Two things to update you on ... first an important lecture I missed on my last post. It was the time spent with Rich the Film guru! He was amazing and Eleni we have a new plan not complete movies ... well maybe escape from Sobibor! We will never show boy in striped PJs or Devils Arithmetic EVER EVER AGAIN! Also the man was so funny in destroying Sound of Music and reminding me of Holocaust the Mini Series I own which I will show exerts from. I like some of his logic in showing movies or clips students would not see themselves.
Otherwise the last few days have been interesting learning about current and future issues of Israel as well as have some understanding of a people fighting for their existence and with issues on every border. I am not completely brain washed but now have more of an understanding, than that of the media and what it shows on the news. This country/state has issues clearly but it is going to take some forward thinking and serious leaps of faith on both sides to solve it.
I now also the enormous responsibility that I face in finishing this work and making use of everything I have learnt here and experienced. I have started with this site ... it will be completed in the not to distant future and be modified and changed with the help of my educator friends here at this seminar. Also the videos will be an on-going process and be used in this site and for all of us from this seminar too.
The other things will take care of themselves in terms of presentations and conferences but I am very impressed with the group of teachers I travelled with and look forward to us keeping in touch with them all and hope they will want to keep in touch with me!
This weekend we travelled to Masada and the Dead Sea. If you do not know about Masada ... in the words of Ephraim Kaye ... "Google it!". For those to lazy to do that Herod built a Castle/Palace on the hill side 3000 years ago. The Romans did then 2000 years ago try to conquer it from the rebel Jewish community. The had siege weapons and encampments surrounding the Masada area. They built their own ramp upto the wall and then brook through. Before the Romans could attack the Jewish community committed mass suicide to avoid being conquered and have their families entered into slavery. It is now and amazing site that is a World Heritage Site.
After that we went to the caves where the actual DEAD SEA SCROLLS were found.
Following this we went to the Dead Sea where we had a swim ... (FLOAT!). It was a weird feeling, and even odder the lowest place on Earth at 400m below sea level. It was great and very enjoyable. This was a perfect way to end our Saturday.
Sunday we travelled with Ephraim and Stephanie to the North ... now dad please understand because I am writing this I am fine and nothing happened. However as we travelled to the north we stopped at a Kaboots (which is a place where people in 1900-80's entered a lifestyle completely socialist ... share everything and work together for a common good. It worked and was mainly agriculture). This Kaboots was a farm right on the border with Jordan. In 1948 the bridges were blown and the Kaboots moved away from the border. Now the old Kaboots is a tourist attraction and we saw how they lived their lives. It was very interesting and I was impressed with how the lifestyle works. No dad I am not joining them I like my money! We were lucky to be allowed into the no-mans land area with Jordan and saw the Jordan River (Oxford River and Waimate River have more of a flow to them in winter!). After that we had a visit to a Kaboots on the Sea of Galilee which was a specialist in fish and now has a great restaurant. I ate fish ... and enjoyed it!
After this lunch we headed north and up on to the Goalan Heights. We saw the Syrian border and meet the UN observers (One was a Kiwi!) so I got a photo and Chris left him some Whittakers chocolate. It was interesting to see Syria and Lebanon in the distance. How close and how much they shape this region.
After this we headed to a chocolate factory for tasting and making chocolates. This was fun and enjoyed a relaxing way to end our weekend.
Today was a self directed day. We had time to do our own things ... I went to the reflection room again and have some good information and leading questions for students to discuss in the future. I then did some work in the classroom and after lunch went for a walk with Ephraim and this was special ... we walked to Hertzel Grave and then round to where his friend and commander is buried in the military cemetery. It was a honour to be with him and let him tell us his story. It rounded off our time here well and tied everything together.
Tonight we have our farewell dinner and a chance to formally say good bye to our friends here at Yad Vashem. Tomorrow we have lectures till 3.30pm then return to the hotel before heading to the airport. We then start our marathon trip home to school and more importantly my lovely beautiful wife Christina.
I am signing off from Israel ... I will post more here as I work on my site and also as I do presentations over the next 12 months and into the future.
BYE!
Otherwise the last few days have been interesting learning about current and future issues of Israel as well as have some understanding of a people fighting for their existence and with issues on every border. I am not completely brain washed but now have more of an understanding, than that of the media and what it shows on the news. This country/state has issues clearly but it is going to take some forward thinking and serious leaps of faith on both sides to solve it.
I now also the enormous responsibility that I face in finishing this work and making use of everything I have learnt here and experienced. I have started with this site ... it will be completed in the not to distant future and be modified and changed with the help of my educator friends here at this seminar. Also the videos will be an on-going process and be used in this site and for all of us from this seminar too.
The other things will take care of themselves in terms of presentations and conferences but I am very impressed with the group of teachers I travelled with and look forward to us keeping in touch with them all and hope they will want to keep in touch with me!
This weekend we travelled to Masada and the Dead Sea. If you do not know about Masada ... in the words of Ephraim Kaye ... "Google it!". For those to lazy to do that Herod built a Castle/Palace on the hill side 3000 years ago. The Romans did then 2000 years ago try to conquer it from the rebel Jewish community. The had siege weapons and encampments surrounding the Masada area. They built their own ramp upto the wall and then brook through. Before the Romans could attack the Jewish community committed mass suicide to avoid being conquered and have their families entered into slavery. It is now and amazing site that is a World Heritage Site.
After that we went to the caves where the actual DEAD SEA SCROLLS were found.
Following this we went to the Dead Sea where we had a swim ... (FLOAT!). It was a weird feeling, and even odder the lowest place on Earth at 400m below sea level. It was great and very enjoyable. This was a perfect way to end our Saturday.
Sunday we travelled with Ephraim and Stephanie to the North ... now dad please understand because I am writing this I am fine and nothing happened. However as we travelled to the north we stopped at a Kaboots (which is a place where people in 1900-80's entered a lifestyle completely socialist ... share everything and work together for a common good. It worked and was mainly agriculture). This Kaboots was a farm right on the border with Jordan. In 1948 the bridges were blown and the Kaboots moved away from the border. Now the old Kaboots is a tourist attraction and we saw how they lived their lives. It was very interesting and I was impressed with how the lifestyle works. No dad I am not joining them I like my money! We were lucky to be allowed into the no-mans land area with Jordan and saw the Jordan River (Oxford River and Waimate River have more of a flow to them in winter!). After that we had a visit to a Kaboots on the Sea of Galilee which was a specialist in fish and now has a great restaurant. I ate fish ... and enjoyed it!
After this lunch we headed north and up on to the Goalan Heights. We saw the Syrian border and meet the UN observers (One was a Kiwi!) so I got a photo and Chris left him some Whittakers chocolate. It was interesting to see Syria and Lebanon in the distance. How close and how much they shape this region.
After this we headed to a chocolate factory for tasting and making chocolates. This was fun and enjoyed a relaxing way to end our weekend.
Today was a self directed day. We had time to do our own things ... I went to the reflection room again and have some good information and leading questions for students to discuss in the future. I then did some work in the classroom and after lunch went for a walk with Ephraim and this was special ... we walked to Hertzel Grave and then round to where his friend and commander is buried in the military cemetery. It was a honour to be with him and let him tell us his story. It rounded off our time here well and tied everything together.
Tonight we have our farewell dinner and a chance to formally say good bye to our friends here at Yad Vashem. Tomorrow we have lectures till 3.30pm then return to the hotel before heading to the airport. We then start our marathon trip home to school and more importantly my lovely beautiful wife Christina.
I am signing off from Israel ... I will post more here as I work on my site and also as I do presentations over the next 12 months and into the future.
BYE!