Ok, let me cut to the chase. If you get invited to an American style barbecue in Israel, go anywhere else instead. Really, you’ll be happier. Trying to eat a lukewarm hot dog in a stale pita bread with a topping of hummus and chopped vegetables is not worthy of your efforts. It was a miracle not one person got sick. And it’s a pity dinner was so bad, because the location of this “barbecue” was one of the most beautiful in Israel.
The last trip of our pre-camp week took us to the Galilee region of northern Israel. The Sea of Galilee is a freshwater lake fed by and drained by the Jordan river. It’s the worlds lowest freshwater lake, at 750 ft below sea level, and is surrounded on most sides by tall 1500 ft mountains that go right to the waters edge.
Sea of Galilee
The Galilee has been a place of settlement for 500,000 years. Many of the important events of early Christianity took place here, and the area was a center of wealth in biblical times. It’s an area of great importance to Israel, as it is the source of freshwater for Jerusalem and points south. It’s also an area under considerable environmental pressure, as it’s level is dangerously low. Should the water level drop much more, the lake will be in danger of saltwater incursion from saltwater springs under the lake. The weight of the freshwater is all that keeps them from flowing in now. Fish lovers alert- this is the home of Tilapia (St. Peters fish), which has become a popular product of the aquaculture industry.
The Sea of Galilee is bordered on the east by the Golan Heights, an area of great strategic importance to Israel and the center of a great deal of conflict. Since the ‘67 war is has been settled and governed by Israeli civilian authorities. It’s occupation is highly contested by Syria and Lebanon, and the area has many UN troops stationed there, as well as Israeli Defense Forces. It’s been in the news frequently as the Israeli government has been pressing the UN to modify Israel’s right to investigate potential Hezbollah strong houses without prior notice to Lebanese forces.
Our trip included a stop at a Druze village on Mt. Carmel for lunch with a Druze family. The Druze are a a religious minority in Israel, who have a 1000 year old religion that believes in Monotheism and reincarnation. In Israel, they are citizens, and serve the requisite 3 years of military service. They are well regarded amongst the Israelis and well integrated into Israeli society. There are approximately 750,000 t0 2,000,000 Druze worldwide, with 118,000 in Israel and 20,000 in the US.
Isifiya
In Middle east fashion, we were shown warm hospitality, and after a brif introduction to the Druze, we were served a delicious meal of fresh flat bread, salads and sausages, followed by hot sweet tea.
Lunch is Served
My fellow travellers enjoyed the lunch, devouring the first tray and most of the second. The young fellow on the left and I had a traditional (Connecticut) discussion of the merits of the various pizza restaurants in New Haven. Sort of strange, but comforting in an odd way.
Big Eaters
Following lunch we continued on to the water park in Tiberius, at the south end of the Sea of Galilee. Boat rides, swimming in the warm lake, Frisbee and the water slide provided a relaxing afternoon enjoyed by all.
Bathers
Water Slide
After the completely forgettable, highly un-digestable dinner, we concluded the pre-camp week by breaking up into groups and discussing the experiences we shared and the travels we took. A nice end to a very busy week. A 2 hour bus ride brought us back to our lodgings at midnight.
Bonfires