Shabbat Shalom

EL AL from Newark to Tel Aviv
see all photos »

Shabbat Shalom & Happy Purim.

This afternoon I flew across the sky suspended from a rainbow colored parachute and floated above the Red Sea.  From my perch I spied Jordan to the left, the Sinai (Egypt) to the right and if I strained my sight I could even see Saudia Arabia.  As I parasailed, I looked into the red mountains over Aqaba and could hear the words of Miri, our lovely Israeli guide, telling us that historians now believe that the children of Israel sojourned in those mountains for 30 years and lived as shepards before reaching Zion.  In those red hills it is believed the Jewish people buried Miriam and Aaron the sister and brother of Moses.

Reading the Purim Megillah onboard EL AL
see all photos »

Eilat at the foot of the Negev is a beach town that features lovely shops and resort hotels.  In many ways it reminds me of Cabo San Lucas or Baja.  It is a lovely spot to begin my travels.

After a long flight lasting nearly 10 hours we touched down at Ben Gurion where after passing through customs we were treated as special guests in the VIP Lounge to drinks and snacks and a comfortable place to regain our balance.  A young man even allowed me to use their pc to send a quick note home.

Landing in Eilat
see all photos »

As I was unable to sleep during the flight I had a rather strange chat with a young Israeli who was returning home after 4 years in Brooklyn.  He seemed to be quite absorbed with New Age philosophy, which from his conversation seems to be a combination of the worst of Timothy Leary, Astrology and Conspiracy Theorists.

The only other interesting thing to mention about the flight was that at midnight (Israel Time) a group of Orthodox Jews got up and chanted the Megillah as Purim had just begun.

View from Hotel
see all photos »

I was lucky to meet many of the other Women who were part of the JNF Mission at Newark and each and everyone had a special reason for taking part in this wonderful adventure.  We are being led by a spectacular woman, Tali Tzur the Israeli JNF Representative for New Jersey.  She is quite literally the personification of State of Israel.  A lovely intelligent, wife, mother, soldier, Sabra and Jerusalemite.  Tali has been sent from JNF in Israel (known as KKL - Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael - in Israel) as an Emissary to American Jewish Communities throughout the United States.  It is her job to explain the work being done by JNF on behalf of Israel and the Jewish People and to solicit financial aid.  Not an easy job by any standards - but she does it with grace, intelligence and sincerity.  Anyone who has had the privilege to hear her speak knows that this isn't a job but the embodiement of her love for (her country) Israel and her people.

View of Jordan from Beach at Eilat
see all photos »

Tali is the inspiration but the women taking part in this Mission call are equally impressive.  Most of them could easily stay home and enjoy their senior years by indulging themselves, their spouses, their children & grandchildren - but they share a love for Israel and the future of the Jewish people.  Because of they have devoted themselves body and soul to raising funds - new communities have sprung up all over the Negev Desert and these communities are growing with new young families, a strong infrastructure and great hope for the future.  I am humbled to be in their company on this trip.

Harbor at Eilat
see all photos »

Tonight we dined under the stars at Timna Park, as young Israelis dressed in Yemenite garb played music on ancient instruments.  Timna encompasses prehistoric rock formations, known as Solomon's Pillars and the remnants of Egyptians copper mines quarried during the time of Ramses II and at first glance seems to be something out of Indiana Jones fame.  In fact, this ancient site is now a National Park created by JNF Donors around the world.  My terrific roommate for this trip, Jane, a Travel Writer, had the opportunity to see the plaque at Timina Lake honoring her later mother and her father, who along with her granparents have been staunch supporters of the JNF for decades.  It was a touching moment when she called her father to tell him about our night.

Solomon's Pillars at Timna Park
see all photos »

I have promised to tell you the straight scoop - so here is a short list of the "problems" I encountered thus far:  many delays along the way (8:30 sharp turns into 9:00 quite easily when you are traveling with 46 woman);  towels at the Hilton Eilat were not there when they were desperately needed; faulty air conditioning in the hotel & tour bus during an unseasonable heat wave in the desert; and of course some rude folks who don't want to deal with foreigners who can't speak Hebrew.

Evening entertainment at Timna Park
see all photos »

Before I close for the night (really morning here), I want to mention that I met our driver, Moshe.  Moshe is a native of Jerusalem and his life story parallels the 60 years since the birth of Israel.  Born in Jerusalem of Greek Jews who fled Salonika following the German occupation, he grew up speaking Hebrew, Greek and Ladino (similar to Spanish).  As a young child in the Yemen Moshe district of Jerusalem, each day as he played he'd see Jordanian soldiers with rifles trained at him and his playmates. After the cease fire following the War of Independence (1948) Jews were unable to enter the old city that was their home for centuries.  Finally In 1967, just 4 hours after Israel took back the Old City, Moshe rode his bicyle the few blocks to the Western Wall that he had seen his whole life but could never touch until that moment.  He went on to serve his country as a soldier in a Tank Unit during the Yom Kippur War (1973) and the first War in Lebanon in the early 1980's.  If you could see the expression on his face as he told me how he and his men would check over and over and over again before they fired their weapons, in fear that a woman or a child would be harmed, you'd understand, as I did, that serving in the IDF  is a heartbreaking duty.  This is an enemy whose battlefield is the streets of his town and the home where his wife, and children live.

After hearing Moshe's story, I begin to think this is my mission - my personal mission - to hear these stories and to tell them to you.  Moshe will be special to me because his is the first story I am privileged to hear.

Tomorrow we are off to Mitzpe Ramon bright and early.