Things have certainly been busy here in Haifa. Whether it’s going to class (Hebrew Ulpan is still 5 hours a day, 5 days a week), doing my homework (they still give us a lot!), or participating in one of the activities sponsored by our madrichim (social activities coordinators), there’s always something to do. Here are some highlights from the past week or so:
Trip to Atlit Detention Camp
I hadn’t really heard anything about Atlit before the day of the trip, so I was really curious as to what would be there. As I learned, Atlit was a holding space for immigrants (mostly Holocaust survivors) who tried to come here but didn’t have the right paperwork. According to accounts, people stayed there anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 years. It was kept operational until the end of the British Mandate (the creation of the State of Israel). Part of the camp has been recreated, and the scenery was also really beautiful.
Here’s the main “Promenade” of the camp, lined with trees:
Here’s one of the re-built guard towers in front of the sunset:
Trip to Nazareth and the Kinneret
We began our early-morning trip in the city where Jesus grew up. Nazareth (Hebrew: Natzeret) is further north than Haifa, and also partially on a mountain.
The city, we were told, is today mostly Arabic: 2/3 Muslim and 1/3 Christian. Incidentally, it was really interesting to see the types of souveniers that were being sold and advertised to tourists (I wish I had taken a picture!). On the same display table, there was a menorah, a hamsah, a woodcut Nativity scene, a hookah, and a kafiah. In any case, we went to the Church of the Annunciation, which commemorates the moment when the angel Gabriel told Mary she was going to have Jesus. The church itself is relatively new (maybe 50 years or so?) and is very intricately decorated.
Here is an example of the front façade of the Church:
Here is a side:
And a closer detail:
I was very excited that I recognized some of the Latin from Masses I’ve sung in the past!
As it turns out, this church was built on the site of an ancient place of worship, which has been preserved on its first level. It’s stunning to be able to see the old and the new meld so well together.
Did I mention it’s Franciscan? You can tell by the symbol used by the Franciscan monks:
We continued on in our journey to the Kinneret, which is Hebrew for the Sea of Galilee, which is believed to be the place Jesus walked on water. Today, it is Israel’s main source of drinking water. We visited a cemetery that contained many of the first kibbutzniks (people who worked/lived on a kibbutz) in the area. It was very close to the shore of the Galilee.
We then visited the first kibbutz, which now grows tons and tons of fruits and nuts. Their general store is called Tamar B’Kfar (Dates from the Village) and everything was so delicious! Here are some of their rows of date palms:
The next day, I was also lucky enough to go back to the panorama view of the city when it was sunny, not cloudy. I was amazed with how far I could see, from Akko (Acre) to Mt. Hermon (there was snow for skiing).
I realize this is already a really long post! I will write again in the next few days with information about the more recent things I’ve seen.
Until then, here are some more pictures. Enjoy!
Stained glass windows from the Church of the Annunciation
Inside the Church of the Annunciation and the religious ruins found there: a secret staircase!
It said Sheket B’vakasha in a church!
A depiction of Mary and child donated by Japan--there was art from around the world!
The Kinneret, mountains of the Golan, and a pretty flower.
Great pictures!
ReplyDeleteThe japanese picture reminded me that there is a great museum of Japanese art in Haifa. It was a fun little trip.