And the adventure continues…..that was the mantra that became an integral part of my Israeli excursion. While visiting one of the many “multi media” exhibits: the Chain of Generations in Jerusalem, the voice in the head phone instructed you to move to the next room when you heard the words ”and the adventure continues”. It was such a great phrase to call my own!
A few words about the Chain of Generations, it is a relatively new multi media exhibit tucked in between the Western Wall and the Tunnels. The museum follows the history of humanity and the Jewish people from Adam through the present.
The museum aims to connect the Jewish people of today with the previous generations through exhibits focusing on individuals who lived in generations past. . Through lights, etched glass sculptures, smoke, and music, visitors weave through rooms depicting eras throughout 3500 years of history – from the patriarchs to the Holocaust, “from exile to statehood, from destruction to rebuilding, and from crisis to hope.”
For me, the etched glass is the centerpiece. It took the artist, Jeremy Langford, 5 years to create the exhibit, using 90 tons of glass! Each room is a different era filled with Jewish names from different generations.
One of my favorite quotes is also from this exhibit:
“Each one of us is a link in a long chain of generations – a chain that is anchored in the past and offers us continuity in the future.”
As I said goodbye to my nursing colleagues, I headed to the ”burbs” of Tel Aviv for a weekend with Cara, Asaf, Mia and Yair Kobrovsky. Cara is the daughter of my friend and assistant principal, Jean Nixon. I was warmly welcomed and had the third floor of the house to myself. It was the first time in 4 weeks that I was sleeping alone (no ear plugs)!
My first morning was as good as it gets. Mia (4 years old) and I practiced Hebrew letters in a new book she had –and I did pretty well! There are many advantages in staying with two young children. One is that the washer is always going. It was Great (capital G) to have really clean clothes! The second is the constant entertainment.
We met Asaf’s family for lunch at the beach and had time to play in the sand. Mia was great practicing her English name.
We made a quick tour of Jaffa on the way back. Dating back to ancient times, Jaffa is an old port city that is filled with nooks and crannies of little winding streets and artists’ galleries.
From an open courtyard the narrow alleys, that are named for the 12 astrological signs, form the Artists’ Quarter.
Shabbat dinner was at the other Kobrovsky’s home. Asaf’s parents built the home and it is filled with the Asaf’s mom’s glass art work. Etty is a talented designer and artist. Cara took me on a tour and I had to make an effort to keep my mouth closed. it is a beautiful home. The colors of the glass around the front door are representative of the 10 tribes (hope I got that right).
An outing to the park the next day had us traveling the ”off road” route – that is some variation of over the river and through the woods. The Israeli translation is across the river and through the orange groves!
Our destination was a park east of Tel Aviv. The fortress at Tel Afeq is sometimes called "The Fortress of Antipatros". In my guidebooks, there seems to be some controversy in the naming of the site. The fortress was built by King Herod in honor of his father. This stood on Tel Afeq. The remains that are currently in the park, were apparently built at a later period. Although the site is off the beaten track today, in biblical time, it guarded the headwaters of the Yarkon River (still visible today) and the ancient Via Maris highway (no longer in existence.) There are biblical texts associated with the site. The view from the fortress walls includes the Yarkon springs and the excavations of the Roman city, built by Herod in 9 BC.
We met friends of Cara and Assaf’s and had a fun day playing in the ruins – and of
course many Kodak moments.Getting organized to hit the road, I was in dire need of a haircut. Desperate times require desperate actions and I headed off to see Moshe (who normally cuts Cara’s very long, straight blond hair). Not wanting to impose on my hosts, I thought I could get to the salon by myself. And I did. Still unclear in my own mind, I managed to walk for 30 minutes to a location that was just 3 short blocks away. Mind you, I never panicked, but this was not giving me any reassurances that I could navigate the country as a solo traveler.
For a perfect stranger, Moshe cut my short salt and pepper hair to perfection!
I checked the train schedule and Cara dropped me at the train station. It was easy enough to purchase the ticket, however, the platform was empty except for a young Israeli man. We struck up a conversation and I found out that I missed a train AND would need to change trains in Tel Aviv for Be’er Sheva. Eli, my new best friend, carried my bags off the train in Tel Aviv, and made sure I was waiting on the right platform. He gave me his uncle’s name and number in Jerusalem, in case I had time to look him up, and we said shalom.
And the adventure continues….
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