Day 2: Starting the Barley Search

Day 2: Starting the Barley Search 

Tuesday, 2/24/2026

Total miles traveled to date: 8496 

Steps taken: 7354

Details: Tel Aviv to Nova Site - to Tel Gamma - to Ashkelon - to Tel Aviv

Total Miles Driven Today:76.4 miles

Today, we did not find enough barley to declare it aviv (ripe.)  More on that in a moment.  There is so much to tell!!

The day was a hard start for everyone.  Almost all parties traveled a long distance the day before and we were a slow moving group.  Fortunately, the hotel had a lovely breakfast for us and a really lovely coffee machine.    

Go Shawna
Photo by Anita

A nice stroll to our parking spot helped get the blood flowing.  Once in the car, we headed south. On our way to our first location, of course we got stuck in the mud.  The men got it out, with Shawna's excellent driving.  I was very grateful for my beautiful new boots for keeping my feet dry and comfy. 

 Our first stop was the site of the Nova Festival Massacre.  There's a spiritual weight at this site we could feel as soon as we arrived - a sense of heaviness and sorrow.  As if the space itself remembers the events that happened there.  As if the spirits of violence and fear and sorrow still linger.   In a relatively short time, Israel has turned this site into a well-developed designated memorial.  It's paved, has signs and bathrooms for visitors.   It's surprisingly popular.  While we were there, many cars and buses came in and out, carrying people who were coming to pay their respects.  Each time as the teens and families and soldiers approached, the usual activity and chatter of people in groups would diminish, then stop as each person walked among the placards and memorials and signs and photos in mostly silence.

What really got me was the scope of it.  Of course, having seen it on the television and social media, there's a sense of familiarity with the pagodas and buildings on site, and I realized mentally that many had been murdered. But standing there among the photos of these murdered young people, you feel the weight of that loss.  You realize how many there were, and how horrible it must have been for them, and you can see clearly how there was nowhere for them to go to escape.  I can't help but think of the level of sheer hatred and ugliness of the individuals who did this.  So many lives were impacted in such a short time, and so many beautiful and hopeful young people are taken from the world.

These red flowers, anemones, grow naturally on the site. They were blooming as we were there.  The porcelain flowers are part of an art installation called, "Anemone's Before the Rain."  You can read more about this here:  Nova Festival Victims Memorial - Wikipedia

 

I talked about how beautiful the green here is this time of year.  I wanted to share some photos and show you what I mean.  Isn't it lovely!!?  I wish you could see it.  

 

Picture by Joe Dumond

Photo by Anita

 After a search nearby there for the ripe barley and a lesson in what, exactly we are looking for,  we stopped at a couple of other places, including Tel Gamma.  This archeological site is the location for an ancient city that populated throughout history by several different peoples. See the wiki link here:  Tel Gamma - Wikipedia  And of course, another car got stuck.  And again, the men got it out.   Thanks men!

 

At this location, we tentatively declared that the Barley is almost aviv!!  (See the photos)  Shawna and I also spent a little time examining the pottery shards and other items that had washed down from the tel. 

We finished with dinner at a nice pub in the seaside city of Ashkelon, called Archies.  The food was delicious, the service was great, and the beer was very good.   

 

The Barley

Of course, the reason we are here is the Barley.  The word "Aviv" has a translation of "green heads."  The barley as it ripens produces a "flag" which stands out above the rest of the grains in the field.  Here in Israel, the wild barley, wheat and oats all grow together but each ripens at a different time.  Yesterday, we learned to quickly spot the difference between the grains, which isn't hard since the barley stands up higher than both.  The barley grain (on the left in the picture below) has only one "awn" or long strand that sticks out.  The wheat grain has two.  The oats look like bells!  Being able to tell the difference is very important to determine if the barley is ripe.

 

Barley                 Wheat

Yesterday we found some ripe barley, but in order to have enough for wave sheaf day, you must have an omer, which is about enough to fill a big salad bowl.  

 

Tomorrow, we are headed to the Jordan River valley and JERICHO!!  We are also heading to places unknown and I can hardly wait!!  I also cannot wait to share that with you all.

I'm so very grateful to be here.  Thank you for reading.