Israel Trip

Pic1: Because of Compulsory military service Armed teenagers on Israeli streets are common.

Israelis and India

An Israeli: “Where are you from?”

Me: “I am from India”

Israeli: “Wonderful, the best country in the world!”

And then he begins from Taj, Kamasutra, Pushkar mela, Rajasthan, and several things even I didn’t know about India!! And, ‘by Indian standards’ I know … that I know a lot about India!

I went to visit Israel on a long weekend (June 2006) and I just fell in love with Israel and Israelis! One thing that surprised me the most was their knowledge about India. Why do Israelis know a lot about India? Well, because after compulsory military service they all go to visit India or South America … most of them of course to India. Israelis are down-to-earth, mingle with strangers very easily … although I don’t know if they got along with me so easily was because of me being Indian or if they hang around with any stranger :-)

Compare this with my interactions with Cypriots:

Cypriot: “Where are you from?”
Me: “I am from India”
Cypriot: “Is it IN Sri Lanka?”
Me: “Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat??? :-O ”

Check-in at Larnaca airport

Although I work in Amdocs, which is an Israeli company and Doxians travel regularly to Israel and vice-versa, I was grilled with lots and lots of questions, all asked by poker faced security people. Never before have I been asked so many questions in my life except written examinations. Well, the security guy did state a disclaimer: “the questions which I am going to ask may seem absurd to you, but are vital to our security.” He kept asking about why I want to go, is this luggage yours, is that x yours, is that y yours :P, whom will I meet in Israel, can he check their contacts, do I have email print-outs of interactions with friends in Israel :-O and blah blah.

Thank God I work in Amdocs.

Jerusalem, Wailing Wall, Al-Aqsa Mosque

The walled city, the oldest city, the most disputed city in history … lots of superlatives attached to this Holy Land. I saw the wailing wall, on one side of which Jews pray and on other side Muslims. The ‘Dome of Rock’ is the most important holy place for Jews and they collect in large numbers here on Friday night to read their holy book: The ‘Torah’. It’s said that if they shake their head frequently up and down then they can read more consciously. I could hear Namaz as well, loud and clear from other side of the wall.

Massada

Our guide told us this inspiring story of Jewish sacrifice. When Romans attacked Jerusalem, all Jews ran to a hill near the Dead Sea called Massada. They formed their own community similar to Kibbutz (cooperative group home, typical of Jewish way of living) and started living there. When Romans attacked them with huge stone slingshots, except for few, all committed suicide! A Jew never commits suicide; a Jew considers life as sacred by religion. And they had food still left on the hill. They did it to prove that they chose to die than to live a slave’s life. Today, Massada serves as a scenic tourist spot giving an awesome view of Dead Sea.

Dead Sea

The lowest land on earth, 400 meters below sea-level; the Dead Sea is receding by a meter every year! I am not sure if my grandchildren will be able to see it or not J The Dead Sea is a sea in which nobody can drown! It is so saline that my body floated in it. High with salt and mineral content, especially sulphur and natural minerals, that the dead sea mud is used to manufacture medicines and cosmetics by several laboratories around Dead Sea, notably the Ahava Laboratories.

Ahava

I bought a lot of Ahava products: the Dead Sea Mud, Moisturizer, shampoo, combo packs, many of the girly cosmetics I didn’t understand :P I gifted all to my sisters and mother …! Loreal markets these products worldwide, so they are very costly outside Israel. And of course, anything bought ‘at the source’ is always cheap. The world’s oldest wine: Commandaria is cheap in Cyprus, because it belongs to Cyprus. I found Dead Sea products 50% cheaper in Ahava Labs near Dead Sea than if I had bought them in Tel Aviv.

Falafel

The quintessential Mediterranean delicacy: Falafel, is claimed by all Mediterranean countries as theirs J Basically, a boat-shaped wheat pita bread filled with fried pakorahs, spices, chutney, or if u like meat, salad or anything of your choice … to be eaten without any fork and knife! I had a whale of a time with lots and lots of falafel every day

Tel Aviv City

Considered a sin-city by people living in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv is like any other metropolitan city in the world; with great nightlife, beautiful beaches with lovely sunset view, big shopping malls and bigger skyscrapers. Tel Aviv caters to the fun-tourists, not so history or religion oriented.

Tel Aviv Beach
I spent a day on the beach strolling and taking pics of sunset. Although I walked several miles from Allenby Street to the seaport, I found several bikers on the parallel street to the beach. One thing to note was the separated male and female beache catering to the orthodox Jews, I guess.

Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv University, The Jewish Diaspora Museum: Bet Hatefutsoth

At age of twenty-four I have lived in India, Cyprus and United States. I have visited Israel, Egypt and Bahrain. If somebody asks me which is the country with the largest number of intellectuals in the world? I will reply India; however, the largest per capita brain power is in Israel. They are so learned!! In Judaism, they have emphasis on education by religion. Tel Aviv University houses several Nobel laureates. Einstein was a Jew! Several notable scientists and thinkers in the world are Jews. The Jewish Diaspora Museum chronicles the Jewish history of more than 2 millenniums, the emphasis is more on the Jewish way of life and the several places where Jews came back to Israel from, including Jews from Cochin, India and Morocco.