Perhaps this rainbow was a sign on our way up to the Lower Galilee and our Sister Region of Afula/Gilboa that this was going to be a meaningful (and colorful) weekend. Rain-clouds cleared as we drove north from Tel Aviv, and this beautiful misty prism evoked smiles all around.
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| On the road from Tel Aviv to Afula, Israel |
Shabbat evening, we were treated to a raucous dinner at the Emunah Children's Residential Center in Afula - where kids at risk in their homes (physically abused, sexually abused, teen sex abusers) receive therapy and education in a loving, stable family-like environment. Some of the favorite counselors were residents here themselves and know from whence they speak (and treat the kids). A few of these feisty and shy kids sing in a professional choir that tours all over the USA. It was a happy, inspiring place, filled with hope and smiling children. And good food, too. Shabbat dinner was certainly a spirited event.
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| Emuhan Children's Residential Centre Afula, Israel |
For years before and after its declaration of Statehood, many settlers in Israel lived on communal farms called Kibbutzim (or Kibbutz, in the singular). Based on a socialistic model, groups of people worked the land together, ate together in the "Cheder Ochel" - literal translation - "eating room" and otherwise pooled their earnings to ensure the health and welfare of all. Yes, it was idealistic, but very tempting for young Americans like me; I lived, worked and studied on a kibbutz for three months in the summer of 1975. Even back then, some kinks in the armor of this idealism began to show. Kibbutz families fortunate enough to have relatives in the States began receiving shipments of luxuries like televisions and appliances, creating a lopsided distribution of goods. As Israeli society became more capitalistic, the Kibbutz concept began to seem less and less attractive. Kibbutzim began to shut down or "privatize." But some have clung to life, opening thriving factories and businesses on site, and we were thrilled to stay in a beautiful guesthouse on a still-idealistic kibbutz near Afula called Kibbutz Yizreel.
If you have a pool, and use the electronic "Dolphin Pro" or any other Dolphin Pool or Maytronic appliance to clean it, you are in possession of a device manufactured in Israel on Kibbutz Yizreel. The plant sits about 50 yards from a shed and pen jammed with dairy cows. That is basically Israel in a nutshell; technology and livestock all on the same block.
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| Strolling through Kibbutz Yizreel in the Yizreel Valley, Israel |
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| Beautifully landscaped Kibbutz Yizreel; Note Farmland in Valley below |
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| Kibbutz Yizreel in Lower Galilee |
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| Kibbutz Yizreel; Home to Dolphin Pool Co. Israel |
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| Good Morning - At the Dining Hall @ Kibbutz Yizreel Israeli Salad for breakfast |
Its about half an hour's drive to Tiberius and Lake Kinneret (Kinneret translates to "harp" -and so named because lake is shaped somewhat like one) from the kibbutz. Known to Christians as The Sea Of Galilee, the Kinneret is rather small and bordered by hills that until 1967, belonged to Syria. Given the government violence against its own people amounting to over 7,000 dead, according to a BBC report, we were relieved that Syria no longer shares the shoreline of The Sea of Galilee and that the conflict is far from here.
Again, the air was still with unexpected calm. We came across a restaurant right on the lake that seemed closed. There were no cars in the dirt parking lot, and not a soul in the place. Always a bad sign. But it was indeed open, and it turned out to be a wonderful meal with some of the best and freshest fish I've ever had. We ordered plain grilled "St. Peter's Fish" aka tilapia, a local specialty. Extraordinary.....
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| St. Peter's Fish - straight from the Sea of Galilee Israel |
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| Fish Fillet Master Restaurant on Lake Kinneret (AKA Sea of Galilee) |
Before heading to see our last few Jewish Federation sponsored programs, we had to stop at this nut store. Afula is known the world over for its roasted sunflower seeds. Popularity polls have deemed this place the best place in Israel to buy these tasty treats. With only hours to go before our flight home, we had to load up on kilos of warm, just out of the roaster seeds:
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| The Nut Shop in Afula, Israel; Best Place to Buy Freshly-Roasted Sunflower Seeds |
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On Sunday afternoon, before driving to the airport, we heard from dedicated women therapists at a Rape Crisis Center (no photos allowed there, of course) and dedicated teachers at a school in Afula with a large immigrant enrollment. Enrichment programs boost learning, and the most at-risk students are paired with teachers who "take them under their wing" to ensure that each child learns and thrives. It's a terrific, nurturing program and we heard from both the kids and parents who benefit.
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| Afula School; Kids are paired with teachers who ensure that each student learns and thrives. |
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| Student in Afula, Israel |
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| Songbirds in Afula, Israel |
Our final stop before driving to the airport was at the Len and Susan Mark Center; built as a teen center for Jews of Ethiopian heritage. We were treated to a traditional Ethiopian meal along with falafel, representing a blending of Middle Eastern and African cultures. We weren't too surprised to see most of the kids eating Israeli food; they see the moist bread and stew-like dishes of Ethiopia as their "parent's food." They are also quite beguiled, like all teens the world over, by social media and YouTube - most have a Facebook account. Some of the guys tried to teach us some hip-hop moves that they "learned on YouTube," but I don't even want to get near the videos taken of my attempt. Suffice it to say, I have the rhythm of a middle-aged white women. In other words...none.
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| Afula, Israel |
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| Trying to Teach Old Dogs New Moves Len and Susan Marks Center Afula, Israel |
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| Trying to Teach Old Dogs New Moves Len and Susan Marks Center Afula, Israel |
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| A Room to Hang out at the Len and Susan Mark Center Afula, Israel |
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| A Place to Hang out After School Len and Susan Mark Center Afula, Israel |
