Windows to the World, Monday

Our guide asked us to be up for an early start in order to go to Hadassah Medical Centre. This is a medical organization that operates two University hospitals at Ein Kerem and Mount Scopus in Jerusalem, as well as schools of medicine, dentistry, nursing, and pharmacology affiliated with the Hebrew University.

The hospital was founded by Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America, which continues to underwrite a large part of its budget. In 2005, it was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in acknowledgement of its equal treatment of all patients, regardless of ethnic and religious differences as well as for its efforts to build bridges to peace.

In the synagogue at the hospital are the "Jerusalem Windows" created by Marc Chagall.  These twelve stained glass windows represent the twelve tribes of Israel. They were installed permanently during February 1962 and each is approximately ll feet high and 8 feet wide.  It is hard to describe them in words except to say that they are awe inspiring and magnificent.

Chagall's Dan Window

From the windows we went to Valley of Elah where David met Goliath.  Seeing it really brings home the geopolitical forces at work at the time.  We read from 1 Samuel 17, which describes the fight between the two, easily a metaphor for little Israel surrounded by the giant of the Arab states.

The Elah Valley

On the way back to Jerusalem we visited the Road to Emmaus where following his resurrection Jesus first appeared to his disciples. The story is told in Luke 24.

We stopped briefly for coffee in one of the New Israeli towns where few if any tourists go.  In fact, the staff at the coffee shop spoke no English and had never before served tourists. but with some help from Ahron, and his wife who joined us, we pretty much got what we wanted.

Then it was back to the hotel for farewell drinks before dinner, dinner and packing for tomorrow's departure.