A Night Stroll in Tiberias
A Friday night stroll along the "tayelet" (boardwalk) in Tiberias had much to reveal. Let's just take a peek first at what Wikipedia tells us about Tiberias:
Tiberias (/taɪˈbɪəriəs/; Hebrew: טְבֶרְיָה, Tverya,; Arabic: طبرية, Ṭabariyyah) is an Israeli city on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. Established around 20 CE, it was named in honor of the second emperor of the Roman Empire, Tiberius. In 2016 it had a population of 43,148. Tiberias was held in great respect in Judaism from the middle of the 2nd century CE and since the 16th century has been considered one of Judaism's Four Holy Cities, along with Jerusalem, Hebron and Safed. In the 2nd–10th centuries, Tiberias was the largest Jewish city in the Galilee and the political and religious hub of the Jews of Israel. Its immediate neighbor to the south, Hammat Tiberias, which is now part of modern Tiberias, has been known for its hot springs, believed to cure skin and other ailments, for some two thousand years.
Back in the 1970's & 1980's Tiberias was a very well kept and desirable tourist spot to where I would often visit. It is situated at the Kinneret which makes it all the more attractive. If you are interested in the Bible (Torah and the New Testament) then you will find much spiritual inspiration here. Sadly, if you do a quick Internet search you will also see some very negative reviews about Tiberias today. Yes, it is true that today not much is being done to keep up this beautiful landmark in Israel. I am staying here with my daughter and son-in-law (about to be!). I, too, was shocked to see the sorry state of the town the first time I came back. Nevertheless, there are places here that are worth taking the time to visit.
All that said, we ended up taking a night stroll on the boardwalk. Friday night is the Sabbath for the Jews, but not for the Arabs. What the world will NOT see on the television screens is the REAL life of Arabs in Israel. I am, for the most part, keeping this blog apolitical, but in this case I feel it is important to say something.
On this very same day the news worldwide is reporting on the continued protests in Gaza against Israel. Yes, it's big news around the world. In Israel it's just the usual - unfortunately. Most Israeli's and Arabs alike are not paying that much attention to it except for those who live near the area and those who are more politically invested. In any case, you will very likely NEVER see what you will see now in my blog.
While the Gazans are busy wreaking havoc on themselves, Israel and for the benefit of keeping the money rolling in, the Arabs in Northern Israel (and inside Israel everywhere) are busy living very normal lives. Could that be actually what the Gazan Arabs are yearning for?
A Friday night stroll along the tayelet in Tiberias is packed full of mostly Arabs. They are eating out at restaurants, cafes and snack bars. They are shopping at the open air shops. They are out with their families, on dates, and can be seen very obviously and very publicly sitting around smoking hookahs. They don't look very different then anyone else except for the clothes the women are wearing, some with traditional headdress, while others stroll along together with them. The kids are running around having fun, laughing and smiling. They are essentially enjoying everything Israel has to offer them.
That said, the photos I snapped below will show you some of the ancient relics that are almost hidden in between the modern buildings. The black stone is typical to the region (as opposed to the Jerusalem stone). Some of the ancient buildings are in use today. Again, and as always, be careful when you walk on stoned walkways! I would not recommend high heels!
Tiberias (/taɪˈbɪəriəs/; Hebrew: טְבֶרְיָה, Tverya,; Arabic: طبرية, Ṭabariyyah) is an Israeli city on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. Established around 20 CE, it was named in honor of the second emperor of the Roman Empire, Tiberius. In 2016 it had a population of 43,148. Tiberias was held in great respect in Judaism from the middle of the 2nd century CE and since the 16th century has been considered one of Judaism's Four Holy Cities, along with Jerusalem, Hebron and Safed. In the 2nd–10th centuries, Tiberias was the largest Jewish city in the Galilee and the political and religious hub of the Jews of Israel. Its immediate neighbor to the south, Hammat Tiberias, which is now part of modern Tiberias, has been known for its hot springs, believed to cure skin and other ailments, for some two thousand years.
Back in the 1970's & 1980's Tiberias was a very well kept and desirable tourist spot to where I would often visit. It is situated at the Kinneret which makes it all the more attractive. If you are interested in the Bible (Torah and the New Testament) then you will find much spiritual inspiration here. Sadly, if you do a quick Internet search you will also see some very negative reviews about Tiberias today. Yes, it is true that today not much is being done to keep up this beautiful landmark in Israel. I am staying here with my daughter and son-in-law (about to be!). I, too, was shocked to see the sorry state of the town the first time I came back. Nevertheless, there are places here that are worth taking the time to visit.
All that said, we ended up taking a night stroll on the boardwalk. Friday night is the Sabbath for the Jews, but not for the Arabs. What the world will NOT see on the television screens is the REAL life of Arabs in Israel. I am, for the most part, keeping this blog apolitical, but in this case I feel it is important to say something.
On this very same day the news worldwide is reporting on the continued protests in Gaza against Israel. Yes, it's big news around the world. In Israel it's just the usual - unfortunately. Most Israeli's and Arabs alike are not paying that much attention to it except for those who live near the area and those who are more politically invested. In any case, you will very likely NEVER see what you will see now in my blog.
While the Gazans are busy wreaking havoc on themselves, Israel and for the benefit of keeping the money rolling in, the Arabs in Northern Israel (and inside Israel everywhere) are busy living very normal lives. Could that be actually what the Gazan Arabs are yearning for?
A Friday night stroll along the tayelet in Tiberias is packed full of mostly Arabs. They are eating out at restaurants, cafes and snack bars. They are shopping at the open air shops. They are out with their families, on dates, and can be seen very obviously and very publicly sitting around smoking hookahs. They don't look very different then anyone else except for the clothes the women are wearing, some with traditional headdress, while others stroll along together with them. The kids are running around having fun, laughing and smiling. They are essentially enjoying everything Israel has to offer them.
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| I feel I must let you know that all is well for the Arabs who live happily in Israel. |
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| Riding the train in Jerusalem - all is well! |
That said, the photos I snapped below will show you some of the ancient relics that are almost hidden in between the modern buildings. The black stone is typical to the region (as opposed to the Jerusalem stone). Some of the ancient buildings are in use today. Again, and as always, be careful when you walk on stoned walkways! I would not recommend high heels!
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