Tag: Israel

Israel Handbell Tour – Final Post

Final Image Slideshow

It is the final day of the tour and everyone is either home, on their way home or in Jordan (one went on to Aqaba). The day began by departing from Nazareth and then visiting the excavations at Meggido, which overlook the fertile Jezreel Valley. This ancient “tel” has evidence of 20 different settlementss, each built upon the remains of the previous one.  Because this town, with its strategic location on the primary route between the East and the Mediterranean, was the scene of so many battles over the years, John writes in the Book of Revelation that this is the place that Armageddon will occur.  For more information on Meggido visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tel_Megiddo

Our next stop was in Haifa at the Baha’i Temple and gardens. This sight encompasses panoramic views of the city of Haifa, its port and surrounding geographty.  Traveling on up Mt. Carmel, we stopped to visit the church where the prophet Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal.  Because the church was closed for the afternoon, we all enjoyed a serendipitous time for lunch and taking photos from the top of the mountain.

Caesarea Maritime is located on the Mediterranean coast and was built by Herod the Great to function  as the seat of government for the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. Our visit here included the ruins of Herod’s palace, the hippodrome and the theatre. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesarea_Maritima)  Because this was the 65th anniversary of Israel’s independence, workers were setting up the theatre and surrounds with a stage and lights, food stalls and fireworks for the celebration later in the evening.  Would have been fun to be part of the festivities!

Our final evening together included a farewell dinner in Jaffa at the restaurant Babai. It was a perfect way to end our journey together as we sat above the beach, watched the sun set over the ocean and had a wonderful meal and shared terrific fellowship. Words of thanks were expressed and we even managed to talk about the next festival! More on that in the coming months.

Following dinner, team USA headed to the airport for their flights home while members of team Canada went to the hotel for a couple hours of rest before heading to the airport for their flights.  Several members are currently in Jordan experiencing the sights in that country. Team Hong Kong had to leave before dinner in order to make their flight home.  As of this posting, I have heard from all teams and am happy all arrived home safely.  The Jordan extenders are the only ones still traveling and I hope to hear from them once they arrive safely on home territory.

I want to express thanks to Debbie Rice who, without her knowledge, passion and expertise with and for handbells, this festival would not have happened.  It was a real joy to partner with her in a wonderfully collegial way to make this festival such a success.  Also, thanks to my colleagues in Witte Travel & Tour’s Grand Rapids office for all their attention to detail, support (both with operations and mentally!); Rashid Tours for their on-ground expertise and support; Peimon Handbells of Israel, especially Brenda Alony, Fadi Ramadan and Itzik Goudeket; Schulmerich Handbells; Jeffers Handbell Supply; and to John Semingson for his unswerving support of me each day while on tour.  Finally, a huge thank you to all the ringers and supporters who gave of their time, finances and selves for putting their trust in Debbie and me.  This was a terrific group with whom to travel and would consider it a privilege to do so again at anytime in the future.

Thanks to all of you have kept up with us the past few days.

Shalom.  Keith Cole

Israel Handbell Festival – Day 6

Today was a relaxing and very interesting day, especially after the past couple of busy ones. Beginning at 9:00 (what a luxury!), we left for the Negev Desert and Dead Sea area. The first stop was at Qumran, the place where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947. Qumran was home from 150 BC to 68 AD to the ascetic and reclusive community known as the Essenes who believed in the imminent arrival of the Jewish Messiah.

Following this enlightening visit, we were on to Masada (literally translated means stronghold), the isolated mountain-top fortress located about 1300 feet above the banks of the Dead Sea. The original fortress dates to the 1st or 2nd century BC and was then enlarged and reinforced by Herod the Great. Herod added two palace complexes at Masada and, upon his death, the fortress passed into the hands of the Romans. In AD 66, during the First Revolt by Zealot Jews, the mountain fortress was captured by these zealots. Following the Roman defeat of the Jews in Jerusalem Masada remained the last Jewish stronghold, held by less than 1000 defenders. Under Roman siege for over two years, the walls were breached in AD 73 by the Romans who built a huge earthen ramp from the plain up the mountainside. The Jews inside decided to commit mass suicide instead of surrender to the Roman invaders. “Masada shall not fall again” is a swearing-in oath of the modern Israeli army.

Have you ever gotten into a 6 foot pool of water and bobbed about without being able to touch the bottom? Well, that’s what a trip into the Dead Sea is like! It is almost impossible to drown as the mineral-laden water is around 26% solid. Located 1,348 feet below sea level, it is the lowest point on earth.

Several of our group visited the Garden Tomb this morning before leaving for the Dead Sea area. Excavations carried out in 1883 unearthed some ancient tombs dating to the 9th-7th century BC. The tranquil and beautiful gardens are popular with many Christian groups who visit to experience a space that many feel belonged to Joseph of Arimathea, the wealthy man who donated his private burial site for Jesus’ burial.

A word about our hotel, The Grand Court Jerusalem. The food buffet is amazing! More choices than one could ever imagine. I’ll try to take a photo of the breakfast buffet in the morning.

Tomorrow holds a visit to St. Anne’s Church, the Pool of Bethesda and the archeological dig at Bet Shean.

Stayed tuned!

Pax vobiscum

Israel Handbell Festival – Day 5

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!  How often would I have gathered your children together under her wings and you would not!  Behold, your house is forsaken.  And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Luke 13.34, 35)

Israel Handbell Festival Images

This morning we left Tel Aviv very early and drove the 70 minutes to Jerusalem.  The saying in Israel is that Tel Aviv is the city one plays in and Jerusalem is the city one prays in. It could not be more true!

Our initial stop was on the Mount of Olives for a fantastic panoramic view of the entire old city of Jerusalem. Linnette Rodriguez from Puerto Rico even managed time to get in a camel ride!  We then walked down the “Palm Sunday” road where we stopped at the Dominus Flevit, the traditional spot where Jesus lamented over the city of Jerusalem before entering the city to festive hosannas. We continued down the steep hill to the Garden of Gethsemane, where we viewed 2000 year old olive trees…really mind-blowing when you think about it…and the place that tradition says Jesus was betrayed by Judas while he was praying.

Arriving at the Dung Gate of the Old City, we encountered families and friends of those who were making their bar mitzvahs, accompanied by a band, dancing and general merry making. Walking through the Dung Gate, we entered the Holy City and visited the Davidson Center where one can experience years of excavation that have uncovered remains dating back to the First and Second Temple periods, and through Byzantine times to the Omayyard era.  Fascinating.

The Wailing Wall (known more accurately as The Western Wall) was next on our agenda (about a 5 minute walk from where we were).  This wall is part of the retaining wall of the Temple Mount, built by Herod the Great, and now Judaism’s holiest site.  Men and women are separated by a barrier and one will see many praying at the wall, inserting prayer requests into the gaps between the stones in the wall, reciting Psalms and other Scripture.

We joined the Via Doloros, the road that traces the last steps of Christ on his way to be crucified on Golgotha, at the 5th Station.  This is where Cimon of Cyrene was ordered by Roman soldiers to help Jesus carry the cross (Mark 15.21)  From this point on, one climbs flights of stairs which lead up the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.   This massive church was built on the site that is believed to be the spot where Jesus was crucified, prepared for burial, buried and resurrected.  The final 4 stations of the cross are located within this church.

A quick note about the roads in the walled Old City of Jerusalem: they are not like any roads you or I experience.  These roads are basically 2 meters wide and are lined with venders, small tractors bringing supplies to businesses, shops, restaurants, and lots of humanity!  One has to carefully watch where one is going as the paving stones are very uneven and there are many distractions along the way.  It’s a really cool experience, however!

Concert at YMCA.  Our second concert of the festival was held in the Art Deco Concert Hall of the Jerusalem YMCA.  Designed by Arthur Loomis Harmon, the architect who created NYC’s Empire State Building, the Jerusalem YMCA was built from 1926-1933 and is one of modern Jerusalem’s best-known landmarks.  It sits directly across the street from the exclusive King David Hotel, the hotel where, as everyone pointed out to us, “Obama stayed last week”.

This was the second and final concert with the Israel Handbell Ensemble, Inbalim, and after a bit of maneuvering to get everyone in an appropriate playing position, the concert went very well.  This was a fundraiser for the youth program at the YMCA and there were about 250 in the audience.

Following the packing up of our equipment (a reat fete in itself-14 6-foot tables, 14 6-foot pieces of foam, two boxes of table cloths, 11 boxes of handbells, music folders, etc.), we headed to the 3 Arches Restaurant at the YMCA and had a much desired, and deserved, dinner.

We were back at our hotel by 10:30 pm….early compared to the last couple of nights!

From Jerusalem, Shalom

Israel Handbell Tour – Day 3

Day 3 started out with a walking tour of the Neveh Tzedek neighborhood of Tel Aviv, the first Jewish settlement of the future city of Tel Aviv. While visiting the Suzanne Dellal Centre for dance and drama a siren was sounded throughout all of Israel in remembrance of the Holocaust. Sounding for 2 minutes, all activity and movement came to a standstill, even on the roads and freeways, as people stood with heads bowed to remember this atrocious time in our world’s history. It was a moving few minutes and we were overwhelmed with the privilege of being here to experience this moment.

Our next stop was in the ancient city of Jaffa. Now part of the greater area of Tel Aviv, Jaffa dates back to the 20th century BC. Many of us know Jaffa (Joppa) as the port from which Jonah sailed on his ill-fated journey to Nineveh. Following time for exploration and lunch, we headed over to the Tel Aviv Museum of Art to unload the handbells and have a short rehearsal…Alas, TV1 never came….so much for our fleeting possible moment of fame!

After a wee bit of time to visit the museum holdings, we traveled back to the hotel for freshening up and a bite of supper.

As I am writing this, rehearsal is in progress in the Assia Hall at the museum. There are 42 ringers on stage rehearsing Fred Gramann’s An American Folk Hymn Sampler. It’s amazing watching all of these ringers, most of whom have never played together before, begin to make music as single ensemble.

An interesting environmental issue is in progress in Israel at the moment. Desert winds are blowing in and causing the sky to be very hazy…smog-like, but sand, not smog.

I will share the repertoire for tomorrow night’s concert with you later.

It is now 1 am on Day 4 and we just got back to the hotel from rehearsal an hour ago. It’s going to be a short night as we have to be up at 6:30 for a full day of sightseeing, followed by the first concert. Thus, no posting of new photos…please forgive.

Off to bed……

Israel Handbell Festival, April 6 – Day 1

Well, all are here (with one exception whose flight was cancelled…don’t you love the airlines!)!  Group USA arrived about 40 minutes early (great tailwind in the upper stratosphere) and Group Canada arrived on time.  Group Hong Kong arrived yesterday, along with several others.  So, with the one exception, we are good to go.  All are tired, but in great spirits.

Today has been beautiful-sunny and warm and, since it is Shabbat, the beach and city have been full of people enjoying the day and sabbath.   The group had a little more than 40 minutes to freshen up once we arrived in the hotel and then we met for a delicious dinner.

Debbie Rice has gone with members of the handbell ensemble Imbalim to do a workshop…the rest of us are going to bed!

I hope to post photos beginning tomorrow…wanted to respect the look of jet lag for everyone! (in case you don’t know it, it’s not pretty!)

Good night from Tel Aviv.  Shalom.

Pilgrimage to Israel

Led by Pastor Bill VandenBosch and his wife Lyn

Preparing for a pilgrimage is vital to getting the most out of it and Pastor Bill and Lyn did an excellent job in getting us ready.  Soon after we signed up (6 months before we left) in September (the tour was sold out soon after), Pastor Bill and Lyn held a meeting so we could meet the members of our group, supply us with a travel check-list and a reading list applicable to our pilgrimage.  My husband and I took their advice to heart.  Knowing that there would be a lot of walking on our tour, Pastor Bill also encouraged everyone to begin a walking regimen.  I made the commitment to take an intentional walk for exercise every day and I continue to do so today.

I was a little anxious about traveling to Israel because of the problems going on in some of the countries surrounding Israel.  Upon arrival, I soon discovered that Israel was everything I thought it wasn’t – in a good way.  I felt safe.  People were going about their daily lives just like we do here.  This was Pastor Bill and Lyn’s third pilgrimage and we had 31 “pilgrims” in our group (which is the top limit for Pastor Bill), ranging in age from 14 to 77.  Salah, our outstanding tour manager, joined us in Israel.  He added historical, political and geographical insight.

I have traveled a lot over the 34 years I’ve been in the travel industry but I was not prepared for the impact Israel would have on me.  From remnants of ancient civilizations layered one on top of the other to being in the very places Jesus did most of his ministry was a lot to get my head around.  Every day the Bible came to life right before my very eyes.  On the first full day after arrival, we visited Caesarea, on the sparkling Mediterranean Sea, Megiddo with cities dating back to 4,000 B.C., the picturesque Jezrell Valley, Nazareth, and Sepphoris which was a key city in Galilee by 100 B.C. and home to some of the most magnificent mosaics ever discovered in Israel.  Careful pre-planning by Pastor Bill and Lyn assured us of visiting many places within a day.  Many times my husband and I said we could have never done this on our own.  And if we had, we would have missed the biblical insight, historical background at each stop, and the joy of sharing this experience with the wonderful people who were in our group.