Photographing Petra was a dream come true.
I knew from my pre-trip reading that the area was unique;
but i was not Prepared for how deeply it would affect me.
More than 2,000 years ago, this south Jordan city which began
as a temporary refuge by nomadic Nabataeans , became a hub
for the lucrative caravan trade. The location was perfect-
it was a bridge between Asia and Africa , and the Major route
from Egypt to the great empires of Babylon and Assyria. From
Caves in a rock outcrop, easy to defend, the Nabataeans created
Petra as a Fortress capital city.
I climbed the high place, making my way slowly up the mountain,
stopping Every 20 feet or so to photograph the scenery. At
the top, i was flooded with memories of studying and memorizing
passages In the scriptures. The prayers i recite on special
Jewish holidays were indelibly linked with The sacrifices
of ancient times and the worship of our ancestors on Mountains
mentioned in the bible. I shivered with profound awe at our
Closeness to the heavens.
Back home having developed my film, i was once again overwhelmed
by the Awesome beauty of Petra. I knew i had to do something
unique with these images. That's when i started To do research
- i wanted to make Petra as meaningful to others as it was
for me.
I searched the internet but found little. My son-in-law,
Fred discussed my Problem with his cousin Joel, an academic.
That is how i discovered Yigal Yadin's documents from the
bar kokhaba period In the cave of the letters , a book by
Naftali Lewis, part of the Judean Desert series- at the university
of Toronto John P. Robarts research library.
This book, based on Yadin's 1960 archaeological dig, was
published by the Israel exploration society. After reading
the book and its documents too many to count, i felt a bond
With Babatha , a historical woman. I could relate to her situation
and pain though she was a woman of her Times. I could also
envision her as a contemporary figure because her joys, Struggles
and sorrows are shared by many of today's Jewish women. She
is in The tradition of our brave Jewish heroines who combine
courage, great Intellect and unbelievable strength.
And so the story almost wrote itself. Babatha's hometown,
Maoza, was south Of Petra. She was orphaned at a young age,
she inherited numerous date Orchards . She married Yeshu'a
while still a teenager and gave birth to Joshua. When her
husband died, though she managed her family's business, Guardians
were appointed to look after financial interests of her son.
She Remarried Judah, a much older man who had another wife
and a daughter not Much younger than Babatha.
She and her fellow Jews went into hiding to escape the Romans.
Her documents Were left in the caves until Yadin found them.
As i wrote, i had a sense of the person behind these documents.
I felt her Horror at the injustices of the world, her pride
in her heritage and her Strong attachment to her son. I found
her ability to pick up the pieces and Get on with life refreshing
and most admirable. She did not have the rights And expectations
of many of today's Jewish women, yet she possessed an Indomitable
Jewish spirit that no one could extinguish.
Babatha is here with us today. In some way we are all connected
with Babatha:
We are women of all ages, of different generations, who feel
a meaningful Relationship with her.
We are devoted to our husbands, children, families, relatives,
community-at-Large.
We are active in our daily lives: in business, cultural events,
civic Affairs -particularly Jewish happenings.
We share concerns on Israel on a daily basis, We faithfully
observe Jewish traditions, continued education, child care,
Elder care. Yes, we too, like Babatha, reach outside our communities
and become
Involved intensively in many other cultures around us.
I warm up to Babatha; i know her very well.
I admire her spunk and fortitude.
I venerate her with my greatest respect for upholding her
Jewish faith in The most dire circumstances.
May her memory be blessed.
May we moderns present today carry out on her behalf her love
of Judaism in All its precious facets.
Thank you for coming today.
Please enjoy the exhibition.
Yasher koach to all!
Orah buck
