Saturday, August 8, 2009

Susanne's Impressions of Israel - our final entry

WOW! The land of Israel. What a place! I cried when our plane landed. I felt like I was home after a long hiatus, even though I’d only heard or read about Israel in books or newspapers. I felt immediately connected to Israel, a place I’d never been. It was a very strange feeling. I had always been too afraid to go. The worst news stories replayed themselves over and over in my head - about going into a war zone, getting blown up in a mall or on a bus or while sipping coffee at a cafe. And there I was at the Tel Aviv airport, with a klezmir band playing outside baggage claim greeting the arriving Maccabiah participants. What a welcome.

There is nothing like experiencing Israel. As I walked the streets of Jerusalem I felt as though I arrived at the center of the world, where the world’s religions and a kaleidoscope of cultures, languages, and history of, well, history come together so colorfully. Everywhere I looked there was someone that appeared to be a family member. Wait, is that my brother? That looks like my cousin! Wait – there’s me! Never had I seen so many Jews in the streets before. Well, maybe in Manhattan. And a mezuzah on every door post! And Shabbat elevators in hotels! And kosher food and kosher restaurants and Jews, Jews and more Jews everywhere I looked in every job not just as lawyers or doctors or professors but cafĂ© owners and taxi drivers and bell boys and yes of course, male and female soldiers.

The Maccabiah mission was a high class experience. Breakfast buffets of Mediterranean delights daily. Guest speakers on politics and a B’nai Mitzvah ceremony for all those of age who were interested in experiencing the rite of passage as we overlooked the Old City of Jerusalem. There were gala dinners featuring more Mediterranean delights, live music and dancing in the round. One evening at sunset a klezmir band accompanied our group as we sang through the streets of the Old City of Jerusalem on our way to the Tower of David evening light show. Walking tours and bus tours and DVD tours of our experiences so far greeted us in between cocktail hours, Shabbat dinners, Havdallah service, meet and greets and the Maccabiah informational tables providing us with lists of activities and advice on what and where and how and why in Israel.

The wailing wall, with our schmatas covering our shoulders. I touched the wall, with my fingertips, pressed in with my whole hands and then my forehead, said a prayer, then stuck a written prayer in a crevice with all the others, a deed I promised to a friend. This while Greg was swept up in the pre-Shabbat wave of dancing and chanting on the men’s side, a beautiful sound that transported me to another place – but wait, I was already there, in the midst of where I most needed to be at that moment, erev Shabbat in Jerusalem.

Escorted by armed guards through the Arab market after our underground tour of excavated ancient city walls, exploring the Church of the Sepulcher where we felt the marble where Jesus was laid after crucifixion, admiring the Dome of the Rock from afar - too far – each sight and experience more inspiring than the last. The sense of awe and wonder and intense emotions that whirled in the cauldron inside me was further agitated by my confusion regarding the layers of politics, regional policies on natural resources, economics, and Arab-Israeli relations.

And the games, yes the games, over 60 countries and 7,000 plus athletes, spectators, Mission participants, all gathering in Israel to support one another and represent their country as Jews. A maddening schedule of daily competition, gearing up, stretching and schlepping and exchanging of money and where to find a sandwich and another Goldstar please and did she win? and how do you text on this phone? a Bedouin camel ride stop the meter you don’t understand this is not where we want to be wow am I schvitzing stomp stomp on the washing in the bathtub and thump thump went the music at the discotheque on the beach below our hotel at 2AM day after day and 6AM wake up! wake up! another cup of coffee please - taxi!!

Tel Aviv beaches stretching on and on, in one direction toward the charming port of Jaffa and in the other to the converted port now housing shopping and restaurants, just beyond the walled off beach where women sunbathe certain days and men on others. Otherwise religious Jews are fully clothed baking in the hot sun alongside boys in board shorts and bikini clad girls playing paddle ball a game that is such an obsession that enjoying the beach has become a lesson in dodge ball.

Polluted Med Sea, clear blue Red Sea, and miraculous Dead Sea, sweltering Masada, where I heard the voices of the Jews that were and of King Herod himself, where I steamed in the ancient Turkish bath and was killed by the hands of my own family. The dust settled on my sweaty skin, ancient dust which permanently filled my pores no matter how hard I scrubbed to remind me never to forget. And then Yad VaShem, a stake through the heart, a mesmerizing experience of a horrific past, memories of those that were, with the hope that it would never again happen, knowing full well that it has in other ways, to other people, in other parts of the world.

Gold Medal for Rachel and the Junior US Squash Girls Team! Mazel Tov! And an excellent showing for the US Men’s, 4th in team and Greg 4th in individual competition. And then goodbyes to the Mexicans and the Brits, Brazilians and South Africans, Scottish and Argentineans, the Israelis and all the families and organizers at the squash medal ceremony. Held in the backyard of a private home, the setting couldn’t have been more beautiful, the people more friendly, the evening more muggy and the mosquitoes any happier.

Go to Jordan, specifically Petra. There is nothing more to say. We visited 3 days – each day the view from the siq to the monastery took my breath away. Lots of walking, or opt for the donkey or camel rides. The Jordanians are welcoming and they sure could use the dinars. Remember to watch the sunset over Petra, smoke the hubbly-bubbly and drink Arak.

Israel - another world, a spiritual world, filled with contradictions and adversity. Jewish athletes from all over, coming together to celebrate our history and culture, rejoicing in our continued survival. It is a place I was afraid to visit and hated to leave. Until we meet again.