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Maiden visit to the Holy Land
People in the market. Right leavened and unleavened bread at Yehuda Market, Photos BY OLIVIA NABISINDE
What you need to know:
AWESTRUCK. “The experience of visiting the places I have only read about in the Bible will remain with me forever, Olivia Nabisinde recounts her first experience in Israel.”
After travelling in the Ethiopian Ailrlines Boeing 737-800 with great treatment, we finally arrived at Tel Aviv, Israel at 4.30am on a Saturday morning. My uncontainable joy of stepping on The Holy land! The high level of security at Ben Gurion Airport was impressive and we were treated like VIPs. Going through security checks was easier. Even though we were far from home, the wireless Internet did not offer us a chance to miss home. This was my first time to visit Israel.
Amazing menu
Unlike many other countries, Sunday morning at Yearim Hotel, where we stayed was business as usual (Israel’s weekend starts on Fridays and ends on Saturdays).
I desired to taste the Jewish delicacy so I was on time for breakfast. I enjoyed the cheeses, fruits, vegetables, egg-based foods, leavened and unleavened bread, cakes and what you would not find on Ugandan menu.
At 3pm we met Yaki Lopez and Mali Yeshayahu, the representatives from the ministry of foreign affairs who took us through Israel’s capital Jerusalem.
All buildings, public and private are built with Jerusalem stone to give the city a special identity. However, in Tel Aviv other materials are used.
Discovery of the source of the book
A 20-minute drive through the city saw us arrive at The Shrine of the Book, a museum. This was my first time to see the famous Dead Sea Scrolls, which had been discovered in 1947 in the Qumran cave.
The museum also houses a model of the Jerusalem City tracing 2,000 years back, and made from Jerusalem stone with more than five million pieces that were cut for that purpose.
The Israel Museum, which is a beautiful building shaped like the cover of a jar and water splashing on the sides was built in the 1960s. It represents the ceramic jars used to keep the scrolls by the messianic group, a community which lived near the Dead Sea where the pieces of the scrolls were found. The fragments were kept by the Jordan government until 1967 when Israel conquered Jerusalem and had access to a museum where they were kept but the amazing thing is the ability of the Israelites to read from fragments dating back to 2000 years.
The only book that was found complete is the book of Prophet Isaiah. His book is carefully placed in the museum, which houses the originality of the Jewish culture.
Tasty stuff at Mahane Yehuda Market
Just like our popular St Balikuddembe (Owino) Market in Kampala, in Mahane Yehuda Market, a number of people flock here to buy different items including clothes, baked goods, nuts, seeds, house ware, textiles, produce and drinks. Interestingly, restaurants provide a tasting allowance upon request, so you can pick what appeals to your taste buds.
The market square is paved and well-segmented. Despite a number of people moving about, there was nothing like pushing your way around to move. The hygiene sealed my hope for cleaner markets such as Nakawa, Kalerwe, Kasubi, and Owino.
When it comes to fruits, fresh and dried spices, you are spoilt for choice. I eagerly wanted to taste the matzo flatbread enjoyed by the Messiah at The Last Supper, but enough shekels had not dropped yet in my wallet.
Thankfully, it was brought to the dinner table later that evening at Hashipudia Restaurant where Emmanuel Nahshon, the Israel Foreign ministry spokesman gave us a feel of a Jewish dinner which was served in phases, with meats at the end.
Generational pain of the Holocaust
Our next visit was to Yad Vashem, an official memorial that was established in 1953 dedicated to preserving the memory of the dead, and to appreciate non-Jews who sacrificed their lives to defend the Jews from being tortured and killed.
The memorial constitutes a Holocaust History Museum, the children memorial and the Hall of Remembrance, sculptures, outdoor commemorative sites such as the Valley of the Communities, a synagogue, research institute with archives, a library, a publishing house and an education centre.
Wall placements and videos depict how Jews were transferred to ghettos were leaving resulted in immediate execution.
The old and young where lined up to be murdered in gas chambers in what the Nazis termed as a “Final solution to the Jewish Question”. It was a sobering visit that left me with many questions about humanity.
Nebi Samuel National Park
Viewing Nebi Samuel Park, 1.3 kilometers north of Jerusalem at the traditional burial site of the biblical and Islamic Prophet Samuel was another highlight of the trip. With telescopes, we were able to view Jerusalem in its entirety.
After six days of a great introduction to the Israeli culture, people and food, the strong Mediterranean Sea winds at Jaffa Port bade us farewell.
I could not get enough of the Holy Land and I shall not turn down another offer.
