Wheelchair Heroes, Heart to Heart Day 3

An emotional day for the women of Heart to Heart.  Over breakfast, we listened to the very inspiring Orel Galula who, despite a degenerative disease and car accident that landed her permanently in a wheelchair, was determined not only to serve in the Israeli Defense Force but become an officer. 

Orel Galula; First Wheelchair-Bound IDF Officer
Who's disabled, yo?
Israel

The most poignant visit today was at the Israel Sport Center for the Disabled in Ramat Gan, which presents itself thusly; The Israel Sport Centre for the Disabled (ISCD) in Ramat Gan is the first sport centre for the disabled in the country and a world pioneer in the field. The centre, which specialises in the physical and psychological rehabilitation of Israelis affected by disabilities as well as the victims of Palestinian terror attacks, opened its gates in the 1960s in order to encourage disabled youth and adults to participate in sports activities.

We learned that most programs of this kind around the world are affiliated with hospitals whereas the ISCD is run more like a community sports center, eliminating the stigma of "illness," with neighborhood kids and adults of all ability levels dropping in and playing with wheelchair-bound friends.

Basketball Court at Israel Sport Center for the Disabled
Ramat Gan, Israel

The ISCD was created to harness the power of sport as a "means to help guide the disabled from a state of helplessness to productive, fulfilling lives."  Nothing demonstrates the success of that goal more than Asael Shabbo who, at age nine (ten years ago) watched as his mother and three siblings were murdered in a terrorist attack on his home. He was shot in the leg six times necessitating amputation.  Asael came to the Center grief-stricken and traumatized yet over the years he's become an upbeat spokesperson for sports rehab and positive attitude. As he showed us around, I said, "There are people in this world who have everything; a healthy family, intact limbs - and yet they complain.  And here you are...."  "I know," Asael replied. "It's all about the attitude.  That's what I talk about when I speak to groups."  We were all amazed by Asael's "can-do" approach to life.  He is one of the most inspirational people we've ever met. Not only does Asael travel to speak to those born with disabilities and victims of terror, but he is also training for the World Para-Olympics as a ranked swimmer.

Today, though he literally "ran circles around us" in wheelchair basketball!  

Asael Shabbo Speaking About His Past and Current Achievements
Israel Sport Center for the Disabled
Ramat Gan, Israel

Heart to Heart Mission; A Taste of Wheelchair Basketball
Israel Sport Center for the Disabled
Ramat Gan, Israel

Heart to Heart Mission; A Taste of Wheelchair Basketball
Israel Sport Center for the Disabled
Ramat Gan, Israe

Always a Naming Opportunity; Just Waiting For Yours....
Israel Sport Center for the Disabled
Ramat Gan, Israel

State of the Art Pool
Israel Sport Center for the Disabled
Ramat Gan, Israel

Workout Equipment Designed for Disabled
Israel Sport Center for the Disabled
Ramat Gan, Israel

Getting Stronger Every Day...
Israel Sport Center for the Disabled
Ramat Gan, Israel

Heart to Heart Day One, Con't

In the 1900's, money raised for Israel was all about building, buying, pioneering and greening the land. In the late 1800's, most of what is now Tel Aviv (outside of Jaffa) was sand dunes, and other outlying areas in Israel were malarial swamps frequented, unbelievably, by water buffalo.  Remember the JNF (Jewish National Fund) Plant-A-Tree certificates that we bought every year around T'Bishvat (the Jewish "Birthday of the Trees")? Those funds actually did provide seedlings that eventually turned desolate, rocky terrain into lush forests; to date over 240 MILLION trees have been planted in Israel.  

While the country of Israel has always pushed to be greener, "conservation" and "environmentalism" are relatively new concepts just beginning to take root here. Lately, however, fundraising dollars are being directed to help underserved and disadvantaged kids.  In fact, with the State of Israel built and pioneered, current programs and humanitarian efforts are focusing on Youth and Families at Risk.

We visited one place that manages to raise environmental awareness along with offering performing arts programs for these at-risk kids; The Vertigo Eco Arts Village at Kibbutz Netiv Halamed-He.  Billed as a "Rural Cultural Arts Center for art and ecology, that offers a model of ecological living.  The village facilitates ongoing arts and environmental programming for the greater public, including workshops, retreats, performances and festivals."

You can find the members of the world-renowned Vertigo Dance Troupe working with kids and adults and rehearsing for upcoming performances.  (They have danced at Jacob's Pillow in MA).  We participated in movement and trust exercises (with other young guests sponsored by the Ethiopian National Project), watched a snippet from an upcoming Vertigo Dance piece, were treated to fresh mint tea, and helped out by planting trees on the property.  

Girls sponsored by ENP (Ethiopian National Project) Funded in part by JFNA
Speaking perfect English, they revealed that their favorite American talk show host is ELLEN!
At Vertigo Village, Kibbutz Netiv Halamed-He, Israel

Preparing to Move at Vertigo Village, Israel

Learning trust through movement at Vertigo Eco Arts Village, Israel

Sneak Peak at an Upcoming Vertigo Dance
Routine, Israel 

Sneak Peak at an Upcoming Vertigo Dance
Routine, Israel 

Sneak Peak at an Upcoming Vertigo Dance
Routine, Israel 

Volunteers Digging In the Dirt; Planting Trees at Vertigo Eco-Arts Village
Israel

Creating Art from Rocky Soil; The Finished Product - a Tree at Vertigo Arts Village Ready to Grow
Israel

Before heading back to Tel Aviv, we stopped at this great little winery - a small business made possible with some help from The Jewish Agency, a branch of Jewish Federations worldwide.  Some of our dollars go towards helping individuals and families in Israel realize their dreams.  This tasting room was the perfect afternoon cap!

Mom and Pop Wine and Cheese Care of a Small Loan Initiative to Help Launch Small Businesses
Delish!

Heart to Heart; A Women's Philanthropic Visit to Israel Day One

Definition of PHILANTHROPY

1. Goodwill to fellow members of the human race : active effort to promote human welfare

2.  An act or gift done or made for humanitarian purposes: an organization distributing or supported by funds set aside for humanitarian purposes.

There are millions of reasons to visit the land of Israel; to study, work, learn, see friends and family, or just chill out in some of the most beautiful places in the world.  But this "Heart to Heart Mission" was something else again.

Organized by JFNA (Jewish Federations of North America) - in particular JFNA's female fundraising arm, Women's Philanthropy, Heart to Heart was billed as a "Mission." But we were no missionaries.  

As witness to the way JFNA funds have changed lives for the better "on the ground" in Israel, what we were was blown away; and not in that violent, explosive sense that many people who have never been to Israel ascribe to life there.  No, we were blown away by the passion, determination, strength, spirit and warmth of Human Service personnel who make the most of our dollars collected to enhance humanitarian programs in Israel.  Not one cent is being squandered.

A Pensive Moment Outside Jerusalem's Old City Walls
Jerusalem, Israel

This was the third Heart to Heart Mission in so many years and the largest.  Last year, 90 women made the trek to Israel to see Women's Philanthropy dollars in action.  This year, there were 155 of us - four buses worth.  

As a point of pride, though Philadelphia had the largest contingency of 35 women, followed by New York City with 26, the Greater Stamford, CT area sent NINE! That's quite a large percentage of women from a relatively small city of 120,000.  We were assigned to Bus #3 with others from Connecticut and New England - and of course, we believed our bus to be the best (meaning no disrespect to Buses 1,2 and 4).  Four buses filled with strong, intelligent, giving women rolled from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem to Haifa and Tzefat and many points in between, stopping to see, hear, smell, taste and feel the ways women are making an impact in Israeli society.  Our hearts ranneth over.

The Best Bus (OK, I'm biased)
JFNA Women's Philanthropy Heart to Heart Mission to Israel
Feb. 5-9, 2012

Each day, the 155 of us were chosen either by bus or random selection to visit different programs.  Most days we had a 6:15AM wake-up call and didn't get to sleep before midnight (sometimes later depending on the loquaciousness of one's roommate), causing one exhausted Israeli participant to exclaim, "even in the Army, we we could sleep six hours a night!"  This allowed our group maximum coverage; we could spread out and listen to different testimonials and heart-swelling stories, then report back to the others.  One group visited the office of a woman pediatric cardiologist who goes to African countries to find children in most need.  She brings them to Israel for pro-bono surgery and treatment, then sends them home happy and healthy.


I spent the first morning in the second oldest settlement in the Tel Aviv area, Neve Tzedek (the first, at 4,000 years old, is Jaffa). Neve Tzedek bursts with boutiques, funky restaurants and jewelry and clothing designers; an Israeli SoHo.  Our host, who lives in an exquisitely renovated courtyard home, collects and imparts information about Art Nouveau.  Her home is a museum, and she invites groups (mostly Israeli) to come and learn about this precursor to Art Deco. I was just happy to step foot inside one of the places I'd wondered about when meandering the streets of this old neighborhood years before. Quiet and charming, our host and her home is but one example of the rich tapestry that is Israel.

Inside a home in Neve Tzedek
Tel Aviv, Israel

A peek through Art Nouveau doors
Neve Tzedek, Tel Aviv, Israel

Learning about Art Nouveau
Neve Tzedek, Tel Aviv, Israel

Our next stop was in Bet Shemesh - in the news recently as the town where an Ultra-Orthodox man spit on an 8 year old Orthodox girl.  Like most free societies that encompass a broad spectrum of people, Israel is complex and ever evolving. It has always been a melange of cultures - even back to Greek and Roman times - and now with growing religious, Arab, Russian and Ethiopian populations, it's even more so.  But the Heart to Heart Mission wasn't about politics.  It's about Social Action.  So here's what we saw in Bet Shemesh; a Head-Start-like pre-school program for economically disadvantaged kids who are recipients of the Israeli version of PJ Library (a charitable organization, funded in part by JFNA that distributes one book per month to 120,000 kids), called Sifriat Pijama. 

Art Activity with kids at Gan Hadar
Bet Shemesh, Israel

JFNA Heart to Heart Women with kids of Gan Hadar
Recipients of Women's Philanthropy Funds
Bet Shemesh, Israel

One of the best ways to experience Israel is to taste it.  As I mentioned, Israel is made up of many cultures - each with its own accumulation of stories, recipes, songs, clothing and history.  A case in point: Yemenite Jews - those who came to Israel from the land south of Saudi Arabia on the Arabian Sea. Until recently, it was bad form to call attention to one's ethnicity in Israel - you were Israeli.  That's it.  But lately, groups have been reconciling their various heritages and bringing the best of each to an eager-to-learn populace.  The Jewish Agency in Israel - funded in part by our JFNA dollars through what was formerly Partnership 2000 and now Partnership Together (given the amusing nickname "P-Together") lends funds to some of these small initiatives; empowering women to launch their own businesses. About 45 minutes from Tel Aviv, we stopped at the terrific Moshav Yish'i where Yemenite-Israeli, Gila Bashari moved us to the core with her songs (she has performed at Carnegie Hall) and where cooks taught us all to cook Yemenite food, then eat it, of course!

Yeminite Cooking School on Moshav Yish'i, Israel
This dining room was formerly a cow shed

Preparing to make our own pita bread
Moshav Yish'i, Israel

Learning to make food like a Yeminite Jew
Moshav Yish'i, Israel

Pita well done!
Moshav Yish'i, Israel

Preparing to Feast at Moshav Yish'i, A phenomenal lunch just 45 minutes outside of Tel Aviv

Next - Helping new Israeli immigrants through dance.....

If I forget thee, oh Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its cunning

 From Psalm 137 of the Hebrew Bible:

"By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
Upon the willows in the midst thereof we hanged up our harps.
For there they that led us captive asked of us words of song, and our tormentors asked of us mirth: 'Sing us one of the songs of Zion.'
How shall we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land?
If I forget thee, oh Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its cunning
May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember thee, if I set not Jerusalem above my greatest joy."

Those of us of a certain age, might find this ancient psalm - written over 2,500 years ago lamenting the Babylonian destruction of the First Jewish Temple and subsequent banishment from Jerusalem - a bit familiar. Here's why; 

Though not Jewish, was Bob Marley a Zionist?  He certainly sounded mournful when singing about "remembering Zion." Regardless, Jerusalem has always captivated the yearning hearts of Jews. So much so, we conclude our Passover Seder with the phrase, "Next Year in Jerusalem!"

There is something incredibly moving about entering the Old City of Jerusalem and setting one's eyes on the Kotel (Western Wall) for the first or thousandth time. Built by Herod in 516 BCE, the Second Temple was the holiest Jewish site until it was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.  Only one retaining wall of the Temple Mount remained - it's Western Wall - which was inaccessible on and off for 2,000 years through Ottoman, British and Jordanian rule.  From the birth of Israel in 1948 to 1967, the Old City of Jerusalem remained under the control of the Jordanian government which barred access to the Western Wall and allowed the vandalization of many Jewish Holy sites.  When Israel reclaimed Jerusalem in 1967, Jews the world over sang, danced and rejoiced - and then allowed everyone - Christians, Jews, Muslims, to worship at their own holy places. 

Today, the courtyard leading up to the Kotel gleams and the stones of the wall seem to vibrate with emotional intensity. The quote, "There are men with hearts of stone and stones with hearts of men" pertains to this place.  All kinds of people - Jews and non-Jew alike - approach reverently.  I joined many who crammed notes with personal prayers (mine were for the health of ill friends) into its many crevices.  

Women's Side of Western Wall
Jerusalem, Israel

There are four "Quarters" within the walls of the Old City; Jewish, Arab, Armenian and Christian - all living cheek by jowl in the nexus of World Religion. I took this photo near the Dung Gate entrance, and you can see how close everything is; just above the Western Wall you see the Muslim's holy site, the Dome of the Rock on the border of the Arab quarter. To get into this area, everyone - Jewish, Muslim, Asian, black, white, purple - must go through security - a checkpoint, if you will (in the photo's foreground).  A small price to pay for safety. 

Overlooking the Kotel (Western Wall) and Dome of the Rock
Jerusalem, Israel

Within the Old City itself are a labyrinth of streets, shops, apartments, restaurants; citizens of Israel going about their business, trying to make a buck from the millions of tourists and pilgrims who visit every year. It was a beautiful day and quite serene on one random February Sunday. And this is how it should always be.

Old City
Jerusalem, Israel

Old City, Jerusalem, Israel

 And of course, there are the cats......

Cats, cats everywhere in Israel

Apartheid, Shmapartheid; The Fallacy of Israel Segregation

Apartheid - racial segregation; specifically a policy of segregation and political and economic discrimination.


For those who throw around the word Apartheid in regard to the little democratic country of Israel, especially on US college campuses where anti-Israel rhetoric is rampant,  I'd like to offer a pictorial reality check. But first, a few facts.  The whole population of Israel can be housed nicely within the five boroughs of New York City.  Close to 8 million people, including 1.6 million Christian and Muslim Arabs, live in an area roughly the size of New Jersey.  Yes, there are Arabs in Israel - Israeli Arabs live in many communities (mostly up north), serve in government, are doctors, lawyers, shopkeepers and professors and have full rights as citizens.  So, if you claim that Israel is an apartheid state in regards to Arabs or Muslims, that argument is unsustainable.

If you learn about Israel through world media alone, you might imagine that all Israelis look like this;

But look closer.  Women, like this striking Swedish-model-like version, also serve in the Israeli Defense Force. Here she is with her fellow soldiers, being "aggressive" with a bunch of tourists near the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

This sassy group of beautiful girls speak fluent Hebrew.  As Israeli citizens whose parents kept Jewish practices alive in their native country of Ethiopia before being airlifted to the land they yearned for, these girls represent the ever-diverse vibrant face of Israel.  If you accuse Israel of being apartheid in regards to race, uh - no. Ethiopian Jews share the same political and economic advantages of all other Israeli citizens.

These boys are obviously religious Jews; you can tell by their tzetzeit (fringes), yarmulkes (head coverings) and the fact that they each kissed the Mezuzah at the door (a decorative object on the doorpost that contains a special prayer of safekeeping).  Not only are Jews, Christians and Muslims allowed to practice their faith without fear of reprisal in Israel, but the largest Bahai Temple in the world is located in the northern city of Haifa.  According to an Iranian friend of mine whose father was Muslim and mother was Baha'i, the Baha'i in Iran are reviled even more than Jews. Israel is one of the few places in the region where Baha'i feel safe enough to practice their faith in the open.  For those who accuse Israel of apartheid when it comes to religion - well, that's the biggest fallacy of all.

The irony here is that those countries most vocal about Israeli "Apartheid" have the most contemptible Human, Women's and Religious Rights records on earth.  If you are female, try to move around freely in Saudi Arabia. You can't even leave the house (let alone drive a car, which is forbidden) without permission from your father or husband. And try to practice any religion but Islam in those countries whose borders touch Israel's. You will be harassed or worse. And don't even get me started on Gay Rights. "Tolerance" is not exactly a watchword in those neighborhoods.


So, for those who cast aspersions on Israel, know the facts first.  And then visit to see for yourself.

The Lowest Point on Earth

Driving from Tel Aviv down almost 1400 ft. below sea level to the Dead Sea, crossing time and habitat, we stopped short to let a herd of roughly three dozen camels gallump across a major road. The sound of jet engines were still reverberating in my head when we spotted these ungainly beasts whose ancestors had caravanned over the ancient Spice Road, and I thought to myself - this is Israel; camels and high-rises, technology and Roman ruins, synagogues, mosques, churches and the largest Bahai Temple in the world all co-existing in the most talked about, written about, screamed about place on the planet.   

Land in Israel on a Friday morning, drive to the Dead Sea, and you will find no screaming, hateful hordes.  Instead, where Israel, the West Bank and Jordan all share a common water body, there's surprising calm.  Tourists come to bob in the densest, most mineral-rich water on earth and avail themselves of mud-wraps and other spa treatments, new Russian immigrants have staked their claim to the few Dead Sea Product shops in town, and these Dead Sea shores and water provide a profitable skin-care industry for both Israel and Jordan. The Jordan River flows from Lake Kineret in the north (aka Sea of Galilee) to the Dead Sea, and the land along most of its west bank (though not right here) is otherwise known to the world as, um, The West Bank.    

Dead Sea Israel
at 1,400 feet below sea level, the lowest point on earth

Dead Sea at Dusk
The hills less than a mile across belong to Jordan

Peace and Tranquility as the sun sets over the Jordanian hills on the Dead Sea (from Israel side)

Dove and pigeon nest compartments
Masada, Israel

Overlooking the Dead Sea is Masada - King Herod's Palace turned Jewish rebel holdout during the Roman sacking of Jerusalem in 70AD. There are now questions about the thousand or so Jews who fled Jerusalem to find temporary refuge before purportedly committing suicide rather than submit to the Romans who had set up camps surrounding the hilltop fortress for months before breaching its walls.  Aside from the fact that committing suicide for any reason is prohibited by Jewish Law (which made the Masada story rather troubling), the one Jewish-Roman eyewitness, Josephus, wrote nothing of finding nearly a thousand bodies after the Romans stormed the hill.  In fact, archeologists never found skeletons or evidence of mass graves there. What they did find were radiant-heat and spacious Roman steam-rooms- built for Herod, innovative and modern - a complex cistern system that held months worth of water in the hottest and driest time of year, ruins of pigeon and dove nesting rooms, and large dried food storage areas. 

Birds on Masada overlooking what's left of Roman encampments
below from 73AD

Moving north along the Dead Sea, we came to one of my favorite oases; En Gedi.  I used to travel with Israeli friends to this waterfall in the middle of the Judaean Desert, where we'd strip down to bathing suits and swim under sweet cascading water.  Now, the water here, like everywhere in the Middle East, is drying up.  Natural pools are smaller and closed to swimmers, but David's Waterfall is still a spectacular site.  On the mile or so hike (not for the faint of heart or for those who can't make it up slippery rock steps and gravel paths), you'll see strange wildlife, like these tree-climbing groundhog-like rodents, called Rock Hyrax (a Dr. Seuss name if there ever was one and perfectly suited to the creature). 

Creaters in Ein Gedi, Israel

"Davids Waterfall"
En Gedi, Israel

The pool at the base of David's Waterfall
En Gedi, Israel

Dipping toes in the En Gedi creek
Israel

From En Gedi, it's just an hour's drive to Jerusalem, and if you want to see this center of World Religion in the most dramatic way, plan to arrive late afternoon around sunset.  Climb Mt. Scopus for the best panoramic view; this is what we did on a clear February night. The Dome of the Rock sits atop the site of the Jew's First Temple.  The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is a few blocks away from what remains of the outlying courtyard wall of the Jewish Second Temple (known as the Kotel or Western Wall). An ancient wall - comprised of sections built in King Herod's time, around the turn of the last millennium, and in the 1500's - surround the Old City.  Just outside the Old City walls, near the Jaffa Gate, there's a posh Waldorf Astoria Hotel going up and the upscale Mamilla Shopping promenade, signaling a change in the tastes and expectations of the new Israel tourist. This is not your Grandpa's Jerusalem. 

The City of Jerusalem from Mt. Scopus, Israel

Good Night, Sleep in Peace, Jerusalem

I'll be writing about my most recent trip to Israel; light on the "Dead Tour" - heavy on the current joys and challenges of a modern Israeli society.  To be continued....