Day 687: Lech-Lecha Artist - Miryam Israel

I came across this woman's story and thought it was kind of cool. Apparently she was born in Lisbon, Portugal, and in the early 90s, decided to take a trip to Israel. While visiting Jerusalem, she had a special experience with G-d and felt like she was being called to return to her Jewish roots.

So, despite having a well established life and career in Portugal, Miryam left her family, home, and job, and moved to "the land G-d showed her." All alone, she made aliyah to Israel and began to paint. She focused her artistic talent on painting Biblical and/or Jewish landscapes, scenes, and the people of the Old City.

Today, Miryam is a citizen of Israel and continues to live and paint in Jerusalem. http://www.israelartguide.co.il/yisrael/

Even though Miryam doesn't appear to be affiliated with a specific art gallery, I have a strong feeling that I will meet her one day. I can almost picture walking down a street in the Old City of Jerusalem and there she is -capturing the scene with her canvas and pastels.

I think Miryam Israel is an inspiration to anyone who has ever felt the call to pick up and start a new life someplace else. Talk about a "leap of faith."

Day 686: Tzfat Gallery of Mystical Art

The Tzfat Gallery of Mystical Art. Okay, who could pass up on visiting a place with such a cool name? Certainly not me. Anyplace that combines art, mysticism, and Judaism, is my kind of place! So visiting this gallery in Safed is definitely going to be on my Israel "must see" list.  

The Tzfat Gallery of Mystical Art is located in the Old City of Tzfat, in the Mayan Haradum Square in the center of the Artist Quarter. The gallery is run by artist Avraham Lowenthal. Born and raised in the United States, this Israeli artist blends the study of  Jewish spirituality with his passion for painting. In addition to running his gallery/art studio, Avraham also offers an "Introduction to Kabbalah" class to travelers. This free presentation focuses on how the mystical teachings of the Kabbalah have inspired Avraham's art. Groups are encouraged to set up tours in advance.

Gallery Phone:  04-692-3051
avraham@kabbalahart.com

Returning Light Meditation

In the video below, Avraham discusses how this painting "Returning Light Meditation" is aligned with the teachings of unconditional love, as outlined in the Kabbalah.

Update: when my son when on his Birthright Trip to Israel, by "coincidence" his tour took him to this exact same gallery. Being a teenager, he of course had never read my blog and had no idea that I written about wanting to go to this place. However, as he walked around the gallery, he said that he couldn't help but think how much I would love it there. So, he collected a business card and brought it back for me. And guess what was the graphic on that business card?  The Returning Light Meditation of course. 

Day 685: Change of Plans

There is a great quote by the great "Jewish Philosopher", Woody Allen:

“If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.” 

~ Woody Allen

So there I was, thinking that I had a solid plan on when I would travel to Israel. On the day that I first created this blog, I set a specific intention on exactly when I would be going to visit Israel. I even got clear on how long I wanted to go for. However, I wasn't too clear on the HOW.

But, being the woo woo kind of person that I am, I decided to say "Yes" to the whole thing. I somehow just figured that if it was meant to be, it would all work out somehow. After all, during the course of my life I have made many "leaps of faith" that worked out perfectly. The trick to this attitude is not become too attached to the answer. Which means, that you sometimes have to realize that the universe may likely tweak your goal and give you something even better than you originally thought of.

So a couple of months ago, my hubby and I decided to go out for coffee and talk. It had been quite awhile since we got out of the house and really had a good heart-to-heart about our life and where it was heading. One thing that came up during that chat was that my husband was actually not very happy with my plans to go Israel. Not because he had any issue of me going there, but more at not being included in the equation. Little did I realize that he thought 100 days was a little bit too long for us to be apart. So with that in mind, we started talking about "what it would take" for him to come with me.

One thing led to another, and we started to get a grander vision of maybe 100 days was thinking too small. If I really wanted to get a feel for what it is like to live in Israel, travel to all the places listed on this blog, then maybe we should plan a much longer trip.  Especially since I am now very determined that a big part of going to Israel is to document my adventures in a book.

At this point, I am not sure if my original departure date will work for both my husband and I traveling together.  Especially since my youngest son will still be slugging out his time in High School. So the trip might need to be delayed for a few more years... so that we are in a better position to pick up and leave the United States for an extended period of time.

However, not being the kind of person who throws the baby out with the bathwater, I am not willing to let go of my original departure date.  Perhaps it won't come into fruition of the 100 day trip I planned. However, maybe it might evolve into an abbreviated trip that I take by myself.  At the very least, it gives me a target to work towards... instead of a "someday we'll go to Israel".  I hate "someday" as it is just too vague and never seems to materialize.

 So in the meantime, I will continue with my plans. Continue with this blog.  And just keep moving forward towards that lofty goal of mine.

Day 404: Back On Track

It has been about ten months since my last blog entry. While it may have seemed that I had abandoned my dream (and blog), that's far from the truth. Sometimes along the journey, instead of a nice straight line, we find our path is more curved and we're forced to take a few detours.

"An obstacle may be either a stepping-stone or a stumbling block...Its your choice."

~unknown

This past year has been a real transition year for me. It's been a year of great change for both my family and myself. This year saw me make the transition from working part-time to working full-time. Even though I still work from home, the number of clients I'm juggling fills my entire work week. While I have been blessed with lots of opportunities for contract work, the challenge has been to stay balanced with work, family, and other commitments.

This past year also marked the end of my homeschooling journey. This Fall, my eldest will be starting university to pursue a degree in Engineering, and my youngest has decided that he'd like to experience traditional high school. So this August, one son will begin carpooling with his father to the university each day, while my other son boards a school bus. Knowing this homeschooling adventure would soon be over, I spent this past school year teaching one last round of homeschool co-op classes. Even though this meant an incredible amount of additional work, it was totally worth it. It was kind of our homeschool "swan song".

As a coincidence (are there really any?) the last class I taught was a unit study on Israel. I spent four weeks teaching a group of about 25 homeschool teens about my favorite country. I taught them about the geography, history, demographics, economy, biblical sites, and the politics of Israel. To prepare for the class, I spent countless hours doing research on all the topics covered. As a result, I found myself even more intrigued with this tiny little country. The more I discover about Israel, the more I marvel at the country's achievements.

At the conclusion of our class, I decided that one of the reasons I was "called" to teach it was to get me back on the right path. Now that my sons are moving towards their own journeys, I am free to shift the focus to my own goals.

As a result of other events that happened this year, I am more aware of all that needs to get done in the next 500+ days to make this dream a reality. For starters, as a result of the trip I took to Europe last Fall, I now know that it is absolutely imperative that I learn to speak Hebrew. One thing I  learned in France is that it's rather frightening not being able to speak the native language. While I was in Paris, a freak accident shut down the entire metro service on the day I was heading to the airport. Not being able to speak French, I was at the mercy of strangers as I tried to figure out a hasty backup plan. Therefore, I feel I must know the rudiments of Hebrew before I get on a plane bound for Israel.

Another thing I learned during my trip to Europe, is that despite preparing a detailed budget in advance, everything ended up costing a whole lot more than I expected. The life of a world traveler is certainly an expensive one. Therefore, to survive 100 days in Israel I'm going to need a lot more money than I first imagined. This is why I am now researching possible sources of funding. I have already begun to look into possible research and/or arts grants. I am also looking into the possibility of having the entire trip funded as part of a book deal. I believe that the funding out there already exists, I just have to find the people that are looking to help me.

Finally, my trip to England and France, provided me with some great learning experiences that helped me decide if I was cut out for world travel. At the beginning of my journey, I did find it a little scary to be a "stranger in a strange land". However, with each new city, town, and country I visited, my confidence began to grow. I learned that to be a savvy traveler you just need to keep your wits about you and stay flexible. Most importantly, you have to find a pace that doesn't wear you out. While you may be tempted to "do it all" you will never have the time, energy, or finances, so you need to have realistic expectations. With that in mind, I will plan my Israel itinerary accordingly.

Now that I'm back on track with my dream (and this blog), it would be wonderful if I could begin making daily posts. However, I think it would be more realistic if I strive for weekly updates instead. The key thing for me right now is being able to maintain balance in my current life, as well as work towards my future goals.

Day 103: First Aliyah Museum

Another site to see in Zichron Yaakov is the First Aliyah Museum.  The First Aliyah to Israel was comprised of families.  This brave group of 35,000 pioneers came to Israel between 1882-1904 to escape the pogroms of their native countries.

The museum is located in a very well preserved historical building.  While touring the museum visitors get an intimate introduction to the people of that time - where you learn about their hardships, disappointments, hopes, and victories. The museum features a structured tour which presents the historical sequence of the migration and includes innovative multi-media presentations, which are supplemented with historical documents, old photographs, authentic tools, and sculptures.

The museum is dedicated to Moshe and Sarah Aronson, one of the first settlers that arrived in 1882.  Their story is exhibited through an exciting movie that attempts to chronicle their life in Israel. The museum has three floors and each one describes a different period in time.

Note:  The term "aliyah" is the Hebrew word for "return".  Essentially, aliyah means to return to one's homeland.  When you hear someone refer to "making aliyah", they are referring to making the move to live in Israel.  

Day 102: Aaronson House

In addition to their fine wines (see yesterday's post), one of Zichron Yaakov's most interesting tourist attraction is the Araonson House.  Once a private dwelling, the house is now a museum that chronicles the life of the Aaronson family.  The family was involved with NILI, a Jewish spy ring that worked for the British Military during WWI.  At that time, the Ottoman Turks were in control of Palestine and the British has plans to take over.   The Jews believed that supporting the British would help lead to the birth of a Jewish nation.

The village of Zichron Yaakov served as an important center of activity for the members of NILI,  and especially its leaders.  Led by Avshalom Feinberg and Aaron Aaronson, the leaders of NILI recruited others in the community to spy on behalf of the British.  Two of the recruits were none other than Aaron's two sisters, who were both in love with Avshalom. 

While visiting the Aaronson House, visitors learn all about NILI, their secret codes, and the epic stories of the Aaronson family - which range from romance to intrigue to tragedy.  This museum is not recommended for children.

Day 101: Israel's Napa Valley

Just south of Haifa is a little village called Zichron Yaakov.  If you are an Israeli, you simply refer to the village by it's first name - Zichron. They say that this region is Israel's version of Napa Valley, as it is the home to several different wineries.

The village has an interesting history. Originally called "Zamarin", the first settlers arrived in 1882 from Romania. At that time, the area was an inhospitable place with rocky soil. The early settlers attempted to grow wheat and potatoes. That farming venture was unsuccessful and soon 10% of the population were dead.  Despite all that, the settlers were determined to tough it out.

A European philanthropist was so impressed with these settlers that he approached Baron Edmond de Rothschild in France for financial support. Rothschild sent an envoy to check out the village, who recommended the area would be ideal for vineyards.  Five years later, the Baron visited the village and discovered a thriving community.  At his request, the village was renamed "Zichron Yaacov" (which is Hebrew for "In Memory of Jacob".  However, instead of being in honor of the Biblical patriarch, the village was named in honor of Baron James "Jacob" de Rothschild, who was Edmond's father.

Due to the success of the vineyards, there are many wineries in the area.  Probably the most famous of them all is the Carmel Mizrahi Winery.  It is Israel's largest winery and accounts for about 75% of the country's wine.  Established in the late 1800's, this winery has stood the test of time.   Carmel offers tours and wine tastings, where visitors are invited to learn all about the winery and about the process of making wine.  They strive to educate visitors to the max, by even teaching you how to hold your glass and the best method for tasting all the different wines.

Next up is the Morad Winery.  They too offer tours and include demonstrations on how they incorporate fruits, vegetables, and herbs, into their wines and liqueurs.  The fruits they use are exotic - ranging from passion fruit to pomegranates.  While not quite as established at the Carmel Winery, Morad has been in the wine business for over 40 years.

The Tishbi Winery has something a little different to offer.  In addition to their winery, they also have a tourist center which boasts a popular Kosher dairy restaurant.  The menu includes fresh cheeses from the Hameiri Dairy Farm (which I blogged about earlier), fresh baked bread, and a gourmet chocolate/wine tasting center.  One especially unique feature of the Tishbi Winery is that they have a "filling station", where you are encouraged to bring in your own empty bottle of wine, fill it up, and pay for your wine by the liter.

Other wineries in the area include:  Smadar Winery, Somek Winery, and Poizner Winery.  I could see wanting to spending a few days checking out this cool little village.