Pics of Jerusalem

The Jerusalem Trip

So I went to Jerusalem yesterday and today I went to Silwan. I'll first talk about Jerusalem. It was amazing. It's completely different than Tel Aviv. You don't really realize just how secular Tel Aviv is until you go to the Old City. That is the feeling of Israel at its heart I believe. All I saw around me was the religion. So many men wearing black hates and different types of facial hair... it was amazing. I wrapped T'fillin at the Kotel and wrote a note. Yes it's very cliche, but that's what you do at the Wall. The coolest part though was when I said the prayer. I went up to the Wall and touched it and I just got chills. Everything that I felt four years ago came back. The passion, the love, the connection, the history... all of it just came rushing back in an instant. There is no place like Israel, but there really is no place like the Old City. Then today, I went to East Jerusalem with J-Street. Now I don't really like J-Street, but my friends convinced me that this is the type of opportunity that I would get at no other time so I took it. Overall it was very boring, ill prepared, and not interesting except for the twenty minutes that we spent with a Palestinian man who lived in Silwan. We learned what the municipality of Jerusalem provides us and what they don't provide them and the latter is much, much larger. But the most interesting part of the conversation was when I asked a question. I asked him, "Do Palestinians believe that Silwan should be the capital of Palestine or would it include all 28 neighborhoods?" And his response was tremendous. He simply said, "Personally, I don't care. I don't care if it's Palestinian, Israeli, American, or whatever. I just don't want to be kicked out of my house." It was brilliant. No politics, no religion, no blaming. A simple request to not be evicted or have the constant threat of eviction from his home. And I couldn't agree more. No person should be under constant fear of losing his home. The West Bank settlements are a different story, but East Jerusalem is very simple. They should not be evicted. If they live there, then they live there and no law (Absentee Property Law) and no organization (ELAD/JNF) should be able to cheap people out of their homes.

A Night on a Kibbutz

The Ultimate Sacrifice

Earlier today I recalled a thought I had at my family's house on Friday night. There were three young children. The oldest boy was around 12-13. He said he was having his bar mitzvah later this year. The middle child was also a boy, maybe around 8-9. And the youngest was a girl, probably around 5-6. I remember looking at them as they were hanging on their parents. They were curious and innocent and then all of sudden, I looked at all of them at once and realized that at some point, they are each going to be in the military. Each one of these kids, who are has happy go lucky as any American child can be (living in a nice home with a wonderful family) will eventually serve in the military. Where will they go? Gaza? West Bank? Golan? What service will they be in? The intelligence? Mossad? Artillery? Infantry? National service? Who knows… All I do know is that each one will serve at least 2-3 years in the Israeli army, protecting their country one way or another. But what was more interesting to think about was that their parents knew this. Both the mother and father, as Israeli citizens, also served in the army and knew that they're children would one day do the same regardless of the circumstances, peace or war. Not only did they know this, they believed in it. I have never met an Israeli who disagreed with the draft because they understand its importance and its necessity. Now I am assuming this of course, but I feel that if their parents were not okay, why not just leave? Their children are young enough where they would not be required to stay. Which brings me to the larger point. That all Israeli parents believe in their children being put in harms way for the greater good of the Jewish state. In fact, it is extremely difficult to find a job without serving in the military. It is looked down upon if you did not serve. It is considered a dishonor if you do not serve your years. I think this is incredible. This is so different than America where yes, we honor our veterans, but a draft would be inconceivable and highly contested for any reason. These parents know that their children will eventually serve in the military, will eventually be put in harms way, and possibly, G-d forbid, die in the line of duty. And yet they know that they serve a higher purpose… incredible. Sacrificing their most prized possessions, their children, for the sake of the country as a whole… would we be willing to make such a sacrifice? 

A Day in Yafo

Family

So I just finished my first Shabbat with my newly met family and it was amazing. I was incredibly nervous at first, but I became much more comfortable as the night went on and the discussion became more political. It was amazing. I have a third cousin who has two daughters, six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. And they're all related to me. Now obviously there isn't the same feeling of connection as I have to my family in the states, but it was incredible. What was more incredible is what I learned from Yosi, my grandmother's cousin. I already knew that my great-grandfather was a pivotal member of the Russian underground during the Czar and ran a newspaper that told the Jewish community of the activities of the underground, but I didn't know what my other family members did. I'll get to Yosi last, but his sister was a paramedic in the Israeli War of Independence and died, unfortunately, while trying to save injured soldiers. My grandmother's other cousin, another Yosi, had a pivotal role in creating diplomatic relations between Israel and China. He went to China as a scientific ambassador, which eventually led to an official ambassador to China. I'm sure I'll learn more when I meet him at soon. But now Yosi. He is very right wing, but as I expected. He fought in the War of Independence as well and helped liberate Haifa. He also received a commendation for courage in and competence in battles. He then was one of the first pilots in the IDF. He was the Production Engineer, in charge of the UZI submachine project. Without going into specifics, he was in charge of many more things and still is an advisor to high-tech projects. He also ran the investigation on the killing of Mohammed al-Dura at Netzarim Junction, proving it was a fake. He has written four books and is currently writing a new one. All in all, this man has served Israel his entire life. I did not know a lot about my family. My family does not have a rich history as some might describe their family history. I have friends who's family fought in World War II, fought in the American Revolution, related to some historical figure, escaped from the Holocaust, invented something ridiculous, etc. I have never been really able to say any such things. The one thing that I use to brag about is that my grandfather led the team of scientists that created the rocket fuel that sent Neil Armstrong to the moon. Obviously, that's seriously awesome. But now, instead of that being the only thing I can talk about in my family history, I have so much more. But it's not just about being able to brag about what my family did, but I simply take much more pride in my family and feel even more empowered to do something. My family has literally fought and died for the creation and the stability of the State of Israel. I have a family member who died while trying to save her fellow Jews. After hearing about what my family did, how can I idly stand by and do nothing? Or do so little? What I have done for seems so meaningless compared to what they did. No I'm not going to join the IDF. No, I'm not going to move to Israel and become an Israeli politician. I don't plan on becoming more radical. And I don't actually think that what I've done as an Israeli advocate is meaningless. I've simply done what I am able to do at this point in my life. However, I am now more determined than ever to achieve my goals of becoming a major player in Israeli advocacy in the future. My family fought and died for the creation of this great nation and as such, I will not allow their sacrifice go in vain. Knowing what my great-grandfather accomplished in his life, what my grandfather has achieved, what my third cousin achieve (China diplomacy), what my third cousin achieved (pilot), and what my third cousin sacrificed, I only feel empowered and proud to be a part of this family and to achieve as much, if not more, than they did. 

Club Seret