Page 28 - Shalom Toronto Lifestyle Passover 2020

Travels to Israel Excerpt from an Armchair Travel Presentation by Susan Brown
Old Jaffa Alleyway
Susan Brown is a Travel Lecturer, delivering presentations to retirement residences and seniors’ groups.
Email: snbrown@rogers.com
To millions of Jews, Christians and Muslims, the Holy Land is sacred. A trip to Israel can fulfill any traveller’s wish list of visiting ancient ruins
and enjoying wonderful cuisines.
JAFFA
Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical story of Jonah, as it is thought to have been the port from which he departed in the story of the whale. It is also known for its connection to Solomon and St. Peter. Fishing folk haul in their catch in this historic port just as they have done for centuries. As well, the city is noted for its export of Jaffa oranges.
Ancient zodiac imagery has been unearthed by archaeologists throughout the Old City. Twelve alleys, each named for a sign of the zodiac, lead from the main square to the port. The alleys are designated with blue tiles showing the street names. Today, some of Israel’s leading artists live and work in these alleys where a number of art galleries can be found.
TEL AVIV
Tel Aviv, whose name means Spring Hill, is Israel’s financial and technological centre. Its founders were inspired by the European cities of Warsaw and Odessa. Right from the beginning, they envisioned it as a future city, clean and modern.
A number of residents had a desire to move to a
healthier environment outside the crowded and noisy city of Jaffa. They established a company and, with the financial assistance from the Jewish National Fund, purchased twelve acres of sand dunes north of Jaffa. Sixty-six families gathered on a desolate sand dune to parcel out the land by lottery using sea shells that were collected on the beach. Placed into separate boxes, half the sea shells were white and half were grey. The members’ names were written on the white shells; the plot numbers on the grey shells. The names and plots were then drawn in the lottery.
Founders Square is the site where this historic lottery took place on April 11, 1909. It is also the site where David Ben-Gurion presided over the declaration of the state of Israel’s independence on May 14, 1948.
CAESAREA
Originally an ancient Phoenician naval station, the city was rebuilt by King Herod the Great as Caesarea Maritima. In honour of his patron, the Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus, Herod renamed it Caesarea. In its heyday, the harbor covered over forty acres and could accommodate three hundred vessels, making it one of the most significant seaports of the eastern Mediterranean. Herod built his palace on a natural promontory jutting out into the sea. There was also a hippodrome for sporting events such as chariot racing, and an Olympic sized swimming pool carved out of the natural bedrock.
Initially the water came from local wells. As the
Page 28 SHALOM TORONTO Passover 2020