Jerusalem

September 16, 2022

Another great concert on Sunday evening. A pianist and strings doing a Mozart piano quartet and a chamber version of the Chopin concerto in e minor. Someone said that the pianist's page turner was ill, so Jim got drafted into duty at the last minute. He was happy to do it. And there were a lot of notes!!! However, then minutes before the concert, a young man comes rushing into the Center and says he's the page turner... a little too late!

Earnshaws, Barkers, and Welches went to Ein Kerem, not far from here in western Jerusalem. This is the traditional birthplace of John the Baptist, and where Mary came to see Elizabeth. We went to the Church of St. John the Baptist, with its blue-tiled interior (but covered in scaffolding); then Mary’s Spring; and the Church of the Visitation, honoring Mary and Elizabeth. A grumpy Franciscan monk didn’t want us to come into the chapel, so no pictures in there. There’s an organ in there, too. We walked up the hill to see the Russian Orthodox Gorney Convent, but it was closed (even though the website said otherwise). We walked further up the hill to the Hadassah Medical Center which is a huge, modern hospital. We went there to see the 12 stained glass windows by Marc Chagall. Each one portrays characteristics of Jacob’s 12 sons (not tribes, as our German émigré guide Leah told us). We liked the artwork, albeit quite abstract. We had lunch at the food court at the hospital! Little pizzas, sandwiches, etc. Then back to Jerusalem.

Church of St. John the Baptist

Traditional birth place of John the Baptist

Church of the Visitation

Just a glimpse of the Chagall work as our guide asked us not to post pictures of the copyrighted windows. Being an active synagogue, men were asked to wear head coverings/kippahs.

We've met many very nice people when they have come to tour the Center. Although we had some scheduled tours, this week we had mostly walk-ins. Two couples came from Tel Aviv area, very chatty and friendly. One man was an engineer, the other a retired urologist. When asked where the engineer was born, he said he was born in an American army camp in Germany at the end of WW2. This would make him 76 or 77. Wow—parents rescued and in an American camp. Another guest was a man from Haifa with his daughter who’s going to Bezalel at Hebrew University. Everyday it is so interesting! We think tourists like a more informal tour and the demo Jim does on the organ (rather than playing a “recital”) has been well received. Jim gets a sense of the group and adjusts each musical program specifically for them.

The students leave for Jordan and Petra this week. There was a pre-trip meeting about Jordan (although we’re not going this time, but maybe in January). Jim stayed after to watch Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade which features Petra. Fantastic!

Artsy photos from our journeys:

The lion represents the Israelite tribe of Judah (Judea) throughout the Old Testament of the Hebrew Bible. You see lions all over the place.