Jerusalem Post salutes Baha'i gardens in Haifa

I happened to stumble upon this little story as I was wrapping up my daily sweep of the news.

There are three significant reasons for going to Haifa.

One is the bay. A second reason is coexistence. No other place in the country has as good a record of coexistence as Haifa, where Jews and Arabs and other nationalities mingle and interact not only at work and in places of community services, but on a social level as well.

The third reason is the Baha'i gardens, commonly referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the World.

In case one doesn't know, ever since their inauguration in 2001, the terraces have served as a major tourist attraction for Israel, at a time when the country has not, understandably, been a focal point of international travel. Too bad the Western media focuses so much on the violence in the region that it fails to remind people of the hope that is embodied in little slices of heaven such as the Baha'i gardens. Haifa is more or less an embodiment of what mutual co-existence can look like for the Middle East (any connection here?). What better place to experience these gardens than a beautiful port city on the Mediterranean in which Jews and Arabs actually get along?

Aside from their breathtaking beauty, the gardens attract group visits by families, schoolchildren, members of the Israel Defense Forces, etc., because people are curious about Baha'i history - and because there is no entry fee. For a large family seeking an activity of mutual interest, this is a real boon.

Indeed.

Can't wait to see them up close next year on pilgrimage. Perhaps only then will I truly realize the magnificent potential for a better future that is latent within that troubled region.