Journey Home to Israel

Daily Journal for Saturday, November 1, 2008

A lifetime dream of visiting Israel and walking in what is known as the Land of the Bible became a reality when five jets delivered excited participants from the United States, Canada and Germany in The Fellowship’s 2008 Journey Home Tour to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv last Friday.

On Saturday, the first full day in the Land of Milk and Honey, the caravan of buses headed north from Tel Aviv along the Mediterranean coast to Caesarea, a city given to Herod the Great, Rome’s appointed king who began a rebuilding project that lasted nearly 12 years and was intended to establish Caesarea as the capital of Judea and Samaria. An ancient aqueduct adjacent to the Mediterranean was the backdrop for a Kodak moment.

The next stop was Megiddo, southeast of Haifa, where battles were fought involving the Egyptians, Canaanites, Philistines, Israelites, Assyrians, Greeks, Romans, Persians and the British. In the Book of Revelation, Megiddo is marked as the site of Armageddon, the last great battle of the world. Archaeological excavations at the site between 1925 and 1939 discovered remains of 20 distinct historical periods from 4000 B.C.E. to 400 B.C.E. Of particular interest is a sunken grain silo dating to 8th Century B.C.E. and ruins of stables, probably built by King Ahan in the 9th Century B.C.E.

The day’s highlight was a visit to Cana, where Jesus worked his first miracle of turning water into wine at a wedding (John 2:1-12). Fellowship participants, who filled the chapel of the church built to commemorate the miracle, sang songs of praise before 22 couples stood at the altar to renew their marriage vows in a celebratory ceremony led by Rev. Jerry Clark, IFCJ director of church relations. Applause greeted Arnold and Joanne Hauser of Ocklawaha, Fla., celebrating their 50th anniversary.

Day’s lessons:  The day began with a quick vocabulary lesson so the travelers could communicate more effectively in Hebrew. It included the word “shalom” as a greeting (similar to “hello”), “boker tov” for “good morning,” “layla tov” for “good night,” and “toda” for “thank you.”  To their delight, the tourists were reminded that the Hebrew word for Coca-Cola is “Coca-Cola.”

First-time surprises: First-timers to Israel were surprised to see shopping malls with chain stores common in America (Ikea, Toys r Us, Staples) and popular American restaurants (McDonald’s, Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken). They learned that Israel has only one 18-hole golf course (in Caesarea), that gas in Israel is at the $6-a-gallon mark, that Israelis tend to dry their clothes outdoors on clotheslines, and that expressways are as jammed during rush hours as expressways in most major American cities.

Eating Israeli-style: The first lunch was Israel’s most popular fast-food: Falafels (golf-ball sized deep-fried chickpeas) served in warm pita bread with toppings of fresh salad and hummus. Sides include olives from Israel’s olive groves and spicy pickles.

A thank you: IFCJ staff member Yael Eckstein, daughter of Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, president/founder of The Fellowship, welcomed the guests, expressing the sincere appreciation that Israelis have for visitors. “You will see people on the streets smile as they see tour buses. You sustain life here,” she said.