Back to Jerusalem, pt2

On Saturday we woke up at a more reasonable time (leaving Ramat Rachel at 9:30am) for a visit to the Israel Museum. Located on a hill in the Givat Ram neighborhood of Jerusalem, near the Knesset, the Israel Museum is most famous for two amazing exhibits. The first is an enormous and fully detailed (22,000sqft) model of Jerusalem at the time of the Second Temple. The second is the Shrine of the Book which contains the Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in (now) southern Israel in 1947–56 in 11 caves around Wadi Qumran. 

"Our guide, Israel, talks with us about ancient Jerusalem"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

Our tour guide, Israel, took us on a full tour of the model. Over about 30 minutes we walked to each side - and were provided a thorough history of the city - as it was two thousand years ago. Incredibly - despite the centuries and the modern construction - the actual city retains a very consistent visual appearance to the model. The colors and layout have not changed drastically over the centuries. After our tour of the model we visited the Shrine of the Book. Interestingly, the outside of the shrine is constructed to visually represent the War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness. The white dome symbolizes the Sons of Light, while the black wall symbolizes the Sons of Darkness. The interior of the shrine is like a cave, representing the environment in which the scrolls were discovered sixty years ago.

"The Sons of Light and the Sons of Darkness"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

That afternoon, a few of the team decided to visit the Old City of Jerusalem again, instead of heading back to the hotel. Those who went did quite a bit of shopping (mostly nargilas) before stopping at a bar for drinks and snacks. I (and a few others) opted to return to the hotel for relaxation either inside at the bar or out at the pool. According to a few people, the water slide was pretty amazing, though I didn't get a chance to try it myself. That evening the team went out on the town in Jerusalem - first to watch the World Cup match between Paraguay and Spain and then later to a nearby dance club. It was a very late night.

"Sherwin Pomerantz talks with the group about Israeli business"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

Sunday was focused on company visits and meetings. In the morning we had a meeting with Sherwin Pomerantz at Shelby's house. A 24-year resident of Israel, Sherwin (and three others) founded the Atid-EDI consulting firm. Atid-EDI is a team of economic, research, trade development and planning professionals who understand the nuances and business climates in Israel, North America and the region. Since 1991, Sherwin's firm has functioned as consultants to Israel's Ministry of Industry, Trade & Labor's Investment Promotion Center. He has also represented the trade interests, in the Middle East, of a number of U.S. states, including Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania. As you can imagine, Sherwin had the knowledge to provide for a very interesting meeting!

"The group visits PresenTense to hear from Jewish entrepreneurs"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

After this meeting we traveled to Jerusalem's German Colony to visit PresenTense, a group that aims to foster entrepreneurship and leadership amongst the international Jewish community. While there, we heard business pitches from a group of summer fellows. We made sure to ask them lots of tough questions. The highlight of our visit to PresenTense though was that we got to hear a talk by Saul Singer, author of Start Up Nation (detailed in this previous post). Altogether, it was a pretty cool set of meetings!

"Saul Singer gives a talk on his book Start Up Nation"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

That afternoon, we finished our weekend in Jerusalem by celebrating America's Independence Day, July 4th. Once again, we traveled back to Shelby's house - this time for a BBQ. Hot dogs and hamburgers (sans cheese unfortunately) were plentiful, and everyone was content. Though we weren't able to acquire fireworks, it definitely was a great way to feel like we were back in the US of A. That evening the team hopped in the van for the long trek back to our house in Haifa - one final week of classes left to go.

Back to Jerusalem, pt1

After a very busy final week in Haifa, I've finally gotten around to writing about our trip last weekend to Jerusalem. It was a pretty packed weekend, so there's a lot to cover. On Friday morning (July 2) we departed very early from Haifa for the ride south to Jerusalem.

"The Old City of Jerusalem just before sunset"
Photo by Stephen Kushner

After a sleepy ride south, our first stop was at Yad Vashem, Israel's official Holocaust memorial and museum. Established in 1953 through the Yad Vashem Law passed by the Knesset, Israel's parliament, the museum is a 45-acre (600,000sqft) complex located at  at the foot of Mount Herzl on the Mount of Remembrance in Jerusalem. It contains the Holocaust History Museum and memorial sites, such as the Children's Memorial and the Hall of Remembrance. The origin of the name is from a Biblical verse: "And to them will I give in my house and within my walls a memorial and a name (Yad Vashem) that shall not be cut off". Annually, it is Israel's second most visited site behind the Western Wall.

"Inside the Hall of Remembrance at the Holocaust Museum"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

Even for those among us who had previously visited either the US Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. or visited the concentration camps in Europe, this was a very somber and sobering experience. As a few of us noted, the internal architecture of the museum felt intentional - leading visitors through a confined and crowded space - with the cement walls seeming to fall inward as one walked through the exhibits - recreating the feel of the concentration camps. In contrast, the exterior grounds were beautiful, with many memorial statues and gardens. All in all it was an experience we will all remember for a long time.

"Looking out at Judea after emerging from the Holocaust Museum"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

After Yad Vashem, the group traveled to the Mahane Yehuda market (the souq) for schwarma and snacks. I had a delicious schwarma with hot peppers and - my new favorite topping - spicy mango sauce. Amazing! Afterwords, I bought some dried pineapple and coconut (which is cheap and tasty) and then grabbed coffee at a small cafe while waiting for the rest of the team to finish. I will definitely miss the food and smells of the souq once I get back to the US. Don't get me wrong - Eastern Market is great - it's just not Mehane Yehuda.
 

That evening (Friday) the team had Shabbat dinner at the home of our on-the-ground coordinator - Shelby. An American (now having lived in Israel for about a year) Shelby was kind enough to open her house to us for the night. After a great meal we settled in to watch the World Cup match between Ghana and Uruguay. Late that evening we retired to our hotel for the weekend - Ramat Rachel Hotel located in Kibbutz Ramat Rachel. A little bit secluded from the center of the city, the place was located on a hill offering gorgeous views of Bethlehem, Jerusalem and the Judean Hills.

Free Weekend

After almost six weeks of work and travel throughout Israel, the team was ready for some down time and relaxation! For some of us, that meant an opportunity to travel to other destinations both in Israel (not included in the main agenda) and abroad (e.g. Europe), while for others the weekend was time to catch up on sleep and visits to the beach.

Three members of the team - Stephen, Sean, and Kristin - decided to visit Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and the West Bank. Departing early on Friday morning, the group arrived in Jerusalem after about an hour and a half. In Jerusalem the three went to the local bus station for transfer into the West Bank. The trip south was relatively without incident - though there were two brief stops by the Israeli military - who checked Palestinian work permits. In Bethlehem, the group stayed overnight at a hostel located in the Dheisheh Refugee Camp. Established in 1949, this camp is currently home to about 14,000 residents. 

Photo by Sam Mugraby (photos8.com)

 

On Saturday the group visited the Church of the Nativity, the Mosque of Omar, as well as other local historical sites - before returning to Jerusalem late that evening. In Jerusalem they stayed at the Citadel Youth Hostel - which had an amazing view of Jerusalem's Old City. Sunset on the roof was quite spectacular! Late on Sunday - after some more exploring - the group caught the late bus back to Haifa. All in all, this trip was a pretty cool experience!

Photo by Stephen Kushner

For me, this weekend was an opportunity to see my wife, Kim. After changes to Kim's work schedule, we decided last-minute to meet up in Europe during my free weekend. I flew out from Tel Aviv early Friday morning, arriving in Zürich, Switzerland around 8am (Kim had arrived from the US the previous day). After renting a car, I drove to my wife's hotel. We had a quick breakfast and then hit the road for Lausanne. I opted to take us through the Swiss Alps - from Zürich to Luzern and then on to Gstaad via Interlaken. Once we came down from the mountains, we drove along Lac Léman, arriving in Lausanne around 5pm.

Photo by Daniel Branscome

On Saturday, Kim and I went to Broc and Gruyères - the chocolate and cheese capitals of Switzerland respectfully. After lunch in the town of Charmey, we toured the Cailler factory. Now a subsidiary of Nestlé, Cailler was the first Swiss chocolate company, founded near Vevey in 1819. Afterwords we toured Gruyères Castle and sampled some local cheeses. Dinner was back in Lausanne. On Sunday, we had a pretty casual morning, then an afternoon BBQ at a family friend's place in Lutry. Monday found us on the road to Chamonix-Mont-Blanc - where we had an hour long hike to a beautiful alpine glacial lake.

Photo by Daniel Branscome

On our final day we departed Lausanne after lunch for the drive back to Zürich. This time, we went though the Jura past Lake Neuchâtel. Since we had some time before our flights, we decided to bypass Zurich proper and drive north into Germany to the Rhine Falls. After some time touring the site - Europe's largest waterfall - we returned to Zürich and grabbed dinner. Late that evening, I caught my flight back to Israel. Upon landing in Tel Aviv, I caught the train to Haifa, arriving at our house in Ramat Eshkol around 5am. What a weekend!

Jerusalem Visit

After a day back in Haifa for our weekly class at the Technion, on Friday morning the Smith team was back on the road for a full weekend of touring and sightseeing. In the morning we were met by our guide, Israel, who gave us a preview of the days activities as we sped down the highway to our first stop of the day, Caesarea.

"Our guide Israel weaves a story about ancient Caesarea"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

Planted firmly against the coast, halfway between Haifa and Tel Aviv, Caesarea is an ancient port city that dates to the time of Herod the Great – about 22 BCE. The ancient city itself is no longer inhabited - as the last occupants, French crusaders under Louis IX - were forced to flee when the city was put to fire by Baybar invaders in 1251 CE. Literally lost to the sands, the city was rediscovered and its secrets uncovered in the 1940s due to the financial generosity of Baron Edmond Benjamin James de Rothschild.

"Modern concerts in Caesarea's ancient amphitheater"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

Our first stop in Caesarea was the Roman aqueduct that provided fresh water to the city for over a thousand years. From there we proceeded to the old city itself, where we visited the Roman theater, hippodrome, and palace (which was possibly the former residence of Pontius Pilate). As we walked back to the van, we passed through the city walls and across the moat, which were both constructed by the Crusaders. All in all, Caesarea was awesome!
 

"Driving through East Jerusalem"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

From Caesarea we drove directly on to Jerusalem. Since it was Friday, a lot of tourist sites were closing at sunset for Shabbat, so we were in quite a rush to get into town. We drove into the Old City and parked right next to the City of David – where the Biblical King built his palace and capital in 1000 BCE. The key attraction at this famous archaeological site is Hezekiah's Tunnel. This tunnel, which runs for a little under half a mile is filled with about three feet of water at all times. We walked (in my case barefoot) through the tunnel before emerging on the other side in East Jerusalem. Following our underground trek (which seemed to go on and on), we proceeded to the promenade overlooking the city.

"Looking out at Old Jerusalem from the Haas Promenade" 
Photo by Kelley Harris

We went next to our hotel for a brief rest before Shabbat dinner. Max and Sue Singer (parents of Saul Singer, the author of Start-up Nation) were kind enough to invite the entire Smith team into their home to participate in this weekly Jewish tradition. Dinner began with the serving of homemade challahs. Afterwords, this ritual was followed by Kiddush, the blessing of the wine. Max and Sue then led us through a number of other songs and readings before we finally began the meal in earnest. Altogether, everyone had a great time!
 

"Shabbat dinner with Max and Sue Singer"
 Photo by Stephen Kushner

In the preceding days, I had been coming down with a bit of a cold. A bug of some sort had been making its rounds around the team - and unfortunately my time arrived sometime late Friday night. I woke Saturday morning feeling pretty horrible - so somewhat reluctantly I opted to skip the tour that morning. I did get a pretty good report from the team later that evening though, when we all convened for dinner.
 

"Old Jerusalem near the Jaffa Gate" 
Photo by Kristin Thompson

On Saturday the group met our guide, Israel, at 9am in the hotel lobby. From there the group went to the Old City, this time for a more thorough tour of its many historical sites. The team walked the Via Dolorosa, visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and shopped (and ate) in the Muristan Souq. From there they climbed the ramparts and walked the city walls, emerging just next to the Western Wall. The last stop of the afternoon was a short drive to the Mount of Olives – a site significant to both Jewish and Christian traditions.

"Fresh food at the always busy, Muristan Souq"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

I was feeling a bit better that evening so I opted to join everyone for dinner at Asher Epstein’s place. Altogether, the group was feeling pretty fired up about everything we’d seen and done so far this weekend. Additionally, this evening was especially important to everyone, as it was the England vs. USA World Cup match. Americans (myself included) have a funny habit of completely ignoring the sport of soccer (nee football) for 4 years and then suddenly remembering when the Cup comes around again. It may be the world’s sport, but it certainly isn’t America's sport. Anyway, the game started at 9:30pm, so many in the group decided to head to the The Lion’s Den pub to watch.
 

"Everyone celebrates as the USA battles back against England in the World Cup" 
Photo by Kristin Thompson

Ninety minutes later the game was over and we (the USA) had forced England to a 1-1 tie. I’ve read that this was a fantastic result – as everyone had expected England to prevail. That being said, I have a hard time getting excited about a tie game. I mean, really? A tie? I think this fact alone is what makes it so hard for Americans to get behind this game. Someone has to win. Without a winner, what’s the point?  

Anyway, one other cool outcome from the game: our esteemed photographer, Kristin had the previous photo featured in the Washington Post. Congrats, Kristin! All in all, Jerusalem was a blast! We got to see some fantastic historical sites, eat wonderful food, and watch the USA beat up on our cousins across the pond. It would be hard to ask for much more – well maybe the USA could have won rather than tied - but I digress.

Hi-Tech Israel

Well it's been a few days since my last post and the Smith team has been as busy as ever! After a relaxing weekend, we departed Haifa before sunrise on Tuesday for the drive down to Jerusalem to participate in the 2010 High Tech Industry Association Conference.

The conference, which ran for two days, was held at the Jerusalem International Convention Center and brought together industry professionals, technology experts, and venture capitalists. Starting at 9AM, the event kicked off with Israel's Mister of Finance, Dr. Yuval Steinitz, as well as other honored dignitaries remotely starting the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.

"The opening bell of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange"
Photo by Stephen Kushner

Topics covered during the conference ranged from the future of mobile computing to strategies for market entry into high-tech in China and India. Additionally, there were a number of headline speakers during the two day event including, the godfather of Israeli high-tech venture capital, Yossi Vardi, and Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

"Prime Minister Netanyahu talks about Israel's technology future"
Photo by Stephen Kushner

During the two day event, the Smith team had an amazing opportunity to hear from key thought leaders in Israel's high-tech and investment community. Given our ongoing tech commercialization projects at the Technion, some of the contacts we made and presentations we heard had an immediate and practical resonance. Other speakers we saw were interesting more from a general professional development standpoint.

"The Smith team at the hi-tech conference"
Photo by Stephen Kushner

Given the compressed schedule during the two days in Jerusalem, we didn't have too much time to explore outside the conference. That being said, we did get a brief tour of the Old City (courtesy of the conference organizers) on Tuesday night - where we were to have a preview of the Festival of Lights (which was unfortunately canceled due to technical difficulties). We met our guide just outside the Jaffa Gate and then walked past the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, ending at a rooftop overlooking the Wailing Wall. Really impressive!

"Steve captures the Western Wall at night"
Photo by Stephen Kushner

On Wednesday night, after the end of the conference, the team met on Ben Yehuda Street - one of the more popular shopping streets in Jerusalem. We spent about an hour shopping and window gazing. Afterwords, we walked up to Sami's restaurant for a final dinner before hitting the road back to Haifa. 

"The team enjoys an amazing schwarma dinner in Jerusalem" 
Photo by Stephen Kushner

All in all, it was a very successful two days in Jerusalem! We'll be heading back for a more historical and culturally centered visit tomorrow.