Traveling the World

The idea of markets hidden away in small alleys isn’t special to Asia. This occurs throughout the world, and is prevalent in Israel. Inside the walls of Old Jerusalem, you can see a fresh food market with many fruits, vegetables, snacks, and spices. The best thing about these markets is that Jews and Arabs peacefully co-exist. Being an American Jew and served by an Israeli Arab was no problem for them, and the people seemed happy to see visitors from other countries interested in them and their wares. I sampled many tasty snacks, sadly none of which I can remember the names for.

Living in China, we experience the same style of food markets, and I have to say it’s a far better experience feeling the breeze carelessly float through these alleys than to walk through an air conditioned mega-mall which sucks energy out of the planet at a rate faster than you can imagine.

The Western Wall, or Kotel in Hebrew, is one of the most important historical sites to the Jews. In biblical times, this wall was one of the four sides that formed the base of the Second Temple. Like the temple before it, this one was destroyed at the hands of foreign invaders. As a result of the current political situation in Jerusalem, only the Western wall of the old foundation of the temple is accessible to Jews. For this reason, pilgrims from around the world come to see it. Some pray, some cry, but mostly people think back on the history of their people and hope to see change for the better.

Something you may not be aware of is that Orthodox Jews split the men and women during prayer. Because of this, there is a men’s and woman’s side of the Western Wall. Going along with tradition, the man’s side is much larger. If a woman tries to enter the men’s side, armed guards insist they turn around, for fear of breaking the law.

When I went to Israel a few years ago, I brought with me notes my Israeli friend and his family had written for me to stick into the cracks in the wall. I approached them with this proposal, as I knew they hadn’t been to Israel for around 15 years. They were very appreciative for me doing them this huge favor, but it was the least I could do for my second family. Being a reform Jew and not very religious, I put on the kippah and approached the wall. I didn’t really know what to do, so I closed my eyes and listened to the sounds of all those around me. After a few minutes, I placed their notes in the wall and left.

The First Aliyah in the 1880s brought 15,000 Jews to Palestine, as it was then known. In order to survive, they formed these small communities in which to farm. Because they had emigrated from Russia after years of torment, most of them were poor and unskilled at farming. Within a year of their arrival, they were forced to rely on handouts from others. They took the donations and purchased equipment, with which to advance their farming knowledge.

Today, only about 5% of Israel’s population live on Kibbutzim, but the food they produce is very good and available at your local food market!