Journey Home to Israel

Daily Journal for Tuesday, November 6, 2007

The Day's Itinerary: Today was spent in the barren-like region of the Dead Sea, the lowest spot on the earth at approximately 1,300 feet below sea level, with stops at the Ahava factory, which manufactures beauty products; ancient Masada, where its Jewish defenders led by Yair ben Eleazar determined to die "unenslaved" by their Roman enemies; the Spa of Ein Gedi, where we floated in the amazing Dead Sea, and Qumran, where the parchment-and-papyrus Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947.

Dead Sea Relaxation: The Dead Sea, with a 35 per cent salt content (a salt content eight times greater than that of the oceans), provided an afternoon of relaxation as many donned bathing suits to float (and giggle) in the waters. "You cannot sink, you cannot drown, but you can suffocate," cautioned tour guide Beryl Ratzer as she warned the floaters to not swallow the salty water. "If you want to taste it, put a little on your finger and taste it that way," she suggested. Later, some chose to slather black mud on their faces, arms and legs, allowing it to bake in the sizzling hot sun before washing it off under outdoor showers. The result: Smoother, softer skin.

Best Sighting: The Bedouin settlements on hillsides provided memorable sightings including goat herders, content camels, and presumably a father and son riding together on a charcoal donkey.

Update On The Fellowship's Special Needs Fund: Michael Seiler of The Fellowship's Jerusalem office updated the Christian pilgrims on The Fellowship's Guardians of Israel Special Needs Fund a tool for Israel's Department of Welfare social workers to have money at hand to supply the basic needs of their constituency. He said the fund, originally in 25 cities and now in 86 cities, funds emergency needs such as eyeglasses, broken refrigerators and stoves, or utilities being turned off. "We have a system of checks and balances, a system of accountability," Seiler assured the donors.

Quote Of The Day: Cynthia Newsome of Amelia, Va., said she had taken an extra job on weekends to pay for her trip to Israel. "It was a lot of hard work and long weeks but I wouldn’t have missed this. It’s been worth every penny and sacrifice," she said atop Masada, after taking a three-minute cable car ride to see the remnants of King Herod’s palace.

Farewell Dinner: Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, addressing Journey Home to Israel 2007 farewell dinner in the Regency Jerusalem Hotel, expressed his delight that the 114 tour participants, IFCJ staff, the tour guides and bus drivers had all become a family in just a week's time. He said the bond was a shared feeling of thankfulness and gratefulness to God for being able to come to Israel. Rabbi Eckstein concluded the evening by playing the guitar and leading the participants in joyful Israeli songs.

Itinerary for Nov. 7: For the last complete day in Jerusalem, our group will visit the Old City, pray at the Western Wall, walk through the Western Wall Tunnel, walk the Via Dolorosa through the Lion’s Gate, and participate in communion at the Garden Tomb where many believe Jesus Christ was buried and rose from the dead. Those Journey to Home to Israel participants departing on Delta Airlines will bid adieu to Jerusalem after an early dinner to return to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv to fly home. Those flying El Al and Continental Airlines will depart for the U.S. early Thursday morning.