Perhaps we are the generation who will, finally, put an end to anti-Semitism, to hatred within the Jewish people, to intolerance and bigotry. Perhaps we will be the ones leading by example, teaching others how to counteract baseless hatred and come together in love. Perhaps we will be the ones to build the Third and final Temple. Perhaps we can bring an end to the loss. Perhaps.
In just one afternoon, I’d fallen in love with the strong pioneering attitude of the residents, the winding roads and lush greenery and bright homes, and the magnificent sunset panoramas of Einav. It is a place so vital to the pumping heartbeat of the Biblical Heartland, and a place well worth protecting.
Do you want to visit the Holy Land? I can remember as a child dreaming of a visit to the Land of Israel. In those days, it was such a far-fetched idea, that it seemed as realistic as flying to the moon. I still remember my very first trip to Israel, the incredible rush of emotion as the plane touched down at Ben Gurion Airport. As the palm trees flashed by the window, I was unable to stop the tears flowing down my face. My heart was so full and I hadn’t even stepped foot off of the plane yet! Even today, I still get that same rush of emotion every time my plane touches down on the runway at Ben Gurion. There is nothing like coming home to Israel.
Before I made Aliyah, I used to hear lots of American Jews repeat the same Hebrew saying: libi b’mizrach v’anochi basof hama’arav. Translated, it means, “My heart is in the east, but I am in the west.”
Even though the Six Day War happened before I was born, it shaped much of my life. I grew up hearing stories of the miracles that took place during those short, yet brutal days of fighting.
It’s the Fifth out of Ten Commandments. In Judaism, honoring one’s father and mother is a vital mitzvah (commandment) that recognizes the synthesis of God’s power to give life with the physical beings who help carry out that miracle of creation. More simply, it holds the key to the age-old success of the family unit. When children show honor towards their fathers and mothers, parents can be more effective caregivers, and children learn healthy guidance and how to follow rules.
Every now and then, we get to witness something truly miraculous. Recently I was able to experience one such miracle, a miracle that you, and other donors of CFOIC Heartland, directly helped to bring about. It is a story that I can’t help but share.
Zionism runs strong in my family, as deeply connected to my identity as my family name and my devotion to Orthodox Judaism. Zionism was simple when I was growing up in the United States, because all it took to be a Zionist was to love Israel.
What has drawn me back to have extended visits to the Land of Israel for the last 18 years when I feel it was an “accident” that I went there in the first place? The Land calls to me. The sights, sounds, and smells are imprinted on my soul. Why? I have no physical explanation. In the natural, there is nothing that would call us to this tiny stretch of earth. And yet, there is something very special about this place. There is a reason that it is called the Holy Land.
When Kim and Sondra invited me to join them for one of the final evenings of the CFOIC Spring 2019 tour, I hesitated. The tour was staying at a kibbutz on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and it was a long drive up from Karnei Shomron. It would be a long night, and I was already tired. But what harm could come from a few hours of missed sleep? I’m sure I’ll gain something from it, I thought. So I went.
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