5/20/13
This morning we headed
south from Tel Aviv to Beit Govrin and the archeological dig at Tel Moresha.
While this archaeological experience is a part of virtually every Israel trip
undertaken by every group that visits the country nothing can detract from the
unique experience of being the first person to touch ancient pottery in over
2.000 years. Our visit to Tel Moresha included an overview of the area as well
as explorations of both partially and fully excavated caves. At times we had to
crawl, with only candlelight to guide us. After getting the gist of the cave
network we stopped to visit the ancient oil press and then went on to do some
excavating in one of the caves. The latter was definitely the most exciting
part of the visit as every kid found at least a few pieces of pottery. Eli R.
made the big find for Bus 1 when he dug out a large portion of an oil lamp.
Little did the kids know as they were digging that they would then have to
schlep out all the buckets of dirt and sift through it for overlooked finds.
During the sifting Nathan B. found a coin that was covered in dirt. We were
very excited for a few moments until we discovered that it was a shekel from
2011. Even so, we truly tasted the thrill of discovery. There have been some
major finds at Tel Moresha, particularly relating to the Hasmonean period and
the Maccabees.
Our brief stint as
archeology experts definitely got the stomachs rumbling. We stopped at a mall
in the town of Kiryat Gat and the kids had a variety of options to choose from.
We threw on our swimsuits and headed to the Tel Aviv beach.
The Tel Aviv beach is as
iconic as any site in Israel. It’s a stretch of white sand that begins at Jaffa
and heads north. There’s a promenade that separates the beach from the bustling
city. Israelis and tourists alike roll out to the beach around 8am and the
beaches are basically packed until sunset. We found a spot and dove in. The
kids had a blast splashing around. Just when it seemed like things couldn’t get
any better we had a surprise visit from Natalie Fisher. Natalie was the kids
Jewish Studies teacher when they were in 6th grade. They had a
really positive year of learning together before Natalie moved to the Lower
School and, recently, made Aliyah. When the kids realized that Natalie was
there they all, en masse, ran out of the water to give her a much welcomed (if
not a little wet) hug. I was amazed to hear about what it’s actually like to
make Aliyah. Natalie has had a very positive experience and the kids were happy
to hear about it.
We returned to the hotel
for dinner before setting out for an evening exploring the ancient port city of
Jaffa.
Tonight was a picture
perfect evening for exploring Jaffa. I mean that literally as we saw two
wedding couples taking pictures on the shore of the sea. We spent about 15
minutes at an overlook with Tel Aviv on one side and Jaffa on the other. It was
twilight. The kids mingled, took pictures, and appreciated the moment. From there
we ascended through the twisting alleyways doing our best to keep quiet out of
respect for the people who live there. We reached the top and sat down for a
song session only to have a local restaurant start blaring disco music. Our
song session quickly turned into a freestyle rap/ poetry slam. We struggled a
bit to get the rhymes flowing but we had a great time. Everyone is now resting
up for our last couple of days.
As the kids were chasing
each other around the Mediterranean it occurred to me that I was witnessing
something really special. This trip generally, and this afternoon in
particular, may be one of the most carefree times in their lives. They’re done
with finals, they have summer ahead of them, and so much to look forward to.
It’s a really unique moment—one that we can appreciate as adults but that I’m
not sure the kids can fully grasp.
When the lifeguards left
we had to pull the kids out of the water. But a few of them stayed to take a
couple last pictures. It was really touching to watch them frolic with such
abandon and also to watch them try to hold on to and document the memory. We
might be tempted to over romanticize youth these days, and there was definitely
a moment when I felt a tinge of envy that life could be so seemingly simple. Then
I got an email from my daughter’s school with a picture of her playing in the
yard (they know I’m away and have been sending occasional phoyos), and I thought
about the fact that every step of life’s journey is overflowing with blessings
to the point that we can’t fully appreciate all of them. It seems that one of
our central tasks as humans is sensitizing ourselves to the many small wonders
that, when taken together, weave the tapestry of our lives. This trip has helped
all of us move a little further down this important path.
