Page 14-THE NEWS-August 1990
The Charlotte Jewish Federation Comm
By Margie Goldstein
Eighteen years had gone by
and here we were, once again in
flight, destination Israel. The
Charlotte Mission was com
posed of nineteen men and
women with a common goal —
to see, to learn, to feel the joy
of Israel. Little did we know that
this would be an adventure far
beyond our expectation.
We arrived in Israel at 9 a.m.
Monday, June 25. The morning
was filled with sunshine as the
blue and white flag of Israel flew
proudly against a cloudless sky.
The fatigue of travel seemed to
diminish as we boarded our bus
to meet Matti Kasher, our guide
and teacher for the next ten days.
Matti embraced us as if we were
old friends. His knowledge and
our enthusiasm would prove to
be the perfect combination. We
learned very quickly that this
was a leader that we would be
privileged to follow.
Our first hour, we went into
the countryside and placed our
hands into the earth of Israel.
Each of us planted a tree as
thousands have done before. I
looked at my tiny tree planted
in a field of barren rocks. Some
day, these rocks will yield to
become a forest. Here we were,
the Charlotte 19, reclaiming the
land of Israel.
The first night was spent at
the Tel Aviv Hilton, a modern
deluxe hotel in a modern vibrant
city. Dinner was the first of
many interesting and lovely
evenings together. We ate at the
GamUe\ Yemenite restaurant in
the Yemenite quarter, everyone
ready to experience new tastes
as well as ideas. Colonel Mike
Eldor, a naval officer of consid
erable charm, outlined the chal
lenges confronting Israel. This
was to be just one of many round
table discussions. The learning
experience had begun.
Tuesday morning, well nour
ished from the famous bountiful
Israeli breakfast, we were off to
Beth Hatsfutsoth (the Museum
of the Jewish Diaspora). This
museum is destined to become
a unique institution in Jewish life
the world over. It portrays
visually and graphically a 2,500-
year-old story, the miracle of
Jewish continuity against seem
ingly inseparable odds. In
scribed are the following words;
“This is the story of a people
which were scattered over all the
world and yet remained a single
family, a nation which time and
again was doomed to destruc
tion and yet, out of ruins, rose
to new life.” Days could be spent
in exhilarating study in this
creative institution. After only a
few hours, we had gained a deeper
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(L to R) Morey and Lynne ShefTer, Mike Minkin at Russian absorption
center in Natanya.
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Visiting with soldiers in the Golan Heights. Writer Margie Goldstein
is 4th from left.
sense of who we were, where we
had been.
Israel is a country of complex
ity...vibrant, contemporary...a
country of today and yet
immersed in a history thousands
of years old. The morning had
been a look into the past and
now we traveled to Netanya.
This afternoon would propel us
quickly into the challenge of the
present.
Netanya is a small city near
Tel Aviv, one of several deeply
involved in the direct absorption
of Soviet Jewry. The first stop
was in Ulpan, where Soviet Jews
were learning Hebrew. The
buildings were simple but quite
comfortable, clean and bright.
Every classroom was filled with
eager students ready to learn a
new way of life. In our class,
adults ranging from age 25 to
60 were learning to read a
Hebrew newspaper. The teacher
stopped the class and the olim
asked us questions: Who were
we? Why were we in Israel? We
told them very proudly about
our Charlotte Soviet families.
There were many questions. All
of them expressed a desire to
begin jobs, to become indepen
dent. They were so appreciative.
Here was Operation Exodus at
work.
From the Ulpan, we went to
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the absorption center, hot, no air
conditioning, but throbbing
with activity. Six thousand
Soviet olim are in Netanya in
need of housing, jobs, education,
social services. We next visited
two of the families in their small,
sparse apartments. They offered
us fruit and juice with much
warmth and then they joined us
for a long lunch. After sharing
several hours with our new
friends, we left them, sadly but
confident in their future. The
adjustment will be difficult but
as Jews throughout the ages,
they will fmd their place. They
will live as Jews without the fear
of persecution, a free people in
a free society.
Once again, Matti gathered us
together on the bus. It was not
always easy to stay awake as the
bus rumbled along, dulling us
into sleep, but there was Matti’s
voice, teaching, always teaching,
forcing us to stay awake, not to
miss one turn in the road. The
countryside is so beautiful.
Flowers are everywhere. The
cultivated land is productive as
well as beautiful. Around the
next curve are barren fields. We
watched in amazement. How
could these people turn rock
fields into gardens?!
The late afternoon was spent
in the Neve Michael Youth
Aliyah village. After our inspir
ing visit with the Zoviet olim,
we felt nothing could equal that,
but this was to be a day of
emotional human contact. We
were met at the Youth Aliyah
village by a truly remarkable
woman. Chowa, 42-years-old,
originally from Washington DC,
beautiful in face and spirit,
pregnant with her eleventh child,
told us the story of Youth Aliyah
in Israel today. Youth Aliyah
schools are rescuing troubled
children and turning them into
worthy citizens. These are chil
dren suffering from neglect,
abuse, malnutrition and pover
ty. At this village school, 250
children, ages 5-18, 60% Ethio
pian, are fed, housed, educated
and loved. The buildings were
not elaborate, but they were
clean and attractive. Neglected
by their families, embraced by
Youth Aliyah, these children will
be saved. Once again, our money
well spent.
As darkness came upon us, we
rode weary and thoughtful. We
had quite a day — Soviet olim.
Youth Aliyah, the Museum of
Diaspora. We would not forget
the lesson of the past, nor shirk
from the challenge of the future.
We arrived in Tiberias at the
Galei Kinneret Hotel on the Sea
of Galilee. Overlooking the
water, this lovely resort sits like
a jewel in the north of Israel. We
walked from our hotel and ate
outside in an Israeli food court
— falafel, pizza, blintzes — a
culinary cultural exchange was
available to the hungry travelers.
People were everywhere enjoy
ing the soft night breeze. It was
hard to think of Intifadas, rock
throwers, dynamite or bullets in
this atmosphere.
The next morning, bright
eyed and ready for what proved
to be high adventure, we
boarded the bus. As the bus
rolled up the Golan Heights,
Israeli Army Sergeant Yuram
joined us for our next important
lesson. He showed us Syrian
bunkers and detailed the mili
tary threat to Israel’s borders.
We climbed higher and higher
up Mt. Hermon, the highest
peak in the mideast, until we
reached an Israeli army camp
isolated at the top of the moun
tain. Very few civilian groups
have been allowed to visit this
military site.
In deference to our quickly
aging legs, Matti insisted that
Julius and I ride in the colonel’s
truck. The rest of the group
climbed straight up the moun
tain. At the peak, we all went
into covered trenches with no
daylight. Hand in hand, we
walked through the trenches.
Nicki guided me and Rich pulled
Julius along in the darkness. We
emerged into the light of day,
and there before us was Syria.
There we were — in the range
of Syrian guns — looking into
the eyes of the enemy. The Israeli
soldier, so young, so handsome,
defends his country on top of
this mountain. We descended
the mountain, back through the
dark trenches, to join the sold
iers for a hearty lunch. They
mingled among us, talking and
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Nineteen people went on The C
Community Mission to Israel, Jm
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Julius Goldsteinr ErnUy and Sam
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MinHin, Nicld and Miles Levine, 1
Unda Levy, Alan Kronovet and JRi
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Visit to an Army base at top of Mt. Hemu
(L) and Janet Minkin (R).
I
Two generations (L to R): Julius Goldstein,
Goldstein share a view of Jerusalem from Mi
on Shabbos eve.
' •
Some of the group relaxfa
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Charlotte. N.C. 28210
(7041S54 1188
Stuart Cofac g
Prasidant 1
Aug. 19-24, 1990
Oct. 21-30, 1990
Oct. 21-31, 1990
Dec. 23-Jan. 2, 1991
Dec. 23-Jan. 2, 1991
Dec. 23-Jan. 2, 1991
Dec. 26-Jan. 6, 1991
Jan. 9-18, 1991
Prime Mi
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