Off to Greece!

An article by Elahn    2 Comments

Wow! I’ve been in Israel for well over a month and a half now and boy has that time been eventful and most satisfying. Israel has really grabbed my by my love glands and squeezed tight. The sort of embrace reserved for a father to a son, a mother to a daughter, a Thai kickboxer to his smaller, bloodied opponent in a desperate hug of mercy.

I leave tomorrow for Greece for 2 weeks. The first 5 days I’ll be working on the WRC near Athens. Then I’ll travel around for a week before flying to Turkey for the WRC as well. Here is the hotel I’ll be staying at in Greece for the first few days while working. I’m sure it doesn’t really look like that. My room may not have a view of the water or the indoor pool may be closed for repair. Don’t know.

Tomorrow morning I’ll pack, go to aunty Alia’s for a quick visit and then take the train to Ben Gurion airport for my flight to Athens. Very exciting and humbling at the same time as I really could not have asked or planned such a trip as I’m currently having. It’s almost as if I have been granted a wish and have been given all this as a gift. To come to Israel with mum, to visit family, meet new people, see things I’ve never seen before, tastes not tasted before.

I’ve managed in little over a month to make new work contacts, make new friends, create new opportunities, explore a country that shows on the tv news, is written about in the papers, is discussed, debated and argued about by people in livingrooms, on the street, in restaurants and cafes all over the world. A country with threats at every border and even within its own borders, yet the people here are as relaxed and socially outgoing as we are in Melbourne or Brisbane. The culture of being unpretentious and to the point, brutal even in their lack of politeness on one hand and a desire to just get things done – while driving and honking at anything not moving fast enough; at talking heatedly on mobile phones while on a crowded bus; while lazing on a beach in near to no clothing showing of their amazingly fit and brown bodies; in loving their wives, husbands, children, parents and pets; in voting for Israel in the kitchy EuroVision Song Contest; In unfurling the Israeli flag from every car window, apartment balcony, building , cafe, or you name it; in loving and defending a country that deserves every right to exist.

I’ve never seen so many young adults in army uniform, never so many semi-automatic weapons in everyday life. Of security guards at every shopping mall entrance, at every bank, market, cinema, bus station. This sight would make most people shy away from ever visiting Israel (like me a few months ago) but the reality is a feeling of complete safety, of enjoying life and making the most of it. Of getting outdoors and extending your livingroom to the downstairs cafe or restaurant. Of being out at midnight getting dinner or a coffee on any night of the week. Of seeing clashes of levels of Jewishness in the same place – of orthodox Jews with large families preparing for Shabbat dinner, and of the rest getting ready to go out clubbing on a Friday night.

In Australia our Jewishness growing up was identified by going to Sunday School, of learning Hebrew, celebrating Passover each year by having the family get together and enjoy mums chicken liver, gefiltefish, matzah ball soup. Of preparing for 6 months your Barmitzvah and then being numbered amongst the minion on Friday night services. Of being involved in Betar and Macabi Sports, of going to camps and conventions, sleepovers with your friends. The infrequent Saturday morning services at Shule and catching up at kiddishes for a nosh.

In Israel the way I’ve seen most people identify with being Jewish is that of the Jew as a race, of living in Israel. There is no Sunday School here, every school is a Jewish school. There is no need to learn how to speak Hebrew (let along understand it), it is the main language (followed closely by English). Unless you are religious they don’t go to Shule everyweek, there is kosher and non-kosher restaurants, Israeli, Chinese, Russian, Arabic food to choose from just to name a few. The differences of identity strike me quite strongly. Being Jewish and not being religious is definitely understandable, and as more of an agnostic myself I can now say I identify with being Jewish as a people more so than a belief in god. My sense of spirituality is not lost here, nor when I return to Australia. My love and respect for Israel has increased 100 fold. Am I a zionist now? I think so.

It doesn’t take long for Israel to grab your love glands. All I can say is uncross your limbs, stretch out wide and prepare for the gland twist of a lifetime. Just remember to tip 10% service charge.