Building Bridges for Peace in Haifa, Israel

I immigrated to Israel five years ago from The United States. There is no nation or place anywhere that has more spiritual significance than “The Land of Canaan”. It is the birthplace of the three major faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It is the place where King David wrote the 23rd Psalm, where Jesus of Nazareth promoted ideas and values that have changed humanity. In the Quran, the inspired scripture that Muhammad brought to the Arabs, venerates the great prophets of the Judeo-Christian tradition. It speaks of Solomon’s “great place of prayer” in Jerusalem, which the first Muslims called the City of the Temple.

Haifa is the home of the Tomb of Elijah the Prophet, which is considered one of the holiest and most venerated shrines to Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Druze alike.

Haifa is a city dotted with gardens. The most prominent is at the world center of the Baha’i religion, with the tombs of the Bab (Mirza Muhammad Ali) and Abbas Efendi, son and successor of the founder of the abor.faith, Bahá’u’lláh. The presence of the Baha’i, for so long persecuted in various Middle East countries, is evidence of the tolerant social fabric of this city. The greatest challenge facing this small and brave nation is to promote the values of peace in an area filled with strife and hatred. 

“The Golden Rule” is a common link in the three major faiths that can and will draw us together to promote Shalom and Salaam. It is happening in Haifa the city of peaceful coexistence.

I have been blessed to participate in many interfaith efforts in the past five years to promote peace through dialogue in our region. This holiday season I rejoiced to participate in several activities in Haifa to promote harmony. My favorite was an interfaith sports event hosted by the local Muslim Ahmadiyya school in the Kabbabir community in Haifa.

On Wednesday, Dec 19th, 2012, between Hanukkah and Christmas, 50 teens: Israeli Jews and Muslims got together in Games for Peace organized by a new association called GESHARIM LETIKVAH: BRIDGES FOR Hope- HEALING THE WORLD BY BRINGING HEARTS TOGETHER.

The new President of the association, Prof. Jesse Lachter emphasized on what is the motto and core value of this new NGO: ” Love Builds Bridges.”

Reform Movement Rabbi Dr. Edgar Nof started the games by reciting a Prayer for Peace. Then the teen girls played a basketball game for peace, while the teen boys pwer playing soccer. The Jewish children came from the Open School in Haifa with their teacher Ya’ir Shachar. The game referee was Manar, the principal of the Ahmadiyya Muslim School in the Kabbabir neighbor of Haifa. Previous to every game the teens shook hands, and everybody wins by promoting Peace in Israel and by bringing hearts together. Imam Muhammad Sharif declared that their slogan is “Love for all, Hatred for none”. The Ahmadiyya are a world wide movement of more than one hundred million followers dedicated to peace and universal brotherhood. Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav has gone so far as to call them “Reform Arabs.” Most of the two thousand Ahmadis in Israel live in Kabbabir where they are leaders in the business, cultural and most importantly spiritual areas of our community.

“You don’t hear about us because we don’t throw rocks at buses,” stated an Ahmadi leader,“We believe that nothing can be achieved through hatred and hostility.”

All the kids said at the end of the games that it was too short and that they want to meet again. We have planned more activities for the spring. 

The Importance of Hanukkah .

Hanukkah is one of the most and misunderstood holidays of Judaism. I am looking forward to celebrating the festive occasion with my Chabad friends in my home of Haifa Israel. We have just started a Jewish study group for English speakers in our community. This will be our first Hanukkah together in the land where it all started.

The eight-day Jewish celebration known as Hanukkah or Chanukah commemorates the re -dedication during the second century BCE of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, where according to legend Jews had risen up against their Greek-Syrian oppressors in the Maccabees Revolt. Hanukkah, which means "dedication" in Hebrew, begins on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar and usually falls in November or December. The timing is based on the ancient lunar calendar. The celebration is based on events that occurred on about the year 200 BCE. However, there are no written records of any holiday observance of Hanukkah until about 500 years later, in the Talmud. Christmas, was not officially celebrated on December 25th until the third century. I have learned from studying both the old and new testament in Haifa that there is no certainty that the date of either is exact. The spiritual significance of the holidays is what is important and should be celebrated and coveted.

The Festival of Lights holiday is celebrated with the lighting of the menorah, traditional foods, games and gifts. Many Jews and non- Jews consider the holiday to have special significance with the return of the Jewish people to the land of our roots. Many of us in Israel and elsewhere consider Israel to be the third "Bayit" (home) or Temple.

According to the Tanakh, Solomon's Temple was built atop the Temple Mount in the 10th century BCE and destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The Second Temple was completed and dedicated in 516 BCE. Two thousand years ago Jews were expected to pray in The Temple. According to classical Jewish belief, the Temple acted as the figurative "footstool" of God's presence and a Third Temple will be built there in the future. Traditionally, Jerusalem has been the focus of longing for Diaspora Jews who were forced from their land and the Temple of their God. Psalm 137 is the well-known lament of the Babylonian Jews who wept "by the rivers of Babylon" and declared, "If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither." 



The History of Hanukkah

The events that inspired the Hanukkah holiday took place during a particularly turbulent phase of Jewish history. Around 200 BCE, Judea region —also known as the Land of Israel—came under the control of Antiochus III, the Seleucid king of Syria, who allowed the Jews who lived there to continue practicing their religion. His son, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, proved less benevolent: Ancient sources recount that he outlawed the Jewish religion and ordered the Jews to worship Greek gods. In 168 BCE, his soldiers descended upon Jerusalem, massacring thousands of people and desecrating the city’s holy Second Temple by erecting an altar to Zeus and sacrificing pigs within its sacred walls.

Led by the Jewish priest Mattathias and his five sons, a large-scale rebellion broke out against Antiochus and the Seleucid monarchy. When Matthathias died in 166 BCE, his son Judah, known as Judah Maccabee (“the Hammer”), took the helm; within two years the Jews had successfully driven the Syrians out of Jerusalem, relying largely on guerrilla warfare tactics.

For an entire generation, the ancient Judeans waged a struggle for freedom, which, in terms of intensity, has almost no parallel in human history. It was among the first recorded wars of liberation and it laid a model for nearly every revolution that followed. With an unbreakable faith and willingness to sacrifice, a handful of valiant Hebrew fighters forged the eternal covenant that resistance to tyranny is the highest and truest service to the universal creator and the highest moral value. Judah called on his followers to cleanse the Second Temple, rebuild its altar and light its menorah—the gold candelabrum of which seven branches represented knowledge and creation and were meant to be kept burning every night.

The Hanukkah "Miracle"

According to the Talmud, one of Judaism’s most central texts, Judah Maccabee and the other Jews who took part in the re-dedication of the Second Temple witnessed what they believed to be a miracle. Even though there was only enough untainted olive oil to keep the menorah’s candles burning for a single day, the flames continued flickering for eight nights, leaving them time to find a fresh supply. This wondrous event inspired the Jewish sages to proclaim a yearly eight-day festival. .

Jewish families across the world just completed celebrated this Inspiring holiday. Jewish children enjoyed spinning dreidels, lighting menorahs and opening presents on the first night of Hanukkah which was celebrated Saturday evening. I enjoyed eating "Sufganiot" or donuts at the Dan Panorama Mall in Haifa. Jewish children sang holiday ballads for mall visitors - many of them visitors from all over the world!

On the first night of Hanukkah, Jewish families began by lighting the menorah, the nine-branched candelabra. Two candles are lit on the first night: the shamash (the helper candle, which is usually the tallest) and one other. On the second night, the shamash and two other candles are lit, on the third, the shamash and three others are lit, etc. This continues for eight nights. To pay homage to the miracle which kept the oil burning, it is typical to eat fried foods such as latkes (potato pancakes) and jelly doughnuts. Children play dreidels (spinning tops), open gifts, eat gelt (chocolate coins) and families say prayers together. It is also customary to increase the amount given to charity during the holiday.

Nearly two thousand years after Judah led his successful revolt, the Jewish people are again free to practice our faith in "The Third Temple". This year marked the sixty fifth of our return to the place where it all started. Hopefully, we will all understand that the greatest message and truest blessing of Hanukkah is that freedom is worth any price that needs to be paid. Next year in Jerusalem is now!

Thoughts About The Kabbalah.

I often have been asked by non-Jews: do Jews believe in heaven and hell? Does Judaism believe in a Messiah, angels or the devil? Do we believe in life after death? What is our perception of G-d and the universe? Judaism allows these cosmological issues to be wide open to personal opinion. Judaism is very much a knowledge- based faith and places far less emphasis on mystical issues than in other religions. The areas of Jewish thought that most extensively discuss these issues, Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism, were traditionally only taught when students had completed their education in Torah and Talmud.

In its narrowest sense, the Torah is the first five books of the Bible. The concept of afterlife is not mentioned in The Torah and does not show up prominently in Judaism until about the third century a.d. This concept showed up in the Talmud very possibly influenced by Christianity and Greek philosophy. The Talmud is the most significant collection of the Jewish oral tradition interpreting the Torah. Gan Eden as an internal reward is linked prominently to the treatment of others by the Talmud and its teachers of that era. Living by "The Golden Rule" was supposed to bring eternal bliss.

The Talmud tells a story of Rabbi Hillel, who lived around the time of Jesus. A pagan came to him saying that he would convert to Judaism if Hillel could teach him the whole of the Torah in the time he could stand on one foot. Rabbi Hillel replied, "What is hateful to yourself, do not do to your fellow man. That is the whole Torah; the rest is just commentary".Mysticism and mystical experiences have been a part of Judaism since the earliest days of our faith. The Torah does not refer to an afterlife but does contain many stories of mystical experiences. From the visitations by angels such as the three angels who visited Abraham and Sarah to foretell the birth of Isaac. Judaism often references prophetic dreams and visions; Joseph had the ability to understand dreams and make prophecies based on this knowledge. Jewish tradition tells that the souls of all Jews were in existence at the time of the Giving of the Torah and were present at the time and agreed to the Covenant.

In the middle ages, many of these mystical teachings were committed to writing in books like the Zohar. Many of these writings were asserted to be secret ancient writings or compilations of secret ancient writings. The Zohar is the most basic work in the literature of Jewish mystical thought known as Kabbalah. It is a group of books including commentary on the mystical aspects of the Torah and scriptural interpretations as well as material on Mysticism. The Zohar contains a discussion of the nature of God, the origin and structure of the universe, the nature of souls, redemption, the relationship of Ego to Darkness and "true self" to "The Light of God," and the relationship between the "universal energy" and man. It can be considered an esoteric form of the Rabbinic literature known as Midrash, which elaborates on the Torah.

The mystical school of thought came to be known as Kabbalah, from the Hebrew root Qof-Beit-Lamed, meaning "to receive, to accept." The word is usually translated as "tradition." In Hebrew, the word does not have any of the evil connotations that it has developed as the result of manipulation of the Kabbalah. I am currently studying the history of the Kabbalah at a Masorti or conservative movement Synagogue in Haifa. We have learned that some of Jewish mystical teaching has been integrated into traditional Judaism while some Kabbalah practitioners are seen as charlatans.

Historically, Kabbalah emerged, after earlier forms of Jewish mysticism, in 12th- to 13th-century Southern France and Spain, later becoming reinterpreted in the Jewish mystical renaissance of 16th-century Ottoman Palestine. It was popularized in the form of Hasidic Judaism from the 18th century onward. The current interest in Kabbalah has produced a cross denominational interest in Jewish mysticism.

The basis of the Kabbalah is the concept of Ein Sof, or universal creator, the Ten Sefirot, and the tree of life.

According to the Kabbalah, the true essence of G-d is so overwhelming that it cannot be described. This true essence of G-d is known as Ein Sof, which literally means "without end," encompasses the idea of a lack of boundaries in both time and space. In this truest form, the Ein Sof is so powerful that It cannot have any direct interaction with the universe. The Ein Sof interacts with the universe through ten emanations from this essence, known as the Ten Sefirot.

These Sefirot correspond to qualities of G-d and Godliness in mankind. They consist of, in descending order, Keter (the crown), Chokhmah (wisdom), Binah (intuition, understanding), Chesed (mercy) or Gedulah (greatness), Gevurah (strength), Tiferet (glory), Netzach (victory), Hod (majesty), Yesod (foundation) and Malkut (sovereignty). The Ten Sefirot include both masculine and feminine qualities. Kabbalah pays a great deal of attention to the feminine aspects of G-d.

Divine creation by means of the Ten Sefirot is an ethical process. They represent the different aspects of Morality. Loving-Kindness is a possible moral justification found in Chessed, and Gevurah is the Moral Justification of Justice and both are mediated by Mercy which is Rachamim. However, these pillars of morality become immoral and harmful once they become extremes. Kabbalah teaches the concept of Izun or balance in all aspects of our lives.

The position of the Kabbalah is that the human soul is divided into three parts:

Nefesh : the lower part, or "animal part", of the soul. It is linked to instincts and bodily cravings. This part of the soul is provided at birth.

Ruach: the middle soul, the "spirit". It contains the moral virtues and the ability to distinguish between good and evil.

Neshamah: the higher soul, or "super-soul". This separates man from all other life-forms. It is related to the intellect and allows man to enjoy and benefit from the afterlife. It allows one to have some awareness of the existence and presence of God.

I recently completed a class in the Kabbalah at a local Masorti or conservative Jewish school and synagogue. We learned in the class that the goal of Kabbalah is about how to recognize, experience and come close to God. We do this first and foremost to quote Rabbi Hillel through the practice and promotion of the Golden Rule!

Haifa Israel is The City of Peaceful Coexistence

This current round of battling in our South has been depressing in that it had to begin; there has not been any political way of getting the Hamas to stop firing explosives at our civilians. This tragically has been the history of life in Israel since the Jewish people returned to our ancestral homeland in 1948. Many of my friends and neighbors have fought in several wars. Many of them spent their early childhoods sleeping in bomb shelters. Hopefully, by the time it ends, there will be some important changes in the way of life here and in the Palestinian territories. Hopefully, the people who have been enduring such rocket fire will be able to live normal lives. The missile attacks have spread from the south to much of Israel including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. We yearn for the day that our Palestinian friends and neighbors will no longer suffer as the result of our need to defend our nation. We are all saddened by the deaths and injuries of everyone on both sides of this battle. It is a shame that the assassination of the Gaza Chief of Military staff became necessary. He had the blood of Israeli men, women, and children on his hands. He believed in terrorism and mass murder. He called for the destruction of our nation. Defeat in this region is not an option for us Jews, even though clear-cut winning/victory is also often not an option. The greatest hope is for a political settlement. Peace treaties will surely involve compromise. Settling the feuds will feel like a victory of sorts for all sides, and peace will allow our children and grandchildren and their grandchildren to live without fear of being bombed. They will attend their schools safely, without the need for air raid sirens and bomb shelters. Yet, there is hope for peace for the people in our region. I am blessed to live in Haifa, which is the city of peaceful co-existence. There is a popular expression in Israel: “In JERUSALEM people pray, in HAIFA they work, in TEL AVIV they have fun”. Haifa gives the impression of a world light-years away from the religiosity of Jerusalem and the skyscrapers of Tel Aviv.  Here everything is different; the city is positioned on top of a magnificent bay, and although the typical white stone that is characteristic of the whole country prevails, the buildings and skyscrapers have a variety of styles, and the port is busy with bustling commerce. The many industries in the area are mainly concentrated in the so called Krayot, surrounding villages. The city is dotted with gardens. The most prominent is at the world center of the Baha’i religion, with the tombs of the Bab (Mirza Muhammad Ali) and Abbas Efendi, son and successor of the founder of the faith, Bahá’u’lláh. The presence of the Baha’i, for so long persecuted in various Middle East countries, is evidence of the tolerant social fabric of this city. Haifa has a multiethnic and multi-religious population of 260,000, with a Jewish prevalence (91%). The well-integrated Arab minority is Christian (4.5%), Muslim (3.5%) and Druze (1%). Road signs in Cyrillic, alongside Hebrew, Arabic and English, are signs of the extensive Russian community here (25%). In the past, peaceful coexistence, however, could not be taken for granted. Here too, in fact, the birth of the State of Israel was marked by tensions and blood. Haifa’s port became the arrival site of thousands of Jewish immigrants after World War II and the departure port for the Arabs fleeing during the 1947–48 Arab-Israeli war. Clashes between Arabs and Jewish paramilitary groups led to numerous casualties on both sides. Over the years, many worked at rebuilding this social harmony and religious tolerance that has very ancient roots. Haifa, in act, is built on the slopes and foot of Mount Carmel, where according to tradition the prophet Elijah lived. A cave called Elijah’s Grotto is inside a Carmelite monastery and is venerated by Jewish, Christian and Muslim pilgrims. . The effort to integrate social, cultural, and religious identity in an area with a high risk of conflict has warranted the continued commitment of all the groups present in the area to administer it. The civic and religious communities both have a decisive role. I have been blessed to participate in some of the efforts to maintain and even improve the harmony between faiths and cultures in Haifa. Each month for the past five years I have participated in a joint study session promoted by the Catholic Focolare. Rabbi Edgar Nof developed this activity within the Jewish community. The Focolare does a myriad of spiritual, cultural, social, and economic programs worldwide- based on their primary tenet "Unity for All". The members of the Focolare live by the golden rule "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." We study each other's faiths with the goal of understanding not changing each others views and values. We have hosted and promoted an interfaith Choir performance which took part in a four day interfaith spiritual retreat at Kibbutz Nes Ammim in the Galilee. The event was done in the summers of 2009 and 2010. Jews, Christians, and Muslims from both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian border took part in the retreat took part in a four day interfaith spiritual retreat at Kibbutz Nes Ammim in the Galilee. The event was done in the summers of 2009 and 2010. Jews, Christians, and Muslims from both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian border took part in the retreat. We studied each others holy books, prayed together, and enjoyed meeting participants from dozens of countries. Our only real source of contention was the nature of the cuisine! We were the first Jewish participants in this convention in the history of Israel-Palestine. www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaJoxj63Es‎ We also sent a delegation to the world renowned Run4Unity. It was held for the first time ever in Haifa in the year 2008. Youth from Israel-Palestine participated in a variety of sports activities held at Haifa's Carmel Beach. Several hundred youth from Israel and Palestine shared this activity without contention. Jewish, Christian, and Muslim young people participated. The last event was held in Caesarea in May of this year. www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jhF6oRrbRU‎ My favorite interfaith experience took place in November of 2009. We joined our friends from the local Muslim Ahmadiyya School in Haifa to host a youth "Soccer for Peace" program at their school in the Cababir part of Haifa. Jewish youth from Temple Or Hadash played soccer with the Ahmadi team from Cababir in a tournament of a three game event. The Ahmadiyya are peaceful followers of Islam. They have more than one hundred million followers in the world. Many live in Indonesia, Pakistan and England. . Our team coach was Timothy Crowe, a Southern Baptist envoy to Israel from Dallas Texas. The kids enjoyed the beautiful Haifa fall weather, and a feast of cookies, cakes, pizza and soft drinks that followed the games. www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPEumZTPUcI‎ I am writing this post while sitting at The Ego Cafe in the world famous Dan Panorama Hotel and mall. The cafe is owned by Hannah whose family immigrated to Israel from Poland in 1948. The restaurant on the second floor of the center is managed by Muad who is a Muslim and my friend. On my way home I will stop to buy groceries at our local Macolet or quick stop grocery store. The owners are Christian Arabs who were born and raised in Haifa.  I am looking forward to celebrating Hanukkah with my Focolare friends as has been the case for the past five years. Joint celebrations of the holidays are common in Haifa. We will share Christmas together and plan activities for the coming year to bring harmony between the faiths in Haifa and throughout the region.

Hamas- But Yet Hope for Israelis and Palestinians?

This current round of battling in our South has been depressing in the fact that it had to happen. There has not been any political way of getting the Hamas terrorists to stop firing explosives at our civilians. This tragically has been the history of life in Israel since the Jewish people returned to our ancestral homeland in 1948. Many of my friends and neighbors have fought in several wars. Many of them spent their early childhoods sleeping in bomb shelters. Our only real crime is that we have returned to our homeland that began in the days of Abraham and Sarah.

Hopefully by the time it ends there will be some important changes in the "rules of the game" here, so that the people who have been enduring such rocket fire will be able to live normal lives. The missile attacks have spread from the south to much of Israel including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Jerusalem is holy to both Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. 

If a ground invasion of Gaza could be avoided that would seem much cleaner and less distasteful. However, no one knows which way this engagement will turn, and we are bracing ourselves for the worst yet still hoping for the best.  We are all saddened by the deaths and injuries of everyone on both sides of this battle. It is a shame that the assassination of the Gaza Chief of Military staff became necessary.  He had the blood of Israeli men, women, and children on his hands. He believed in terrorism and mass murder. He called for the destruction of our nation.

Defeat in this region is not an option for us Jews, even though clear-cut winning/victory is also often not an option. The greatest  hope is for a political settlement. Peace treaties will surely involve compromise. Settling the feuds will feel like a victory of sorts for all sides, and peace will allow our children and grandchildren and their grandchildren to live without fear of being bombed. They will attend their schools safely, without the need for air raid sirens and bomb shelters.

Until that day, We in Israel do not despair of the situation, and make the best of what has been, until now, a satisfying and fulfilling life within the shadow and pain of the constant state of military engagement with many enemies on many fronts.

The United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine was a resolution adopted on 29 November 1947 by the General Assembly of the United Nations. Its title was United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181 (II) Future Government of Palestine. The resolution was passed while the British still controlled Palestine. It was neither a Jewish homeland nor a Palestinian state at the time. The British Mandate for Palestine, or simply the Mandate for Palestine, was a legal commission for the administration of the territory that had formerly constituted part of the Ottoman Empire. The draft of the Mandate was formally confirmed by the Council of the League of Nations on 24 July 1922. The mandate ended at midnight on 14 May 1948.



The resolution recommended the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the partition of the territory into two states, one Jewish and one Arab, with the Jerusalem-Bethlehem area being under special international protection, administered by the United Nations. 

However, war broke out and the partition plan was never implemented by the Security Council. The UN blamed the Arabs for the violence. The UN Palestine Commission was never permitted by the Arabs or British to go to Palestine to implement the resolution. On February 16, 1948, the Commission reported to the Security Council:

"Powerful Arab interests, both inside and outside Palestine, are defying the resolution of the General Assembly and are engaged in a deliberate effort to alter by force the settlement envisaged therein."

The Arabs were blunt in taking responsibility for starting the war. Jamal Husseini told the Security Council on April 16, 1948:

"The representative of the Jewish Agency told us yesterday that they were not the attackers, that the Arabs had begun the fighting. We did not deny this. We told the whole world that we were going to fight."

The proposed plan was accepted by the leaders of the Jewish community in Palestine and many local Christians, Muslims, and Druze. However, the plan was rejected by leaders of the Arab community (the Palestine Arab Higher Committee etc.) who were supported in their rejection by the states of the Arab League. In a communication to the United Nations Palestine Commission dated 19 January 1948, the Arab Higher Committee for Palestine stated that it was "determined [to] persist in rejection [to the] partition and in refusal [to] recognize UN resolution [with] this respect and anything deriving. The Jews accepted partition into a gerrymandered crazy quilt and even accepted the internationalization of Jerusalem. This diminished and indefensible territory was to be the dreamed-of Jewish homeland and the haven for the pitiful remnants of Nazi Holocaust survivors.

The Arab League attacked the new Jewish and Palestinian homelands in 1948 prompting thousands of Jews, Christians, and Muslims to flee their homes. The invading Arab nations captured and confiscated the Palestinian homeland until the 1967 war. The city of Jerusalem was controlled by Jordan. Access of Jews to all holy sites was refused in spite of United Nations resolutions to the contrary.

Today, sixty four years later, Jordan and Egypt are our only neighbors that recognize our right to exist.  Israel, still respects the right of the Palestinians to their own homeland. They now control much of the territory granted to them by The United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine. Twenty per cent of the citizens of pre-1967 Israel are Muslims and Christians who live in the only true democracy in this region. Many if not most Jews, Christians, Druze, and Muslims on both sides of our borders hope to live in peace and with dignity. 

I am convinced as are many Israelis that Hamas does not represent the true nature of our Palestinian friends and neighbors. Many Israelis and Palestinians hope for the day that the fighting will end and that we can be an example to the rest of the world that nations can live together in peace.

Israel, A Mediterranean Sea Nation

I lived much of my life in the beautiful area of western Colorado - west of Denver. The region is known for its beautiful mountains, exotic wildlife, and legendary ski slopes due to the high mountains and dry snowy climate. I am just a bit embarrassed to admit that skiing never appealed to me. My favorite outdoor activities have always involved water. Fishing, swimming, rafting, wading through streams, and simply sitting by the water to meditate and appreciate nature's blessings appeal to me. 

Colorado did offer whitewater rafting, canoeing, motorboats, swimming, fishing and other water activities; I, however, did tire of the snow, wind, and ice and at the age of fifty nine decided to join many other retirees and seek a warm climate. Among the reasons that I chose to spend my golden years in Haifa is the balmy climate and location on the Mediterranean Sea.

Israel is also a small nation that offers many lakes and streams to savor. The Sea of Galilee (Lake Kinneret in Israel) is the best known of the lakes, and is only an hour or so from my home in Haifa.

Haifa offers many public and private beaches. This is the Hof Ha Carmel which is one of Haifa's veteran beaches. It is located in Haifa's entrance and is one of Haifa's more central beaches. Hof HaCarnel beach is located within a walking distance of the central bus and train stations. This beach holds many surprises, such as: fine eastern restaurants, pubs with ocean side views and Wi-Fi connection, for those who just can't stay disconnected, as well as weekly public dance nights. There is a tayelat or board walk, nice sandy beaches and the water is clear but often (during spring to summer time) filled with meduzot or jelly fish. They are nasty. I enjoy just sitting at the Camel Restaurant, sipping a drink, and "kibbutzing" with the tourists and visitors from our own community. There are visitors from all over the world and many Russian speaking. I often sit at the Camel and listen to several languages being spoken around me at the same time. There is surfing, scuba diving, fishing and of course swimming in the beach area. I often enjoy a leisurely stroll along the promenade except in late July, August, and early September.  In these months the heat and humidity can be stifling except in the very early morning and late evening.

The Bat Galim Promenade is spread along the length of the seashore of the peaceful Bat Galim neighborhood. Bat Galim is a residential area but is also filled with restaurants, coffee shops, a diving center, surfer club and the lower cable car station. The panoramic cable car connects to Stella Maris Church and Monastery, where a spectacular view of the Haifa Bay can be seen.  Stella Maris Church is the home of the Carmelite order and close to the tomb of Elijah the Prophet. The waterfront in the area is serene and usually quiet.

The area near Bat Galim offers two wonderful museums relating to the sea. They are less than a mile apart and close to the ocean and the Tomb of Elijah.

The National Maritime Museum is devoted to the maritime history of the Mediterranean basin, the Red Sea and the Nile, and its collection presents 5,000 years of maritime history.  The Museum collection came into being in 1953 as the private collection of its founder and first director, the late Aryeh Ben-Eli. 

It now belongs to the Haifa Museums Corporation. The building's entrance floor contains the temporary exhibition galleries. The upper and lower display floors are dedicated to the Museum's permanent exhibitions. The permanent exhibition presents man's connection to the sea at different historical moments. The display is dedicated to the following subjects: maritime archaeology; ancient anchors; Greco-Roman coins; fish and dolphins; scientific apparatuses; storage jars for maritime trade (the Collection in Memory of David Kenneth); the Mediterranean: its ports and islands - Phoenician ports and ports in the ancient land of Israel; cartography and graphics (the Carl and Lee Handler Collection); shipping innovations; maritime battles; and maritime construction.

The most prominent objects in the display are ship models; maritime archaeological artifacts: pottery, coins and seals; and a large collection of ancient maps and engravings that is divided among the various sections. In addition to its permanent exhibitions, the Museum also features temporary exhibitions from its collections, and exhibitions of works by local and international artists on maritime themes. I tour the museum on my own with the aid of flyers and brochures available at the entrance in several languages. 

The Clandestine Immigration and Naval Museum, Haifa

This museum is dedicated to telling the story of the struggle for the right to immigrate to Israel during the years 1934 – 1948 when the British Mandate was in operation. The British controlled the region during the era of Nazi Tyranny. Sadly, they limited the emigration of European Jewry while millions died. Some Jews were permitted to enter Palestine legally while many others entered through clandestine operations. This is a chapter of Israeli history which deals with Jewish clandestine immigration and the right to settle here. It is one of the cornerstones of the establishment of the State of Israel. This story is displayed in the museum and includes: historic documents, newspaper clippings, photos, original models, audio visual materials and films, and clandestine vessels. The most famous of these ships was the Exodus, immortalized in the Leon Uris book and movie of the same name.

A special wing of the museum is devoted to the history of the Israeli navy, whose roots go back to this very clandestine immigration operation at the time of the British Mandate. Also included in this naval display are photos, certificates, sketches of skirmishes with the British authorities, models of the ships, original exhibits, and finally, examples of arms and weaponry which were used in naval warfare during that time.

The clandestine immigration ship, the Af al Pi Chen (in spite of all that) played its own part during the Second World War as a landing craft for tanks. It was then converted into a clandestine immigration ship by the people who were instrumental in organizing the Second Aliyah (the Mossad le-Aliyah Bet). The ship has been preserved in its entirety, both its external structure and its fittings and accessories. Many of the members of Aliya Bet were English speaking volunteers including hundreds of Americans.

The first section of this naval exhibition deals with the early beginnings of Israel's navy. This includes the story of the people who created the navy, as well as how the illegal immigration ships were transformed into war ships. It is hard to believe that these people in these very vessels actually realized their dream, the creation of the State of Israel in 1948. 

The second section depicts the 1950s, when Israel's navy fleet first set sail throughout the length and breadth of the ocean deep, while its commando ships were gradually becoming more and more refined. Israel's navy played its part in the Sinai War, even gaining significant reinforcements from unexpected sources to add to the already-existing number of destroyers.

The third section deals with the 1960s and the beginning of the 1970s. Starting with the stinging naval failures of the Six Day War, which were followed by two disasters in which heavy naval casualties were inflicted. The Israeli navy later implemented dramatic changes which culminated in the truly astounding victories of the Yom Kippur War. The Israeli navy also plays an important part in the war against terrorism by patrolling the nation's coasts.

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Zichron Ya'akov Israel : Romance and Restaurants

I am still seeking true love in Israel. It is a challenge but also fun and interesting. My latest adventure involved a woman from Zichron Ya'kov. "Zichron" is a small town about thirty minutes by bus from my home in Haifa. There are roughly thirty thousand residents, of whom many native English speaking olim or immigrants.  It is a  quaint community known for its great restaurants, rustic scenery, and historic sites. There are also wineries in the region which were established in the 1880s by Baron Edmond James de Rothschild. Zichron was the first Moshav or cooperative community founded in Israel. 


I tried my luck with one of Israel's dating services. My first referral from the dating service was last month. Her name was Anat,  a woman in her fifties from Zichron.

I contacted my new friend Anat by phone who suggested that our first meeting be for coffee at Mol Zichron which is an outlet mall about six miles from the town itself. Anat was from New York originally but has lived in Israel for thirty years. She turned out to be a pleasant looking sort in with bright red hair. We discussed her career as a social worker and her six grandchildren, I told her a bit about myself and suggested that we tour her community. The city has a famous Midrachov or founders street that houses many highly respected restaurants, small gift shops, wineries, and museums. It was late September therefore the weather was fairly cool. The Mediterranean skies were clear and blue. It was a great day for a Tiyul or tour and my quest for romance.

Anat hesitated for several minutes started to stutter and added that we have a problem. I could feel my sense of rejection arising again. Had I failed once more in my search for true love?

"I am in a relationship" stated Anat. "That is why that I suggested that we meet at the Mul." Anat explained to me that she was in a six year relationship with a wonderful man from Tel Aviv. "I wanted to meet you at the Mul as I am very well known in the community," added Anat. She explained to me that she cared for David but that the relationship was stale and seemed to offer little future. She was also terrified at her age to try someone else. Economic security was her main concern. David helps her with her bills and really is a friend. Life is difficult anywhere for those over fifty especially women in Israel. Sadly, age and gender discrimination are facts of life in the Jewish homeland. Women are expected to serve in the military in Israel but often receive less pay than men for the same job in the workplace. Women also face the other traditional forms of harassment at work that are common in many societies.

Rotschild's Old Administration Building in Zichron Yaakov

Anat and I talked for several hours about her six wonderful grandchildren, all residents of Zichron, her experiences as citizen of Israel, and about my favorite topic, food. She gave me a list of restaurants to try for dinner in the town and a referral to a wonderful single British immigrant named Jane. I have met with Jane three times since then and I have two new friends.

I went on to eat a great dinner and to tour the town. Two of the moshav's original buildings have been turned into history museums: Beit Aharonson - dedicated to the history of the pre-state NILI underground resistance organization - and the Museum of the First Aliya (wave of immigration to Israel). All these and more make the "Midrachov" an interesting and charming place to visit.

From its early days, Zikhron Ya’akov was a center of Israel's wine industry. The moshav's founding farmers cultivated vineyards and the large winery built here in 1889 became the area’s most important industry. The winery (now owned by Carmel Mizrahi wineries), has a visitors center with free guided tours. The restaurants are my favorite part of the community, which I plan to visit often.

Four is Our Favorite Number in Haifa Israel

Natalie and Maria are my servers and best buddies at my favorite Chinese restaurant in Haifa. They are both Russian olim or immigrants and students at our local university. I love to eat barvaz or duck and drink red wine at the Nof Hotel Restaurant which is known and loved throughout the world. They have great food and a wonderful view of the Baha'i Gardens. Yes, we have a McDonald's and Pizza Hut nearby. I mentioned to my friends that I had just come from a Talmud class where the subject of significant numbers in Judaism was discussed. We met at their break to drink coffee and share our theories about significant numbers in Judaism; we all claim the number four as our favorite. 

Nof Hotel (Hotels.com)

With the invention of writing, symbols were found to represent the numbers. Different methods of representing numeric symbols were invented, but the most common one was the division in groups of ten. 

The numeric systems inventions vary across time and place, and there is no doubt that the properties of such a system can facilitate or impede the development of mathematical understanding. Chinese (and Asian languages based on ancient Chinese) are organized such that the numerical names are compatible with the traditional 10-base numeration system. So, spoken numbers correspond exactly to their written equivalent: the number15 is spoken as "ten five" and 57 as "five ten seven." 

The national language of Israel is Hebrew. The modern form of the language is based on the language of the Torah. There are additions of modern words of course which is common to languages throughout the world. .The Hebrew numerals don't have a base, because they're not a positional numeral system any more than Roman numerals are. The numbers eleven through nineteen are ten plus one through nine in both spoken and written forms. One of the challenges of studying the Hebrew language is learning to think differently regarding the numerical system. 

The following numbers hold a special significance in Judaism and often in other faiths and cultures:
The number one refers to the universal creator. 
The number three:
The patriarchs of the Jewish people, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The number of prayers recited daily
The number of shofar sounds
The Shlosha (three) Ragalim (Jewish festivals): Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot
The four matriarchs of the Jewish people Sarah (wife of Abraham, mother of Isaac), Rebecca (wife of Isaac, mother of Jacob and Esau) Rachel and Leah (wives of Jacob, mothers of several of his 13 children)
During the Pesach Seder: four cups of wine, four questions, and four sons of Judaism
Number of sides on the Dreidal.
The number 7 is the Divine number of completion the covenant of holiness and sanctification, and also all The general symbols for all association with God; the favorite religious number of Judaism, that was holy and sanctifying in purpose
The menorah in the Temple had seven lamps.

REMEMBER? The 7 years Jacob served for Rachel?
and the 7 more years after that, because of the switch on his wedding night?
REMEMBER? The 7 years of Good Harvest, followed by 7 years of famine?
The dreams of the Pharaoh about the seven (7) cows who ate seven (7) cows?
And his 2nd dream about the 7 ears of corn? Do you remember?

A full week of shiva is seven days; the term "shiva" refers to the seven-day period Number of days of Sukkot, Number of days of Pesach (Israel), Blessings in the Amidah of Shabbat, Yom Tov, and Musaf (except Rosh Hashanah) Number of aliyot on Shabbat.

The number forty is associated with:

In the story of Noah and the Great Flood, it rains for "forty days and forty nights" (Gen 7:4, 12, 17; 8:6)
Moses spends "forty days and forty nights" on Mount Sinai when receiving the Law from God (Exod 24:18; cf. Deut 9:9-25).
Moses spends another "forty days and forty nights" on the mountain, encountering God a second time (Exod 34:28; cf. Deut 10:10)
The Israelite spies scout out the Promised Land for forty days (Num 13:25, 34); but due to their lack of faith, God requires the Israelites to wander in the desert for forty years.  Several great kings reign over Israel for forty years, including David (2 Sam 5:4; 1 Kgs 2:11; 1 Chron 29:27), Solomon (1 Kgs 11:42; 2 Chron 9:30), Jehoash (2 Kgs 12:1; aka Joash, 2 Chron 24:1).

Natalie, Maria, and I all love the number four due to its association with the Jewish holiday Passover. Pesach, or Passover in English, is one of the best known Jewish holidays, as much for its connection to Jewish redemption and the figure of Moses as for its ties with Christian history (the Last Supper was apparently a Passover Seder)
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In the narrative of the Exodus, the Bible tells that G-d helped the Children of Israel escape slavery in Egypt by inflicting ten plagues upon the Egyptians before the Pharaoh would release his Israelite slaves; the tenth and worst of the plagues was the death of the Egyptian first-born. The Israelites were instructed to mark the doorposts of their homes with the blood of a spring lamb and, upon seeing this, the spirit of the Lord knew to pass over the first-born in these homes, hence the name of the holiday (Exodus 12:11-13). 

There is some debate over where the term is actually derived from. When the Pharaoh freed the Israelites, it is said that they left in such a hurry that they could not wait for bread dough to rise (leaven). In commemoration, for the duration of Passover no leavened bread is eaten, for which reason it is called "The Festival of the Unleavened Bread". Matzo (flat unleavened bread) is a symbol of the holiday. It is a joyous and festive holiday and often associated with the rebirth of Israel.