Schindler's Grave

Today, after four months here in Jerusalem, I finally made it to one of the places I had most wanted to go to when I arrived here: Oskar Schindler's grave. My friend Stacey and I left the student village, hopped on the light rail, and headed for the Old City. We entered through Jaffa Gate and then worked our way over to Zion Gate, which exits onto Mount Zion. The Christians have turned Mount Zion into a Christian enclave, with churches celebrating the Last Supper, Pentecost, and Mary's death, all of which occurred on Mount Zion (the Catholics also believe that Mary rose again after three days, but we won't get into that). Schindler is buried on Mount Zion in a little cemetery off of the road leading to Zion Gate. The entrance to the cemetery has a marker saying "To Oskar Schindler's Grave" above the doorway, so it was easy to find once we knew the general area. I have to say, I thought this cemetery would be better maintained, but when we went inside, we were met with tall grass, weeds, broken glass, and damaged masonry everywhere. Schindler's grave is down a couple flights of steps, overlooking the great views to the south of Jerusalem from the top of Mount Zion. In the movie "Schindler's List", the scene where the survivors gathered at his grave to pay their respects show his grave by itself, with plenty of room around it for people to walk around. In the years since the movie came out, however, new graves have been added, with the result that now Schindler's grave is one among many. It sits right next to the path though, so visitors can access it without difficulty. The grave itself is beautiful, and it pays tribute to the amazing man. A caption under his name in German tells the visitor that he saved 1200 Jews during the Holocaust. Those of us who have seen Schindler's List know the incredible story of a German industrialist who bought up Jewish factories at bargain prices, used Jews as his labor force, and through work permits saved many Jews from the gas chambers. Granted, when he started out, Schindler was in it for the money, using Jews as workers because they were cheaper than Poles. Over time, however, as the horrors of the Holocaust became clear, Schindler used Jews as his laborers to save their lives. He used his vast fortune to bribe Nazi officials, get Jews out of the death camps, expand his factories to hire more Jewish workers, and countless other initiatives that saved Jewish lives at a time when no one would help them. Liam Neeson played the role of Schindler brilliantly in the movie, and why he didn't win the Oscar for it is beyond me. Ever since seeing that movie in Dr. Hammerling's class last semester at Concordia and learning that Schindler was buried in Jerusalem, I have wanted to visit his grave and pay tribute to the man. Today, I finally got that chance. In Israel, people put rocks on graves as a memorial and tribute to the fallen. I got to put a rock on Schindler's grave today, and said a silent prayer thanking God for such an extraordinary man and for his extraordinary contribution to the Jewish people during the darkest chapter of their history.

Welcome to Jerusalem SLU

Tonight, I was blessed with the amazing opportunity to reconnect with my old friends at Student Leadership University, who are in the middle of their 401 trip to the Holy Land. Student Leadership University is a Christian group in the United States that teaches students the basics and foundation of moral leadership and gives them the tools to succeed in today's world. Their first trip, 101, is in Orlando, Florida. Their second trip, 201, is in Washington D.C. Their third trip, 301, is in London, Oxford, Paris, and Normandy. Their last trip, 401, is in Jordan and Israel. They have also expanded and now do a trip to Kenya and another one to China. I went through this program when I was in high school and it changed my life. The guys who run it, Dr. Jay Strack and Brent Crowe, became my youth pastors, as my church back home failed in this area. When I went on their 401 trip to Israel four years ago, my life was forever changed, and it proved to be the catalyst for my decision to come back to Jerusalem to study here for the semester. When I found out that they would be in Israel this week and that they were staying in a hotel literally down the hill from my apartment, I had to go and say hello. I had met with Dr. Jay for lunch last weekend, and he encouraged me to stop in and have dinner with the group once they got to Jerusalem. I went down to their hotel around six and met up with Brent, who was leading the group. We had a great conversation about how SLU changed my life, what my church was like growing up, how my time here in Israel has changed and impacted my life, and my perceptions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We then left his hotel room and went down to the dining room, where the rest of the group had just started dinner. He introduced me to some of the students and I ate dinner with them, talking with them about where they were from, how their trip was going, what they've learned so far, ect. After dinner, we retired to a conference room where Brent introduced me to the whole group, saying "Now this young man went through our program and now he's back here studying. He's not from the United States, he's from Minnesota, but I want you guys to listen to him anyway and mark well what he says." I then took the floor and said "Guys, let me be the first to welcome you to Jerusalem, the city of kings, the city of prophets, and the city of Christ Himself." I then proceeded to tell them my background and why I was here and how much SLU changed my life. As I went to sit down, Brent said "What he didn't tell you is that he's been studying the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, looking at both sides equally and fairly, and is now an expert on it. After our session, any of you who want to learn something, come on up to him and pick his brain." Brent then proceeded to give an excellent lecture on the necessity of having Jesus be the foundation of our lives, and the starting point for students of leadership. He preached on the story of Jesus and the woman at the well, and how Jesus turned a personal encounter into a life-changing experience. When he had concluded his talk and dismissed us, some of the students got up to leave, but many more, including most of the parents and a Baptist minister from Virginia, crowded around me and asked me to give them a crash course in "The Conflict". We pulled some chairs into a circle, and for the next hour and a half, I got to talk to these guys about the Middle East, the politics of the region, the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, the various people and religious groups making up both sides, the land and the territories, and so many more topics and issues. They asked countless questions, and I answered to the best of my ability. They were really interested in what I had to say, and at the end everyone thanked me and most said something along the lines of "I learned so much from you tonight." I was incredibly humbled by the opportunity to talk to my fellow Americans about these issues, and I was also humbled by Brent's introduction and his confidence in me. It was so great seeing my old group Student Leadership University, and it was awesome to be able to come back as an alumni and teach them what I've learned these last four months here in Jerusalem.

People

I have met some amazing people here over the last four months, too many to adequately describe and pay tribute to. However, I feel that I must take this moment to mention and pay tribute to several people I've met over the last few months, because they have all had huge impacts on my life here, and I have no doubt that we will remain close even after we all return home. First, I have to thank my fellow Cobber Evan. Coming to a new country thousands of miles away from home is a harrowing experience, and having friends with you that you already know and are familiar with is a huge blessing. Those first few weeks here back in February were tough, and I am extremely thankful that I knew Evan and could hang out with him while I found my feet and got acclimated. I will also always remember our hours long Game of Thrones discussions and debates as we waited for our classes to start. It was difficult for me to keep straight where you were in the series so as not to give anything away while also talking about the series at the same time, but it was a lot of fun. Next, I have to pay tribute to the people in my Bible Study. You all have been such great friends over the last few months, and we've had some awesome times. Keith, you're a brilliant Bible scholar and religion expert, and our debates over eschatology have been a lot of fun. You're one of the funniest guys I've ever met, and you can always make me laugh. Aron, you are also a brilliant Biblical scholar, and your interpretations of the text, telling us the context and the original Greek and Hebrew meanings, have really helped me learn the Word and grow as a Christian. I also have loved discussing Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones with you, it's awesome to know someone who's up to date so you don't have to worry about spoiling anything. Becca, you are a great leader and I have really enjoyed being a part of your Bible study this past semester. You are an awesome person, and I'm glad that you decided to take the risk and form this group way back in February. Stacey, I am so glad to have met you and discuss all the myriad subjects that we have discussed this past semester. You are so wise, and you have a way of explaining things that makes sense of complicated topics. Amanda, I have loved taking that Jerusalem class with you and also doing Bible study with you. Your observations on life are hilarious, and hanging out with you and Stacey in your guys's apartment over the past couple of weeks has been so much fun. Arielle, I have loved sitting next to you in Nazzal's class, laughing at the way he casually talks about all the famous people he knows, and saying "no big deal" after each story. Your insights during our discussions on the Old Testament have also been excellent, and I have learned a lot from them. Jaki, you make incredible fondue, and your insights during Bible study were also very thought provoking. I love you guys, and this semester has been amazing because of you. I loved our Yam de Yam trip, and the countless priceless moments that we had during those days, from Keith's camera miraculously being brought back to life, to the night where we just watched movies for hours, to our attempt at cooking a meal, to Becca's almost getting left behind every day because she needed "one more picture", to the guy who found the turtle. This semester has been full of such great memories, and I have no doubt that I will look back on it as one of the highlights of my life.

Semester's End

Well, it's almost over. After four months in Israel, four out of my five classes were finished this past week with the completion of finals. I had a blast taking every single one of them, and I learned so much. In my Palestinian History class, I learned about the Palestinian struggle for dignity, and I heard the Palestinian's side from Professor Nazzal, a great man and someone deserving of respect and admiration. In Israeli Foreign Policy, I learned the Israeli point of view of the conflict from Professor Medzini, a man in his eighties who was born and grew up in Jerusalem, and remembered and/or fought in every single one of Israel's major wars through the first Lebanon War. In History of the Modern State of Israel, I learned about the Zionist movement and its quest for a homeland after the horrors of the Holocaust from Professor Mendelsson, a quintessential British man who told us many great stories and added a sense of humor to lift our spirits after talking about some heavy subjects. In the Cultural History of Jerusalem, I learned about every stage of development and advancements, along with the many destructions, of this great city from Professor Halevi, a down to earth woman who took us all over the city and showed us many of its wonders. I will miss each professor's unique teaching style as well. Professor Nazzal had a habit of saying "This is very very important" after almost everything he said, causing us to take incredibly extensive notes the first couple of weeks of the class until we realized that everything wasn't, in reality, very very important. Professor Medzini taught his class as if he were simply telling a story. Looking just like Michael Caine, he would sit in a desk at the side of the class and just tell us what happened. I loved how he would tell the personal, behind-the-scenes story along with the official version. For example, in a typical lecture, Medzini would say something along the lines of "And Golda Meir would go over to Dayan and say 'what are you doing?' and Dayan would say 'we need to do this' and Meir would say 'Yofi' and that was that". He had a habit of saying "what are you doing" at least once every lecture. Professor Mendelsson's catchphrase was "And this raises a very interesting question." We'd be discussing an issue, and Mendelsson would interject by saying "Now this raises a very interesting question," which was our cue to pay extra attention and take good notes. Professor Halevi didn't really have any catchphrases, but every lecture she gave, there was a good chance that she'd say something funny. One lecture she reminded me, out of the entire class, to be sure to wear pants for our next field trip. I of course didn't forget such a blatant reminder, so I showed up for our next class as the only one in the class wearing pants, while everyone else wore shorts. I then spent a hard day walking throughout the Old City in very hot weather sweating like crazy, but hey, I wore pants. These classes were a joy to take, and they taught me so much about Israel, the conflict, Jerusalem, and the Jewish and Palestinian peoples. I will miss these professors and their wonderful teaching styles, and I will miss these classes in which I learned so much about such an amazing land.

Armageddon

Today I was blessed to be able to go with a couple of friends to the northern part of Israel to visit the ancient fortress city of Megiddo, which overlooks the famous Valley of Armageddon. We got up at five to catch the seven am bus north. When we got there, we had about a twenty minute hike up through the hilltops to reach the Tel, or plateau-like hill, of Megiddo. This place has 25 different layers of construction and cities, meaning that over history, this place has been destroyed and then rebuilt 25 separate times. The Egyptians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Canaanites, Israelites, Persians, and others all built fortresses on this hilltop. The reason they did so was because it sat on the crucial north-south road connecting Egypt with Mesopotamia. Throughout history, armies going one way or the other would need to control Megiddo in order to control the roads going north or south. The Valley of Armageddon, which lies at the base of Megiddo, has seen more battles than any other spot in the world, because of its strategic and critical location. This valley puts the plains of the Dakotas to shame: for miles and miles, as far as the eye can see, there lies completely flat land. The Israelis have turned the valley into a agricultural paradise, with farms stretching off into the distance. Armageddon is incredibly important to me as a Christian and believer in Christ, because it is here that the final battle between good and evil is foretold to take place. The apostle John wrote in the book of Revelation that the Devil will gather all the armies of the world to this valley in Northern Israel in order to face off against the return of Christ at the end of the period known as the Tribulation. This is where the 2nd coming of Christ will occur, and unlike His first coming, He will return as a conquering king, backed up by the armies of heaven. Scriptures say that He will destroy the armies of Satan through the power of His voice, which is described as a "double edged sword". This part of the text is difficult to understand, and several explanations have been given. It has been postulated that this means that He will simply speak a word or words that will destroy His enemies. Others say that He will quote scripture and that that will somehow be too much for Satan's hoards to cope with. Regardless, Scripture is quite clear on who the victor is: Jesus will triumph, Satan will be defeated, and Christ will set up His millennial kingdom on Earth, with His capital at Jerusalem. The last time I was at Armageddon, a friend of mine was moved to tears at the site of it. When asked why she was crying, she said "This is the most famous battlefield in history, and the battle hasn't even started yet." I'm glad that we as Christians can rest secure in the knowledge of our Lord's certain victory before it actually takes place. I was thrilled to be able to see Armageddon again, and I'm glad the opportunity presented itself to go.

Beit She'an

Today, my friends and I got up at the crack of dawn, hopped on a bus, and headed to Beit She'an. Located in northern Israel on the Jordanian border, Beit She'an is a national park full of the remains of a Roman settlement. We got to tour through an old amphitheater, race track, bath house, pagan temple, and other buildings from that time period. Towering over the settlement was a tall hill called a "Tel". On top of this hill were the remains of various fortresses, built by succeeding rulers of the region. There was one built by the Egyptians, one built by the Israelites, one built by the Greeks, and one built by the Romans. This was the spot where the Israelite army under the command of King Saul was decisively defeated by the Philistines, who slew Saul's sons and put the rest of the army to flight. Saul, seeing the writing on the wall, killed himself. The Philistines then took his body and hung it from the fortress battlements, but loyal Israelites came in the night, took down his body, and gave him a proper burial. King David took the site back, and it stood as an Israelite fortress throughout his and his son Solomon's reign. From the top of the Tel, the entirety of the Jordan Valley, a part of the Jezreel Valley, and the mountains of Jordan, were all easily visible. The Jordan Valley technically resides in the West Bank, but Israel has all but annexed it for security purposes and has made it clear that it would not be part of any future Palestinian State. It was incredibly hot the entire time we were there, and huge amounts of water were necessary in order to stave off dehydration. Once we had seen everything worth seeing, we commandeered a ride on two golf carts back to the bus station, where I had my first McDonald's fry in over four months while waiting for the bus to arrive. Wanting to get back to Jerusalem before the Jewish Sabbath shut down the city's public transportation system, we were pleasantly surprised to arrive home ahead of schedule. This was an awesome day, and I am so happy that I was able to make it up to this amazing ancient settlement.

Jerusalem Day

Today, we celebrate Jerusalem day, the day that Jerusalem was united under Israeli rule during the Six Day War. Last night was one big party, as we celebrate in the eternal and undivided capital of the Jewish State. This day is incredibly important, and it is worth writing about. Jerusalem, having been liberated by Israel, will never be divided again. This city stands at the center of the world, and is sacred to its 3 major religions. As a Christian, I believe that this city stands on holy ground. My savior died here, and He was resurrected here. This is why it is sacred to the Christians. The city is sacred to the Jews because this was King David's capital, and it was also the site of the two (and some say a future 3rd) Temples of the Most High God. Finally, It is sacred to Muslims, who claim that Mohammed was taken up into heaven from the Temple Mount, making that specific site sacred to Muslims. They also say that he tied his horse to the Wailing Wall before making the assent, so they claim that site too (the Jews refuse to give it to them). From 1948-1967, this city was divided between the Israelis and the Jordanians, with Israel holding the western half and the Jordanians holding the eastern half (made up mostly of the Old City). When war broke out in 1967, Israel pleaded with King Hussein of Jordan not to get involved, but he did anyway, feeling that he had no choice. Israel quickly defeated the Jordanian army and took the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan. For the first time in thousands of years, the City of God was once again in the hands of His people. It has remained united to this day. Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, but the rest of the world doesn't see it that way. Unique among capital cities of the world, Jerusalem does not host any foreign embassies. These embassies, including that of the United States (Israel's supposed best friend) reside in Tel Aviv.The embassies are located there because the nations of the world feel that Jerusalem is occupied territory, and should not be under Israeli rule. The Democratic Party even had a fight at their national convention this past year over whether to even include Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in their party platform (This wasn't an issue at the Republican Convention). The Palestinians, 46 years later, still claim East Jerusalem (at minimum) as their capital, even as their share of the West Bank continues to shrink daily. The Palestinian leadership, while making impossible demands as terms for peace, takes foreign aid money for themselves instead of distributing it to the people. President Abbas spends more time traveling the globe than he does in the West Bank providing leadership. If all of the current Palestinian demands were met, the entire city of Jerusalem would be ceded to the new Palestinian state, which would be made up (at minimum) of all of the West Bank and Gaza. Along with this, every Palestinian living in the surrounding Arab states would be allowed to return to whatever part of Israel their ancestors lived in before they left during the 1948 war. This, of course, would be the end of the Jewish state, simply because of the demographics involved. The Palestinians would outvote the Jews, taking control of the Knesset and changing the country's name from "Israel" to "Palestine". This is what would occur if every Palestinian demand were met at face value today. The Palestinian demands are, at minimum, the withdrawal of Israel to the 1967 borders (giving them all of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem), the end of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and the right of all refugees to return to their old homes throughout the country. What is ironic is that the Palestinians were offered almost all of this twice in the past decade, and both times they rejected it. Prime Minister Barak offered Arafat almost all of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem in exchange for peace, and Arafat said no. Prime Minister Olmert made a similar offer, but it also was rejected. Due to current realities, none of these demands can possibly be granted today, and no offers similar to Barak's or Olmert's will be made to the Palestinians by the current Israeli leadership. Israel, which is holding all of the cards as the victorious state of 1967 and as the regional superpower, will never agree to return to the '67 lines after all of the money and time spent building settlements in the region, and they will never divide Jerusalem again. The Palestinian demands for, at minimum, East Jerusalem, are also not possible according to the Israelis (who will not divide their capital). The best case scenario for a Palestinian state today would be one consisting of only part of the West Bank, with Ramallah as its capital. The state would be demilitarized and Israel would most likely handle security. Israel has made it abundantly clear since 1967 that Jerusalem will never be divided again, and that it is, now and forever more, the eternal capital of the Jewish people. The Palestinians need to recognize this reality, and shift their focus from the realm of dreams to the realm of the achievable.