Page 10-THE NEWS-June/July, 1986
Charlotteans* Impressions of Israel
A First Timer’s
Reflections On Israel
By Faye P. Seigel
My Third UJA Mission: Still Exciting
By Simon Estroff
7
mm
L to R: Edith Steindler, Mission Director; Simon Estroff; Shoshanna,
the guide; Berry Zander, (S.C.); Miriam Mendell (Houston); Todd Serbin
(Columbia); the driver; the Israeli Major/Liaison; Vicky Serbin (Columbia).
I would like to share with
you some of the excitement I
felt when I made my third
visit to Israel this past March
9 on the Southern Regional
Mission. I am already eagerly
looking forward to my fourth
UJA Mission. In a moment
you will understand why I say
that. Let me tell you first of all
that I had planned to take one
of my children on this trip but
at the last minute something
came up and I had to go
“alone.” Well, I was never
alone as there were 81
beautiful people on this mis
sion. To me, one of the best
aspects of a UJA Mission is
the type of people that you
meet on the trip. They are not
your average tourist; they are
people who know who they
are, where they are, and where
they are going. They have en
thusiasm, interest, concern
and a thirst for knowledge. Let
me tell you that this may
sound like a commercial for
UJA Missions but it’s how I
feel.
On the first day the
highlight was actually arriv
ing in Israel, and then im
mediately going to plant a tree
in Modiin. This was the first
time I had ever physically
planted a tree and I felt very
good and proud of this smaJJ
feat. The symbolism was very
powerful. We now had roots in
Israel. On our second day we
met a most beautiful man,
Yossi Netanya, a survivor of
the Holocaust, and now a
‘tireless worker on behalf of the
JDC-Malbem Home for the
Aged. We then went to a
Youth Aliy ah Village, had a
briefing on their programs,
visited many laboratories,
watching the kids at work,
studying chemistry, computer
science, auto mechanics and
more.
We then visited a former
Jordanian gun position. From
here one could see the Mediter
ranean as well as Jerusalem,
and this pointed out to us very
graphically why Israel can
never return to its June 1967
borders.
We also visited the Museum
of the Diaspora. There I saw a
brief but wonderful message:
“Live in the present, but love
the past and trust in the
future.” This museum is so
very special. It is all about us,
wherever we have been.
On the third day, a small
group of us left the main
group and drove to Netavim
Air Base, near Beersheba,
Israel’s newest air base. We
spent several hours there with
the base commander, who
charmed us completely. We
again had the opportunity to
plant trees (I’ve become a real
expert at this). While at the
base we saw the IDF in action,
a fly-by, a demonstration of
putting out a fire, and a tour
of the various ordinances they
use. When we left Netavim we
caught up with the main group
at our sister city, Nazarit EUit.
This place has changed drasti
cally in the past three years.
The people are so warm, vib
rant, full of life, and so ap
preciative of what we in Char
lotte have done for them. This
is a must stop and is only on
the UJA itinerary. Our third
night ended in Tiberius.
Our fourth day began in
Savat, a lovely old city, rich in
so many ways. The emphasis
was on our visit to the old
Sephardit Synagogues, and a
new program of restoration by
American Jewish Youth, as
well as some insights in
Kaballah. Our guide, Lori, was
special. We left Savat and
visited an Army base for lunch
and a briefing on the security
situation with Syria. From
there we went to an ancient
synagogue at Katzrim, where
the building faced South,
toward Jerusalem. After a too
brief visit to a kibbutz on the
Lebanese border and home
hospitality, we returned to
Tiberius and ate dinner on a
boat, cruising the Sea of
Galilee. It was very special
and lovely.
We made our way to Jeru
salem on the fifth day. We
made several stops on the way
but arriving in Jerusalem in
time for Shabbat dinner
makes the other stops seem in
significant. We had dinner
with Cantor Arye Brown, and
this was, for me, very special.
On the sixth day, Shabbat,
we all took advantage of a day
of leisure.
Our seventh day we “did”
Masada. I see and hear new
things each time I go there.
This trip was no exception. We
also ate lunch on the shore of
the Dead Sea and many people
took the opportunity to swim
(or float is a better word) there.
It was a weird feeling.
At 7 p.m. with 80 people
from the Southeast, our El A1
jet departed Kennedy Interna
tional Airport for a 10 day
UJA Mission to Israel. For
me, this journey was the
realization of a lifelong desire
to visit the country of my
heritage. Although I tried to
sleep, the anticipation of what
was ahead kept my mind and
body reeling. My excitement
was overwhelming as the cap
tain announced first in
Hebrew and then in English,
“Ladies and gentlemen, we
will soon be arriving in Tel
Aviv.” When the wheels of the
jet touched down at Ben-
Gurion Airport, I knew at last
I was in the homeland of the
Jewish people.
I was immediately impress
ed with the many striking con
trasts in this tiny struggling
country. I saw new settle
ments and modern apartment
complexes and nearby the
black tents of the Bedouins,
living the same pastoral life as
the Patriarchs of thousands of
years ago. Driving along the
highway in our Izirge comfor
table bus, we pass a caravan of
camels and a donkey laden
with wares. We see rocky bar
ren land alongside fertile
fields. The land of Israel is a
nation of remnants; people
gathered from all parts of the
world and restored to a new
life. Here intermingle old and
new, religious and secular,
desert and civilization, tradi
tion and culture, reality and
vision. By American stan
dards, the life is difficult
socially, economically and
politically. Taxation is high,
inflation is out of control, and
no one knows when a hostile
neighboring country will
strike. Yet these people have
found refuge from persecution
and oppression and to them
Israel is truly the “land of milk
and honey.” Memories and
hopes fuse into one as a
testimony to the pain and
ordeals suffered for the crea
tion of the State of Israel as a
homeland for all Jews.
As we tour the country, we
are able to see how our finan
cial commitment to Israel
serves as the lifeline of care
and concern that enriches the
lives of 650,000 Israelis. We
see how these funds help ab
sorb, educate and settle new
immigrants; build villages and
farms; support innovative pro
grams for troubled and disad
vantaged youth, and promote
the revitalization of distressed
neighborhoods. Our first mis
sion upon arriving is to plant
a tree at Modiin, birthplace of
the Maccabees. The planting
of a tree is symbolic. Not only
does it help in the reforesta
tion of the country, but it
allows each of us to put down
roots and reconfirm our cove
nant with this Holy Land.
The heart of Israel is its peo
ple and the commitment to
caring for its own. We visit a
home for the aged, one of 11
homes in the country. Six hun
dred residents from 22 coun
tries reside here with the
average age of 86. We visit an
absorption center for Ethio
pian Jews airlifted out of the
Sudan during Operation
Moses in 1985. At the center,
these people who have been
isolated from their Jewish
brethren for hundreds of years
(Cont’d on next page)
For Information
On UJA Missions
Call Federation Office
366-5007
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The Charlott* Contingent: (L to R) Gail Dreher, Richard Klein, Bub
and Faye Seigel, Simon Estroff, Steve and Barbara Freeman, Nettie and
Ralph Smith, Loretta Pettus (the Smiths’ daughter).