Hello fellow Travelujah Spiritual Questers & Friends.

Although my wife and I have traveled extensively, this is my first attempt at keeping a Blog. I have Elisa Moed who is CEO of Travelujah at http://www.travelujah.com/, to thank for encouraging me to blog with this "faith-based social network providing relevant content, travel information, reservations and social networking services for people interested in the Holy Land,

Why the name Zorba? I am a fan of the Greek author Nikos Kazantzakis who wrote: "Zorba the Greek," " The Life of St Francis of Assisi ," "The last Temptation of Christ" and many other amazing books. Albert Schweitzer believed NK was one of the most Spiritual writers of the 20 th. century The english translation of the inscription on NK gravestone in Crete reads - "I need nothing, I fear nothing, I am free." I attended a 2-week workshop at the National Training Laboratories (NTL) in Bethel, Maine. in the 1980's. Part of the labs design required each participant to arrive with an assumed name. I choice the name Zorba.

The lab experience was awesome and transformational for me. Judy and I went to the Greek Island for three weeks in 1995 to celebrate our 25 th. wedding anniversary. After returning home, I rread NK biographical book "Report to Greco" and much to my surpize I discovered his Pilgrimage through Greece covered almost the exact itinerary as our anniversary trip did. Who am I, when I am not pursuing the best of the best of the Spiritual greats of History. I am Canadian, who was born and raised in Nova Scotia. I just turned 69 years young this month. My wife Judy, my soul mate of 45 year, and I met during our second last year in high school.. We married 6 years later after she completed her RN Nursing program and I finised my B.Sc. and B.Ed. degrees. Judy and I retired in 2001. Much of our retirement to date has been spent traveling to wonderful places like Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia, Alaska, Mazatan, Mexico, Rio Di Janeiro, the British Isles and across Europe, Further, we travelled extensively in Canada and the United states, visited the Incas In Peru and hiked the Andes from the ten to 15 thousand foot level.

Why am I now traveling to Israel? Forty years ago I wrote on my “Bucket list” that I would go to Israel and live and work on a Kibbutz for one year. My focus then was to explore how my personality was influenced by my Canadian Family and Heritage. My purpose today is to embrace experientially, the Holy Land’s Mystical Spiritual Traditions and diversity by putting on the heart and mind of Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Baha"i Spiritualities.

PURPOSE(S) OF PILGRIMAGE

1. To pray, meditate and contemplate for lasting Peace in the Holy Land between Jews, Christians, Muslims and Baha'i at various sacred sites. If possile, I would like to pray in Jewish synagogues, Muslim Mosques, /Baha’i Temples and various Christian Churches for Peace, Love and Healing of all the people of the Holy Land and the world, and for an end to Racial Cleansing and divisive dogma.

 2. To pray for Sherri, our oldest daughter, to find her Soul Mate, and that they will spend the remainder of their lives growing Spiritually together .

 3. To have the God of my understanding challenge and transform me in a fashion similar to Teyve, in “Fiddler on the Roof” around the ever changing realities of my own life.

 4. Forty years ago I wrote on my “Bucket list” that I would like to go to Israel and live and work on a Kibbutz for one year. My focus then was to explore how my personality was influenced by my Canadian Family, Heritage and Cultural programming. I believe an in depth experiential Kibbutz immersion would transform my way of seeing myself and the world around me. As G.K. Chesterton said, "The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one's own country as a foreign land." "All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware." - Martin Buber.

5. The purpose of my Pilgrimage to israel has changed over the past 40 years. Father William Mac Namara has said, and I agree, that "prayer and play" are the key ingredients to be fully human and fully alive. I pray that Prayer and Play will be central in my embracing experientially, the Holy Land’s Mystical Spiritual Traditions and diversity while encoountering the Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Baha'i believers and their Spiritualities. I pray for the gift of genuine "I-Thou" encounter with all these people that I hope to spend quality time with during this Holy Land Pilgrimage.

6 To be awakened again, renewed and transformed by Grace, the Sacred and Holiness. To journey towards Sainthood, by closing the gap between what is and what can be. Albert Schweitzer believed Nikos Kazantzakis was one of the most spiritual writers of the 20 the century. He was at Nikos bedside when he died. As a child Nikos would read the stories of the lives of Saints to the elderly womwn where he lived in Greece. They used to laugh at him and told him he would be a priest one day. Nikos spend his whole life being a writer and Pilgrim in search of Holiness and Sainthood.