Wednesday, July 28 - Tzippori to Tel Aviv

On Wednesday, we were treated to a tour of a famous archeological site, Tzippori. We started the journey at the Roman theater, where we learned about the shaping of the early Talmud through everyday conundrums for the Rabbis. Can an observant Jew go to a Roman theater? The Rabbis created the grand Jewish tradition of positive argument based on everyday problems posed by their congregations. We got a great lesson on this conflict of Roman and Jewish values from the younger portion of our group, who acted out several advertisements, one for a very multicultural city, and one for a thriving Jewish city. Both were Tzippori! We saw firsthand how Jewish influences and Roman culture overlapped in a semi-restored Roman reception room. The mosaics included the famous Mona Lisa of the Galilee (pictured).

After visiting a synagogue with Roman style mosaics it was time to go, and this time we were headed for a Druze village, Dalyat al Karmel. The Druze are famous for their hospitality and we were treated to this firsthand as we enjoyed a varied delicious lunch while learning about Druze culture. Just when we had finished with the delicious plates of food and were ready to leave, we were surprised by a traditional Druze musician who had come to play for us. We learned about the traditional Druze dances and instruments, before having to say goodbye.

We then made our way to Tel Aviv, the most vibrant and happening place in Israel. When we arrived, we did not jump into the cosmopolitan excitements of the city; rather we toured the neighboring city of Jaffa, visiting its older sections. We navigated tight alleyways and visited old sites such as a wishing bridge. The day closed with a lesson about the history of Tel Aviv and a story about its founding, then we enjoyed a free evening in the city. I feel that this was one of our most exciting days!

Daniel Hovaness

Monday July 26

So first let us say what a great trip this has been so far. We love the group. What a bright, fun loving bunch, up for everything - and up is the operative word.

While traveling to a Bedouin encampment, Jared got a call telling him that there were tickets available for David Broza, a very popular Israeli singer, for a concert at Masada to begin at 3:30 AM the next morning. A wonderful coincidence since we were planning to climb up Masada that morning at 5:30 AM.

So our day starts at 2:30AM as 16 of us rise from our mats on the floor of our group Bedouin tent, gather our water, hats and backpacks. Get into four waiting cabs and head for Masada. What a beautiful morning, a full moon looked down on us as we drove over the hills to Masada. The air was fresh.

For two hours we listen to fantastic music with a light show playing on the steep walls of Masada, with the younger kids sleeping in their parents' arms and all of us enthusiastically clapping with the guitar and band music. We all plan on buying a CD of his as soon as we can.

We then join the rest of the group for the hike up the western slope, "the Roman Ramp" to the top where we watched the sun rise together and pray the morning prayers. Actually since Ginny and I are a little height phobic, our praying actually started on the way up! With the sun now above the horizon and the temperature rising steadily, we begin to move about as we learn the history of Masada, with stops at Herod's palace and the Roman baths.

As we look down, or in my case, peer down, we can see the places where the Romans encamped as they first tried to wait out the zealots who had fled Jerusalem during the Great Revolt.

Best of all for me is the way Jared,our guide, gives us a nuanced view of the history. This was no good guys-bad guys drama. Jared tells us how the Zealots would not hesitate to kill those who disagreed with them or even those who had stuff that they needed. We then shift into a discussion of the imagery of Masada and how the symbolism has been used and is changing in Israeli society.

It's this back and forth historical modern perspective while seeing it all before our eyes, which is one of the things that is making this trip so fascinating.

Our days have been jam packed.This day has been no exception. So I just want to mention the delight of being under a water fall at Ein Gedi and the wackiness of spreading mud all over us and jumping into the Yom Hamelech (the great salt sea). Yes it has been only one day. I write this on the bus as we head north to Kibbutz Nof Ginnosar and what we hear will be a good meal but most importantly a good night's sleep.

Jerry Lanoil

Tuesday, July 27 - In the Galilee and Golan

After a good night’s sleep at Kibbutz Nof Ginnosar on the Kinneret, our day began in the mystical city of Tzfat (also spelled Tzefat, Tsfat, Zfat, Zefat, Sfat, Sefat, Safed, Safes, and Safad).

Tzfat is most famous as being the birthplace of Tali Aldouby-Schuck! Jared taught us that Tzfat was important in the life of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, a strong critic of the Romans, who legend says fled to a cave to hide with his son where they buried themselves up to their necks in sand and studied Torah all day for 13 years. In addition, many important Spanish religious leaders and mystics came to Tzfat in the 16^th Century following expulsion from Spain, and Tzfat was home to Rabbi Isaac Luria, considered the father of Kabbalah.

Rabbi Schuck taught us about the Kabbalistic belief of Tsim Tsum, how G-d contracted G-d’s self in order to create the world. He taught how humans can perform Tsim Tsum as part of Tikun Olam, where we contract ourselves in order to make space for others. The group shared a very powerful silence and moment of self-reflection.

After the heavy spiritual lifting, it was time for shopping. Most people took advantage of Tzfat’s artistic community to buy art, Judaica and gifts.

This afternoon was mostly about water. In the Galilee and the Golan, water is about both natural beauty and limited natural resources. First we experienced the beauty. For us, it has been most amazing to hike, swim, feel, smell, taste and just be in Eretz Yisrael. Most of the group hiked in the Hatzbani River, through rushing streams and over rocks. It was quite beautiful, but also physically challenging, and everyone in the group has been left with their own impressions. Next, we travelled downstream, literally, to the Jordan River where we launched rafts and floated and paddled down the river.

As the day was getting late, a planned ascent of the Golan to some old Syrian bunkers was turned into a bus-ride discussion. We learned that The Hatzbani, The Dan and The Banias Rivers merge to form the Jordan which runs into the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee), Israel’s main source of fresh water. The springs where the water originates are all right along Israel’s border with Lebanon and Syria. Being in this place, it is easy to understand how access to a life or death resource such as fresh water has been the source of conflict. We learned the story of Kamal Amin Ta’abet, the alias of Israel’s most famous spy, Eli Cohen. Eli Cohen infiltrated the upper reaches of the Syrian government in the early 1960’s and provided valuable intelligence that the Syrians were attempting to divert Israel’s water supply. This allowed the Israeli Air Force to bomb the Syrian project and disrupt the plan. Eli also got the Syrians to plant eucalyptus trees to hide their military fortifications from Israel. He was captured and hanged by the Syrians in 1965. From 1948-1967, Syria was able to harass and fire upon Israelis living in the northern Galilee from the Golan Heights. In the 1967 War, two years after Eli Cohen’s death, Israel was able to capture the Golan Heights in two days, partly due to the intelligence provided by Eli Cohen and the known location of the Syrian fortifications (which were under the eucalyptus trees).

All in all, this was another amazing day in Israel that filled us with natural wonder, spirituality and geo-politics.

The Collens Family

Sunday July 25

We left early and drove into the Negev Desert. Our first stop was for a desert hike. We hiked up a trail built into the side of the hill. The views were sensational. It has a sculptured look to it with dramatic views all carved out of limestone. Not sure if our guides tell this to all the groups but they said we got up to the top the fastest of the groups they've had. Hiking in the desert was invigorating and the kids all did great.

Then it was on to Ben Gurion's grave. His dream was that millions of Jews would settle the desert. When he was travelling across the desert he saw a small group of youngsters starting a settlement, so when he retired, he joined the small kibbutz that they were building right around the ridge where ancient Canaan started.

We had lunch in Yerucham where Avinoam's sister Ilana lives. It's a small town settled by Moroccan Jews and gave us a very different perspective on Israel. Our most memorable moments have been the times we have spent with local Israelis, and meeting Ilana and the woman who made us lunch was inspiring. Ilana ended up here as part of a program to encourage young people to come to Yerucham and stay so they could improve things. She married a Moroccan Jew and loves her community. She was very enthusiastic to have us visit. We had lunch in the home of Mesuda, a woman who made aliyah in 1963. Her family had all of two months to leave Morocco after the king decided to allow them to emigrate, which ended with someone knocking on her family's door and telling them to throw what they could into a suitcase and come before the opportunity passed. She said she has had a hard life in this desert town raising 11 children by herself as her husband died in his 30's but she has been very happy. She has felt safe here which they never felt in Morocco.

We ended the day in a Bedouin village. We went on a camel ride which the kids really enjoyed. A Bedouin showed us how they make their coffee and demonstrated how you can grind with different rhythms and make music, which the kids had a chance to participate in. We had a scrumptious dinner sitting Bedouin-style on the floor.

We ended the day with Rabbi Schuck leading us in a desert experience as many religious experiences have arisen in the desert starting with Abraham and Moses. We had a chance to sit quietly by ourselves and experience the desert at sunset.

Can you then imagine all of us sleeping in one great big tent on slim mattresses under the bright moon and stars?

Cary and Mark Hochberg

Friday July 23

Friday in Jerusalem is all about preparation for Shabbat. We began our day at Har Herzl, starting with a very creative multimedia experience about the life of Theodor Herzl. We continued on to the graves of some important Israelis - like Itzhak Rabin and Golda Meir. We then moved on to the military cemetery, as Jared spoke about the various wars - 1948, 1967, 1973 - that led to the development of the Jewish state and resulted in the sacrifice of life represented in the cemetery. Jared wove a very interesting narrative throughout about the development of the Israeli identity.

Then... on to the shuk to eat an amazing Iraqi lunch and to buy items for Shabbat lunch....cheeses, veggies, fruit, nuts, bread, cookies.... all found and purchased in the teeming aisles of the shuk.

After an afternoon rest, the group split up and attended Kabbalat Shabbat services at two different shuls. The one we attended featured a sheer mehitza, enthusiastic singing and a service led alternately by a man and a woman. It was interestingly similar to the Kabbalat Shabbat service we hold at the PJC and consquently helped us to feel a connection to fellow congregants in the shul -- and to Israel. When we got back to the hotel, we enjoyed a Shabbat meal all together. Shabbat Shalom.

Andrea and Peter Rothberg

N.B. We are sharing our hotel with a lovely group from Maryland. Their dining table was next to ours, and after dinner they began to bench and the PJC joined in, singing along and drumming on the dinner table.

Wednesday July 21

Surprise! We were joined by Hildy and Steve Martin.
Our day began on a serious note with the “seamline” tour which highlighted the differences in the development of East and West neighborhoods. We stopped to see the actual “wallfencebarrier” between the East and West which is big, gray and imposing. It set the tone for the morning.
Our next stop was Elazar, a Jewish settlement in the West Bank. We met Elaine and Ted Silvetsky, sister and brother-in-law of our own Morris Stampfer. In 1972, Ted and Elaine were among the 11 founding families of Elazar. Ted took us on a tour of the community, which is now large and international, with neat homes, lawns, gardens and over 800 children. Seventeen of the children are their grandchildren. Ted spoke of his concern for the future of Elazar and all the settlements in the West Bank because of the restrictions on expansion.
We next went to meet Elias, a friend and colleague of Jared, our tour leader. He is a Palestinian Christian, and the wall has limited his ability to conduct business (tours) or to travel for pleasure. He spoke as an individual, not as a community representative. In his opinion, conditions and the relationship between East and West have never been worse.
A quick lunch, a change of tone, and we were off to meet Avinoam and Havi. They live in the Judean desert town of Alon. After happy hellos and hugs we hiked down a big hill to a natural spring which created lovely swimming pools – in the desert! What fun cooling off and relaxing in this awesome place. But we weren’t done yet!
Danny, Avinoam’s brother, is the rabbi in Alon. He has also established a program for returning Israeli soldiers to help them connect with Judaism.
The last stop was Avinoam and Havi’s beautiful mountaintop home in Alon. This town is populated by both religious and secular Jews, a new concept. After a delicious meal and some singing it was time to head back to Jerusalem. The end of another fabulous day.

- Susan Perrotti

Saturday, July 24th

Our pace slowed to a leisurely stroll to synagogue this Shabbat morning, with no need to scramble onto the bus. Some of us chose to daven at the Conservative synagogue where (of course!) Rabbi Adam Frank knows our rabbi. It is amazing how many people David runs into from his past experiences in Israel. Just yesterday in the Iraqi section of the shuk he ran into a former student whom he last saw 13 years ago. The Conservative service was comfortably like our own at the PJC. The Sephardic hazzan sang beautifully. Andrea Rothberg and I were enchanted to hear a version of Ein Kelohenu sung in Hebrew and Ladino.

We all joined up in the Bloomfield Garden for our Shabbat luncheon, enjoying the bread, salads, fruits, cheeses and vegetables that were purchased at the Machaneh Yehuda market. Then we held a show-and-tell of strange items purchased in the shuk. The most exotic was a dark green potion that our guide Jared purchased from a vendor named Uzi, drinking which was supposed to create harmonious relations between husband and wife.

After lunch was also the time for the group to talk about what we had experienced so far in our travels, especially our visit to the West Bank on Thursday and the visit to the Har Herzl Military Cemetery on Friday, which had helped us to realize how complicated the situation has become and how unlikely it is that any solution can be arrived at in the near future. Our group continues to ponder and discuss the problems of what it means in this day and age to be a Zionist and what the future may hold for the Jewish state.

The rest of the day was given over to walking, swimming, and of course Shabbat napping. SherLi led a tour of the quaint houses and pretty alley ways of Yemin Moshe and the Mishkenot Sha'ananim settlement complete with a very Dutch-looking windmill, founded by Moses Montefiore in 1860, the year of Theodore Herzl's birth. It was the first modern Jewish neighborhood outside the city walls, and had rules governing security and sanitation which helped protect its residents during a cholera outbreak.

The quiet day closed with Havdallah conducted under the stars overlooking the walls of the Old City. The braided candle and wine, the spices, the singing of Eliyahu HaNavi, were especially poignant as we bade farewell not just to Shabbat but to the magnificent city of Jerusalem.

Andrea Prigot

Some After Dinner Singing

Dinner in Alon With Avinoam and Havi

Wednesday July 21

today was another beautiful day in Israel. what does that mean? you wake up; it's sunny; the sky is blue. there's a beautiful breeze and it's cool in the morning, that's before you know it's going to be smoking hotwith a blazing sun in the afternoon. as usual, we woke up early this morning, had a quick breakfast and hopped on the tour bus. today we're going to start at the site of an archealogical dig in the national forest. on the way there we have our usual chat/enlightenment from Jared , our "sababa" (awesome!) tour guide telling us about what we can expect to happen this day along with the insight into the historical,social and philisophical impact of what we are seeing and what this all might mean to us as jews. we also get our daily dosage of political discourse, and spiritual insight into the complicated web of every day israeli life from 2000 years ago up until the modern times of today.Jared and the rabbi fill us with food for thought and discussion and contemplation as we head to our days adventure. as we head out of jerusalem towards our dig,we look out the tour bus window and see the incredible topography of jerusalem. as we leave the city down into the valley,the landscape changes from crowded, built-up city to arid, dry land, with lush verdant patches of farm land where grapes, melons & other assorteed fruits & vegetables are growing surrounded by more arid dry land. when we arrive at our destination, we turn up a dry, dusty dirt road, lined with Jerusalem pines trees and olive trees. we are greeted by Amy, our archeological guide for the day.she hops on the bus as we head up to the top of the hill where our adventure will begin. We get off our air-conditioned bus and the hot, dry , dusty air smacks us in the face.as we all march out of the bus, Looking out at our site, there are pitched tents all over, with "danger do not enter!" signs in front of them. Amy escorts us to a long steep wooden stairway, that at first site, seems to head down to a black shapeless hole. as we get to the bottom of the staircase, there is a low entrance, which we limboed under, and found ourselves in this incredible underground cavern. now mind you, there are 27 of us following single file into this cave along a narrow chiseled partial staircase. we are following amy down more stairs into an enlarged chamber where we will be helping (slave laboring) through 2200 year old rubble, helping to both empty out dirt and possibly uncover hidden treasures, such as bones,pottery shards, coins, coal, gold ,and other signs clues of ancient life. What's incredible here is that there's an entire system of lniking underground caves and tunnels that are more than 2000 years old. when [if] you find a piece of treasure, you are the first person to have touched this in over 2000 years.we are separated into two groups in two different caverns. amy gives us our marching orders.....pick your digging tools...you have two separate buckets....one to fill with plain old dirt and the other bucket for treasure.as we skeptically begin to groan and dig.....comes the first cry of i found something!!!!!!!!!pieces of ancient history start coming up around our room as everyone starts to work in earnest.....shards of pottery...marrow bones....pieces of a former civilization.....as we finish amy has us form a chain up the windy narrow stairs ready to pass all the buckets to the top of our site...the dirt as well as the treasures.as the last of what seem like hundreds of buckets passes we head back up from the cool ground back outside to the scorching bright world. Losing computer battery power - to be continued - Shalom - Adam

A Little Archeological Digging Never hurt Anybody

Dateline: Jerusalem, July 20, 2010

We had an exciting day. A previously unplanned trip to the Temple Mount on Tish B'av, a politically charged day here, was very informative--the first taste of Islamic culture and history for most of our Group. And, of course, quite moving to be in that spot on this day.

We then moved onto a major archaeological site, the southern steps--the principal ritual entrance-- to Herod's Temple Mount and the area surrounding "Robinson's Arch" on the western wall. According to Jared, our Guide, the Robinson's Arch area is the cradle of Rabbinic Judaisim--the Hyde Park Arch of Jerusalem at the time of the destruction of the Second Temple. You can feel something very special and momentous when you contemplate that our Jewish culture experienced a tectonic shift on that very spot.

Following a quick lunch, we headed to Yad Vashem-- very sobering and thought provoking. A little rest back at the hotel, a very informative session with former PJC member and NY Times Jerusalem Bureau Chief Ethan Bronner and a delicious dinner rounded out the day.

Peter Rothberg

Monday July 19

Shalom from Jerusalem! Today, we did so many fun, interesting and inspiring things, including exploring the Kotel Tunnels, experiencing the Western Wall, sloshing through the water tunnels under the City of David, and spiritually bringing in Tisha B’ Av.
First, we walked past the Kotel and went into the tunnels. It was very exciting! Our group looked at a model of the Temple Mount while Jared, our tour guide, taught us the turn of events of how the Temple was built. Next, we walked down along the western edge of the Kotel and strolled through many twisting tunnels and learned about how the walls were built. One of the things that struck us was the details that King Herod specified for the bricks that were used. After some reflection and discussion, we visited the Western Wall. It was fascinating to see the different people there and their individual ways of marking the moment. Each of us took some time to personally experience the site ourselves. It was great to see and touch the place where which has been so meaningful to so many.
During lunch, we got acquainted to the “City of Gold,” by seeing a female Israeli combat soldier unit having a lunch break together, drinking iced tea with Hebrew labels, and having to—surprise!—speak Hebrew.
Afterwards, went over to the City of David. We went into the theater to see a quick 3-D movie about the growing of Jerusalem and the reign of King David. Next, we learned about the city’s spring house and actually saw it! It was amazing, and the adults and the kids learned so much! Then we went in the water tunnels! We had to wear short pants and waterproof shoes! We walked through the tunnels in the dark (with flashlights and glow sticks) for about a half an hour. It was an adventure! At some points, the water was very high, almost to our waists! Also, sometimes the walls were very close and the ceilings were very low! Sorry, tall people! While we were going through the tunnels, we sang a wide range of favorite songs – including some tunes you would recognize from Shabbat services mixed with folk songs and pop songs with “water” in the title! We all had a great and memorable time.
Next, after a break in our rooms and dinner, we strolled down to a park and met up with another congregation. We read the Book of Lamentations at sunset to welcome Tisha B’ Av in a beautiful promenade overlooking the city, then went back to our hotel for a good night’s sleep.

- Abbie Leonard

Sunday July 18

It’s official: the PJC has arrived in Israel! Our pilgrimage tour began tonight with a memorable evening. After the group had flown into Ben Gurion airport by a nine-hour flight, we went on the tour bus and met up with members who already arrived or took different flights. Once together, we drove to Mount Scopus to have dinner over the vast expanse of Jerusalem. The group opened our visit on a sweet note by saying the Shechianu and Kiddush over challah, grape juice, and passion fruit. Through the guidance of the Rabbi and our tour guides Jared and Shirly, the group learned about the importance of a united visit to Jerusalem by the Jewish people every year during Pesach, Sukkot, and Shavuot as instructed by G-d. The experience was amplified by the breathtaking panorama of Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount, which could be seen from every direction. As the sun set, the group felt that their experience paralleled those of the Jewish people that had made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem centuries ago.

- Maddie Leonard

A Few Photos and Video

Here are a few shots from our first day of touring. Update to be posted soon....

Four More Days, Gilad Shalit, Alon, and The World Cup

A few days ago I met with Jared and Shirly (pronounced sheer-lee) to go over the itinerary and discuss a variety of things regarding our trip. Suffice it to say, we are all very excited!! There are a few changes that we have to make here and there to the itinerary, but nothing too radical.

Yesterday I walked by the Prime Minister’s residence and saw the protest to raise awareness and pressure on the PM to work to ensure Gilad Shalit’s release. I saw his father surrounded by people who seemed to be friends of his, and others who came by to wish him well. They are giving out fluorescent yellow ribbons and asking people to tie them to things in solidarity with Gilad and his family. They seem to be everywhere.

Tali, the kids and I went to Alon yesterday to visit with Avinoam, Havi, Nadav, and Amit. It was wonderful to see them and of course, to spend time in their yishuv, which is dazzlingly beautiful. We sipped tea on their deck overlooking the hills of the Judean Desert. It was stunning. (See the above photo of our boys in their backyard with their neighbor.) They are very excited to host all of us in their home on the 22nd. It will be very special.

I watched the final game of the World Cup on the sidewalk of a café. They put a large screen TV on the sidewalk and set tables up outside. I think just about every café and home in Israel had the game on. Israelis are wild about soccer, though it was pretty relaxed where I was (they did hand out vodka, whisky, and tequila shots to celebrate!). In fact, there was a dangerous situation in a Druze village in which the Israeli police were conducting a criminal investigation and found themselves surrounded by a hostile mob from the village. The village elders worked to negotiate a peaceful end to this situation, but it was the start of the World Cup game that ultimately led to people leaving in order not to miss the game. As reported in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, “Another officer surmised that the beginning of the World Cup final game thinned the crowd considerably as the evening progressed.” There is a sermon in this somewhere. More on the World Cup and Israeli identity when you get here…

I am very excited to get going already!! Feel free to email me with any questions, don’t forget your sunscreen (there has been a heat-wave here but don’t worry, today is the last day), bring your CD (or put it onto your iPod), and please let me know if there are any vegetarians in the group.

Nitraeh B’karov- We shall see each other soon…

David

Home

It has been wonderful to come back to Israel. It is funny how everyone I know here, from my good friends to people I have just met, greet me by saying, “Welcome home.” It sounds presumptuous to say, almost arrogant, since my home is in Pelham. But being here reminds me that home is a pretty expansive term, if deeply intimate. It is decidedly not limited to the place in which we build a life, and I, at least, need to be reminded of this.

As many of you know, the Collens family came to Israel in July. Last week we went to the shuk (marketplace) together before Shabbat (I took them to a tiny little hole in the wall restaurant in the Iraqi section of the shuk that makes hummous and shakshuka that is heavenly), and while Tali was buying vegetables, the kids and I waited by a candy stall. The merchant leaned over and gave the kids a piece of candy and said “Shabbat Shalom.” Nadav, of course, dropped his on the filthy ground, and the man sweetly gave him another one. Jan practiced her Hebrew (he didn’t speak any English) and asked him what his name was. “Eli,” he said, “k’mo Eliyahu Hanavi” (Eli, like Elijah the Prophet). He asked us if we just moved to Israel. I told him that we were just touring for the month. He replied by saying that this was our home, that we have lived here for 2,000 years and we should return for good.

Welcome home.

I bumped into our tour guide Jared on the sidewalk one evening. The last time I saw him (and the first time I met him) was in the PJC. I was still trying to get over jet lag and seeing him outside of the only context in which I knew him threw me off a bit. His greeting also confused me: “Welcome home, David.” Airplane travel to a different time zone always overwhelms me; it takes me some time to get my bearings, and hearing someone say “welcome home” dizzied my brain for a moment. I had a hard time remembering where I was, but after a few seconds, I realized that I was indeed, back home.

Welcome home.

Home is a place in which you matter to everyone. The country is absolutely possessed by an urgency to bring Gilad Shalit back home. He has been held hostage by Hamas for four years now without one visit from the Red Cross. Over two hundred thousand Israelis have been marching with his parents as they walk from their home in the north to the Prime Minister’s residence. They are demanding that PM Netanyahu bring Gilad home, knowing full well that this means releasing, at minimum, 1,000 terrorists, many of whom are eager to return to their sickening quest to maim and kill Israelis. Without arguing the merits of the moral argument of trading 1,000 terrorists for a low ranking, non-combat soldier, it is clear that a large segment of the population is demanding such an exchange. Why? Probably because every parent here knows that since the army is obligatory, Gilad could just as easily be his or her son. When it is your child, his life is worth an infinite amount of risk. You bring your son home no matter what the cost.

Welcome home.

As I write this I am sitting in the apartment we are renting on a Friday afternoon at 6 pm. The streets are completely quiet; the cafes are closed; people are cleaning their apartments and getting ready for Shabbat. My skin is a little burnt from the 6-hour hike I took yesterday up in the Golan and my legs ache, but my heart is so full. I am so content to be home, even while I miss our other home at 451 Esplanade. I can’t wait to stand at the airport in Tel Aviv and be he first person to greet you, to say “B’ruchim Habaim,” “Welcome home.”

Shabbat Shalom.

David