By Jerry Vaughn, Travel Talk
During the holiday season, many people celebrate based on their faith, which naturally brings thoughts of the Holy Land since it is the setting for the events they are celebrating.
Without regard to one’s religion, Israel is like no other and a place that is fascinating beyond words if you have the opportunity to visit. The constant barrage of negative news images of Israel with the conflict and turmoil would seemingly keep tourists away. Yet more than 600,000 North Americans visited Israel last year. Many of those were church-sponsored tours, but many were individual visits as well. North Americans make up almost 30 percent of the total number of visitors, and represent the largest single source of tourism to the country.
Israel is the cradle of Judaism, Christianity and Islam alike, so it has a broad attraction for visitors.
I will share with you my experience in Israel and urge you, whether based on religious reasons, personal interests or the desire to see fascinating places, to consider Israel as a vacation destination, particularly around the holidays. There are a number of very good tour operators who provide cultural, nature, historic and biblical tours. These operators work closely with the Israeli security services to ensure your safety, which is their highest concern.
During my tenure as the executive director of the International Association of Chiefs of Police in the mid-1980s, I was invited to visit Israel for 10 days as a guest of Gad Avinar, the Director General of the Israeli National Police. The purpose of my visit was as part of a technology and tactics exchange program designed to share the best practices regarding public safety and security.
Beyond the work-related activities, my Israeli hosts were outstanding in terms of ensuring I saw all the significant historic sites throughout the country both by small plane and by vehicle.
To put the impact of my visit on me personally into context, it is useful to understand the personal background I took into it. I was raised in a very strict Baptist home where church was a big part of our lives, albeit somewhat forced until I was old enough to rebel a bit. As a young boy, I would sit in Sunday school classes and hear about places like Jerusalem, Nazareth, Bethlehem, the Dead Sea and Galilee. They seemed almost surreal to a young child in that setting. When visiting, however, on more than one occasion I would have to pinch myself because it was hard to believe I was actually seeing those places I heard about so many years ago and the importance they held in the church setting.
Most trips to the Holy Land start with a visit to Jerusalem. Israel’s capital city occupies an important place in the hearts and minds of Muslims, Christians and Jewish alike.
The walled section comprising the Old City of Jerusalem is an area rich in the historical traditions of these three religions. A view of the old city from the Mount of Olives is moving. The old city is home to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aksa Mosque on the Temple Mount.
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is the holiest Christian site in Jerusalem, the site of Jesus’ crucifixion, burial and resurrection. The Western Wall or “Wailing Wall” provides the focal point for Jewish worship and stands as an enduring symbol of the Jewish homeland.
The Grotto beneath the wall is an inspiring place to visit. I took a snapshot with a cheap Kodak Disc camera that turned out to look like an oil painting. After enlarging it, it still hangs on our living room wall today. The 1,916 foot wall is all that remains of the Second Temple of Jerusalem, built in 30 B.C. by King Herod.
Following Orthodox Jewish practice, the praying sections have been separated for men and women. Men are required to wear a skullcap and women must be modestly dressed. On Fridays, the Jewish Shabbat or Sabbath, the men’s section particularly pulsates with the songs and a prayer of the faithful, as in principle the whole area is an Orthodox synagogue. The wall is also sacred to Muslims who believe that it is where the prophet Mohammed tied up his winged horse, Al Burak, before ascending into heaven.
Temple Mount is of Jewish and Christian historical importance on two accounts: The large rock is believed to be the place where Abraham offered his son Isaac up for sacrifice, and the First Temple is the place where the Ark of the Covenant was housed. The Via Dolorosa (Road of Sorrow), also known as the Way of the Cross, is the route Jesus is said to have followed as he carried the cross to his crucifixion.
The Old City can be accessed through seven of the eight gates punctuating the ancient walls enveloping it. Within these walls are the separate quarters of the Muslim, Jewish, Christian and Armenian communities. For an orientation of the Old City, it is best to set off along the Ramparts Walk, originally designed for watchmen, or to climb the Citadel of David for a panoramic vista of Jerusalem.
No trip to Israel would be complete without a visit to the Yad Vashem memorial to the Holocaust. The Historical Museum chronicles the history of the Holocaust from the implementation of the Nazi’s anti-Jewish policies to the mass murder of millions of people. Visits to Nazareth, Ramallah and Bethlehem and the Dead Sea were intriguing when you think of the history and aura that surround them.
To visit Israel is to visit the birthplace of modern societies and the originations of many of our beliefs, ideals and convictions.
Jerry Vaughn is president of World Voyager Vacations in Federal Way and can be reached at jvaughn@worldvoyagervacations.com.
