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Friday October 10, 2003

Camelback sukkah, etrog orchard bring Sukkot to life in Israel’s biblical reserve

by lydia lee
correspondent

jerusalem | The small sukkah looks perfect for a desert tailgater: Sitting on the back of a camel, the palm-frond shed is festive and eminently portable.

You can really appreciate how liberal the talmudic building codes for sukkot are at Neot Kedumim, one of Israel’s most unusual parks. At this time of year, visitors can see all four species of sukkot growing in their natural habitat, as well as a sukkah perched on a camel or aboard a raft, and the smallest and the tallest possible sukkah.

For kids, the camel is a huge hit. But year-round, the park offers a thoughtful introduction to the past for adults as well as youngsters. Located off the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem Highway, about 10 minutes from Ben-Gurion Airport, Neot Kedumim Biblical Landscape Reserve sits in the Judean foothills halfway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

“We’re showing the literal roots of the Bible,” says Beth Uval, a tour guide at Neot Kedumim, which means “ancient fields.”

A nice complement to the Old City of Jerusalem and historical sites on the well-beaten tourist track, the 625 acres at Neot Kedumim are devoted to bringing biblical times to life through its plants and farming practices. Those with an interest in gardening will find plenty to marvel at: Hundreds of ancient plants populate the preserve, including cedars and date palms. Sections of the park illustrate specific textual references, such as the “forest of milk and honey,” and the “dale of the song of songs.”

Symbolic plants suddenly become startlingly real. You’ve seen etrog before — the citrus fruit that is one of the four species of Sukkot. But have you seen a whole orchard of the giant lemon-shaped fruits dangling like light bulbs from the branches?

On the two-to-three hour self-guided tours, placards along the pathways help fill you in on the history of many familiar plants. For instance, oregano, that standby of the spice rack, is thought to be the biblical hyssop, used to paint blood on the door for Pesach.

You can also take a turn at crushing olives at a Roman-period stone olive press. At the threshing ground, you can see firsthand what the Bible means when it describes ungodly people blowing away like chaff in the wind. During the various holidays, depending on the season, you may have the chance to participate in harvesting olives and making olive oil (winter); reaping wheat, grinding grain and making pita over a fire (spring); and harvesting grapes and figs (summer).

The park also offers guided tours with hands-on activities by prior arrangement, and guests can even partake of a breakfast of the ancients or another biblical-based meal. In addition to children’s field trips, there are special programs designed for first-time visitors to Israel, b’nai mitzvahs and wedding celebrations. Neot Kedumim is also the first national preserve in Israel to have paved paths for disabled access.

As you walk along the paths, the arid, terraced hills are a reminder of the difficulties of growing food in this region. You have a renewed appreciation for hardy native plants like the olive tree, which not only provided food but fuel for lighting.

“Everything that grows here is a miracle of survival,” says tour guide Uval. “Here is common ground between the observant and the not-so-observant — anyone connected to the traditions of the Bible.”

Lydia Lee was recently in Israel on a journalists’ trip sponsored by Israel’s Ministry of Tourism. Information on Neot Kedumim: www.n-k.org.il

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