Thursday March 20, 2014
Today we spent the morning in Nazareth. It was not what anyone expected – “Nazareth” does not conjure up images of congested traffic, billboards, and Gucci watch shops. Nestled in the middle of 21st century chaos, however, the spring at which the Greek Orthodox faith believes the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary still flows. We visited an old Orthodox Church built over the spring, and some of us chose to taste the water that is tapped directly from the spring. We also toured The Basilica of the Annunciation, which is built over the cave in which other Christians believe Mary encountered Gabriel. Mary’s grotto and the archeological remains of ancient churches previously built on the site are still visible. We also enjoyed the many mosaics depicting Jesus in the style and ethnicity of different countries. The Basilica is beautiful, and we were treated to a lovely gift when the sounds of a choir rose throughout the sanctuary just as some of our students rose from prayer.
While in Nazareth, we also shopped at an amazing Arab spice shop. We had to duck through an undersized door at street level and descend down a stone staircase into the 250 year old building filled with bins and bags of spices, nuts, and dried fruit. It felt like going back in time. The kids filled bags with nuts and pumpkin seeds to munch on as we strolled through the market. Lunch was shawarma, shaved lamb and veal, eaten with pita, tahini, and veggies. The kids are getting used to the giant spreads put out for us at every meal!
We have reached the stage of the trip where our students are saying, “Is the tour over yet? I want to get back to my kids!” They have really bonded with their families and don’t want to miss a minute of time with them. They hurried back to the Village for an afternoon of play. Jacob, Katie, and Alex played a pick-up soccer game with kids from ages 9 to 16. They looked like old friends, heckling each other and slapping each other on the back after good plays. Alexandra and several of the girls from her michpaton were hard at work sorting through their wardrobes, choosing each other’s outfits for tomorrow’s Shabbat dinner. Emily and Rachel got a workout trying to keep up with their kids on the trampoline that is shared among the families. We took a break midday to surprise Emily with a birthday cake to celebrate her turning Sweet Sixteen. She will have another party with her michpaton this evening. This is a birthday she’ll never forget!
Tomorrow will be another day focused on spending time with the Village kids. There are plans for a cooking lesson, a Purim parade, Shabbat dinner with our families, and then a night at the movies with the older teens from the Village. A movie night at the local mall is unremarkable for us, but a very big deal for them. These last days at the Village are all about cementing the friendships that have grown so quickly. I can already tell that some of these relationships will continue long after the trip.
Take care,
Jerilyn