Day 2 in Israel

I am running slightly behind here but hopefully I will be able to catch up after dinner in the Old City of Jerusalem tonight, though we did befriend some young Israelis who want to party with some Americans...

Regardless, on Thursday, our second day in Israel, we took a Biblical tour around the Sea of Galilee. We drove through Tiberias on our way to Capernaum, the ancient residence of Peter and Jesus as well. Apparently after the failure of the Crusades to take the Holy Land by force, the Pope order the Franciscans to secure holy sites throughout Israel and the surrounding area to preserve the sites for pilgrimage through more subtle means. The Franciscans began buying up sites like Capernaum and the area of the Sermon on the Mount. Hence, there is a monastery and a Catholic Church at Capernaum.

After observing Peter's home we ascended the hill adjacent to Capernaum where the Sermon on the Mount took place. The Church of the beatitudes stands here now with a convent and a monastery.

We then returned to our Kibbutz and swam in the Sea of Galilee. It was surreal to imagine Christ calling his Apostles here, calming the sea, and walking on water. Disclaimer: The Sea of Galilee is not a "sea." It is more like the Great Lakes but much warmer.

Following our swim we ascended into the Golan Heights near our hotel. The Golan was held by Syria until the 1967 War when Syria was bombarding Israeli towns and shooting people in the Galilee from the Heights. From a mountain in the Golan we were able to observe the Syrian-Israeli border. Interesting note: Knowledge of the border is not needed to see the border. the cultivated land is Israel; the non-cultivated land is Syria.

After the Golan we went to dinner on the Galilee and learned from an IDF reservist who wrote the Israeli infantry and paratrooper training handbook. He also appears on TV, teaches, and speaks in the US and around the world on the Middle East and the War on Terrorism.

We then returned to our Kibbutz for some much needed sleep before heading in to Jerusalem.

Note: We appear to be in the midst of a heat wave here in Israel. Temperatures are expect to break 100 with over 50% humidity. It is very hot!

Day 1 in Israel

Sorry for the delay. Our Kibbutz on the Galilee charged a little much to justify using the internet.

Now in Jerusalem, it is free.

After landing at 7:30 AM at Ben Gurion outside of Tel Aviv we were immediately met by our tour guide Avi. He promptly began cramming knowledge into our heads. We went to the ruins of Caesarea and Herod the Great's palace on the Mediterranean. We were then given the opurtunity to swim in the Mediterranean. I am really looking forward to spending 6 months living on the Mediterranean in Alexandria.

We stopped by Megiddo on our way to a Moshav (agricultural community) in the Northern part of Israel. We were hosted by one of the families at their farm for a home cooked meal. It was delicious but at this point we had been up for far too many hours. We checked into our Kibbutz on the Galilee around 10PM. Israel is 7hrs ahead of US Eastern time zone.

A few general thoughts on Israel: It is quite a feeling to realize that I am walking in the land where so much history took place. History, that was influential to the world even thousands of years later. Israel is like a mix between New Mexico and the Black Hills of South Dakota. In one moment it can be the quintessential 1st world country but also a 3rd world country. More to come.

On the Road to Israel

Cincinnati to Newark New Jersey

First off, what a great asset CVG is to the City of Cincinnati. Having flown in and out of Dayton 2 weeks ago I can really appreciate an aesthetically pleasing airport like Cincinnati's. Sadly, I believe the most recent price rankings place CVG as the 10th most expensive airport in the US which is an improvement from 2nd but still not something to boast about.

Also, nice to see NYC once again. Fun place. Thought about going into the city tonight but thought better of it...

We then watched a documentary on the campus aspect of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Extreme cases of antisemitism were highlighted and discussed. I think we are fairly lucky at UC to have outstanding history and political science professors who keep their own beliefs out of the classroom. We are also lucky to have a fairly tolerant discourse between the pro-Israel and anti-Israel student groups. The Muslim Student Association protests many events hosted by Bearcats for Israel but they also attend many of the events and engage in meaningful discussion. It is something UC should be quite proud of. Intelligent political discourse is taking place at UC while other colleges scream and shout insults at each other.

Listened to accomplished author David Brog give one of the most succinct summaries and histories of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the 60 years of attempted peace. Essentially 5 solutions for peace that haven't worked out so far. Very smart and engaging guy.

Listened to Holocaust survivor and author Irving Roth describe his life from 1929 Czechoslovakia to 1945 Auschwitz. His story is amazing. Can't be described. Listening to him describe the ovens, the flames, the punishment, and the eminent sense of doom is truly terrifying. He claims to have seen the Messiah in April of 1945 and apparently he was dressed in a US Army uniform and said three simple words to the hundreds of Jews packed into the barracks. "You are free." Something America can certainly be proud of.

Looking forward to more camaraderie, fellowship, and learning. Lots of good people here. Catholicism is about to come to life in Israel.