A perfect day in Tel Aviv

We are quickly falling in love with Tel Aviv. After a couple of days, it feels like this city lacks the neuroses of Jerusalem, but represents the best successes of the State of Israel (i.e., a place where many Jews can live together in a pluralistic, productive, and satisfying way). I thought Tel Aviv would feel just like any other big city (on the beach), but today definitely showed us that while it might have a Miami exterior, Tel Aviv has a Jewish soul.

Because it is Friday, most of the museums close early, so we got an early start to Beit Hatesufot (The Diaspora Museum) on the University of Tel Aviv campus, so that we could have a complete visit there before it closed at 1 pm. We figured out the buses of Tel Aviv enough to get there (the bus system in Tel Aviv is interesting, because there are several bus companies with overlapping
routes, instead of just one city bus system). The Diaspora Museum was a wonderful surprise - a very deep, high quality exhibit (with an excellent audio guide) and an unexpected affirmation of the strength of the Jewish people. Although it is about the Diaspora, it tied together everything we have seen and done in Israel so perfectly. The exhibit is organized into 5 "gates" each of which reflects a reason that the Jews have remained strong, despite thousands of
years without a home. The gates (or themes) are family, community, faith, culture, and the Jewish people among the nations.  Each of these had included many things that really resonated with us. For example, in family, they showed a series of black and white images of Jewish homes from different times and places in history. In each, the only things in color were the Jewish objects (shabbat candlesticks, etc), which were
constant in every picture. It was a simple but effective way to convey one of the main themes of the museum -- there is amazing diversity among the Jews, but there is also something that ties us all together. In the faith section, they had over a dozen of models of synagogues throughout the world, from  China to Pennsylvania (Frank Lloyd Wright's synagogue). In culture, they presented the various ways that Jews have contributed to culture, in literature,  art, philosophy and so on, with an incredible exhibit of projects that students had made about their own family roots using various kinds of media, which were truly art in their own right. The Jewish people among the nations focused on the role Jews have played in various communities in the world, the first Diaspora community in Alexandria, Babylonia where the Jews wrote the Talmud, the expulsion from Spain, how Marranos from Spain settled in Amsterdam and built a thriving community there, how America came to be home to the world's second largest Jewish population. We also watched an amazing film about Benjamin of Tudela - a Jewish traveler from the 12th century, who visited Jewish communities in Europe, Africa, and Asia and wrote extensively about them. His writing is one of the largest sources of information we have about medieval Jewish communities. This "gate" also included a great interactive computer area where you could do research into your family name, genealogy, old photos they have archived and so on.

The final section of the museum was about the Return of the Jews to Israel. It highlighted how various groups of Jews and individuals made it out of the diaspora and made Israel into the largest Jewish population in the world. You got a strong sense of the Diaspora as the place where Jews lived when they had no homeland, and Israel as the place they live now that they can.

We left just as the museum was closing and wandered around the impressive University campus a bit while we looked for a shady spot for a picnic lunch. Jonah had gotten a postcard of the Alef-bet, with a place for each letter. We played a game of guessing which place went for each letter and remembering what we had done there. We were amazed how much the kids had remembered from our travels! As a bonus, Abe got to see the synagogue on the campus which was designed by Mario Botta. It was the first time he had seen a building by this architect in person, and he found it to be very inspiring.

We then walked to the Namal (port) of Tel Aviv. It was a pretty long walk in the sun, so we were very glad when we finally reached the port. The namal is an awesome shopping, restaurant, entertainment complex which I have read is the second most visited site in Israel (after the Kotel). There is a huge curving boardwalk (think sand dunes made of wood), tons of places to eat etc, a Friday organic farmers market, and lots and lots of people walking, biking, riding scooters, swimming, etc everywhere. In addition to being a place to get some great ice cream, the Namal is a place where the viability and vibrancy of Israel as a Jewish state could not be more obvious. Just hearing all of these people speaking Hebrew (as if it hadn't been a mostly dead language just 100 years ago) is amazing. We ate ice cream soaked up the atmosphere, watched Russians playing chess by the beach, and went for a long swim (the beaches are fantastic - the sand is soft, there are showers and bathrooms, the water is warm). We browsed through the beach side book exchange (and picked up a book or two), and played on the playground.

But, the absolute highlight of the day, actually one of the best Jewish experiences I have ever had) came as the sun began to set, and we walked back up the boardwalk to where congregation Beit Tefillah holds Kabbalat Shabbat services. I'm sure I can't do justice to this experience. There were hundreds of people there, sitting on red lawn chairs, sitting on the ground, or standing in the back, facing out toward the water and the setting sun. There was an orchestra with a cello, a violin, a saxophone, a piano, a singer, a rabbi, and a sign language interpreter. They led a service mixed with beautiful songs like Lu Yehi (Let it Be) and What a Wonderful World (in Hebrew), seveal of which mentioned the sea and the beauty of the setting. The prayers and songs have never felt more appropriate. Some people just listened and others sang along, and everyone there (many of whom I am confident have never set foot in a synagogue and consider themselves to be 100% secular) had an amazing Jewish spiritual moment.

My new favorite way to start shabbat!

Finally, we went to a seaside cafe for dinner, and sat out on the boardwalk and ate delicious salad, garlic bread, etc, before walking home along the shore.

A sample of strange Tel Aviv signage:

Break dancing allowed on this section of the boardwalk

"Recycling, wifi, and guitar smashing behind you"

"You can play golf under your dog"
"You can play ball, but you cannot play ball"