Oh, Władek, a tale unfolded which seemed to have been devised specially for me. Inside the church I found a collection of ex-votos testifying to the gratitude of people who had been granted a miracle when they prayed to the Mother of God. Usually, of course, these are depictions in silver of arms, legs, ears—whichever part of the body was healed. There were no arms or legs here, but drawings by the untutored hands of children and their parents illustrating the miracles. A child was shown being rescued from a fire. There were three pictures, one by the child, one by its father, and another by the fireman. A soldier in the First World War made a vow to marry an orphan if he returned alive, and his whole story was depicted. Here he was in the war praying in the midst of flames, here he was returning home and the prioress of a convent was bringing a girl out to him. The girl fell ill and was expected to die. The ex-soldier prayed to the Mother of God for her to be cured, and then the three of them are drawn by their five-year-old son. A driver who had been saved after an accident in the mountains had brought his driver’s license as a gift to the Mother of God, and somebody else had presented their medals from the war. So much sweetness and thanksgiving.
But that was not the end of it. A nun came out and told me this celebrated place existed because of the efforts of a lawyer called Bartolo Longo. He was a poor man but educated and had managed the affairs of a rich Neapolitan widow. Bartolo had a vision in which the Mother of God commanded him to build a church here. He told her he was poor, and the Virgin asked him whether he had one lira. He had. Then she said this would be a church of the poor, and he should collect one lira at a time for it. From the rich or the poor made no difference. He was to take only one lira from each. He started collecting but there was not enough. Then the widow for whom he worked added money to make up the shortfall. Soon they were married and founded the orphanage here from which the grateful soldier had received his bride. They went on to establish trade schools and great forces of grace became focused here. Many were healed of illnesses and had favors bestowed on them. Now Bartolo Longo has been declared a “Servant of the Lord,” which is the first stage toward being recognized as Blessed.
When I left the church there was a peal of thunder and a tremendous storm began. The thunder and lightning had such mighty power and were coming from the direction of Vesuvius, which made me wonder if the volcano was reminding us of its ancient self.
I returned to Naples, and the next morning the bishop came and gave me money for my journey. I went to the port and bought a ticket. The boat will sail for Haifa three hours from now. So here I am sitting and writing you this letter. Do you remember trying to restrain me, telling me one should stay where one has been placed? Perhaps you are right, but I am confident that my place is actually in Israel, and the proof is that from the first minute of this journey everything has gone in my favor. You can always sense whether you are moving contrary to Providence or in accord with your calling. God be with you, Władek. My respects to Father Kazimierz. I will write when I arrive.
Daniel
6. 1959, Naples
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ANIEL
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MEET 12 JULY HAIFA PORT STOP DANIEL
7. Tourist brochure
“V
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AIFA
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Haifa extends over the slopes of the biblical Mount Carmel and its foothills. Compared to other settlements in Israel, Haifa is a young city, having been founded in the Roman era. In the 11th century, Haifa flourished briefly during the Crusades, but by the end of the 19th century it was a modest Arab village. At one time Haifa was a focus for illegal immigration, and the majority of Jewish repatriates in the early 20th century entered Palestine through its seaport.
Mount Carmel is the jewel in Haifa’s landscape. It is a mountain range some 25 km in length. The highest point is 546 m above sea level. The local soil is very fertile, and in ancient times its slopes were covered with vineyards and orchards.
In the distant past the local pagan population held Mount Carmel to be the abode of Baal, and traces of pagan rituals have been found at its summit. Here too the Phoenicians worshipped the local deity Hadad. The Roman emperor Vespasian made a sacrifice to Jupiter on the mountain, and an altar and temple of Zeus of Carmel was situated here.
Carmel is venerated by believers of the three monotheistic religions. The mountain is believed to be where the prophet Elijah spent his life. Several caves are pointed out to which the prophet withdrew. It was also from here that, according to legend, Elijah ascended to heaven.
Carmel is a place of ancient monasteries. The first monasteries are believed to have been founded here in pre-Christian times by the forerunners of Christian hermits, the Jewish Nazarenes.
With the triumph of Christianity a network of monasteries sprang up. The Crusaders discovered Byzantine monasteries here in 1150, and they had existed long before that.
Today the largest and most famous monastery is the Roman Catholic monastery of the Order of Discalced (or Barefoot) Carmelites. There has been a monastery of this Order on the mountain since the 13th century. It has been destroyed and rebuilt many times. In its present form the monastery has existed since the first half of the 19th century. It stands on the south-west face of Mount Carmel at a height of 230 m above sea level.
Not far from the monastery is a lighthouse. Above its entrance is a statue of the Madonna. The whole complex of buildings is called Stella Maris, a guiding star for sailors.
Descending the mountain from the Gan Ha’em metro station we arrive at one of the main sights of Haifa, the Baha’i Temple, situated in the Persian Gardens. This temple is the global center of the Baha’i religion. The founder and prophet of Baha’ism, El Bab (Mirza Ali Mohammed Shirazi) was pronounced a heretic and executed by the Iranian authorities in 1850. The prophet’s remains are laid to rest in the Baha’i Temple. At the present time the faith has several hundred thousand adherents globally.
Baha’is believe their religion has assimilated all that is best from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The essence of the doctrine is expressed in the words, “The Earth is but one country and mankind its citizens.” Some of the fundamental commandments of Baha’i are of interest: unity of God, unity of religion, unity of humankind, independent investigation of truth, harmony of religion and science, elimination of all forms of prejudice, dogmas, and superstitions.
In terms of its industrial importance Haifa is the second city of Israel, after Tel Aviv.
Haifa is Israel’s main port. Construction of the port began in 1929 and was completed in 1933. There is a major shipbuilding works. Furthermore, with the expansion of the railway network during the British Mandate, Haifa became the central hub of Palestine’s railways.
The country’s only underground funicular train line operates in Haifa. It was opened in 1959 and has just six stations, from the foot of Mount Carmel to the terminus at Gan Ha’em (“The Garden of the Mother”) on the mountainside at Carmel Center. Adjacent to the station is a pleasant park in which Haifa Zoo and the Museum of Prehistory are situated.
The city has the oldest polytechnical institute in the country, known as the Technion and founded in 1912.
Haifa has history and art museums. The Haifa Museum of Art has sections on ancient art, ethnography, and modern art. You can also visit the Music Museum, the Clandestine Immigration and Naval Museum, and the Marine Museum.