It has been an interesting and adventurous week. My friend, Shmu (24,
modern orthodox, made aliyah with his family 13 years ago) planned to
do Shivli Israel (a trip from the Northern most point of Israel to the
Southern tip of Israel in 7 week). I told him I would do the first 3
days with him to start off his adventure. We bussed up to Kiriat
Shmona where we ate in the food court and then set up camp at Tel Dan
Kibbutz. At first everything seemed great! Some very friendly Israeli
girls brought us amazing chicken wings and then we gazed at the bright
stars. However, all throughout the night Shmu did not feel well and
ended up with food poisoning from the bad pizza he ate at the food
court. Even though he was not feeling well and did not get much sleep
we decided to start hiking at 7am. We hiked for 5 hours through a cow
pasture, nature reserve, and on the road. I attached some pictures of
our trip (tiul in Hebrew). As Shmu was feeling worse and worse we
went to a clinic on a kibbutz where he got medicine and paid a lot of
money for an ACed room. I, however, felt great so I went swimming
while he rested.
That night 2 things happened. Shmu got a call from his parents saying
his grandmother fell into a coma and will pass away any hour so he
decided to go back to Jerusalem Thursday morning. I also received news
that one of my best friend's father passed away suddenly. When I made
aliyah I did think how I was going to miss the simchas (joys) in my
family and friends lives, but I did into think about missing the bad
times when my friends needed me for support and a hug. At this moment
it felt like I abandoned my friend when she needed me the most but
there was nothing I could do or say to make the situation better for
her. This is something that will happen again and I will learn to
accept as part of my Aliyah decision.
Anyway, on a good note, I had a family friend connection near Kiriat
Shmona so I called them and they picked me up from Kfar Giladid
Thursday morning and I spend all Shabbat with the Ivgi family. They
live on Moshav Avivim which borders Lebanon and I could see the houses
in which Hizbollah lives. The mother, Devorah, who made Aliyah 30
years ago from Brookline, is an amazing women who brought up 4
strapping young men who are still in the army (21-28). It was a big
Moroccan family Shabbat dinner with her boys and their friends around
the table and delicious food. During the Second Lebanon War Devorah
cooked for all the soldiers in the area and refused to leave her
moshav so she could be of assistance to the soldiers. She is a very
brave and strong woman.
I am back in Jerusalem this week studying Hebrew at Ulpan although the
Hebrew I learned from the boys and traveling is better than the
conjugations I learn in class but both are necessary. Here is a quote
by Elie Weisel that I read in his book A Begger in Jerusalem. It
touched me.
Jerusalem: the face visible yet hidden, the sap and the blood of all
that makes us live or renounce life. The spark flashing in the
darkness, the murmur rustling through shouts of happiness and joy. A
name, a secret. For the exiled, a prayer. For all others, a promise.
Jerusalem: seventeen times destroyed yet never erased. The symbol of
survival. Jerusalem: the city which miraculously transforms man into
pilgrim; no one can enter it and go away unchanged.
All my love,
Esther
Shmu, the guy that is completing Shvili Israel
Amir, Cassie's cousin in Moshav Avivim
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