Travelling South

Well, first the bad news. It doesn't look like we'll be visiting the ancient site of Sukkot this year. Archaeologists suspect that the location known as Deir Alla, east of the Jordan River, is in fact the location of Biblical Sukkot. This is where Yaakov Avinu on his return from Padan-aram after his meeting with Esav, built a house for himself and made sukkot (booths) for his cattle A series of excavations made its most dramatic discovery there in 1967 when an ink wall inscription relating a hitherto-unknown prophecy of Balaam was discovered.
And so I figured instead of visiting Sukkot, I'd visit the area of Kadesh Barnea down in the Negev. It was from Kadesh that the 12 spies were sent to survey the Land of Canaan. Forty years later, the tribes of Israel were a second time gathered together at Kadesh. At that time, Miriam died and was buried. Following Miriam's death, the Israelites complained to Moshe Rabeinu about the lack of water.
Moshe subsequently sent envoys to the King of Edom from Kadesh, asking for permission to let the Israelites pass through his terrain. The Edomite king denied this request.
The modern day settlement of Kadesh Barnea, also known as Nitzanei Sinai, was founded in 1980. It is located near Nitzana on the border with Egypt.
In Kadesh Barnea itself there's a wonderful family attraction; The House of Honey. You can learn all about the process of making honey and enjoy some tastings as well. Phone ahead: 08 655-8992, 052 899-1807, 052 392-7085.
In addition, be sure to visit the Kadesh Barnea Winery, a Negev Desert winery established in 1999. 052 267-2552.
Nearby is Tomato-picking in Kemehin. In the hothouse, you can hear an explanation about tomato-growing and pick some for home or for a picnic. 08 655-1524, 052 8450201.
In Nitzana, be sure to visit the solar park. The giant exhibits at the solar park protrude from the desert like colorful amusement-park rides. Here you'll find a classroom covered with wing-like panels that convert the solar energy into electricity; nets that collect the night dew; an enormous installation that focuses the intensity of the sun's rays; and other structures that demonstrate to children and adults the ecological and economical use of the main resource with which this area is blessed in abundance: sunlight. The visit also includes a guided tour of a garbage-collection center for recycling, and a small archaeological museum. Nitzana Youth Village, 08-656 1468/35, www.nitzana.org.il
For a more detailed listing of events in the Negev, visit www.negev-tour.co.il

Mount Bental

• Shiur Times

HAR BENTAL AND THE VALLEY OF THE TEARS

Mount Bental, an inactive volcano, is located in the Golan Heights on route 98, nearby to Kibbutz Merom Hagolan. A short but steep drive brings one to the parking lot and a brief stroll leads to the summit. On the summit there are remnants of the Six Day War - with bunkers and trenches, and a free recorded vocal explanation relating to the ’67 war.

The expansive panoramic view at the summit provides an excellent observation point overlooking valleys and parts of the Golan and Hermon, spreading from Israel into Syria. A clear view is offered of both the new and old towns of Kuneitra – located on the Syrian side of the border. Clearly visible is the disengagement strip that exists along the Syrian-Israeli border – which is controlled and patrolled by UNDOF – the United Nations Disengagement Observation Force. As the name suggests, it is a purely observational force.

The border between Israel and Syria reflects the sensitivity of their political relations. In spite of periods of heightened tension, this border still represents Israel’s quietest border with its neighbors – in terms of border related incidents since the Yom Kippur War, 1973.

Mt Bental, provides a very good site to recall the events of the Six Day War, especially the last two days that precipitated in the capture of the Golan and Mt Hermon, The conflict between Israel and Syria had its antecedents following the War of Independence, 1948, and primarily relating to the establishment of DMZ’s –demilitarized zones along their mutual borders, and issues related to development of agricultural areas, and water-related resources. Numerous international incidents had taken place on both sides, generally followed by Syrian artillery barrages on Israeli civilian settlements or Israeli air responses or Israeli naval activity on the Kinneret.

An audacious breakthrough by Israeli infantry into Syria’s most fortified position on the Golan Heights, at Tel Fajar, sent shockwaves through the Syrian Army and almost overnight resulted in the routing of the Syrian presence along the Golan.
Kuneitra was the largest Syrian town in the Golan Heights until 1967, and had represented a strategic position for the Syrian Army command, serving as the Syrian administrative capital of the Golan.

During the Yom Kippur War, Kuneitra was recaptured by the Syrian troops, and later retaken by the Israeli counterattack. Following the 1974-5 cease fire agreement, Kuneitra was returned to Syria conditional on a prisoner exchange. Initially the Syrians maintained they would rebuild the old Kuneitra, and repopulate it. Instead, they developed a new town nearby, Kuneitra Jdeide, and maintained the old Kuneitra as a ghost town for propaganda purposes to demonstrate how Israel had wreaked havoc and destruction upon the town.

To reach the site, drive along Route 98, until Kibbutz El Rom, turn east at the sign and continue another 3km, following the signs and following the left curving road. Park your vehicle near the cluster of trees and enter the memorial.

Today, the site hosts the memorial for fallen members of the armored corps from the 77th Brigade. The memorial is called Oz 77 – from the Hebrew word for “strength”. On the eastern corner of the grove of trees, looking out towards the battle-ground, is a free vocal recording of the events of the battle.

To Become A Taxi Driver

I am a licensed tour guide. For two years I studied the history of the Land of Israel. I studied Archaeology. I studied the Bible. Religions. Zionism. Geomorphology. I traveled the length and breadth of the country. And I was tested. Written exams. Oral exams. And finally in the end, the ministry of tourism gave me the coveted license to be a tour guide in Israel.

Now you might think that after all that I could just go out and start guiding. Well, yes and no. From the perspective of the law, whenever a guide picks up a tourist and transports them to a sight, the money exchanged is looked at as taxi fare. That's correct. As far as the law is concerned, the tour guide in that instance is simply a glorified taxi driver.

And so in Israel, if you want to guide and transport your visitor as well, you need to also have in your possession a taxi drivers license. For us tour guides, it's called an "eshkol" (cluster - hence the cluster of grapes the ministry of tourism uses as their emblem.) And so begins my odyssey of acquiring such a license so that I can join the honored ranks of taxi drivers here in the Holy Land.

OK. So of course there's the typical bureaucratic runaround you would expect at the Drivers License bureau. Fine. But after all that your informed that you will have to first undergo an intensive physical and psychological exam prior to being allowed to enter the taxi driver course. A few months go by and you receive a letter in the mail informing you to show up at some examination center in Tel Aviv in one week where you will be tested.

In addition to the physical exam you are also asked to take a 400 question psychological exam, as well as a half hour interview with a psychologist. A few weeks after the exam you are informed of the results. Then the fun begins.

As you would expect, there is going to be a driving test. But before that happens, you have a few weeks of classes and exams to get through. Time, money, and three weeks of not being able to work. Oh! Did I mention that this is all in Hebrew, not exactly my mother tongue. One advantage I had from the get go was that I was not taking the course with the typical riff-raff. Instead a course was organized (that's a whole story unto itself!) just for licensed tour guides. Which meant practically that we were exempt from studying "familiarity with the land" which is a huge chunk of the course, and we were exempt from studying the English language.

So what does a taxi driver need to know in Israel before he/she can be licensed by the ministry of transportation? Well first, we were tested in our proficiency of the Hebrew language. Interestingly enough, we were told that the reason that all the exams are in Hebrew is since we are becoming "public servants" of sort, we need to be proficient in the language of the country. OK. That makes sense. But then why are there exams available in Arabic and Russian?

So we all passed our entry exam. First came the class on knowing all the laws applicable to driving a public vehicle in Israel (taxis, buses). You need an %87 to pass. I passed. Our teacher, from Tel Aviv, spontaneously decided to share with us during class that although he was not observant, since his parents died last year he does not miss minyan and even attends a class in Talmud. Then we studied defensive driving. Passed that too. Fire Emergencies. Passed. That was our Friday afternoon class. Just what we want to be doing on a Friday afternoon.

Then came the big one. For an entire week we took a crash (not a pun) course in understanding the workings of a motorized vehicle. In Hebrew, we learned how a diesel engine works. A gasoline engine. Brake systems, steering systems, electric systems, gear systems, cooling systems, etc. etc. etc. Did I mention that this was all in Hebrew? I can hardly tell you the names of all of a vehicles parts in English! Oy vey! And just because I need to transport a tourist from the hotel to visit Masada? I'm not going to fix the car if there's a problem with it. I'm taking it to the mechanic. No matter. The law requires that I be familiar with the entire workings of a vehicle. Fortunately the teacher of this class has been teaching for 40 years and did a great job teaching us lay persons. Our teacher's 22 year old son was killed in Gaza in 2003 during an attempt to arrest terrorists there.

Another part of the course required us to become knowledgeable with Israel's labor laws and how the entire labor and government system works, including all its courts. As tour guides, we are legally looked at as freelancers, and so most of the labor laws do not even apply to us. But I'm so happy now to know that my bus or taxi driver Ahmed knows that the President of Israel is elected by the Knesset every 7 years and that he knows the process of how the Budget is passed by the Knesset each year. Now I'll have something to converse with him about!

And almost last but not least, first aid. Technically, I should have been exempt from this part of the course since I am already in possession of a valid Israeli First Aid certificate which I received during my tour guide course. Notice I used the word "should". When we presented our certificates, they were deemed unacceptable because only the month and year of the course were written on the certificate, not the exact day of the month. And so after much trouble (and money)we were able to acquire written documentation (faxes not acceptable) to the exact date we took the course. The cherry on the pie was finally finally receiving a response from the ministry of transportation after we had already completed the first aid course (again). Our request for an exemption was declined. Lovely. We all did perfectly well on the first aid exams.

In a few weeks I will be taking my driving exam (again). I was bold and took the exam with a mini bus using a stick shift. Mistake. Especially when I didn't stop at the yield sign when the examiner told me to do so. It was a language thing. All in all, at least I got the opportunity to become friends with a bunch of other guides. And my level of respect for bus and taxi drivers? Well, I'll let you respond to that one.

PS Yes. Finally, finally, after 3 driving tests I finally passed. They even asked me to parallel park. In all my lessons, nobody ever bothered to see if I could even put the van into reverse! My knee is killing me from using the gear pedal. And would you believe it? My new license still restricts me to an automatic vehicle only. Go figure! Is it worth another trip down to the drivers license bureau? Time will tell.

Golan Heights

• Shiur Times

Nestled among the Kibbutzim and Moshavim of the Golan Heights is the town of Katzrin. With a total population size of some 7,000 people, almost half of the Jewish population of the Golan Heights resides here. Katzrin is the administrative center of the Golan.

When the Six-Day War ended archaeologists performed surveys of various archaeological sites on the Golan. While touring the Bedouin village of Katzrin, the archaeologist Shemaryahu Gutman came upon an ornate doorway made of basalt stone. He discovered that this was the entrance to the synagogue which had functioned 1500 years ago. The name of this town from that time is unknown.

In order to give us an idea of what a house looked like and what the layout of the town was like during Talmudic times, archaeologists performed an elaborate restoration of the ruins of the town. Similar plans are on the drawing board for Um El Kanatir. Here we can see how the town was planned. We see streets, a synagogue, a square in front of the synagogue, and an olive press.

Given that the town is located on the western side of the Golan, grazing and farmland is present. The main industry in this region seems to have been the manufacturing of olive oil. One olive press per town indicates that enough olive oil is produced just for local use. Three to five presses indicates that the townspeople are producing for export.

Olive oil had many uses in antiquity: it was used for nutrition, lighting fuel, medicinal purposes and for lubricating the body. The sages recount the following: Olive oil is beneficial for the health. Thus it is told of Rabbi Chanina aged eighty, who could stand on one leg, remove his shoe and put it back on. Rabbi Chanina said: hot water with oil anointed upon me by my mother at childhood has upheld me during my years of old age. (Talmud Bavli chullin 24b.)

Olive oil is produced in two phases. At first the olive are crushed inside a basin by a large crushing stone resembling a wheel. The wheel was usually pulled by an animal or by people. The first round, the crushing takes about 30 minutes. The crushed olives are transferred to the olive press, immediately nearby. The olives are first put in straw baskets, (kefifot.) There is an Aramaic term, “ladur bikfifah echat” which means “dwelling in a crowded fashion in one area (one basket).”

You put these straw baskets one on top of the next until you have like a sandwich of these akals (Arabic), or baskets. Then you start to take the press and turn it by going around. You would get all the liquids going into the canals and draining into a hole. You pick the oil off of the top and the water goes out the bottom. The liquid of the olive contains both oil and water.

On display as well is an accurate representation of the homes from the Mishnaic time period. All the tools are modeled on actual tools found at the site. One of the most fascinating features of these homes is the roofs. The roof is built with branches placed on top of Oak, cypress and cedar beams. Soil is placed on the branches, mixed with water, and then used to seal the holes in the roof. This keeps out rain and snow. In the summertime, when the mud dries and cracks, it needs to be repaired.

A maagela is a roof roller and was used to fix leaky roofs. Choni the Meagel, the name of the very popular Talmudic figure, is usually translated as Choni the Circle Maker. If you pronounce the word maagal as meagel, you don’t have Choni the circle maker but Choni the roof roller. In the tractate taanit, there are quite a few aggadot about how Choni would pray for rain for his community when there was a drought. More rain, more roof rolling required! This house also has a small kitchen and store room, with no room for animals.

What did they use for food storage? It wasn’t cool here. They placed food up high where kids and mice couldn’t reach it and was covered with a sheet. The floor was made of stone and then covered with a kind of plaster. That’s why you couldn’t sweep the floors because you’d make holes in the grout. Later on it was replaced with tiles.

Outside the house is a ladder. A story about Rabbi Joshua (ben Hannaniah), who hosted a man, gave him food and drink, and then gave him a bed located in the loft. He removed the ladder leading up to the loft. What did this man do?
He awoke in the middle of the night and stole tools and jewelry. When
he tried to descend down the ladder, he fell from the roof and broke his
collarbone. In the morning Rabbi Joshua awoke and found him lying there.

The purpose of bringing this story here at Katzrin is to teach us about the way homes were constructed and how space was used. Apparently, space was maximized by allowing family members to sleep down below and up above. .

The synagogue is clearly a communal building. It occupies the center of the town and its two rows of pillars, with decorative capitals, give it both height and a sense of grandeur. It faces Jerusalem and inside there are menorot carved on the stones.

We have said that when we find a synagogue it means we have found a town, not a village and towns have between 1000-5000 people. On the Golan and beyond the border of the Golan into Syria of today we have ruins of about forty ancient Jewish synagogues. Multiply that by only 1000 and we have 40,000 Jews, at a minimum who were living in this area in Mishnaic times. It seems that the synagogue ceased functioning in 749 CE after a massive earthquake.

They found an inscription in the Golan, “this is the bet midrash of Rabbi Eliezer Akkapar.” They found this in Daburiya above the Jalabun, 3 kilometer from Katzrin. One assumes that a beit midrash existed in Katzrin, but it has not been discovered. It is possible that the synagogue structure simultaneously served both purposes of prayer and study, obviating the need to build a separate structure.

There is the big Tabor oak tree by the synagogue. The tree is estimated to be some 600 years old. Some years ago, I attended my cousin's wedding here. The chupah was set up in the ruins of the ancient synagogue. It was a beautiful and moving experience.

The park is open daily, from 9-4. There is an admission fee. For more information call 04 696-1412 or email park@golan.org.il

Tel Aviv

• Shiur Times

Tel Aviv is the first all-Jewish city in modern times. Originally named Ahuzat Bayit, it was founded by 60 families in 1909 as a Jewish neighborhood near Jaffa. In 1910, the name was changed to Tel Aviv, meaning "hill of spring." The name was taken from Ezekiel 3:15, "...and I came to the exiles at Tel Aviv," and from a reference in Herzl's novel Altneuland, in which he foresaw the future Jewish state
as a socialist utopia.

In 1909 the founders of Tel Aviv are living in Ahuzat Bayit and they want to found the most modern city in the world. Keep in mind that there were only 60 families to carry out this enterprise. The idea actually started in 1906, but in 1909 they had a lottery and they really started to build. They decided to flatten the land in an empty dry river bed to be able to build on it. They filled the area with sand from the beach, using wheelbarrows. They didn’t want to use Arab labor. The main street of the city was Herzl St., which was the widest street.

Independence Hall Museum (old home of Dizengoff, built in 1909)

It is a very plain building, but was the place of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Meir Dizengoff, the first mayor of Tel Aviv lived here with his wife, Zina. It was in this c house that the independence of Israel was declared on May 14, 1948. Exhibits here detail Israel's declaration of independence. The first Israeli Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion, made the proclamation at 4pm on May 14, 1948 in the main hall, eight hours before the British mandate over the region was due to end, in the presence of the members of the Vaad Leumi (Jewish National Council), as well as the leaders of the Jewish community. After David Ben-Gurion read the declaration of independence, Rabbi Fischman (Maimon), recited the Shehecheyanu blessing, and the Declaration of Independence was signed.

You can see a picture of the 66 families that founded Tel Aviv, from Jaffa. A guide will tell you about how the original families chose lots, by using white and gray sea shells. Names were put on one set of sea shells, and the lot numbers were put on the other. Jews were not allowed to buy land from the Ottoman Empire, but after 3 years they managed to buy 40 acres of sand dunes just north of Jaffa. The first neighborhood was called Ahuzat Bayit. Dizengoff received lot number 43. There is a 14-minute film about the founding of Israel to the present time.

After the film a guide will take you to the main hall and talk about the day that the Declaration was signed. In the main hall of the house, visitors can hear a recording of Ben-Gurion reading the Charter for the new State. The next morning Arab armies were invading and the Egyptian Air Force was bombing Tel Aviv. There are actually two museums in this building; the Dizengoff Museum and the Beit Ha Tanach –
The Bible Museum.
Opening Hours are Sunday-Friday 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
16 Rothschild Blvd., Tel Aviv (03) 510-6426, (03) 517-3942

If you are planning a trip to Tel Aviv, be sure to visit the Nachalat Benyamin - Art & Craft Fair. Tel Aviv’s Nachalat Benjamin Street comes alive with an Art & Craft Fair that features the works of roughly 220 artists, twice a week. Called Nachalat Benyamin in Hebrew, it is adjacent to shuk Ha’Carmel. In Tel Aviv’s early days this was the longest street in the city.
The setting is one of Tel Aviv’s oldest neighborhoods. First established as the Nachalat Benyamin Association, it initially comprised 40 members. Unlike the residents of Achuzat Bait, most of whom were from the upper classes, most of the new association’s members were tradesmen, clerks and shopkeepers who wanted to create a neighborhood similar to Achuzat Bait.
They managed to purchase 5 acres which were divided into 35 plots (smaller than those of Achuzat Bait). The houses that were erected consisted of two rooms, a kitchen and a porch. Construction began in 1911 and by 1912 there were 23 houses. When construction was completed the new residents realized that they did not have the means to establish the necessary infrastructure for their new neighborhood. Therefore, a partial consolidation of Nachalat Benyamin and Tel Aviv took place in 1911; the full consolidation was completed in 1912.
Since 1987 the street (which has many textile shops) has been home to the Art & Craft Fair. Whether you’re looking to treat yourself to a gift, need one for your hosts in Israel, or friends back home, this is great place to shop. Prices are extremely reasonable and the variety is such that there is literally ‘something for everyone’.
Hours: The Art & Craft Fair at Nachalat Benyamin is held on Tuesday and Friday – from 10:00 AM – to 5:00 PM, year round. The Fair does not take place in cases of heavy rain or winds. 03/516-2037.
Another market you'll surely want to visit is Shuk HaCarmel located in the middle of the Yemenite Quarter of Tel Aviv.
If second-hand clothing and shoes are your thing, then the first stalls you see when you enter the market offer fashions reminiscent of the 1980s. Further along the market towards the bus station is the epicentre of HaCarmel - the food market.

And as long as we are in Tel Aviv, we might as well make a stop in Jaffa. Jaffa is the oldest and perhaps most famous of the ports along the Israel’s coast. From Jaffa port, the prophet Yonah set sail for Tarshish, running away when G-d commanded him to preach in the wicked city of Nineveh.
King Hiram of Tyre sent wood for the First Temple on a raft to Jaffa. and when wood was needed for the Second Temple it, too, arrived by way of Jaffa. The old city of Jaffa is filled with much Jewish history.
And if you came to hunt for a bargain, you came to the right place; the Jaffa flea Market located east of the clock tower at the foot of Old Jaffa.
You can weave your way through a mixed array of treasures and junk. Merchandise varies, but copper, brass, old Persian tiles, and jewelry are always to be found, as well as Judaica items, old family photo albums, and tons of used jeans and mildewed clothing from India. Bargaining is the order of the day; feel free to indulge in lengthy haggling. Even if there is a little language problem, you can get a lot understood with your hands. It's great fun even if you don't buy anything.
The flea market is open Sunday to Thursday from 10am to 6pm and on Friday from 10am to 2pm.

Five Years

Five years ago we made Aliyah and became Israeli citizens. Eleven of us. Five years ago. That's over three thousand loads of laundry. During that time we've made four weddings, (two in the USA and two in Israel), we've had two daughters born to us in Israel, and three grandsons. I've had four different jobs and my son Mendel helped bring home one bronze medal for the National Israel Little League Baseball team. And we missed one funeral; my mother-in-law's, ob"m.

We made one Bar-Mitzvah, and I attended one "triple" funeral in the middle of the night. My son Yaakov spent two years in the army, and I spent two years studying to be a tour guide. Our car has traveled 160,000 kilometers and our children have spent hundreds of days in the hospital. We have spent over 300,000 sheqels on food, 135,000 for a car and have participated in two different Kupat Cholim. My Hebrew vocabulary has increased ten-fold but I will always be "an American" in the eyes of Israelis and an immigrant in the eyes of my younger children. We have made countless friends.

Three of my children, two of them married, presently live in the USA. Two of my fourteen siblings live here in Israel, and one other is planning to make Aliyah soon. None of my children have graduated from High School in Israel. Over 1,000 people live in my community of Mitzpeh Yericho. Over 30 children are in my daughter's pre-school class. Barely ten are in my fifth grader's. The typical summer temperature here during the heat of the day is in the high 90's. But it's a dry heat.

During our five years here, we've had our fair share of ups and downs. Our children have been enrolled in ten different educational institutions and different governmental agencies have been on strike at least a dozen times. A two week mail strike just ended. There have been a couple of earthquakes and I've gotten one speeding ticket. Terrorist attacks were more frequent when we first moved here and we've had one war since making Aliyah. I've guided hundreds of tourists to hundreds of locations all over the country; families, Birthright groups and Christian Pilgrims. We've reached out for help many, many times and have thankfully received it. During my five years here I climbed Masada's Snake path once.

My love affair with Israel began when I was 30 on my first ever trip here. And now, 20 years later, I love it here more than ever. When we vacationed in Mitzpeh Yericho seven years ago during the summer of August 2001, I made reservations for a family dinner at the newly opened restaurant in the community. We were expecting over 30 people for dinner.

I arrived at the restaurant promptly at 8PM as pre-arranged. The place was closed down shut, pitch black. I tracked down the owner who was living at the time in a trailer. His wife opened the door after I knocked on it. He came to the door where I excitedly explained to him the situation of 30 very hungry people with no place to eat and wondered as to what had happened to my reservations!

He calmly explained that he had been to Jerusalem that day and had decided not to open up the restaurant that day. He was tired. Reservations or not. '' יהיה בסדר '' (rough translation: It'll all work out) was all he could say to me as he closed his door and bid me goodbye.

What to do!? As I was walking back to my bungalow to inform the starving mob of the latest, I bumped into Oklahoma Joe who was out walking his dog. Oklahoma was living next door to our bungalow. I wished him a good evening and told him of my predicament.

No problem, he said. In no time at all, Oklahoma had food grilling on his BBQ and we all enjoyed a great dinner. It was just as the restaurant owner had said. In the end it all worked out. He really knew it would. And now I was beginning to learn that as well.

The rest is history. After that summer in Israel, we all decided to place our fate together with the Land of Israel. And we moved to none other than Mitzpeh Yericho in the Judean Desert.

And the guy who owned the restaurant? They don't live in the trailer anymore. They live right next door to us and our families are the very best of friends. We've become one family.

That's what it's like to make one's home here.

יהיה בסדר.

Jerusalem Trail

• Shiur Times

The Israel National Trail ("Shvil Yisrael") was officially marked in 1991. One of its purposes is to give Israelis a way to experience the entire breadth of Israel firsthand. It is a hiking trail that crosses the entire country from Tel Dan in the north to Eilat in the south. The trail is close to 600 miles from beginning to end and would take over a month to finish if hiked continuously. It is marked with three stripes painted on rocks along the way (white, blue and orange). The route is divided into 12 sections. A Trans-Israel bike trail is also presently in the works.
That's the good news. Unfortunately, this wonderful trail bypasses the city of Jerusalem. And so, just last year, The New Jerusalem Trail was officially inaugurated. It connects the Trans-Israel Trail with Jerusalem and is marked with the special symbolic Lion that appears on Jerusalem’s city emblem.

The first time I hiked this trail was during the annual late-night hike my Yishuv takes on Yom Yerushalayim. Since then I've had the good fortune of guiding many people along this trail, including my wife and children just this past Pesach. We had loads of fun.

The trail begins (or ends!) at the entrance to the Emek Tzurim National Park (free admission) on the Mount of Olives, between Hebrew University and Beit Orot. The park was only opened in the year 2000. Enjoy the Mount Scopus lookout. It's about a 10 minute walk down into the Kidron Valley.

During Pesach, we stopped off at the recovery center of Temple Mount remains. This is a wonderful project involving sifting through the dirt which was carted off the Temple Mount some years ago. You can spend an hour or two (or more if you want) assisting the archaeologists as they make their fantastic finds. We discovered an ancient coin while we were there. It's really a lot of fun. Contact the City of David at *6033 for more information.

The trail continues into the Kidron Valley, up to the Orson Hyde Park and then down towards Derech Hashiloah where the Mount Olives information center is located. From there it's just a short walk to Absalom's Tomb and then onward to the Pool of Siloam in the City of David. From there I walked up to the kotel, but you can continue on into the Ben-Hinnom Valley, the ancient border between the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, up to the Cinamateque Bridge.

Plans are underway for the trail to continue on up to Armon Hanatziv into Shvil Yisrael into the Judean Hills. For more information, contact National Parks at *3639.

And for you techies, The City of David offers a self-guided tour of the Jerusalem trail with your own mp3, cell phone or PDA. Simply go to www.cityofdavid.org.il and choose the Jerusalem Trail tour. Download the complete tour files and transfer the files to your device. Each track is a station on the tour.

Enjoy a safe and wonderful summer. Be sure to always bring along plenty of water on your hikes.