February 6, 2000. Up until last night, I’ve had very little time to meet the people of Israel. The last two weeks, I have spent a little time talking with Jael, who is participating in our IBEX activities this semester. She’s grown up in Israel, living near Haifa much of her life, but her family moved near Jerusalem in the past few years. She is a believer, and she also speaks very good English! I don’t know a lot about her background, but I did ask her about what it was like in Israel during the Gulf War. She said it was quite frightening.

Last night, I finally had more exposure to foreigners, though they weren’t Israeli. Three of the moshav volunteers were sitting in the kauppa talking when I entered to work my nightly half-hour shift. No IBEX students were coming in, so I simply pulled up a chair and began conversing with the three girls. I discovered that two of them, Katherine and Louise, are from England, and that the third, Rebecca, is from Germany. It was fun just to listen in on their conversation. They all seem to enjoy their work here on the moshav.

Katherine likes it here so much that she plans to return after her term expires! Usually, volunteers stay for something like a six-month period, but some, like Katherine, like it so much that they do it multiple times. Most of the volunteers here are from other countries. I guess it’s an inexpensive way to visit another land and truly immerse yourself in the culture. That’s probably why it’s a popular idea among students.

This evening, after a full day of e-mailing and catching up on homework, I joined four other IBEXers and visited one of the families living/residing permanently on the moshav. They were a middle-age couple named Daniel and Ayelet, and they had three young children, Ariel, Ahinoam, and Eden.

Daniel is not only the administrator of the moshav, but he’s also a full time veterinarian! Ayelet stays home with the children, so she is not currently working at all outside the home. In a matter of two hours, we learned so much bout living in Israel as well as living specifically on a moshav. I can’t begin to recount all that was said, but I’ll attempt to share a few of the highlights.

Life on a moshav can be very difficult at times. In many ways, this collective settlement is a vivid demonstration of the numerous advantages, and perhaps equally prominent disadvantages, of a communistic society. Residents own their own homes, but aside from their private living quarters, nearly everything is shared in common. It is the Marxist philosophy fleshed out, “from each according to his ability; to each according to his need.”

What this means is that moshavniks throw each of their incomes into a big “pot,” and then money is distributed back to the people according to necessity. A committee decides what constitutes a “necessity”; you can imagine what kind of headaches this would cause. Some money funnels into a food budget, and then all eat from the same selection of foods (i.e. the cafeteria). Some money is directed toward transportation, and then everyone must sign up to use one of the community cars. If someone gets sick, then funds are set aside for medical expenses.

Of course, the same principle works in the other direction. If someone specializes in carpentry, then he uses those gifts to contribute to the moshav. Others, such as Daniel, own businesses outside the moshav, but their incomes also end up in the group budget. Even elderly people, such as one retired lady here, help in the small ways, like walking the horses around to their stables.

As Daniel said, this is a very successful system when times are generally bad, but in seasons of prosperity, such as now, it’s more difficult to motivate everyone to give to their full potential. Ironically, most people here are probably not ideologically aligned with such a set-up, but that’s how the moshav system was designed decades ago. It served its purpose well, but it’s difficult to alter the system mid-stride. They said that there’s no way this moshav would’ve survived were it not for the unifying Spirit of God.

We talked about other things, too. Like the Gulf War. Ayelet was in the army at the time, which all men and women must do after finishing high school. She told us of how many of the young women would crowd together into one of the bomb shelters in Tel Aviv, waiting and waiting for the Iraqis to strike. Each new explosion sounded the potential danger of chemical warfare. The women would huddle together with their gas masks ready, and when bombs were going off outside and the building was shaking, many of them would go into shock, screaming or even vomiting – all the time with their masks still on. Even when the air was still safe, many would hallucinate that the chemicals were affecting them.

What an experience this must have been! We honestly have nothing to compare it to. We hardly begin to comprehend what it means to be in constant danger, or to face the imminent hand of death. We feel all to safe in the US – almost invincible at times. As I pondered all that I heard throughout the evening, I realized how comfortable we are as Americans. This kind of attitude breeds complacency, which results in a lack of hope.

How can we possibly expect to have hope when we’re perfectly content and satisfied with our existence here? Only in adversity, such as poverty and persecution, can we even begin to experience genuine hope. Do we ask, then, for trials and tribulations? I don’t know. But we can ask that the Lord will make us increasingly discontent with the world around us. It must become a reality in our hearts that we are not citizens of this earth. Our citizenship is in heaven!

25 years ago, I had the privilege of traveling to Israel for a semester through the Master’s College IBEX program. To celebrate the 25th anniversary, I’m sharing highlights from my journal, emails, and photos. Feel free to share your own IBEX memories here as well!

February 5, 2000. Have you ever looked at those pages in the back of your Bible, past Revelation? I know, I know, this is usually where you stuff old bulletins and sermon notes. But most likely, you have some maps there too. Some of these posts will probably make more sense if you read my updates while following along on your own Bible maps. Today, a city map of “New Testament Jerusalem” and a regional map of “The Twelve Tribes of Israel” would come in handy.

In our last trip, Jerusalem was studied through the lens of Old Testament history and geography. On Thursday, February 4, we returned to the city, visiting various sites that pertain to the New Testament.

We began by observing a model of the city as it would have been just prior to destruction in 70 A.D. This model was HUGE – larger than a tennis court! It gave us a good, overall understanding of the layout of the city, and also gave a pretty accurate depiction of what Jerusalem would have looked like during the time of Christ. Much of this city was constructed by Herod the Great, who was always willing to spend the tax-payers’ money to make himself look better. Even then, political leaders were obsessed with leaving a “legacy.” And indeed, Herod did accomplish quite a feat. Jerusalem in his era was truly amazing. This didn’t happen overnight, though; it took several decades to complete. Of particular interest was the temple, standing high above the Temple Mount. Adorned with intricate designs and gold embellishment, it was undoubtedly an impressive sight in all of its splendor.

By late morning, we were in Old City Jerusalem. Bill led us through a little doorway to a museum, and almost immediately, we began descending into a basement. This was no ordinary basement, however. It was the remains of an expansive first-century home complete with several bedrooms, ritual cleansing baths, cisterns, cellars, mosaic floors, painted “wallpaper,” courtyards, and a reception hall. And this was only the bottom floor! It is believed to have been a two-story house, and a good candidate for the residence of the high priest. In other words, this could be the very home of Caiaphas, who interrogated Jesus just prior to the crucifixion!

We then made our way to the present day Temple Mount, which is only open to the general public a couple hours a day. The actual temple was destroyed by the Romans back in 70AD, and centuries later, the Dome of the Rock was built there. Due to the Arab presence, we were instructed to keep our Bibles in our backpacks.

In the south of the large courtyard was the El-Aqsa Mosque, and further to the north, directly over where the Holy of Holies is believed to have once rested, we saw the famous Dome of the Rock. A few tourist groups wandered around the courtyard, but mostly, there was an aura of quietness and reverence throughout the place. For the Arabs, this is one of the most sacred sites in the world. We also had a chance to descend into Solomon’s Stables, which I’ll share more about later.

The Jews, who despise the Arab presence, are rarely seen on the Mount. They long for a day when the temple can be restored, and dreading the thought of standing on holy ground unworthily, they are content for now to stay outside the Western Wall (or “Wailing Wall”). From the Wall, Jewish prayers to Jehovah are considered a “local call.”

Later, we went outside the Temple Mount and descended to the southwest corner, observing “Robinson’s Arch” (which supported an ancient staircase) and walking on a old Roman sidewalk, which would have been lined with countless vendors. We skirted along the southern perimeter of the temple mount, stopping to rest on some steps which date back to Herod’s time. These steps would have been the main entrance to the magnificent temple mount during Jesus time, with at least two separate gates. Today, it is not accessible at all.

The southern side of the temple mount is one continuous, convoluted, and confusing pile of ruins, dating to many periods, mostly Byzantine, Crusader, and Ottoman. We didn’t take much time to study them, since they have no relevance to the New Testament. Instead, we edged our way along to the eastern side of the mount, where we saw the blocked up “Golden Gate.”

We concluded our day by visiting the area where Jesus spent His last few hours before crucifixion. Crossing the Kidron Valley, we walked through the Garden of Gethsemane, climbed the steep Mount of Olives, and descended into the city of Bethphage. After reaching the crest of the Mount of Olives, we had a breathtaking view to the east, seeing for the first time the Dead Sea beyond the barren Judean wilderness. Only two-thousand years ago, in Bethphage, Jesus had secured the donkey that would carry Him to Jerusalem and prophetically usher in the events of “Passion Week.”

Finally, we hiked a little further to Bethany, the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, and the probable location of Christ’s ascension. What an incredible day!  

25 years ago, I had the privilege of traveling to Israel for a semester through the Master’s College IBEX program. To celebrate the 25th anniversary, I’m sharing highlights from my journal, emails, and photos. Feel free to share your own IBEX memories here as well!

February 4, 2000. Hello everyone! I’m sure you have many questions about life here in Israel. I’ve given a few updates about our field trips thus far, but I haven’t talked too much about my day-to-day activities. So, instead of another boring, run-of-the-mill explanation, I thought I’d spice this letter up a bit. The following is an exclusive (and entirely fictional) interview between Jerusalem Post Reporter Moshe Hennom and American Student Stephen Jones…

Moshe: Thank you very much for taking the time to conduct this interview. Many readers are eager to hear what life is like for a visiting American student.

Steve: Oh, it’s no problem, really. I’m eager to learn what an Israeli interview is like!

So, how long have you been in Israel now?

Two whole weeks! It’s gone by incredibly fast.

And where have you been living since you arrived?

Well, IBEX (Israel Bible Extension Program) has a small campus within a moshav. A “moshav” is a community of people, much like a “kibbutz”. The main difference between a “moshav” and “kibbutz” is that moshavniks (as the residents are affectionately called) are able to own property, whereas kibbutzniks are more genuinely communistic, sharing everything in common. Within the moshav, there is a main cafeteria, where the IBEX students, moshav volunteers, moshav visitors, and moshav residents all eat.

Different moshavs have different industries, such as agriculture, poultry, cattle, or something else. The moshav that we live on, Moshav Yad HaShmona, specializes in the production of Finnish wood and also profits from tourism. In fact, a whole section of Yad HaShmona is rented out to travelers/tourists. We see them around here often. And one of the most unique aspects of this moshav is that all the residents are born-again believers! As I was saying, IBEX has a small “campus” here as well. By “campus,” I don’t mean administration buildings, quaint sidewalks lined with flowers and flagpoles, a gymnasium, or anything like that. We just rent out certain buildings throughout the moshav. It’s a really nice set-up.

In addition to several small dorms which house all of the IBEX students, we have a little library, one classroom, a computer lab, a laundry machine, and even a student lounge! Well, the student lounge is really a converted bomb shelter (called a “miklat”), but it works great! As I mentioned earlier, we eat in the main cafeteria with the rest of the moshavniks. The moshav also has a tiny store (called a kauppa) where we can buy both necessities (such as laundry detergent) and those not-so-necessary items (like ice cream, candy bars, and cold soda).

Very interesting. Where is this particular moshav located?

Moshav Yad HaShmona is about 1/2 hour southeast of Tel Aviv, near the city of Qiryat Yearim, known as Kiriath Jearim in the Bible. Another 20 minute ride east takes us right into the heart of Jerusalem, Israel’s capital.

Can I ask…how’s the food?

You know, really, it’s not all that bad. The menu is somewhat repetitive, but the kitchen does a good job. I think we eat a little healthier than we do back in the states, and there’s always a decent selection in the cafeteria line, so we get to choose (or avoid) whatever foods we like (or dislike). I’m very thankful for what we have here! We get lots of delicious breads, and quite a few tasty fruits and vegetables as well. Other food items include cheeses, cereals, rice, pot roast, and chicken.

Do you have friends or family back home? How do you communicate with them?

Yes, it’s hard being so far away from friends and family. In fact, a ten hour time difference separates me from loved ones back in California! And my parents, in Colorado, are still nine hours behind. Of course, I don’t call home very often, because it’s too expensive. I’ve tried to keep up writing everyone, but I stay pretty busy, which makes it hard. So far, I’ve been able to make some time to write, especially to my fiancee, Natalie.

Wow, you left your fiancee in America to come here?!

I sure did, and believe me, it wasn’t easy! We got engaged just before Christmas, and will be getting married on July 15 of this year. That doesn’t leave us much time together once I get back to the U.S. However, we’ve been dating for three years, so the engagement period is only necessary to work out all the logistics of the wedding. We did a lot of planning before I came to Israel, and she’s fully capable to do most everything else on her own. We miss each other tremendously, but are very thankful for the modern conveniences of email!

You said you were “pretty busy.” What else occupies your time?

Well, I am taking four classes: The Land and the Bible, History of the Modern State of Israel, Jewish Thought and Culture, and The Holocaust. All of them are interesting, but require a lot of reading. I also have a work study job here, which is helping to defray some of my overseas expenses. I work roughly 10 hours a week, doing such things as manually sending out all the email messages every night, acting as “storekeeper” of the kauppa each evening, and performing other tasks for one of the professors here, Todd Bolen. In addition, I am serving on the Chapel Band, which involves several weekly prayer meetings/ rehearsals to prepare for Friday night chapels.

Finally, all IBEX students have occasional responsibilities such as dishwashing and bathroom cleaning. Of course, I like to explore around and get into Jerusalem as often as possible, but I probably don’t go into town as often as some of the other students. That’s alright, though. I’ve been there several times already. At this point in the semester, I’m really trying to focus on my studies.

One last question. Has it been hard to adapt to our Israeli culture?

No, not really. My missions trip to the Philippines last summer really conditioned me to be in another culture for an extended amount of time. Most people here know at least some English, so there’s not much of a communication barrier. And here at the moshav, with other Christians and so many other American students and teachers, there’s not really a “cross-cultural feeling” at all. Probably the most difficult part has been adapting to a work week that revolves around the Sabbath, rather than the “American weekend” as we think of it. The Sabbath, known in Judaism as “Shabbat,” is a special Jewish event each week. It is a time of rest and worship, when literally a whole city can shut down and enjoy a holiday.

At the moshav, IBEX students have a regular week of classes (Monday through Friday), but Friday evening begins Shabbat. Shabbat dinner in the cafeteria is a little more formal than the rest of the week, and then after Shabbat dinner, we IBEX students pile intimately together into the “miklat” for our chapel service. Late Friday night is just a fun, casual time for games and open dorms. Then, Saturday morning, we ride together to Jerusalem, where we celebrate an authentic Shabbat service with a Messianic Jewish congregation at the Jerusalem Assembly.  

The rest of the weekend usually offers us free time to do homework, send email, shop at one of the malls, explore the hill country, or navigate our way around the city of Jerusalem. Sometimes, we also have mandatory class field trips on these days. Usually, Saturday night rolls around and I catch myself thinking, “Well, tomorrow starts another busy week of classes,” only to realize, “Hey, it’s only Saturday! I still have a whole free day ahead of me! Yahoo!” I miss having the church worship service on Sunday — the Lord’s Day. But thankfully, we can still congregate with a body of believers to sing to our God and hear His Word preached. A good portion of the weekly Shabbat service is in Hebrew, but just enough of it is in English to make you feel a part.

I’m very glad to hear that. I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay. Thank you again for your time.

The pleasure was all mine.