May 28, 2024
So the best laid plans do not always become reality but Andy and I have learned to roll with the punches and have been able to keep the travel in ‘24 plan. My blog is titled The Innocents Abroad because Mark Twain’s book, (aka The New Pilgrims’ Progress) was a memoir about his extended trip to Europe and the Holy Land. Our Europe part went as planned but after October 7, 2023, when Israel was attacked by Hamas terrorists, we made alternative plans for spring 2024.
This revision included three incredible weeks in India over April (I have one more post to share from our last week in the State of Kerala.) and most of May in the U.S. where we enjoyed friends and family in Santa Fe with Andy’s business school buddies, Manhattan, Brooklyn for the wonderful wedding of Jessie and Josh, Park City for the Lyons and Sims family reunion and Lake Hopatcong because it’s lake season.
On Monday we landed at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel; we are volunteering here for the week. We found Authentic Israel on the “Volunteer Opportunities in Israel” link on the UJA-Federation website and liked their proposed itinerary.
The last time Andy and I were in Israel was on a family trip with Westchester Reform Temple at the end of 2009; George was 14 and Matthew was 10. Driving into Tel Aviv was a completely new experience as there has been a construction boom with modern buildings all over. Thankfully, Tel Aviv’s beautiful beaches are near our hotel and haven’t changed a bit!
Our group is led by two guides, Barak and Cat. We planned to arrive early Monday but again, plans were thwarted by United Airlines. Then the ElAl connecting flight was late to land so we missed group orientation but made it to the welcome dinner. We are a group of 26, Jews and non-Jews representing all parts of the U.S. and we will be together for a week.
Thankfully, on our first outing, the group was briefed of evacuation plans, just in case: don’t panic, don’t run – most injuries are from tripping, not from missiles! We also learned that there are concrete bunkers scattered everywhere, many brightly painted close by — just in case. After today, I can recognize them along the landscape.
Because we are volunteers, we are not considered tourists. Our guides have welcomed us as family. Tourism as it was known is not happening here currently, another casualty of the war.
Our first day we were immediately thrown into the deep end of the pool – our bus took us south of Tel Aviv, into the “Gaza Envelope” – a 7km strip of Israel, right next to Gaza. (Barak suggests using the term “Israel Envelope”). The residents of this area suffered the bulk of the attack on October 7 and entire communities were devastated. Let’s be clear – Hamas had no military targets; they were seeking to kill as many civilians as possible. Many of the survivors in villages such as Ashkelon and Sderot were evacuated to distant hotels after October 7 because of continued risk of rockets from Gaza; the government did not think there were enough homes with safe rooms and residents of this area had mere seconds to find shelter during an attack. These 160,000 Israelis felt like refugees in their own country. Fortunately, school-age children were able to attend school wherever they were relocated. As the rocket attacks have almost completely ceased, many families have moved back.
We learned a lot today from our guides and speakers. There have been many volunteers from abroad as well as local. Some Israelis have come up with innovative projects to support the displaced families and the soldiers. And some observant Jews who do not participate in military service have stepped up to participate in national service instead.
When we asked about PTSD, we were corrected. No one is “post” yet; the country’s “hearts are still bleeding.” Proportionally, Israel suffered [17] 9/11s in one day. So many are still suffering the trauma of October 7 and beyond. For many whom we met, sharing stories and spreading the truth was a healing experience.
In Sderot, we climbed up a hill to get a close up look at the Israel-Gaza border; we were only 700 meters from the fence, at the northeast point of Gaza. The dust clouds we saw in the distance could have been military activity, according to Barak. We felt safe and protected but this was eerie. Sderot was originally settled in 1950’s by Moroccan and Algerian Jews. More recently, Russians and Jews from other Central Asian countries have moved in as the older population has dwindled.
There are many Orthodox Jews in this area as well. They are National Religious and among the most Zionistic groups in Israel. The term kippa sruga (knitted kippa) is sometimes used to describe “religious Zionists,” including the Jews who live here. There have been tax benefits for those who have chosen to live in this area, though many of these National Religious feel it is their duty to live here – to inhabit all of the land of Israel. Residents of the towns and kibbutzim in this area were accustomed to sirens warning of missile attacks; I cannot imagine that being part of my daily existence. This did not prepare them for the terror that was inflicted on on October 7.
We learned that on October 7, most Israelis’ phones were off because it was both Shabbat and Simchat Torah. Sirens, warning residents of missile attacks, started at 6:30am (not atypical there) but they did not stop. Video footage of the ground and missile attacks have become available as, after hearing the extended sirens, local residents accessed their phones and filmed what was happening from their rooftops. These brave Israelis (most of whom have returned to their homes) have adapted to potential danger and the best example of this comes from a local playground, where a bomb shelter disguised as a giant worm is actually there to train and protect children when sirens sound.
Most poignant was the ground where the Police Station had been. Because the station was completely infiltrated by Hamas, the IDF counterattacked by bulldozing it to the ground, taking out any terrorists who were hiding inside. Only memorials to the slain policemen remain and the new station will be built elsewhere.
1200-1500 people died in 1 day on October 7, both at the Nova Music Festival Site and at the kibbutzs in this area; this is Israel’s 9/11.
Our bus brought us to one of those innovative projects I mentioned above, in Shuva, a makeshift kitchen and lunch spot that started in Revital (Riba) Ben Tzur’s kitchen in Tel Aviv after October 7. Cooking with HAMAL shel Revital רויטל בן צור now makes meals for soldiers everyday from a few locations in Israel, filled with volunteers. After a brief orientation, we got our assignments. I and three others were whisked away in a pickup truck filled with dirty pots and pans which needed washing, using the water at a nearby kibbutz. Back at the kitchen, schnitzel was frying, sandwiches were packed and soldiers began to arrive in anticipation of a meal far superior to canned army rations. It was a great experience to participate in this project and see the immediate appreciation from the soldiers who came for lunch and a quick break from the other side of the fence.
Our next visit was to an organic wellness farm called Arugot. Itay Lachman, with his wife Esther, relocated to the Envelope and started selling organic foods for babies and now other products. I am wearing their 30 SPF BB cream as I write this. Itay shared his family’s experience on October 7, like no other day ever here.
Arugot began fourteen years ago with a desire to bring more business and prosperity to region. Their farm has produced organic herbs for the last four years, promoting natural pharmaceuticals, beauty products and good health. They held tours and workshops at the farm and provided space for the community to daven. They provided jobs to Palestinians. Everything was canceled after October 7 and the farm became an IDF unit base with 160 soldiers. That morning, the sound of missiles seemed pretty typical but when Itay heard gunshots and bombs, he knew it was different. He opened his phone (even though it was a holiday) to get news and they were soon evacuated. Terrorists were in orchards surrounding farm but the Hamas terrorists did not get in. They were evacuated to hotels near the Dead Sea but returned in February.
For the first two weeks after the Hamas attacks, no workers came back and there were no buyers for Arugot’s organic cosmetics, so they pivoted and began to make kits for the local IDF units. Their engaged community began to donate whatever they could and these donations accompanied the kits for soldiers. The gift-kits helped get Arugot going again and with his thanks to God, Itay found a way to make things work (Baruch Hashem). Itay remarked that amazing things happened during these dark times. Of course, we purchased a kit of organic products by Arugot and gave it to a lucky soldier when we returned to Cooking with HAMAL site for lunch.
Itay’s view is that Hamas reminded Israel who were the enemies of Israel and that Israel can not allow its enemies to remain on its doorstep, lest they will attack again. We asked about the Palestinians who had been working on the fields at Arugot prior to October 7. Itay and many Israelis believe that many of them had been informing Hamas with the local intelligence that was used to plan the Hamas attack, and are guilty accomplices. October 7 brought the country of Israel together in spite of internal political turmoil. What comes next is unclear. I am still trying to get a handle on what Israel’s government is planning for the future of Gaza, who in Israel should be held responsible for the defense and intelligence failures and when will there be elections. As I process more from my week here, I will share what I discover.
Our next stop in the area will be best explained by photographs. We went to a junk yard that has been used to store approximately 1,600 smashed and burnt out cars, all destroyed in the attack on October 7. There was the shell of an ambulance which had been stationed at the Nova Music Festival, where people thought they might be safe inside, but Hamas destroyed it anyway, killing all 16 inside. The area is quite overwhelming in its starkness and sheer scale.
Dr. Gadalia Fendel, a doctor and father of four met us and shared his experience and how his life is now divided by before and after October 7. At the car junk yard, we learned that there are a few significant reasons why the destroyed cars were gathered here:
1-So DNA can be gathered for identifications and to find remains to ensure proper Jewish burials.
2-Investigators using evidence from cameras in these cars to help identify both victims and terrorists.
3-These vehicles had to be cleared quickly from the roads; it would have been too traumatic to have them remain near the roads.
4-For family members, this place has become a place of comfort. Perhaps one can find something that had belonged to their loved one.
While this place was not intended as a Memorial to all those that died by bullets, grenades and fire in these cars, it certainly has become one, and there were many other visitors when we were there.
Gadalia shared his day, saving lives and witnessing both devastation and heroism. Currently, his family, now back from relocation, is getting the counseling needed to recover from the trauma. Even the family dog needs Prozac to calm down for loud noises and fear of dog walks.
Our last visit on this full-day was to the site of the Nova Music Festival. On the morning of October 7, there were 4,000 people in attendance. These were mostly young people who came to experience spirituality and music with a backdrop in nature. There were more than 400 casualties. We had time to walk around and see photos of victims who were murdered as well as those who are still missing. This is an organic and sacred memorial to them. We gathered to hear a very personal story from our guide Cat, who was supposed to be there but for a travel glitch; she lost several friends. We said Kaddish and sang Hatikvah — not a dry eye. We completed our day in a circle to share impressions, feelings and reflections. Having recently been to the Nova Exhibit in lower Manhattan, a very graphic audio and visually disturbing depiction of October 7, the silent and contemplative scene at the very spot where so much joy became so tragic was a fitting tribute created by family and friends of the festival’s victims.
After this long and emotional day, it was so nice to meet up with one of my “littles” and her husband. Debbie and Danny made Aliyah and all four of their children have served their country, two of them, during some of these last months.
Am Yisrael Chai – עם ישראל חי – The People of Israel Live
And early wishes for a Shabbat Shalom
🇮🇱💙🇮🇱 ☮️ 🕊️ ☮️
The Innocents Abroad, 21st Century Version 