VISITING THE GUSH

 

Although we live so close to Efrat and Gush Etzion, we have not visited either for many years. On a recent day out with Christian friends we arranged to visit The Centre for Jewish- Christian Understanding and Cooperation whose Chancellor and Founder is the well-known Rabbi of Efrat, Rabbi Shlomo Riskin. We were shown round by Rabbi Riskin’s daughter-in-law, Limor, and greatly impressed by the beautiful, purpose-built building that houses this organization and provides spacious accommodation for visiting groups. It is the first Orthodox Jewish institution in Israel which has taken the initiative to create dialogue between Christians and Jews and so is a project very close to our hearts. Here, Christian groups visiting Israel can learn about the Jewish roots of Christianity, working interactively with Jewish scholars, rabbis and educators. Since its creation, tens of thousands of Christians have visited CJCUC and most of them considered it to be the highlight of their time in Israel. After our visit we drove around Efrat, enjoying this wonderfully green, well-kept town of beautiful villas with large, lush gardens.

GUSH ETZION

We then proceeded to Gush Etzion where we had a delicious dairy lunch at the Gush Etzion’s winery restaurant, set in the middle of miles of flourishing vineyards and in the yekev, (winery) received a short explanation of the methods used in making the wine. Having purchased a couple of bottles of their 2006 red, we can definitely recommend it. Our next stop was the community of Bat Ayin where we walked round the ruins of an ancient mikvah and of a wine-press where the remains of a Byzantine mosaic floor can still be seen. It is believed that the wine that was made there was destined for use in the Temple in Jerusalem.

KIBBUTZ KFAR ETZION

Not far from Bat Ayin is Kibbutz Kfar Etzion where our friends had told us there was an excellent presentation portraying the bloody history of the kibbutz which was founded in 1943. While waiting for the sound and light show to be put on for us in English, we walked round the small museum, viewing the archives and old photographs and marvelling at the dangers and hardships endured by the first kibbutzniks in the Gush. The show is very impressive and extremely moving, recounting the story of the heroism of the inhabitants of Gush Etzion when it was attacked by the Arab Legion in May 1948, the day before the Israeli Declaration of Independence, and all but four of the 133 inhabitants massacred. As the presentation ended, the audience was asked to move into an adjoining room where we found ourselves standing at the edge of the bunker where the last 55 survivors of the battle were murdered when the Arabs threw in hand grenades. We all trooped out in silence, thinking how hard the battle has been for our tiny land and that it is not yet over.

THE LONE OAK

We were happy to be outside again after this disturbing glimpse into some of israel’s bloodiest history and drove a short distance away to see the famous Lone Oak. By the way, don’t visualise a British oak tree, although they do have a small version of acorns, the Mediterranean Oak has completely differently shaped leaves and appearance. This famous, if somewhat battered but still flourishing tree, believed to be 700 years old, is situated In the heart of the Gush and was, for 19 years after the destruction of the kibbutzim, in enemy territory and for those gazing at it longingly from the ‘other side,’ became a symbol of the exiles’ dream of returning, of their hope and faith for the future. Now the green and fertile area of Gush Etzion has a population of more than 50,000 people and thousands of visitors come to look at the Lone Oak every year. While we were there, we got talking to a group of Hayalim Bodedim, (lone soldiers,) some from Canada and America, who had been brought to this historic spot to learn about its history. This very special tree has become a beloved symbol of Jewish hope and resilience in the face of hatred and destruction and is certainly well-worth a visit if you have never seen it.