Success! We made it to the Baha’i Gardens in time to go on a tour. It wasn’t the most amazing thing to do in Israel. It was pretty. The tour was nice… but… also a little bit boring. It felt more like a supervised walk through the gardens than an informational tour. After walking up the hill in Haifa yesterday, we felt a certain obligation to go on the tour to see if it was worth it. (Debatable) The short film at the end on the Baha’i Gardens and faith was somewhat interesting, more informative than the tour guide.
A quick review of the Baha’i Religion: it was founded by Baha’u’llah in Persia with the goals of uniting everyone -spiritually at least- on earth. I believe it’s the newest religion. It draws upon persons (messengers being everyone from Moses to Muhammad) and philosophies from Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, and more. The Bab (founder) is buried in the gardens in Haifa- in the section we weren’t allowed to visit, specifically within the golden domed building. Interesting fact: No Baha’i follower is allowed to live within Israel. Because of their emphasis on equality, they don’t want anyone to be or think they are holier than others because they live within the holiest site of their religion.
Andrew teased me, asking if I was going to convert because they believe in and work towards equal rights for women. I teased him back that I just might. Unfortunately, over half of the gardens are off limits to visitors. This includes the shrine, library, and all other buildings on the grounds. This seems a bit at odds with their egalitarian philosophy. Guess I won’t be converting any time soon…
After the tour, we hung out back at the hostel and then caught a train down to Tel Aviv to meet up (and stay) with a friend we made in Burma (Myanmar) last year. Anat, and her musically inclined boyfriend, Ron welcomed us with open arms and some fantastic kubbeh. A wonderful respite from the falafel and hummus Andrew has been making me eat. everyday. for lunch. and sometimes dinner.
