The Dike Synagogue in Sliedrecht, NL

Sometimes we hear/read about something and decide to follow it up...just like you, I'm sure.  In this case, our new-found friend, Janny, told us about the monthly open house for De Dijksynagoge in Sliedrecht (of all places, where Astrid happens to work) this past Saturday and Sunday from 2-4 p.m., 18 km from home.

So, it was a no-brainer.  We put it on the calendar and went on Sunday.

It's the only synagogue in the world built on a dike.

In fact, Astrid heard it's the only synagogue outside of Jerusalem built on a mound.

It was built in 1845 but was dismantled and rebuilt in 2002 when the dike was reconstructed.

It was moved 80 meters west from it's original spot.  Leave it to the Dutch, as I always say!

(Pay attention to the horseshoe hedge in the back on the lower level.)

Can you see how bright the space is?

And how gezellig...the English word is "cozy" but it's more than just cozy.

You immediately notice the important things...even though I don't know what they're called.

For me, this would be the "altar."

And the "pulpit," plus the menorah (lampstand) and the "light."

Astrid found out the menorah was made by our woodcarver friend, Adrie Bezemer, 

from a 1000 yr-old piece of oak wood.

And yes, there is even a wee balcony from which you can get an overview.

From there I could better see the skullcaps all men were required to wear.

There was even a grab-bin in the lobby for visitors who didn't have their own.

Back out in the lobby we took the stairs past the Star of David down to the ground floor.
(That piece of broken plaster exposing the brick means it's "never finished"
until the temple in Jerusalem is rebuilt.)

Remember, this synagogue is on a dike, so the back floor is below the front entrance above.

That's where the  museum is.

I can imagine how proud the Dutch Jews are of these artifacts.

The backdoor off the museum takes you to the garden inside the horseshoe hedge.

Everything grown there is mentioned in the Bible, with names and verse locations.

Totally worth the experience and most educational.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

It so happens you can see the 1886 Sliedrecht water tower from the synagogue.

And there were plenty of weathervanes in the area to make me happy,

including the second cat vane I've seen within two weeks.

It was my 71st birthday the next day, Monday, so let's just say I was a very happy camper.

As you know, it doesn't take much!

Heaven on Earth

As we speak, Astrid and I are in England with fellow Shutterchancers, celebrating our 4th anniversary of meeting...on Shutterchance, of course. For you in America, happy holiday weekend! More on all of that next week.

In the meantime...a week ago this past Thursday, I walked over to a dijk near one of our shopping malls outside our citadel. I hardly ever walk in that area but Astrid told me "the shepherd" was going to be there with his sheep for at least a week to...guess what..."mow" the grass on both sides of the grassy dijk.

This was the second year he came to do his eco-friendly, green thing. It was such a hit last year because, for one thing, it was quiet. The shops were on one side of the dijk but homes were on the other. And besides, it was quite a spectacle for any and all who wanted to see the farm up close and personal.

Lucky for me, I made it on a sunny day which, unbenownst to me, was his last day for this year. After these images below, that's all she wrote.

Coming from home, I approached the dijk from the opposite end of the sheep and loved seeing them come more and more into view. This particular dijk, btw, is for pedestrians and cyclists only.




I could have dropped dead right then and there. I was in heaven.


But...there were 3 sheepdogs who also kept me entertained!
I wouldn't have missed them for anything. The way they chased after the sheep whenever they started getting too close to the street or walkway was a riot. Talk about doing what they were made for.
The thing was, they looked like they were in heaven!


At one point I walked down the dijk to get the whole thing from a different point of view.

Talk about doing what he was made for!


I wasn't the only one who stopped by to talk to him.


But watching this mother and child took the cake.
She, too, was in heaven. I knew exactly how/what she was feeling.


When the sheep got to the end of the dijk, from where I had entered, they were ready to cross over to the other side. But first, the shepherd moved in amongst them and started looking for one in particular. He told me there was a "bad" sheep that always went out into the car traffic on the other side and had to be tied up.
This was when his crook came in handy.
And this was when I remembered (from past sermons) how the shepherd knows his sheep!


Baaaa-d, Baaa-d, Baaa-d sheep!


All the others got to cross over to the other side.
It's always greener there, of course.


It really was greener....


...and this time they were in heaven.


It was the perfect time to wave Good-Bye and go home to eat my own lunch.
They really made me hungry!

Talk about soulful! My hand instinctively covered my heart every time I walked past the shepherd, letting him know how it all affected mijn hart en ziel (my heart and soul). I'll never forget it. It really was heaven on earth.

A Zaltbommel Joyride

Some Dutch words you just have to twist your tongue around and then go on from there. Zaltbommel, a town just 11 miles away, is one of them. We've passed it often on the freeway and every time, seeing the tall church tower, have said we would stop one day. That one day was yesterday.

We've had so many rainy days since the New Year, not conducive for photo hunts. Taking advantage of being at home is nice but...you know us...we were getting antsy. When Sunday chose to be partly sunny on a windy, mid-40s day, we didn't have to ask twice. It was time to go. Because of all the rain, Astrid wanted to see how high the river was. The Merwede River borders one side of our town and is one of the freighter routes to Rotterdam. We had heard that the locals were going out to see how high it had risen, with unusual amounts of snow melting into the country from Germany, Austria and Belgium. Remember, God created the world but the Dutch created Holland! Holland is HERE because of the technology that keeps the water out. Think windmills...and the dijks.

Basically, a dike is a man-made raised stretch of ground, just wide enough to drive along, keeping the water from a river away from the 'dry' land on the other side. The Dutch have been reclaiming their land and building onto it for centuries. They don't talk about Dutch engineering for nothing!

So as we drove along the dike, from one small town to the next...on our way to Zaltbommel...we saw just how high the water had risen. Granny Towanda fell silent. She never once chided me for all the times I got in and out to take pictures. She knew this was important.


The narrow dike roads, as you see, are not just for cars! So whenever I get out, I have to always pay attention. Lucky for me, I caught this group of cyclists out of the corner of my eye and was prepared for them as they flew by. The top image above gives you a good vantage point for seeing the sea level on the right side of the dike. This is what they mean when they say much of Holland is below sea level: approximately 27%.


Life goes on as usual, of course, for those who don't have a clue....


...but trust me, those who do are diligent in their work to keep the system going.
These huge piles of willow branches are the subflooring of the dikes, giving them a solid foundation. They're also used for fences. It was comforting to see the supply...for the demand.

We're still trying to figure out what in the world this guy was thinking!
If you have a clue, please let us know. Is this his lookout point over the dike to make sure no looters come by sea to take away what rightfully belongs to him?


We're still on our way to Zaltbommel, remember, on this side of the river. Our side, that is. Just before it's time to cross the big bridge to reach Zaltbommel on the other side, we stop in Haaften to see what that ruin of a tower is all about, near the windmill (above collage). Once home, Astrid discovered it's the Goudenstein Castle, built, they think, at the beginning of the 14th century.


Then we see it: the big tower of the Zaltbommel church, across the river, and the bridge we will need to cross to get there. This is my first time, from this vantage point on the dike, to see there is also another tower. Once in town, I was able to get these close-ups (above) and then found out at home it's the Gasthuiskapel, the chapel from the hospital built in 1316. We didn't visit it this time...maybe the next time.




Our destination this time was the Sint Maartenskerk in Zaltbommel...St. Martin's Church, built in the 15th century. It's closed to the public in January and February, so we will have to go back, and will. We'll want to climb the tower as well, maybe during the springtime.

And so it was that we had our first Sunday joyride of 2011. Another windmill or two, a castle, a spire, a church clock and tower, some sheep, and even another weather vane and water tower. Noord, Zuid, Oost of West. North, south, east or west...it matters not to us. A joyride is a joyride and it's much of what makes us tick here in this dynamite of a country.