Hello from Israel, Mom.
Dan and I are so excited to begin our journey of discovery in The Middle East. I am writing to you from our starting point, Tiberias on The Sea of Galilee, in the North of Israel.
We planned this trip with intentions to see the holy land, and have a deep desire to understand the complex culture, geopolitical history and contemporary dynamics of the region. So I am thinking I’ll share some highlights of each.
For now, some early thoughts and observations:
- Israel is a paradox, a young country (established in 1948) with an ancient history.
- Israel is a pocket of democracy in The Middle East, but has no constitution.
- There is currently a high degree of civil unrest as Prime Minister Netanyahu seeks to reform the judicial system. Protests centered in Tel Aviv with tens of thousands of citizens in the streets, are taking place across the country.
- Israel is on the same fault line as Turkey, which recently experienced a major earthquake.
- The Dead Sea—bordered by Israel on the west and Jordan on the east—is the lowest point on earth, at approximately 425 meters below sea level.
- Israel is Mediterranean, and the plants and trees are a mix of what we see when in France or Italy. April brings green grass, with many things in bloom—roses, jasmine, orange and lemon trees, bougainvillea, wisteria, rosemary, lavender, and date palms (mostly medjool) to name a few.
- The weather is pleasant. Temperatures are in the 70s, with warming sunshine and light breezes.
We are looking forward to immersing ourselves in the culture and history of this place, and feel especially privileged to be here when Ramadan, Passover and Easter coincide.
More to come…..
XOXO,
Shannon
Notes to Mom 