Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Learning Brings Understanding

These days in Israel are a kaleidoscope of experiences. We are now in the south in the desert town of Mitzpeh Ramon. Our day ...

We left Tel Aviv this morning and headed south. Our first stop was a 650 acre interactive nature reserve dedicated to the flora and fauna of the bible. At Neot Kedumim, we herded goats and sheep, play acted biblical stores, planted trees and prayed.
Oldest Son pulls water from the cistern as Youngest Son peers into the black hole of water.
Youngest Son plants his oak tree on the green hill of Israel.
Each step of this journey brings greater understanding of Israel and the Jewish people: why this land is so important, how incredibly hard Jews have worked to transform this desert land, why they will not give up ...

We were on the Gaza Strip border today. We viewed the buildings of Gaza and saw the walls that separate them from Moshav Netiv Ha'asarah. A resident spoke to us about living on the Moshav where one home has been hit 30 times with missiles and the children know to move to bomb shelters within 15 seconds of the sirens. It is important to stay in this place where the 188 Moshav families make a living raising cucumbers and tomatoes in hot houses, celebrate holidays and kiss their children. And they do it with passion, love and fervor that most Americans will never comprehend. I think I am beginning to ...

Muki, our spectacular guide, interprets Hebrew to English as the Moshav resident describes their life. 
 On the Left is a Rec Center and on the Right is a Playground - the square structure in the Middle is a Bomb Shelter.
Bus Stop where children wait and beside it the familiar square Bomb Shelter.
On the Left is the Gaza Border Wall and on the Right is an Israeli Moshav Home rooftop.
Youngest Son looks over the Gaza Border Wall from Israel side.
“From the womb of love comes peace” on a Bomb Shelter on the Moshav.
"Nativ L’Shalom—the Path to Peace" on the Gaza Border Wall - a Moshav mosaic in progress.
And our last stop of the day was at Kibbutz Sde Boker where we visited the gravesite of David Ben Gurion ...
Groups gather around and take in the majesty around the gravesite of David Ben Gurion.
Overlooking the Wilderness of Zinn in the Negev Desert - the land of Abraham.
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