By: Jason

When I was first awarded my Fulbright Fellowship, I was amazed and completely overwhelmed. I had initially thought that this was above and beyond my capabilities given the prestige and honor that come with such an award. I wasn't sure if I wanted to truly commit to living abroad (and in the Middle East). However, after giving myself some time to think more in depth about the decision and talk with friends and family, I quickly realized that accepting and engaging in Fulbright work was not only unique, but necessary. Even upon attending the Fulbright orientation in Washington D.C., I still had some doubts as to how my experience might be.

At the shuk in Jerusalem

As my Fulbright appointment grew closer, I was regularly in contact with my host at my sponsoring institute, the University of Haifa. My host was extremely helpful both in outlining our goals for the fellowship, as well as assisting with the logistical challenges that come with moving abroad and setting up for research in Israel. Within my first week in Israel, I realized I had made the right choice and have never looked back. Not only has this experience helped me to become a better scientist and teacher, my time spent abroad has truly allowed me to transform into a better person provide a positive influence on most everyone with whom I interacted.

Hunting for limpets (to feed my lobsters) with Ehud in Akko

I certainly had preconceived notions about the people I would meet. Instead, I was surprised by the diversity and breadth of individuals in not only the University setting, but our neighborhood, and throughout the country. I met people of all ages, colors, religions, and backgrounds. I had the opportunity to not only interact with academics (my assumption from the beginning), but with individuals in so many different scenarios. The collage of people that I had the pleasure to meet, talk to, and work with allowed me to see the true scope and vision of the Fulbright mission.  

Israeli soldier at the border in Rosh Hanikra

From an academic perspective, I believe my Fulbright experience has given me research and teaching opportunities that I would never have had. These experiences will eventually help me in moving forward with my career, but that is only part of it.

Since recently completing my Fellowship, I have had some time to continue to think about these impacts. I still come back to the most fulfilling part, which was the unique opportunity to forge new friendships, professional collaborations, and share opinions and perspectives. I can unequivocally say that my experience has been transformative and I have grown personally and professionally by leaps and bounds.

Hiking in Haifa

By: Rebecca

We've been using this blog as a travel diary, a way to communicate with friends and family, and to have something to remind ourselves of our adventures.

As fun as the blog is, it's still not something we can hold in our hands. Rather than printing out thousands of photos and filling up numerous photo albums, I decided it was time to try my hand at a photobook. The result was great and it's been fantastic to be able to bring the book when we visit friends and look through it together. So much more sociable than sitting around a computer staring at a slideshow.

I tried a couple of online photobook sites, and after some playing around, I settled on Mixbook. I loved how easy it was to customize the fonts, colors, layouts, etc. Since I was using the editor online and not uploading files from Photoshop or InDesign, having the flexibility in the software was fantastic. 

Since not all of you will see the finished product in person, here's a slideshow of the whole thing. Happy reading!

| Design your own Photo Book with Mixbook's easy online editor.

Note: The opinions in this post are my own and not in any way sponsored or solicited by Mixbook.

By: Rebecca

When we first arrived in Israel, it was hard not to make comparisons to things in the US. We found ourselves doing less and less of that as we became more familiar with living in a different country. There were always things we missed and things we wished were more like home, but we did adapt - probably better than we thought we would. 

I had thought that coming back to the United States would be something I looked forward to without any backward glances. I was surprised to find that I was not completely glad to leave. Ultimately, I am glad to be home (the US definitely feels like home), but I will miss Israel more than I thought. 

Spring flowers in the Galilee

Living abroad was an unforgettable experience. No matter where you are from, living in another country for awhile will open your eyes. I considered myself to be pretty aware of what was going on in the wider world. That is even more true now. Even just watching the news from another country gives you a different perspective. 

Our friends and family were worried for our safety because the impression in the US is that Israel is a dangerous place. It can be, but so can the United States. Granted, some of the dangers are very different (I never thought about rocket attacks in NH), but there are dangers everywhere. Israelis face threats head-on and the day-to-day life reflects the general awareness that something could easily happen. When you go to the mall, bus station, university or even the movies, you go through a metal detector and/or have your bags searched. If you drive to the mall, they search your car. Invasion of privacy you might say, but it's all in the name of safety - same reason you don't argue with metal detectors at the airport. The first few times I went to the grocery store in NH, I started to hand over my purse. It had become habit, just like I always fasten my seat belt in the car.

We will adapt to being home and, although it may take a little while, the US will once again feel like a familiar place. It is said that you can't go home again, but I don't think that's true. You can go home again. It's just that there may be more than one place to call home. 

Adventures in the Negev

This experience opened our eyes and taught us things we'd never have imagined. We hope that it has opened your eyes as well, especially now. As the conflict rages on between Israel and Gaza, we hope that our friends and family are safe. You can read more about our thoughts on the ongoing conflict in our post from a few weeks ago.

We have a few more blog posts in the works to wrap up our Israeli adventure. We hope to continue to blog about our travels and may even continue to write about the everyday. Not sure if we'll change the name of the blog or not, so stay tuned...

By: Rebecca and Jason

We have spoken a lot about our home away from home in Israel. One thing we really appreciated about Haifa was the mix of cultures it offered. We visited the other two major cities (Tel Aviv and Jerusalem) on many occasions, but are still glad that we ended up in Haifa. Tel Aviv feels like lots of other big cities - it did not have the same Israeli vibe as Haifa. Jerusalem, although beautiful and fascinating, is very intense. We found it to be a great place to visit, but not somewhere we'd want to live.

Despite our best efforts, we could not put our feelings of Haifa as eloquently as A.B. Yehoshua did in this article for Newsweek in 2011:

I am a proud native of Jerusalem, the fifth generation of a Jewish family that came to that illustrious city in the middle of the 19th century. Nevertheless, after the Six-Day War of 1967, my wife and I made the conscious choice to leave Jerusalem—not to move to Tel Aviv, like so many of our friends, but rather to go farther north to the port city of Haifa. Nearly 45 years later we still congratulate ourselves on this wise decision, not only because religious and political divisions have altered the character of Jerusalem—and undermined its sanity—but also because of Haifa’s unique qualities, which become clearer as time passes.

If I had to define Haifa in a single phrase, it would be this: the well-tempered city. This seaside city offers an ideal blend of various elements, which, in other parts of Israel, give rise to disharmony and conflict...

Read the rest of the article here.

One of my favorite views of Haifa from a park near our apartment

In the past few weeks, we've thought more about our time spent in Israel. Peace, for the moment, seems elusive at best. Perhaps the rest of the country should look to Haifa as an example of how to live side by side with people whose views differ from your own.

By: Rebecca 

Although we are back in the US, we are holding our breath along with all our friends and family in Israel as tensions mount between the Palestinians and the Israelis. We were fortunate to be in Israel during a time of relative calm. We know that our friends and family in the US were worried for our safety, but in reality, we never felt in danger. It's always different watching something from afar - the news agencies always report the worst or blow things out of proportion.

It is different this time. This time there are things to worry about. Rockets are threatening Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and even close to Haifa. We have friends who are running to shelter upon hearing the sirens. People we know are reminding their neighbors how long they have to get to a shelter - 15 seconds to 2 minutes - not very long in any case. We will check in more often, pay closer attention, and cross our fingers and toes.

We have always tried to remain neutral on this blog, to stay above the political fray and to share our experiences good or bad. We had many wonderful interactions with Arab Israelis, all of whom are grateful to be living in a country that allows them to practice their own beliefs; some of whom are in (or have children in) the IDF. We hope that those friends and neighbors are safe as well. 

Even though we are grateful to be back in the US, we also feel somewhat guilty for being here while our friends and family are going through these troubling times. It's hard to watch the news and see places we love under fire. Here's hoping for an end to the violence and a return to a stable (if not peaceful) situation. 

Shalom

By: Rebecca and Jason

Last month, Jason attended the 10th annual International Conference and Workshop on Lobsters in Cancún. Yes, an entire week devoted to all things lobster (including one evening of eating them). We decided to make a mini-vacation out of the trip so we flew down a couple days early to have some free time before the conference started. 

The view from our hotel balcony

The first night we arrived we went out to dinner at a restaurant just down the street from our hotel. Called Navíos, the restaurant is built on a pier on the lagoon-side of the barrier beach. We had some fantastic food (smoked marlin tostadas with avocado and picked onion was just one offering), tasty drinks, and great service from our waiter, Alberto, who looked like a Mexican version of Danny Divito.

On Sunday, we escaped the torrential rain in Cancún and took a bus tour to Chichén Itzá. Like all bus tours, there are several stops, but our favorite was Chichén Itzá itself. One of the new seven wonders of the world, the site was built by the Mayans around 600 AD. Having seen two of the other sites on the list (here and here) and the only one left of the original seven (here). We were impressed! We hadn't realized that there was more than the one huge pyramid. The site is quite large and varied. There are many temples to various gods, a market, ballcourts, roads, etc. Although I'm sure the tour guide had good things to say, we ditched the tour in favor of wandering around and getting a feel for the site ourselves. 

The great pyramid at Chichén Itzá

The ball court at Chichén Itzá

Temple of Sacrifice

At Chichén Itzá's sacred cenote

On the way back to Cancún we stopped in the town of Valladolid. The tour was running late so we only had a short time to wander around the main square, see the huge cathedral (San Servacio) and get a snack. We would have loved to explore the streets with their Spanish Colonial vibe - maybe next time.

The last stop before the long drive back to Cancún was a cenote (sinkhole). We took a quick swim in the cold, but refreshing water and stared up at the stalactites hanging from the ceiling. It was late and not so sunny, but the water was still a beautiful shade of blue. We got out feeling relaxed after a long day of sightseeing.  

I took a day off from the conference to visit Isla Mujeres, an island off the northern tip of Cancún. I took the ferry to the island and spent the afternoon wandering the quaint (though very full of tourist) streets and walking along the beautiful beach. Later in the week, Jason visited the reef off the island on his SCUBA trip. He got some fantastic photos and saw an abundance of marine life including, of course, lobsters!

Entrance to the beach on Isla Mujeres

Boats in the Isla's harbor

Mermaid statue on the east side of the Island

We would definitely visit the Yucatán again. Next time we'd love to do more exploring. Although the beaches of Cancún are gorgeous, there is so much more to do in this part of México. 

Stayed tuned for Jason's post on SCUBA diving. See more pictures of our trip here: 

Mexico

By: Jason

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Megiddo contains 25 cities that have been built successively one on top of the other in the form of a Tel, or hill. In some place you can actually see cross-sections of the building materials from each civilization in the side of the hill. Megiddo is located about 15-20 miles from Haifa (about a 45-minute drive) and it overlooks the beautiful Jezreel valley.

The view of the Jezreel valley from Megiddo

 The earliest civilization during the Calcolithic period dates to around 8,000 BCE (or about 10,000 years ago)! Tels are very common throughout Israel, however Megiddo is highly complex and one of the best places where one can observe multiple civilizations that include Canaanite, Assyrian, Egyptian, and Israelite, among others in a relatively natural state.

Layers of history

This site was also named Armageddon and mentioned in the Book of Revelations by the Greeks and became famous (or infamous depending on how you look at it) for several battles. The modern usage of the word denotes ‘end of the world’-type scenarios. Tel Megiddo also served as a main fortress on the Roman military road to the sea or Via Maris (see the last paragraph for just how important). The Egyptians waged war in two separate battles here, one against the Caananites and one with the Kingdom of Judah. The details of these battles are still found as hieroglyphics in underground Egyptian temples. More recently, Megiddo was the battle site between the Ottoman Empire (present day Turkey) and the British army during World War I and the Mandate period.

  

Ancient temple with circular altar

This is really one of those places that you have to stop and just try to take it all in one step at a time. There’s no speed walking through this place or you’ll be bound to miss the ancient temples, homes, and horse stables that are 1,000s of years old.  

One of my other highlights was the view and the surrounding fields. My friend and colleague Alex informed me that what appeared to be an ordinary agricultural field was, in fact, an un-excavated Roman fortress that is considered one of the largest in the Middle East!  Not that I didn’t believe Alex, but we drove up to the field after our Megiddo adventure and walked briskly up to a small hummock where, in about two minutes, Alex overturned a few rocks and pulled up some Roman artifacts!!  Pretty cool!  FYI, it seems as though this site is going to be excavated this summer, so it will be interesting to see how it looks the next time I go.

By: Rebecca

We are all familiar with taking a moment of silence to commemorate the anniversary of an event - usually a tragic one. Whether it is to mark the very minute of detonation at the finish line of the Boston marathon or impact of a plane into the World Trade Center, the hour of a loved one's passing, or the day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, we pause for a moment to remember. Once that moment is over, we get back to our usual busy lives and forget again.

Sometimes it is to mark a good thing, or nothing at all. We used to stand for a moment of silence every day after the morning announcements in high school. We take a moment of quiet at the end of yoga practice to find stillness in our bodies and minds. 

A minute of absolute silence is familiar. But what if that moment was punctuated by a sound? That is what the moment of remembrance is like on Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) in Israel. Promptly at 10:00am, the air raid sirens across the country sound for two full minutes. The tone is steady and unforgettable (and loud!). For two minutes a country of seven million people stands in stillness and silence to honor the memory of the millions that died during the Holocaust. You stop - on foot, in the car, on the train, it doesn't matter. You stop, go outside, and stand, empty handed for two full minutes. It is a powerful experience.

When we toured the Israel Museum, we saw a video of the main highway in Tel Aviv on Yom Hashoah. This is not the same video, but a similar one from a few years ago. It will hopefully give you a little feel for how powerful these two minutes are:

By: Rebecca and Jason

One of the best things about taking the bus is the people you meet. Israelis are not shy, and the person sitting across from you may just start talking to you out of the blue about anything, really. One Friday, on our way home from the University, we got to talking with a young man we met at the bus stop. He had asked us, in Australian accented English, if the buses were still running, but then was speaking Japanese to his friend. 

Born to a Japanese father and Jewish-Australian mother, A (we haven't asked permission to use his name) finished high school in Japan and decided that rather than go to college right away, he would like to come to Israel and join the army. This was blowing our minds! We were having a nice chat and it seemed too bad to just say goodbye when we got to our stop so, becoming Israeli ourselves, we invited A to come to dinner that night. We already had one guest coming, so the more the merrier. 

We came to find out that A had come to Israel to join the defense forces as a way to bridge his transition from high school to whatever he decided to do next. A's venture into the IDF provided him with a viable and diverse avenue for experiencing a truly Israeli experience. It was also a way for A to interact with other non-Hebrew speaking folks like himself who came to Israel as immigrants or just to give something back.  Needless to say, we were so impressed with A's courage and dedication to try something so new and different from that of his home in Japan.  Turns out that A serves in a non-combat role and was a spokesperson for the IDF and his language skills were especially used to help Japanese reporters in the country understand the various political issues in the country.

Since A was still living in the soldier barracks in Haifa we decided to offer him a nice quiet place to spend the night.  He not only took us up on the offer he already had his toothbrush with him! We were very happy to have him and have made him our unofficial son.

The following week, A's real parents were visiting all the way from Japan. He brought them to the University and Jason had a great time showing them his lobster experiments. We wish A the best of luck as he leaves the IDF for the next step on his journey.

By: Jason

Jerusalem is a city that seems to be an endless place of discovery. If you are willing to do a lot of walking off the beaten paths, often in the heat, you will undoubtedly uncover a never-ending list of new things you didn’t get to do the last time you were there. Now, add to this a fellow Fulbrighter, who just happens to be a classical archaeologist, to accompany you and viola!  -- Jerusalem becomes an even greater eye-opening experience.

I had the unique privilege to do just that and what a treat it was. Rather than going into lots of details about this particular excursion, I've listed some highlights and links to places that you might be interested in learning more about – these sites can say it much better than I can.

The day started at the market where we filled up on fresh produce, bread and cheese before taking the light rail to East Jerusalem and entering the Old City through Damascus Gate.

Damascus Gate - East Jerusalem

Mahane Yehuda Market:

One of the biggest and best in the country. The colors, smells, and sights of all that Israel has to offer. What seems like miles of fresh and dried fruits, fresh vegetables, hot breads and pastries, and some of the many  foods unique to Israel and the Middle East like hummus, falafel, tahina, and so much more. 

The halva stand in Mahane Yehuda Market -- the best!

Albright Institute of Archaeological Research:

Because we were in East Jerusalem and I was with an archaeologist, we of course had to stop by the Albright Institute. This colonial building, built at the turn of the 20th century is a primary center for Middle Eastern research. The institute is complete with an extensive library, part of which is housed in the confines of an old cistern, dorms for visiting scholars, and a quaint and peaceful outside garden that is insulated from the hustle and bustle outside the gates.

From the Albright's website:

“The W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research (AIAR) in Jerusalem is the oldest American research center for ancient Near Eastern studies in the Middle East. Located 500 meters north of the old walled city of Jerusalem, it is within walking distance of the Ecole Biblique, the British, German, Spanish and Swedish Schools of Archaeology, the Hebrew Union College-Nelson Glueck School of Biblical Archaeology, the Hebrew University (Mt. Scopus campus), the Rockefeller Museum, and the Israel Antiquities Authority.  Also, within easy driving distance are the Institute of Islamic Archaeology of Al-Quds University, the Israel Museum, the Bible Lands Museum and the Hebrew University (Givat Ram campus).”

Ece Homo ('Behold the Man') Church and Convent:

It is important to remember that, like many ancient cities, present-day Jerusalem is built upon literal layers of previous structures. To reach the time of the Roman occupation of the city, you need to descend on average 5-10 meters (15-30 feet) below the city, but sometimes much more. The Ece Homo Convent contains a system of tunnels and the original Roman forum built by Emperor Hadrian under the Antonine Fortress.  This site is of major significance for Christians, as it is believed to be one of the original locations along the Via Dolorosa.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Ethiopian Monastery:

The holiest of places for Christians, the Church of Holy Sepulchre was conceived and designed by the Emperor Constantine’s mother, Helena, who at an older age, made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in search of the places Christ resided.

At the top of the Church lies the Ethiopian Monastery (Deir El-Sultan) and there resides a group of Ethiopian Christians who found refuge here from persecution in their native homeland.  

Inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

The Ethiopian Monastery atop the Holy Church

Mount of Olives:

This is quite a hike and if you go, allow yourself plenty of time. We decided to try for a bus to take us there from just outside Damascus Gate in East Jerusalem.  Unfortunately, the bus was a no-show, so we opted for a crowded Arab sherut (shared taxi) that got us most of the way (quite the joy ride!). The Mount of Olives, is a mosaic of churches, gardens, olive groves, and an enormous Jewish cemetery. 

Lots of winding paths and walkways traverse through the gardens and alongside many places of religious significance. We found the “Tomb of the Prophets” and were led by a nice gentleman named Jemiel whose family home sat next to the cave for decades. Fantastic views are to be had from the mountain, especially close to sunset when the light hits the Old City, and the Temple Mount.  Also apparent from this vantage point is the Kidron Valley that separates the Mount of Olives from the plateau upon which the Old City sits.

From the Mount of Olives - looking down into the
Kidron Valley and across to the Temple Mount 

Looking up from the ancient city towards the
Dome of the Rock

We took a hike down the Mount of Olives and were immediately confronted by a ‘taxi driver’ who not only offered us a ride, but was also peddling illegal ancient coins (not a good thing to do when you have an archaeologist around!).

This 12-hour excursion through Jerusalem was by no means boring and I guarantee another trip would uncover a whole new world of interesting things!

By: Jason

As has been mentioned many times on this blog, there is no lack of good hikes (tiyulim) in and around Israel. Despite being such a small country, the number and kinds of hiking (waterfalls, plains, dessert, mountains, hills, coastal, beach) available are really amazing. Not to mention that in many of these places also walked some of the most important people in history.

Haifa, even though it is a large city, still offers an abundance of hikes, many of which are located in urban areas that cross-cut through wadis (Arabic for dry river beds) that connect one side of the city and mountain to the other (see related posts here, and here). Recently, I did a hike with my family at a location called the Hanging Bridge at Nesher Park within the Carmel National Forest, which is under the stewardship of the Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (KKL, Jewish National Fund).

The view to the north

The suspension bridges with a bit of Haifa in the background

My family braving the bridges

What a place, but if you are afraid of heights (or bridges) you might think twice!! Yes, those bridges remind me of Indiana Jones and I could almost see Harrison Ford running towards me from the other side. That being said, these bridges were very sturdy and the views spectacular! I would highly recommend this hike to anyone traveling to or living in the Haifa area!

By: Jason

Passover (Pesach) is one of the major holidays here in Israel. One trip to the supermarket or the shuk (outdoor market) even a month or so before and you will be amazed by the aisles that are set aside with various and sundry Pesach paraphernalia including, yes, matzah. This year, I tried potato matzah which tastes essentially like Pringles! Like Thanksgiving, Pesach is centered around family, guests, great food and drink, being together, and giving thanks to, among other things, the Jewish liberation from slavery in Egypt (more details here). The story is told in the Haggadah (Passover book) through narratives, prayers, songs, and poems during the Seder dinner, which may go hours upon hours.

This year, I was fortunate enough to have been invited to a variety of different Pesach Seders here in Israel: Romanian, Polish, Argentinian, Egyptian and Ashkenazi (traditional eastern European). I felt very honored that so many folks wanted me to participate with their families. I decided to spend the Pesach Seder with my cousins who live about an hour south of Haifa near Modi'in.

What a fantastic time I had! I was thrilled to be able to spend Pesach with my cousins and share in such a great experience. They had decided to go solo and do something simple with me as their sole guest (although it was far from small). We had a Seder table decorated with an assortment of beautiful works of art including Seder plates, matzoh trays, wine cups and there was an astonishing amount of delicious food that just kept coming. 

Seder table before we sat down

The highlight for me was how much my cousin’s kids (four of them, ages 4-12) participated. Each of them had a special activity that they had planned for the Seder whether it was a poem, leading in song, commentary, and discussion, or standing up on a chair and making a beautiful observation about something we had read.  It was truly amazing how inspirational they were and how well they carried themselves. One of my other highlights was the Lego pyramid city that my cousin (age 7) made by himself that became the centerpiece of the table; he also included a Lego rendition of the Pharaoh’s army and the Jews' march through the Red Sea (really something!). 

The masterful Lego pyramids

I was also touched by the pictures of family who are no longer with us (aunts, uncles, grandparents) that were displayed on the table.  It was a moving Seder, but full of joy and happiness as well.