11/25 to 11/26 | The Israel Museum and Shabbat in Modi'in

On Friday morning, I had a field trip back to the Israel Museum with my Archaeology of Jerusalem class.  This time, instead of looking at the model of Jerusalem during the Second Temple period, we walked through the archaeology wing in the main exhibition hall.  Unfortunately, we were not permitted to take pictures inside the museum, so I only have images from the outdoor exhibits.  The archaeological treasures inside the museum were incredible, though, and it is a shame we were not allowed to bring in cameras.  The museum is home to thousands of artifacts from the First and Second Temple periods, ranging from ossuaries to restored mosaics, from column capitals to stone inscriptions.

Preserved pieces of an ancient synagogue in the Galilee.

A sculpture of the core of an apple, or tepuach in Hebrew.

 The famous Ahava ("Love") Statue.

The view of Jerusalem from the edge of the Israel Museum.

When we were done at the Israel Museum, Esther and I headed to the Central Bus Station.  I made plans to spend shabbat in Modi'in with the Elbaum family, who I met at the Beit Tal event last October, while Esther had plans to spend the weekend with family in Givatayim.  No busses came, though, so we decided to walk.  Fortunately, this is one of the best walks in Jerusalem because it passes by the Knesset and the Supreme Court among other major landmarks.

 The Knesset is right across from the Israel Museum.

 The Supreme Court of Israel.

 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in the foreground; the Bank of Israel is in the background.

Flags of the State of Israel and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

A strange sign for a one-state solution to the conflict.

The cantilever Chords Bridge near the Central Bus Station.  Some think it looks like King David's harp, while other think it resembles a bow and arrow.  Regardless of what it is supposed to represent, it is distinctively modern in a city dominated by the ancient.

Unfortunately, there are no Egged busses to Modi'in, so it took me a while to find the proper sheirut (shared taxi).  In Hebrew, the word modi'in means information, so when I asked someone how to get to Modi'in, I was pointed in the direction of the Egged information desk.  Funny enough, all of the ticket booths say, "cahn loh modi'in," which basically means, "this is not the information desk."  At first glance, though, it looks like there is no Modi'in.

The path from Jerusalem to Modi'in, which is halfway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.  The full name of Modi'in is Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut.

I eventually arrived in Modi'in right before the sun set and shabbat began.  Shabbat with the Elbaum family was fantastic.  As I mentioned earlier, I met Leiah and Jason Elbaum at the Beit Tal event last October.  They told me I could come for shabbat one Friday, so I gladly took them up on that offer this past weekend.  In honor of Thanksgiving, dinner and lunch were Turkey-themed.  The food went above and beyond anything I had expected.  In all, we ate:

• turkey poulkas and wings in barbecue-style marinade
• corn chowder
• chilled Thai-style pumpkin soup
• green beans in onion sauce
• cornbread
• mashed sweet potato
• squash with marshmallow topping
• green salad
• roast turkey breast in herbs
• homemade pickled cucumbers
• vanilla-cinnamon challah
• cranberry sauce
• pumpkin pie
• maple syrup candy

Jealous?

It was a great honor to spend the weekend with the Elbaum family at their beautiful home in Modi'in.  It is always nice to spend shabbat in an authentic setting and I was not let down.  Good food with good people; what could be better?

Beautiful Modi'in.