Shalom!

9/4/2016  It’s been 35 years since I was last in Israel; 40 years since the first time when I spent 3 months as a volunteer on Kibbutz Bet Nir. Now I’m headed back to visit friends and explore. The plan was to fly all night then meet my dear friend, Naomi, former kibbutznik, now naturalized American citizen, in Tel Aviv.

My first day was a bit of a blur due to jet lag and sleep deprivation but I was surrounded by loving friends and lots of Hebrew. Then came the night. Due to a 7-hour time difference from Virginia, I was awake until about 6:00 AM (11:00 PM at home) which gave me a total of an hour and a half sleep. Rise & Shine! So much to do…

After delicious Arabic coffee and breakfast, we drove to Kibbutz Glil Yam just north of Tel Aviv where Naomi’s sister, Mira, lives with her husband and children. They used to be typical Israelis (not very religious) but since one daughter converted and is now Hassidic, the parents and little sister have followed. It seems the main changes for them are the women’s attire (now plain with long skirts, long sleeves, high neck and head coverings very similar to Mennonite), stricter observance of the Sabbath (no driving or working from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday), no use of birth control, and more prayers. They prefer not to be photographed.

The kibbutz has also gone through a conversion of sorts and is no longer a kibbutz but rather privatized without joint ownership of the homes and property. The former members work outside the community and keep their earnings, contrary to the communal ownership of the kibbutz. I understand that a lot of the former kibbutzim have made similar conversions. There’s a political issue currently to begin taxing the kibbutzim. Formerly, they were not taxed as the concept was to settle the land. No taxation was one more way to encourage Israelis to move to certain areas where the government wanted Jewish settlements.

The food is all fresh and healthy–salad for every meal. People drink very little or no alcohol. Here’s a picture of my friend’s breakfast plate.

After leaving Mira’s we headed for the beach in Herzliya. Gorgeous white beaches with very fine sand join the Mediterranean Sea to the west coast of Israel. Near Tel Aviv, traffic was congested, parking was a problem and I was shocked by all the highways and tall buildings. Once at the beach, we found numerous restaurants right on the sand serving food and drinks. I was surprised to look up and see about a hundred young men and women in uniform running and walking by us; some carried Israeli flags and some carried rifles. People on the beach stood and applauded showing respect as they passed and many made comments of appreciation such as, “Keeping the peace.” Each Israeli citizen must complete mandatory service upon reaching 18 and graduating from high school; approximately 2 years for women and 3 years for men. When I met Naomi, she was 21 and had just completed her military service. She and her group mates were all sent to the Yom Kippur War at 18 and 19 years old. Our friend, Yehezkel, fought in the worst battles at 19 and today suffers from PTSD as a result of that experience.

The water was amazing–so clear and warm; great for body surfing. The air temperature was about 85 and the water temperature was about 82.

Never forget that this is desert. It’s very common to see both residential and commercial properties with artificial grass and silk flowers, interior and exterior, so they don’t need watering.

Beautiful palm trees are everywhere like these date palms.  Olive, orange, and lemon trees are very common also. The orange blossoms put off such a sweet aroma; it’s like filling the neighborhood with perfume.