Ultimate Peace Reflection

One of my favorite things about traveling and experiencing other cultures is the opportunity to see and witness the humanity in those that may outwardly look or behave or think differently than I do.  I have learned through traveling and teaching that there is more that connects us than divides us, that we are all humans with the same basic needs and desires.  Camp Ultimate Peace excels at creating an environment where Arab Israeli, Jewish Israeli, and Palestinian kids can see each others humanity.

Ultimate Peace accomplishes this through the 5 values of friendship, mutual respect, integrity, non-violence, and fun.  After our two and a half days of orientation it became clear to me that teaching ultimate skills and tactics was not going to be the main challenge over the next week.  Instead our focus would be on creating an environment where kids were constantly engaged in having fun, playing ultimate, cheering, sharing details about their lives at home, actively listening to each other, and giving and getting LOTS of high fives and eye contact.  Everyone is seen at Camp UP because everyone is valued and part of the UP family, and it does feel like a family.

Cara introduced me to a parenting podcast called The Longest Shortest Time.  I love this statement about parenting children and think it fits the Camp UP experience perfectly.  The days start at 7:30 am and don't finish until 10:00 pm with the campers.  After the campers are tucked in there is still practice planning to be done and finally some time to check in with the other coaches before going to bed.  There's hardly enough time to reflect on the amazing little things that happened in a day before the next one begins.  Now that it's been a week since the campers returned home I've had time to reflect and here are some of those amazing little things that happened: a camper starting a chant and everyone joyfully joining in, a teammate publicly appreciating another for a great play or kind words during a practice, all the smiles and high fives and hugs between campers, campers bussing each others trays after a meal just to be kind.  These acts of kindness and love happen so naturally that it's easy to forget they are happening between kids that have been taught to avoid, distrust, and even hate each other.  This is the power of the five values and the UP family.

I'm so thankful for the time we were able to spend with Ultimate Peace.  Huge thanks, mil gracias, toda raba, and deslam to everyone that contributed towards our fundraising.

These are the amazing players and coaches we spent the majority of our week with.  I proudly introduce Team Charizard!

Family Steph

  


Family Nancy

 
   

Jerusalem - the Hilly and Holy City

Cara found us an amazing upstairs apartment just a few minutes walk from the Shouk, main market.  We quickly headed out after settling in because evening was approaching quickly and it was Friday, Shabbat.  The market was especially lively because tourists and locals were buying all their groceries before the city essentially shuts down during Shabbat (Friday evening to Saturday evening).  No public transportation and most of the restaurants and stores are closed, especially in the Jewish areas of town. 

One of Sybil's new favorite snacks is mango.  There were a several stalls selling nuts and dried fruit.

Walking through the labyrinthine Muslim quarter in the Old City. 

Western Wall

A larger shot of the Western Wall during Friday Shabbat services. It was a lively scene, with many groups gathered singing, dancing, and worshipping. The Dome of the Rock can be seen in the middle background.  

We didn't realize Jerusalem was so hilly.  It's a really pretty city.

Walking through the park on Shabbat with some Orthodox Jews.  It's probably around 95ºF.  

The Western Wall is a happening place on Shabbat.  The crowds were huge.  What you can't really tell from the photo is that they have a bunch of tables and chairs so that groups of men would meet to hold their own Shabbat services.  I'm going to do my best Cara impression and relay some info: The Western Wall is considered a holy place by the Jews because it's believed the wall was part of the second temple that was destroyed in 70 CE by the Romans.  The golden dome on top of Temple Mount is special because there is a rock that is believed to be the location that Abraham took his son Isaac to be sacrificed.  Now the Dome of the Rock is built over that rock, and is generally only open to Muslim visitors. 

More park walking in search of a swing for Sybil.

Our host was a gardener and had an amazing front patio.  It's hard to believe this is in the heart of the city.

They let us borrow a baby bath which we set up for some afternoon pool time for some Saturday Shabbat lounging. 

Sunday we visited the Temple Mount to see the mosque and the Dome of the Rock.  The Dome of the Rock is pictured above and is a monument, not a mosque, built over the above mentioned Abraham/Isaac rock which also happens to be the same spot that Mohammed started his journey to heaven, according to the Quran.  We were there pretty early and it was very calm on the Temple Mount.

Ablutions fountain outside the mosque

More Dome

More pool time on our own private deck.

Cara and Sybil enjoyed a nearby playground while I went to visit Yad Vashem the Holocaust Memorial.  Needless to say we had very different experiences this afternoon.  

After our three days in Jerusalem it was time to head to camp.  This was our traveling mode.  We both have our big bags on back and Cara wore our day bag on her front while I had the travel crib.  Sybil was in charge of her thumb and didn't leave it behind once!

It was only an hour bus ride to Kfar Silver outside Ashkolon.  Camp UP was about to begin!

Haifa and a Northern Road Trip

Haifa

Sybil sleeping on the train from Tel Aviv to Haifa. We've been on planes, trains, and automobiles at this point. I'm mostly posting this picture to remind us that it wasn't always hard.

Haifa sits on steep hills rising up from the Mediterranean and so, like a game of chutes and ladders, you follow a seemingly endless series of staircases and steep paths that wind up the mountain.

We made it to the top of the mountain for the great view. This photo was snapped mere moments after Sybil peed all over me! 

A candid and tender moment I'm glad I snuck up on

There were two couples shooting their wedding photos at the top, and Sybil most definitely photo bombed both of them. One was an accident, but this couple was actually excited to have a random baby in their photos. 

The whole shebang up on top of Mt. Carmel 

The view from the top of the Baha'i Gardens. 

Almost every day on the trip we've accidentally come across an amazing playground at an opportune moment. Part of it has been luck and part of it has been our willingness to just explore places instead of "get to" places.   

Northern Road Trip

Our second day in Haifa we rented a car and car seat and hit the road to explore northern Israel: Acre (Akka), a couple of national parks, and the Sea of Galilee. Road trip!!

Outside the walled city of Acre/Akka. In Western history, this city is most well known for being the seat of the Christian kingdoms at the beginning of the Crusades in 1099.

A view from inside the walled city. 

Sybil trying to chase cats in Acre.

Cool juxtaposition of old and new in a turf soccer field right inside the old city walls, which have been there (however rebuilt many times) since the late 900s CE.

Sybil has a keen eye for cats, or Meows, and had developed a penchant for chasing them around trying desperately to pet them. Usually, they are evasive of her not so subtle techniques. This cat however, at Bet Alfa Synagogue, beat her at her own game.

Bet Alfa Synagogue was built in the late 400s CE and is significant for its well preserved mosaic tile floor, which was only accidentally discovered in 1929 when the kibbutzim located here was digging an irrigation ditch. Mosaic tile floors were common in synagogues at the time in this area, but the thing that surprised me is that it shows the signs of the Roman pagan zodiac. Apparently a common decorative motif of synagogues during this time and in this area, since a few others have been found. 

Next we hit up a spring fed river for a quick dip, reminiscent of Barton Springs but not nearly as cold. 

We took a scenic route to through beautiful 

Hait Gilbo'a Preserve, which abuts the West Bank, and climbed a hill to look over at the Palestinian city on the other side of the fence/wall.

We drove past the Sea of Galilee on our way back to Haifa. It was beautiful, but we didn't stop since we had to get back to Haifa. I wish we had a little more time to spend in the mountains, but it's time to move on to Jerusalem and then Camp Ultimate Peace!