My month of April 2017 was filled
with light, not only from Israel’s blinding sunshine but from the presence of three
of my closest friends that came to town. The anticipation of their visit felt pale
in comparison to the joy of seeing them, hugging them and spending time
together. Saying au revoir was difficult, yet our bonding left my heart full
and my mind filled with long-lasting memories.
First came Sahava...
We each travelled by train from the
north and the south to meet at the central Azrielli Mall in Tel Aviv. The few
short hours we spent together flew by too quickly. Our quality time included a
visit to Sarona Park and Market, followed by a bus ride to the famous Ha’Yarkon
Boardwalk where we experienced the magnificent views of the Tel Aviv shoreline.
Our final destination was the Old Yaffo Port, where we enjoyed a delicious
lunch at Bella, a bistro that sits at the hilltop of the Old Yaffo Park and
overlooks the ancient/modern seascape. I can say with a full heart that our
intimate conversation, the good food and the breathtaking views of the Mediterranean
felt like we were living a dream. Sahava always reminds me of my true self. Her
deep blue eyes penetrate my soul and her words of wisdom, encouragement, caring
and love have the power to lift me up.
Then came Ofra followed by Olivia, my O&O duo... and then arrived Evelyn, Steve and Sheldon...
Miriam and I welcomed Ofra at the
airport upon her landing. Born in Israel, this was her first visit to her
homeland in 14 years. Seeing her big smile beaming joy, I could not help but cry of emotion. I knew
how much this trip meant to her, to her family, and of course to Miriam and I. Ofra
truly brought me a piece of home with her and during her visit, she showered me
with the kind of attention and care you give someone you truly love.
Olivia arrived one week later,
adding yet more excitement to the mix. Olivia was hosted at Chaya’s, one of her
old-time friends who has become my friend also. Chaya and Raffi's A1 hospitality to
Olivia included spending time with us, Ofra and I, her Vancouver "framily." During
this time, our little circle of trust shared wonderful experiences together.
Highlights to follow.
Les Miserables at Habima Theater in Tel Aviv on April 18 (My Birthday)
Chaya, Olivia, Miriam, Ofra and
I, had the good fortune to experience the classical Victor Hugo’s play: Les Miserables. The chanting was all in Hebrew with on-screen English translation. Although I had seen this play twice before,
this version blew me away. The calibre of the orchestra, the magnificent
singing voices, the mise-en-scene, the costumes, and of course, the acting was,
in my view, world-class as proven by the never-ending clapping/standing
ovation. The excellent performance and the company of five unique women friends
was a great gift to me, especially considering that it fell on my birthday, April 18.
Pessach Seder at Ofra’s Sister Miriam & Benny
I was the only guest, other than
family, to Miriam and Benny’s family Seder. The small home accommodated over 20
family members from all ages, brothers and sisters, sons & daughters, their
spouses, their children and grandchildren. The Jewish/Israeli hospitality is
unlike any other. The hosts don’t seem a bit concerned over the “balagan” (in
Heb. disorganization) around them, crowding, noise, crisscrossed conversations,
food handling and children running around.
They just let things be and concentrate on serving the food and
attending to whatever is in front of them. Benny conducted the Seder
competently acting as a leader and a chazzan. What stood out for me was experiencing a
Moroccan ritual that involved giving a blessing to each person at the table
with song and dance. Benny travelled around the room blessing everyone while hovering a plate holding the Seder's food symbols over each person's head while all present sang in a chorus and rocked in our chairs. The catchy tune and repetition allowed me to jump in
for the last blessings. Overall, I was truly grateful to be sharing this
experience with Ofra and her Israeli family and to witness the emotion in their
faces, repressed tears and smiley eyes as they rekindled their family love.
Seeing Ofra in her family setting allowed me to peep into her upbringing and cultural
legacy, which made me feel even closer to her.
I hope to maintain contact with some of Ofra’s family members who made a
very good impression and made me feel very welcome.
Dvora & Eli – Kibbutz Yavne Tour and Jerusalem Sightseeing
What makes one a good host? This is a question we ought to ask when we
leave someone’s home feeling elated.
Dvora & Eli are amazing hosts in all the sense of the word. It is not what they do and how much they
do. It is simply how they do it. They are enlightened people, who live a
simple life of devotion to that which matters most to them, namely family,
friends and community. Eli is a
knowledgeable, competent and passionate tour guide, and we (O&O, Michal and
I) enjoyed the ride aboard a golf cart that took us around the Kibbutz. We enjoyed experiencing the grounds above a motorcar
and were most impressed with the contributions of the Kibbutz to the Israeli
community. We visited the barns where
hundreds of cows are milked daily and the sweet white nectar ends up in “Tnuba,” the milk/cheese factory. Likewise, the Kibbutz produces a variety of olives
and pickles sold all over Israel. We learned that the Kibbutz also produces a substantial amount of grain feed
for cows all over Israel, and we were lucky to see the assembly of grain in
action. Our final destination, the elegant watch store Adi, where many
brand-name watches are assembled and shipped into the world, houses its own
collection of fancy watches very tempting to the eye.
A few days later, Eli took
several of us on a sightseeing day trip to Jerusalem. We stopped at several historical
sites too many to remember, keeping in mind that every piece of land in Israel
has significance, especially to those that know and understand the background
and history dating back thousands of years, up to the creation of Medinat
Israel linking into the present day.
My Birthday at the Beach
The fact that my two best friends
were in town greatly encouraged me to organize my own birthday celebration at
Francesco Restaurant located on the Board Walk of Rishon Letzion’s main beach.
I was blessed to be surrounded by 16 friends, new and old, who came to the
beach on the hottest day of 2017. The beach was packed, people had lots of
difficulty parking, but we managed to enjoy a meal together in the patio
overlooking the waves. I love the
Israeli landscape and was truly happy to be surrounded by dear friends.
Day Trip to Caesarea, Acco, Rosh Hanikra and Haifa
After Ofra’s departure, I felt a
bit lost and then Olivia filled in the gap inviting me to a wonderful day trip
to the north of Israel. At this time, Olivia’s friends, Evelyn and Steve from
Los Angeles had arrived, and I am grateful for having had the opportunity to
spend time with them also at their boutique hotel on Rothschild Boulevard. While Evelyn was unable to join us for the
tour, four of us, Olivia, Steve and Sheldon (Steve’s friend from New York) enjoyed
a full day of sunshine over the famous sites of archeological and historic
significance. My favourite, Rosh Ha'Nikra, is situated on the border between
Israel and Lebanon on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, in the Western
Galilee. Its white chalk cliff face opens up into spectacular grottos of incredible
geological formation. One has to see this, to experience and to feel it.
Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day), Yom Ha’Zikaron (Remembrance
Day) and Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel’s Day of Independence)
The month of May is the month for
deep sadness, grief and celebration. The Jewish world, and especially Israel,
grieves, mourns and celebrates in a holy sequence. On Yom HaShoah, the
Holocaust Memorial Day, sirens are heard along Israel, no matter where one is,
and the Country comes into a halt. The sadness is felt on the streets and on
the faces of the people who likely lost dear ones in the extermination camps of
Europe. Then comes Yom Ha’Zikaron, and this day as well is deeply felt across
Israel. As the sirens are heard across the land, we mourn the thousands of
soldiers who have given their lives in order for us to live freely in our own
land, and for this, there are no words to express gratitude, solidarity and
honour. On this day, while in the company
of Evelyn, Olivia and a friend, we sat at a Tel Aviv Café to chat. When I
ordered my café, the owner looked sad and I asked him why. Oh my! “Today is Yom Ha'Zikaron,” he
stated. I felt embarrassed to be so
tactless and thoughtless. I then went
over to apologize and he told me that several of his friends had lost their
lives defending the State of Israel. I
kept silent.
On Yom Ha’Zikaron, as soon as the
sun sets, Israel celebrates Yom Ha’Atzmaut. I made sure to stay in Tel Aviv
with my friends Olivia, Evelyn, Steve and Sheldon to experience the fireworks
in Rabin Square, the very place where Rabin was assassinated. We avoided the crowd thanks to a dinner
reservation made by hotel staff on our behalf. While sitting outside at
Gusto, of Italian fare, we watched the parade of multi-age folks coming to take
part of Israel’s Day of Independence and experience Israel’s independence with
fireworks.
The next day, we strolled down Rothschild Boulevard joining hundreds of others who came out to celebrate Yom Ha'Atzmaut. The lineup to enter the Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence took place was endless. However, a mock declaration was put together by locals who were circled by hundreds of watchers, including me.
We managed to visit the Haganah Museum where we watched a movie and the many exhibits that spell out the work of the Haganah, the brave founders of the Israeli Defense Forces.
I later learned that my friends made statistics. In the month of April, over 350,000 visitors arrived in Israel!
The next day, we strolled down Rothschild Boulevard joining hundreds of others who came out to celebrate Yom Ha'Atzmaut. The lineup to enter the Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence took place was endless. However, a mock declaration was put together by locals who were circled by hundreds of watchers, including me.
We managed to visit the Haganah Museum where we watched a movie and the many exhibits that spell out the work of the Haganah, the brave founders of the Israeli Defense Forces.
I later learned that my friends made statistics. In the month of April, over 350,000 visitors arrived in Israel!
Wedding in Hadera
Before Olivia’s departure, I was
very fortunate to have been invited to Chaya’s son wedding in Hadera, in the
North. It took the private bus at least 1.5 hours to get there. The wedding took
place in an outdoor party facility (in Heb. “Ulam.”) These Ulams are all over Israel, given the
high demand for celebration halls, especially weddings. Remember, Israel is all
about family. The wedding was lovely,
very well organized and well attended. The food was a fusion of several
cuisines, and the actual wedding ceremony was unlike anything I experienced
before. The bride and groom created their own rituals and even wrote their very
own Ketubah (wedding contract.) I
thought –good for them to have to courage to be innovative and take charge of
their wedding vows. After the wedding, I
spent the night at Olivia’s hotel on Rothschild, and admit not sleeping well
and I anticipated her departure early the next morning. Farewells are hard!
Too Much Fun? It’s Time to
Work!
Right after the holidays, I went
back to work, both for Berlitz (private Spanish student) and for the English
Center in Ramla (school students bused to the center to learn English). In both cases, I continue to find it very
difficult to adapt. The pedagogical
challenge falls short compared to the challenge adjusting to a working
mentality that recognizes no boundaries, is unpredictable, unreliable,
unaccountable and plain and simple, unprofessional. At the home of the private student the mother
interrupted constantly, was on the phone and even ate her dinner at the study
table. I thought she had no manners and felt disrespected with her rudeness,
even though it had nothing to do with me. As to the English Center, I have no
words to describe the lack of discipline and wild behaviour of the students. One
could easily call these students bullies. They do not conform to any norms of acceptable
behaviour, they confront authority, and they are disruptive, loud, impolite,
inconsiderate, unmotivated and dismissive.
At one point, I was about the cry and then held back. Other times, I
feel like taking my purse and getting out, but I don’t. For now I am enduring,
as I need the money and feel I must honour my commitment, but in the long run, I
do not wish to work under these conditions. The teaching staff will agree with
me. The only difference is that they developed a thick skin, and to be honest,
don’t care, while I do. My fulfillment
comes from helping others learn, and failing to achieve this, I feel useless.
Conclusion
What exciting month this
was! I was left panting, tired and
needing my quiet space. Thank G-d all went back to “normal” in May.
