By Marney Blom
As the early morning dawn awakened the sky over the Sea of Galilee last Saturday, 12,000 eager swimmers took the plunge. For 61 years Israelis of all ages have made the annual trek to what is known in Hebrew as the Kinneret, to participate in the 1.5 km or 3.5 km swims across the Sea.
As an avid swimmer growing up in Canada, I had plenty of opportunities to freestyle my way across a number of Canadian lakes often despite frigid water temperatures and the dangers of speeding water craft. So when the opportunity to swim across the warm waters of the Galilee under a perfect, blue 35.5 degree Celsius sky along a boat-free tangent came along, I jumped in!
With the cliffs of the Golan Heights dominating the landscape on my left and the city of Tiberias in the distance on my right, It was hard to wrap my head around the fact I was swimming across the very sea Jesus walked!
Opting for the longer 3.5 km swim, I crawled and breast-stroked for two hours past young and old, recreation and trained club swimmers, sometimes returning the Hebrew word “slicha,” meaning “excuse me,” as we exchanged accidental and occasional bumps and kicks. At one point I looked up to catch a glimpse of a beautiful golden swim cap, complete with an image of the western wall and the word “Jerusalem” across the side. Must get one of those! I mused.
As I approached the finish line, I relished the last moments of my swim. I was conscious of the potential for future conflict that looms large over the Galilee in northern Israel. To embrace the beauty of the swim was to enjoy a precious moment of calm in a season of respite before the next round of conflict begins.
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