Israel 2008

Take it to the limit, one more time... -The Eagles Thursday, May 22 Haifa
12:44 am Full immersion baptism! Referring to cultural and religious diversity. Fifteen hour work day from 7 am to 10 pm. Fully exposed to elements of Judaism and Islam from all over Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Visited city of Safed and the holy site of Cabala founder, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, revered by a few famous actors like Madonna, Britney Spears and Demi Moore. Even toured the Bahai temple. Too much at this point to assimilate. Need time and perspective to dig deeper. Upon rst blush, my thoughts are that people seem to be each living in relative harmony according to their inherited belief systems. We ate unforgettable falafel, owned by an Arab Christian Israeli. The Arab district seemed stable and peaceful with a mix of various ethnic groups. I took 325 photos and a couple hours of video. An interesting footnote, the festival we visited today was about six miles from the border of Lebanon where much rocket re happened over the past couple years. The people we met today exhibited a wariness and weariness upon rst blush. A few were openly hostile to cameras. According to Sigal, our Israeli team producer, they just dont want to get hurt. They feel the media has misrepresented Israel often. After introductions from our guides and local representatives most were warm, outgoing and fun loving. Once they know your intentions are 1 good, they treat you like family, Sigal explained.

Friday, May 23 Haifa

2:30am Nineteen-hour day starting with 4km run, swim in the Mediterranean and nally three sets of dips and pullups. Kosher breakfast was an amazing assortment of salads, herring, omelets, soft and hard cheeses, fresh bread and juices and way too many other items. There was even an orthodox gentleman waiting to prepare toasted sandwiches! Safed: For hundreds of years, some said 175 and I heard another say over 500, the torah has been carried from one village to the mountaintop. Originally carried by hand with much singing, dancing and celebrating, some with libations in hand, these sacred scrolls are now transported by car after several highly anticipated stops along the way. We marched with celebrants from the rabbis home and through the village. Clarinet, accordion and snare drum worked us into a two-step mood. Periodic outbursts of singing, twirling, clapping, shouts and whistles helped ease us through the streets. I found myself caught up in the celebratory mood for my own personal reasons, having been delighted by periodic scripture reading throughout my adult life. Lag Baomer Festival: We asked several folks about the number of people attending that evening. Again, the approximate number was in doubt as we heard claims of up to a half million. What I do know is that we experienced one of the most powerful mosh pits Ive ever seen. Perhaps only a village celebration in Sicily can rival this in terms of shear density. Since the men were separated from women higher up the hill, many mothers were pushing a stroller with three to ve small children in tow. My heart went out to them! Listen to your enemy, for God is talking -Jewish Proverb
2

Friday, May 23 Nazareth

7:34 am Hometown of Jesus! This wonderfully intoxicating dream that is Zion and Israel to the Christian: all nations and cultures living in harmony under God. Cruel joke or a worthy aspiration? Impossible, apart from divine intervention. I am completely undone by my rst visit to a muslim and arab enclave, downtown Nazareth. Our exceptional guide, Tareq, a self-described atheistic Palestinian Arab, guided our team masterfully through Christian, Arab-Muslim and Arab-Christian sites. The most thrilling experience was late in the evening when I had to return to the bus solo as the muezzin was calling all to prayer from atop the mosques minaret. The conditioned response from too much negative media was that this should be an unstable situation. Alone. American. Immersed in a sea of humanity. Most must hate me, right?! Welcome! Welcome... was the predominant response I got to making eye contact. Most women of course are trained to look away, unless they were younger or more cosmopolitan. The overwhelming feeling was that the Arab culture was thriving even under Israeli occupation as the black 1948 shirts suggested. In response to Israels 60th anniversary celebrated last week, native Palestinians observed a black day remembrance of their own: 60 years of oppression. Tareq rightly observed that it was Israeli ocers protecting their freedom to peacefully assemble and oer dissent - something muslim countries would not tolerate without ocial and often brutal suppression. His parents generation suered the relocation of over 500 villages to larger muslim enclaves, so to them the term oppression took on a dierent meaning. Today, we witnessed muslim, jew and Christian living in relative harmony and mutual aection with a tense undercurrent in various sectors. An army of sheep lead by a lion would defeat an army of lions led by a sheep. -Arab Proverb

Tuesday, May 27 Jerusalem

6:27 am Information overload. Convergence yesterday of three major religions. Intensity, passion, outrageous behavior... Jerusalem has it all. One ash point I experienced was a middle-aged tourist - looked American and in his 50s - told a jewish beggar to get a job and then made the sign of the cross as a priest might give a devotee. For a religious Jew, the worst kind of insult. Enraged and indignant, the beggar yelled a stream of profanity that got my attention. I walked up the steps to see what was happening and saw the beggar throw a huge stream of saliva in the guys face followed by another unbroken stream of profanity, to the horror of the tourists wife standing beside. Next, I saw a scue and towards me came an expensive camera lens with the guy assaulted walking down quickly to retrieve its broken remains. I asked the bum what happened and he explained in a few words of English and a lot of gesturing. For the most part, our team has been working nonstop since we arrived. This has left very little time for the necessities of life, like reading, writing, sleeping and laundry. Upon arriving from Jerusalem last night, Marc and I met an Israeli family whose daughter is the editor of the television series we are shooting. We walked along the beach to a fashionable nightspot playing hip music and serving the basic food and alcohol fare. Dead Sea Am now traveling the length of this desolate outpost of the planet. The famous Masada fortress is on my right. Here, Jewish zealots made their last stand, fully outnumbered by the Romans. We will lm here tomorrow after a night at a Dead Sea spa. Prior to this we lmed at the most incredible oasis Ive ever seen. This lush botanical garden rests in the middle of the most inhospitable places imaginable - dozens, maybe hundreds - of miles of salted landscape. 4

Truth may walk through the world unharmed. -Bedouin proverb Wednesday, May 28 Dead Sea
12:58 pm Incredible, dry, desolate place, the Dead Sea. 100+ degrees Fahrenheit. Split down the middle with Jordan, it is said unwary oaters have been blown to the opposite shore only to be greeted by ries and uncertain prospects for their return to Israel. In a show of force, American-built F-16s y over in formation every couple hours. Its an impressive and perhaps frightening display for those who mean harm to Israel. The only natural inhabitants are bedouin tribes further up the windswept desert plains. Their natural inclination is to wander the stark landscape with their family tribe with no thought to national sovereignty. More recently, theyve been forced to settle in semi-permanent encampments, which resemble the poor shanty towns of Africa and Southeast Asia, due to the closing of national borders. Our bus driver, Momdouch, in Arabic meaning one who is..., explained that these are not poor, they prefer to sleep outside in tents. He said he also preferred to sleep in a tent, but now owned a home. Reminded me of the sentiments Native American might make. Each enclave dotted over the stark landscape seemed to have several camels parked outside, ready for action. The Jewish kibbutz of En Gedi is perhaps one of the most remarkable places on planet earth. Situated on top of a natural aquifer, this remains the only botanical garden with a thriving community, according to its mayor, a tough, well-loved guy ironically named Dove. He claims this area as the largest natural spa in the world with the only combination of ltered sunlight, 8% more oxygen and bromine, heat to relax and salt minerals for therapy. At 1200 feet below sea level the atmosphere lters many harmful rays, apparently. I felt entirely relaxed, as if I were home in the wheat farming town of Walla Walla, Washington, USA. No stress with this much dry heat!
5

Israel
All the lovely people, where do they all come from? -John Lennon

Saturday, May 31 Toarmina, Sicily

6:34 am The lm crew left at 5 am this morning and Im missing the excitement already! Filmmaking is an intoxicating brew of places and faces. Each person you lm exhibits an emotional component related to their level of being self-aware, in my observation. Some ignore the camera, being too self-absorbed to care, some hide due to shame or guilt, some blossom and shine in their selfcondence, some stalk the camera due to vanity or an over-developed need to be validated. In all, the camera tends to bring out the best in people. Its their 15 minutes of fame and a wonderful way to celebrate ordinary people who have perhaps been unrecognized for their sacrices to the community. When used with sensitivity, the camera reveals the mystery and wonder of a life well lived, with all its blemishes, mistakes, regrets and achievements. My nal word on Israel is that here are seven million beautiful people, from almost every nation on the globe, arriving for reasons unknown to most, whether religious or secular, noble or profane. All are gathered due to the promise of a better life otherwise, they would have remained in their homelands. Most are enjoying a better life, even native Palestinians will agree, replete with hardships, discriminations and abuses. Israel is an idea, a dream to most, of a place without pogroms, death camps, suering, scarcity. This place in the heart is age-old and unwilling to die. Israelis continue to believe that this is their land of milk and honey. I have certainly tasted of this land, and it is a good - not perfect place that has a bright future if peace can ourish.
6