Despite the many frustrations I had with the groups' leadership, this trip really blew Birthright out of the water. This time around, I was privileged to do many things I didn't or couldn't do on Birthright. I got to meet up with my family in Beit El twice. I also had my brother and friend with me. We stayed in Jerusalem for the duration of the trip, and living in Jerusalem; i.e. waking up, eating, and other mundane activities feel fundamentally different. For me, it didn't feel like I was under some kind of Sh'china (Holy Cloud) or anything like that, things just felt a little different than usual. There was a different energy inside me. After one of the many very tiring days we had touring the Old City, i was falling asleep on my feet. It had been such a long day, and I had been sweating buckets. But then, as we trekked underground to where the Western Walls' foundation were, I got a shot of energy that lasted me the rest of the night, and I simply cant explain it. I felt like I drank a pot of coffee, but no jitters!
As a group, we stayed at the Sephardic Center and learned at a nearby Aish Yeshiva. When going out to the balcony of the Aish Yeshiva, the Kotel (Western Wall) was in plain view. Later, when I did some research on Aish Ha Torah, I learned that the government of Israel awarded Aish Ha Torah 40% of the land facing the Western Wall. In between classes we would hang out on the balcony and just look at the wall and watch people passing by. The mundane activity of taking a break in between classes was filled with something special, something spiritual.
Going to see neighboring Syria from the Golan Heights was also amazing. Israelis have the unbelievable ability to live next door to people who've tried and tried again to completely destroy Israel through wars of aggression, and at the same time hold peace talks with a willingness to make painful concessions. I whispered to people in my group, this is like climbing the rocky mountains and being able to overlook Afghanistan, or Iraq. In America, our enemies are far away, they might as well be on another planet. With Israel, every decision in war and peace is made with enemies that can clearly be seen from the borders of the country. Our tour guide told us that Israel has technology that enables them to see what Bashar Assad (the dictator of Syria) has for breakfast each morning.
When going to the Dead Sea, we could see beautiful mountains beyond the sea, somewhat obscured by a horizon which made the mountains look surreal. The mountains that we saw behind were none other than Jordan. The Dead Sea was fun, but it was very humid outside and our tour guide only let us hang around for 50 minutes.
Meeting my family in Beit El was great once again. We don't have much family on my father's side, but in Beit El, we have a kind, flourishing, family that is marked by constant simchas such as new births and weddings. Part of one of our visits was spent with our little cousins showing us the many animals near our aunt's house and telling us their names in Hebrew. Our little cousins' English was better than my Hebrew. They showed us deer, goats, rams, ducks, peacocks, & much more. They take English language classes, and their thirst for knowledge is unbelievable. Aunt Margalit's grandchildren helped tend the garden.
Aunt Margalit filled us in with pictures from the most recent weddings in the family, as well as photos of her family in Israel years ago. Many of the pictures we saw were snapped during various Purim celebrations, and we got to see some very cute pictures of little Gila and little Margalit all dressed up, Margalit as a cowboy with guns and holsters. Aunt Margalit told us how her father was named after my grandfather's father who died while my grandfather was a child. She explained to us all the familial connections of a family fractured by the Holocaust, only to be reunited by a chance visit and our aunts' vigilance. The unspeakable tragedy of the Holocaust could not keep the Jewish people down, and our family is no exception.
Aunt Margalit's son, Avraham Yitzchak, also showed us computer presentations of pictures collected while serving in the IDF, in Lebanon and in Gaza. The tough conditions, tough training, tough terrain and murderous enemies couldn't do a thing to slow down our cousin and his unit. Avraham Yitzchak discussed the intense conditions he worked in as if he was discussing a grocery list. Many things were inspiring during my trip to Israel, and this was the absolute most.
CONTINUED....
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