Daily Journal for Tuesday, November 4, 2008
From Sandy Thorn Clark
Jubilant singing of “Jerusalem,” cheers of “Hallelujah!” and heartfelt tears prevailed during Tuesday’s emotional entrance into Jerusalem by The Fellowship’s 2008 Journey Home Tour.
For many, reaching the Holy City was, as described by Nancy Barnett of Middlesboro, Ky., “the dream of a lifetime.”
“Can I get on top of the bus and take a picture?” asked an ecstatic Carl Hess of Cincinnati, who is honeymooning with his wife, Hazel.
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, founder/president of The Fellowship, warmly welcomed IFCJ supporters to Jerusalem, which he called “the heart of the world” and “the heart of Jewish people.”
Facing a breathtaking panoramic view of Jerusalem, Rabbi Eckstein acknowledged, “Everything centers, my friends, on that piece of real estate … that’s what the conflict is about.”
The rabbi stressed the need for Jews and Arabs and Jews and Muslims to find a way to live in harmony in Jerusalem, the City of Peace. “We need to find a way to live in this country and both treasure our religious and holy sites,” he said.
Before pronouncing a rabbinic blessing upon Fellowship supporters, Rabbi Eckstein reminded, “How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.”
“You’ve come back to our heart and we are now of one heart, one people. Some are grafted in, but both are here together in Jerusalem.”
Excavation extraordinaire: Archaeological buffs were treated to the former splendor of Bet She’an, an ancient city with a glorious past. It is the site where King Saul and his sons, who lost the battle against the Philistines at Mount Gilboa, were hung from the city’s walls. The impressive ruins – a Roman theater, a Byzantine church with a mosaic floor, giant columns, shops, and a main street – are what remain after a powerful earthquake destroyed the city in Eighth Century A.D.
Birds’ dietary preferences: While passing acres of fish ponds along the highway from the Sea of Galilee to Jerusalem, tour guide Beryl Ratzer amused Fellowship partners with the story relating the problems created when migratory birds were attracted to the fish as their dietary staple. The birds devoured more than half of the fish, wreaking economic havoc on the fish farmers. When a solution of netting didn’t work (because the birds became entangled in the net) and another solution of playing automated booming sounds didn’t work (because the birds caught on to the timing and would fly away just before each loud sound and then return), farmers successfully planted corn around each pond. It turns out that given a menu preference, the birds prefer corn to fish.
No need for speed limit signs: Speed limit signs rarely are posted on Israel’s highways. Instead, Israelis know the speed limits for highways and streets, and the speed limits never change. Israel’s maximum speed is 55 miles per hour.
‘Up’ to Jerusalem: Though Jerusalem is south of Tel Aviv and the Sea of Galilee, Israelis always say they are going “up” to Jerusalem because the Sea of Galilee is 1,300 feet below sea level and Jerusalem is 2,500 feet above sea level. A live camel stands next to the sign designating the point of sea level.
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