadi Kelt: We attended Mass overlooking the Wadi Kelt and the Monastery of St. George. It is very impressive; it is not simply desert but becomes green in the winter rain. This is a setting for the “Valley of the Shadow of Death” in Psalm 23. St. George’s is a Greek Orthodox Monastery which dates from the fourth century. My saddest moment of the trip was watching little boys hustle tourists for money. I was a sucker; I mean a patron.
           Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, is certainly one of the most powerful names in the religious world. It is a holy city for Christianity, Islam and Judaism.  We visited the city of Ein Karem, the home of Elizabeth, St. John the Baptist’s mother.  We visited the Western Wall, formerly known as the Wailing Wall, and left our prayers tucked in the rocks. We visited Ecce Homo Arch on the Via Dolorosa, the path where Jesus supposedly walked, carrying the cross. We awoke one morning early to retrace His steps via the Stations of the Cross. The route we walked has been traveled since the 18^th century. (Nothing is recent here).
           Bethlehem, another of my favorite spots, is the town where Jesus was born. We celebrated Mass in the Church of the Nativity. The first reference to this place appeared in letters of 1600 B.C., so it has a lot of history.
              This is a trip to enlighten the intellect and warm the soul, religious or not. Have I told you lately that I love you?

Don Lechman is a former reporter, critic and editor for the Daily Breeze.   

^]

            My recent pilgrimage to Israel was a lesson in brotherhood, history and religion. Our 37-member group was wonderful. We had no whiners or malcontents. As I told my fellow travelers, I was the only jerk in the group.

           Our leaders were a Christian Arab, a Muslim and a Roman Catholic bishop. Their example of friendship and harmony could well be copied by world leaders and politicians. I don’t claim the ability to understand or to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict which has been going on for thousands of years. The real problem seems to be that Jews, Muslims and Christians all regard Israel as a holy land. No one wants to give up any part of it, so attempts  to create a Palestinian state and an Israeli state have defied everyone.

            Iyad, our Christan Arab guide, is totally against walls and barriers to the people getting along. He thinks the people themselves, not politicians, could solve their own problems. He constantly chided us and looked out for us, his words always tempered by “Did I tell you that I love you?” His bus driver, a Muslim, Mohammad, did not say much but followed the lead of Iyad who said, “Mohammad is like a brother to me.” They proceeded to demonstrate his words every day. Our third guide was the Rev. Joseph Sartoris, retired Roman Catholic  bishop of the San Pedro Region of the Los Angeles Archdiocese. I grew up around priests. I went to Catholic school. My mother and father constantly were involved with the caring and feeding of  priests. My brother was a priest. There are many wonderful priests, but I confess, Father, that I have never met one who is the equal of Bishop Joe, one of the most spiritual, respected, compassionate, interesting, talented and likable men, not just religious, that I have ever known.

            With this trio at the helm, how could our trip not be a success? The uprising in nearby Egypt was escalating at the time (late January), but we felt nothing but safe. First of all, if I only regarded the trip from a historical perspective alone, it was worth my time and money. The most striking thing of all was to be walking in country whose civilization went back thousands of years. We went into dwellings that had walls or rocks from the 400 B.C. It seemed like Israel had kippas (yarmulkes) older than the U.S.. Here are some of the memorable places we visited.

            Tiberias, a city on the western shore of Galilee, is venerated in Judaism since the 2^nd century and since the 16^th century as one of Israel’s four holy cities - the others being Jerusalem, Hebron and Safed.

            Mt. of Beatitudes, home of our first four nights lodging, has an incredible view of the nearby four-mile long Plain of Gennesaret, where Jesus was supposedly healed the multitudes and “faced Pharisaic condemnation for ritual impurity.”

 Tabgha lies on the northwestern shore of Galilee and is famous as the site of the multiplication of fishes by Jesus. It takes its name from the Greek Heptapegon ("seven springs"); St. Jerome called the area “the solitude” (eremos).

Capernaum, on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee, has a nearby church, said to be the home of St. Peter, and we went into a synagogue that goes back to the time of Christ.

 Nazareth is known as the childhood home of Jesus, and was one of my most reverberating experiences. Mass was said in the Basilica of the Annunciation. We visited St. Joseph’s Workshop and Mary’s Well and an ancient archeological dig.
            Sepphoris was chosen by Herod Antipas to be the capital of his government in 4^th century B.C. It was the largest city in Galilee, and we visited the ancient ruins dating back to Roman times.
              Cana was the site of Jesus’ first miracle where He changed water into wine.  We went to a Franciscan chapel where we renewed our wedding vows.
             Mt. Tabor is in the lower end of Galilee. It is said to be the site of the transfiguration of Jesus (He was said to become radiant and spoke with Moses and Elijah and was called son by a voice thought to be God). We had Mass there and experienced the calming of the waters on the Sea of Galilee.
           Jordan River was one of my favorite places where I walked on water; well, at least I waded. This is where John the Baptist baptized Jesus, and we all were allowed to take some water home.  We also visited an ancient boat, found in the Galilee area, dating back to. Egypt B.C.
           Jericho is near the Jordan River and the site of the Judean Wilderness where Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights. It’s also the lowest inhabited it place on earth and the world’s oldest inhabited city. Led by Joshua, the Israelites returned there from bondage in Egypt.
           Wadi Kelt: We attended Mass overlooking the Wadi Kelt and the Monastery of St. George. It is very impressive; it is not simply desert but becomes green in the winter rain. This is a setting for the “Valley of the Shadow of Death” in Psalm 23. St. George’s is a Greek Orthodox Monastery which dates from the fourth century. My saddest moment of the trip was watching little boys hustle tourists for money. I was a sucker; I mean a patron.
           Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, is certainly one of the most powerful names in the religious world. It is a holy city for Christianity, Islam and Judaism.  We visited the city of Ein Karem, the home of Elizabeth, St. John the Baptist’s mother.  We visited the Western Wall, formerly known as the Wailing Wall, and left our prayers tucked in the rocks. We visited Ecce Homo Arch on the Via Dolorosa, the path where Jesus supposedly walked, carrying the cross. We awoke one morning early to retrace His steps via the Stations of the Cross. The route we walked has been traveled since the 18^th century. (Nothing is recent here).
           Bethlehem, another of my favorite spots, is the town where Jesus was born. We celebrated Mass in the Church of the Nativity. The first reference to this place appeared in letters of 1600 B.C., so it has a lot of history.
              This is a trip to enlighten the intellect and warm the soul, religious or not. Have I told you lately that I love you?

Don Lechman is a former reporter, critic and editor for the Daily Breeze.   

^]

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