Our family of four just returned from a two-week trip to Israel, and I wish we were still there. We went to celebrate the bat mitzvah of my cousin, Eliraz Katz, and to tour the country with family. It was my third trip, my husband Jim’s second, and the first for our sons, Justin 10, and Evan, 7.
It’s hard to find the words to describe our trip. Although many friends and family were worried for our safety, we felt safe. We walked everywhere we wanted to go, including the Old City through the Jaffa Gate, the Western Wall, Ben Yehuda Street, grocery stores, malls and national parks, and we ate at kosher McDonalds and KFC with our sons. Security was tight but that’s just a part of life in Israel.
We felt secure enough to drive to places like Caesaria, Rosh Pina and Safed. We stayed on a moshav and ate ice cream at a kibbutz. We snorkeled in Eilat and walked the outdoor malls.
We were mesmerized by the desert and moved by the golden walls of Jerusalem, and we marveled at the incredible work that the Jewish National Fund has done to turn the land green with forests.
Sitting in the lobby of the Inbal Hotel (the former Laromme) in Jerusalem, we discussed politics into the wee hours with relatives of Milwaukeean Pam Roza who just happen to be friends of my aunt and uncle. We made the connection with them through Jewish geography and felt the closeness of what is indeed a small Jewish world.
One of our most memorable experiences occurred at City Center Square in Jerusalem. After Shabbas we ate at a favorite restaurant, Eucalyptus, which is right on the mall. As we started our dinner we heard the beautiful sounds of Israeli music, and we saw three to four hundred people dancing modern Israeli dance. This wasn’t a performance, but ordinary citizens celebrating together the beginning of a new week.
After dinner we joined the dancers. We found out that each Saturday night anyone could come to the mall and learn new dances. As we watched the people move in perfect unison and sing the words to all the songs, we were once again overwhelmed.
Jews were dancing out in the open in Jerusalem. These were not terrified people, but a nation showing its strength and unity through the joy of music and dance.
This is not the scene you would find in our papers and TV news reports. Yet, this is Israel, every Saturday night on the City Center Square. And it was beautiful.
We urge you not to give in to the media frenzy and fear that it creates. Go to Israel. Experience how incredibly beautiful it is, and you’ll find that you’re home. It’s so nice to come home, even if for a short visit.
Liza Wiemer of Fox Point teaches at the Milwaukee Community Cheder and is president of the Dorit Hadassah chapter of Milwaukee. She is also the author of “Extraordinary Guidance” (Harmony, 1997).
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