My First Two Weeks in Israel - Day 1 - The Day I Landed in Israel Aboard ElAl

Photograph of El Al landing at the Ben Gurion Aiport in Tel Aviv
 at 6:30 am on Wednesday, March 30, 2016
(Real-time photograph)

Wednesday, March 30, 2016 – The Day I Landed in Israel Aboard El Al

We landed at the Ben Gurion Airport in Israel at 6:30am when the sun was just rising.  The 25 Olim spent the next three hours completing the reception and registration process, all of which was dealt with efficiently and warmly. I am now the holder of two official Israeli identity cards (Teudat Oleh and Teudat Zehut) the equivalent in Canada to the CareCard and Permanent Resident card.

The taxi ride to my first Israel destination was a hoot. I waited outside the airport for one an hour watching the Israeli taxi drivers negotiate loudly the passenger routes, chatting amongst themselves, and appearing aloof to the public that awaited them. It seemed to me that too many spoons were stirring the pot at the same time and going around in circles. I noticed that many of them were smoking, and even though we were outside it was hard to find a smoke-free space.

After boarding the taxi, in approximately 20 minutes I found myself in front of Yaffa’s apartment building. The first thing I saw is a couple of skinny street cats, roaming around looking hungry and weak. After buzzing her code, she came down in her pyjamas to greet me, and immediately made me feel welcome! Together we managed to schlep my four heavy suitcases into her apartment. The funny thing is that the suitcases got stuck in the old elevator because one of them fell sideways and jammed the elevator door. Yaffa had to call in for service and it took a couple of hours to recover them. While she was taking care of business, I collapsed into the couch and fell asleep in spite of the noise and activity around me. Yaffa said I just passed out.  It was obvious that I had let my guard down, felt safe and at home.

For the rest of that day we kept a low profile. We spent the afternoon rekindling our connection and reminiscing about our life in Vancouver, the people we know and the latest news. 

Yaffa’s home is a little oasis that she created from scratch. I have always admired her survival and problem-solving skills and self-sufficiency, all of which helped her build a little empire of her own.  While her apartment building is old, she turned her flat into an attractive and functional space. Her décor and colour scheme (red, black and white) is a reflection of her vibrant personality. She is orderly and neat beyond the norm. Also, an excellent cook, hostess and conversationalist. Her compassion, generosity and kindness flow outwardly as a river that quenches one’s thirst.

During this precious time I did not feel the need to go anywhere, just took a deep breath and realized the distance I had travelled, across continents, oceans, borders, time zones, memory lanes and emotional breakthroughs.