A Day on the Beach . . . in November!

Galilee Day 8 (11/21/11): Our usual pattern while on rotation here in Galilee, we go on field trips one day and then stay on the kibbutz on alternate days for classes.  So today Steve Harper had his class out on site while I finished the Gospel of Luke with my students.  After two hour of classes, I had a bit of time off before lunch and then before giving my students their midterm that covered part of Mark and all of Matthew and Luke except for the Passion and Resurrection Narratives, that we are, of course, saving for our return to Jerusalem.

This was my family's last day up here with me in the Galilee, because the children need to get back to school.  Fortunately, we had perhaps the best weather we have had so far for our last afternoon together.  While it has been cool and rainy five of the eight days we have been here and somewhat cloudy on the other days, today it was clear, sunny, and mild (not quite warm, but pleasant).  We had pleasant views of the Sea of Galilee, which is literally out the back door of the small apartment where we are staying.  I enjoyed talking to Samuel and Rachel again about some of the events that happened on this very lake.

The front of our "cabins" at En Gev

The back of the holiday village cabins

The beautiful view of the Sea of Galilee as we walk out of our cabins

Since I did not have class, in the afternoon we joined the Ludlow family on the little beach that En Gev has one a cove between the "holiday village" where we are staying and the kibbutz proper. Earlier Elaine had posted a Facebook status about how surreal it was to run on a balmy day along the Sea of Galilee in November.  Now here we were at "the beach," though the water was still pretty cool.  When my students finished their exam, they joined us in the water.  Rachel, of course, joined right in, but I was pleased to see Samuel mixing so easily and wanting to play some of the water games with them.  All of the students were wonderful with him.  When we came back to change, his verdict was, "This was the best day in Galilee!"

Looking at the little En Gev beach

The Ludlow Family enjoying the suprising weather

My family out on the water

The students enjoying some lake frolicking

My boy and I

Sadly, at 5:00 the van from the Jerusalem Center arrived, and it was time for our families to go back  to Jerusalem.  I still have three days left here, so I will miss them, but I was glad that we had such a good time this last day.

The sun begins to set over the Sea of Galilee

Alas, it was finally time for my family to go back to Jerusalem

Dinner would have been lonely if I had not shared it with the Skinners and the Ohmans.  Then this evening we had a lecture with a representative of the kibbutz spoke to us about the history and nature of kibbutz life.  The concept of a collective, but truly democratic, society is rather intriguing.  A small minority of Israelis are members of kibbutzim, but the role they have played in shaping the history, culture, and even borders of Israel is amazing.