Israel Adventure - Day 5

Today started with a walk to the Caffe Yaffo. Akiva served us mini-lox sandwiches with cappuccino. The food and atmosphere were great.

After breakfast we walked through the Jaffa Flea Market. The shops were interesting. All types of merchandise filled the stores from furniture to appliances. There were tourist items, clothing, artwork, and restaurants. Some were packed and others were well organized. The picture below shows a shop owned by a hoarder - Who knows what is there!?! We only stayed long enough to snap a picture, because that was our purpose there! Probably the owner knew where the good stuff was, but we did not … and tourists are impulse shoppers, so we moved on to the next area.

We found some interesting things in some of the other shops. I found a few items we will bring home, for which we bargained Israeli-style. Looking through the shops was an adventure. In the middle of the flea market are tents, and a huge “Yard Sale.” My mother-in-law would like that. As for us, it was cheap stuff that can be found in American thrift stores.

After the flea market we took the car to Machon Ayalon, an underground bullet factory operated by the Haganah. This is an interesting place and a crucial part of the War for Independence. Up above the underground factory it looked like a regular Kibbutz (collective organization for farming). The buildings were there, some of the industries were there … so the Haganah could escape British scrutiny during this intense time period.

BUT, inside the laundry the Haganah had a secret - and many members of the Kibbutz had no idea what was going on right under their feet! Under the very noisy (to cover up sounds) washing machine (which moved from its “permanent place”) there was a trap door with a ladder that went down into the factory under the hill.

They kept the normal laundry crew in the dark by sending them out to hang clothing every time the door opened to let the 45 secret employees come up for lunch. At the end of the day they made sure the laundry workers had gone home. The mission was top secret.

The factory was a place dug out inside the hill; inside were bullet making machines. Four and a half million bullets were produced in four years of production by 45 volunteer workers from a group of just-graduated high schoolers who, upon completion of Kibbutz training, had been recruited sans details by the Haganah for this secret mission. Two ventilation shafts gave air: The first was in the laundry, and the other shaft was at the bakery, which hid smells of manufacture with the smells of baked goods. This was a very well kept secret, which helped win the Jewish war of independence.

After seeing the underground bullet factory, located on Kibbutz Hill in Rehovot, we went to Yavne. This is the place the Sanhedrin of Israel moved after the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD. The Sanhedrin held the Council of Yavne where they discussed “what now.” They had a lot of issues to solve, such as how to compensate for the lack of a Temple or proper place to make sacrifices. What was to be done about the Atonement Offering? The decisions made at Yavne set the tone for the observance of Yom Kippur today. Many other decisions were made there as well.

There is a tel under which the ancient ruins lie. An Ottoman tower exists on top of the tel, as does Rabban Gamaliel’s tomb (accompanied by Ali Abu Hurairah). Nothing else can be seen on the top of the hill. There is a Temple on the edge of the tel, pictured above. There is also an amphitheater on the other side of the tel, pictured below. The tower at Yavneh can be seen near the trees on the right in the background.

After looking at the Tel we went out to eat in Yavne. Chelsea’s Hebrew skills came in handy since the server didn’t know much English, and we survived and had a great meal, a donair with chicken and various salads.

I talked to a young man there who was interested and excited that someone would come to Yavne because of the council and because Gamaliel lived there.

After returning to our Apartment we walked up the street to the main plaza at Jaffa. Sarah took pictures at the Zodiac Fountain. We plan to go back there tomorrow or Wednesday to see the things on the Plaza.

I lost my passport, a book, my kindle, and a camera in the square at Jaffa two years ago. It was either taken when I walked across the plaza to join our tour group or I hid it very well just before trying to surprise them. I asked the girls to look for the white Lechi bag, and they laughed. Chelsea said, “Why don’t you check with the Police, we filed a report.” So I went to the Police station, where I had a great visit with the officer. He said if found, it would be turned over to the US Consulate. Then we talked about Tel Gezer (he lives near there), and how we have enjoyed our visit.

The police asked if I was Jewish, I answered “Yes, but I became a Christian.”

He asked, “Why?” I told him that someone shared Psalm 22 with me. He asked if that was in the New Testament. I told him, “No, it is in the Tanakh.” I jotted the scripture down for him to look at when he got home.

We then went down to the beach and walked along the water. We walked to Tel Aviv proper, crossed the main road, and went to an old train station (the Tachanah). We looked in some of the shops and then ate ice cream, Halva Gelato … it was good!