by Debra Bokur | photography by Paul Ross
Defined by ancient landmarks, complex cities, and vast expanses of sand and desert that sweep down to the shores of the Dead Sea, Israel has an intense pitch and rhythm all its own.
In the cool shadows of an ancient passageway in Jerusalem, it’s not the area’s history, but the air I notice first – hot and pungent with unfamiliar spices, and thick with the jumbled music of a language I don’t know. Accompanied by my friend Rita Trieger, I leave the marketplace and make my way further into the labyrinth of streets. The alleys and stone lanes overflow with pilgrims from around the planet, representing all the world’s major religions and their various brands. I can’t help but think that perhaps somewhere in this fascinating and complex country, I might even find a sense of context for my own beliefs.
Jerusalem’s Unique Energy
Drawn by scent, we slip down a narrow street into a shop called Holy Land Spices. The proprietor, Basim Ju’beh, cheerfully helps us select from a display of bowls filled to their brims with white peppers and colorful, exotic spices. Our appetites whetted by the tantalizing aromas, we head for Eucalyptus, a restaurant we’ve heard serves only foods from Biblical times. Among the selections are dishes prepared with rice, figs, dates, honey, fish, eggplant, hyssop, sorrel, and tamarind.
One of the most impressive features of the establishment is Chef Moshe Basson, an advocate and practitioner of the Slow Food Movement. He comes out to say hello as we feast on roasted chicken and rice, grilled eggplant in sesame sauce, Jerusalem artichoke soup, and rice wrapped in sage leaves. He urges us to take our time, telling us that one of the most important components of a meal has to do with decelerating long enough to savor the surroundings and enjoy the company of your dining companions.
At the tables all around us, other guests are doing exactly that. In a side room off the main dining room, a wedding party is celebrating. The family elders are sharing stories, and the laughter has transformed the entire restaurant into a place of joy. Everyone, including us, leaves the building that evening with smiles on our faces.
Pastoral Interlude
North of Jerusalem, in the center of Galilee close to the town of Rosh Pina, the Hotel Mizpe Hayamim & Health Farm lies tucked within sloping hillsides. The interior courtyard is a lush, hanging garden with a glass elevator at one end. Long vines trail from the balconies above, and a tall, curving palm tree extends heavenward, while carved wooden door handles are shaped like fish. The hotel – now a Relais & Chateaux property – was originally an estate built by Eric Yaros, a German-born physician and homeopath who established the property as a vegetarian health retreat.
Early the next morning, I wake to birdsong, strawberry juice, and mint tea with crushed sage leaves floating in the bottom of the glass. Rita and I meet historian Arik Lubovsky outside on the wide veranda. He gestures from the point where we stand to the expansive views of the Golan Heights and Sea of Galilee. Lubovsky escorts us cheerfully through the twenty-eight acres of orchards, pastures, and organic gardens that make up the hotel’s farm. A peacock strolls along the path to one side, and we hear the bleating of goats and the muffled conversations of the cows and birds that dwell here, providing fresh eggs and milk each day to the hotel’s restaurants.
Later, I discover that the shelves in one of the hotel’s shops are stocked with jams, breads, herbs, oils, cheeses, and other food products made from the farm’s harvests. Many of the herbs, fruits, and oils are also used in the hotel’s spa. The feeling here is one of having stepped back in time, to a place where everything moved at a slower, more deliberate pace. The sensation is intoxicating.
Soap and Silver
Along a shady residential street in Rosh Pina, herbalist and Bach Flower Essence practitioner Shiri Havkin waits by her garden gate to welcome us into her home and workshop. The interior is filled with her organic creations – creams, soaps, and skin balms, all handcrafted from botanicals growing just outside the workshop’s walls. There’s also a display of beautiful silver jewelry, with designs inspired by Kabbalist tradition.
Shiri’s products and her lineage are equally fascinating – her mother, Drora Havkin, was one of Israel’s most beloved singers and composers; her grandfather, the inventor Nathan Ben Zion Havkin, established the Palestine-Israel Vegetarian Foundation, and promoted vegetarianism throughout the world. It was her mother’s struggle with breast cancer that launched the family’s involvement in herbal healing. In her mother’s later years, Shiri assisted her as she gave musical performances interspersed with lectures on herbal healing. In 1995, the Ministry of Defense published Drora’s book, Spices and Medicinal Herbs, celebrating Middle Eastern herbs and the rich folklore surrounding them.
“It’s necessary to keep the body strong so that it’s prepared to deal with whatever issues might come up,” Shiri tells us. “Herbs can do this, but you also have to look for your own garden, whatever it is that feeds your own needs and keeps you vibrant and healthy.” For Shiri, that translates to making beautiful soaps and creams that nourish even strangers. In the interest of our own self-fulfillment, we leave with a wide selection to bring home with us to the states.
Blending Philosophy
In the region of Galilee, we pay a visit to Or Ha Ganuz, where Rabbi Yuval Asherov runs a school of complementary medicine, where he teaches not only Kabbalah tradition, but also Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture. One of his students brings us a plate of almonds, dates, and dried apricots, and the Rabbi shares with us his philosophy of health and well-being.
“We combine natural healing with Kabbalistic ideas, the main idea being that the body heals itself,” explains Rabbi Asherov. “We believe it is a mistake to believe that one person can heal another – the healing force exists within us.”
The Rabbi smiles at us, urging us to enjoy the fruits spread on the plate in front of us. He tells us that the root of disease stems from a lack of spiritual light, and can be triggered by lack and emptiness in our lives.
“We have a tendency to fill those empty spaces with other stimulation, such as too much food, television, or whatever. According to Kabbalah, to take in excess creates a burden on the body. And, if we have not learned how to accept goodness and abundance when they are presented to us, it creates further imbalance. The body has an inherent wisdom. If you fix your life, energy flows properly. Vitality and hope create the necessary energy for healing.”
Heading south, we stop at the home of Chef Erez Komarovsky, who shows us through his extensive gardens, then treats us to an early lunch that features some of the freshly baked gourmet breads he’s become famous for at his restaurant, Lehem Erez. We sit with him on his terrace as he stuffs grape leaves, makes fresh hummus, and whips up a lemon and mint tabbouleh. He brings out a selection of local wines from the Golan Heights Winery, and Rita and I sit with Komarovsky beneath an arbor in the sunshine enjoying the food, the views, and a soft chardonnay from Yarden Odem Organic Vineyards. The bottle’s label is an oil lamp with mosaic tiles, a poignant symbol of ancient Israel – and a potent reminder of the connection between light and knowledge.
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