A Visit to Israel
I haven't seen my parents for quiet a while... A week before Al and I started to get ready for our trip to Israel, he asked me which
hotel in Netanya (where my parents lived) is the nicest, so he could
make reservations... "Are you kidding?!" I said, "My parents will be very hurt! In Israel people don't go to hotels, when they have a family to stay with! We are going to stay be them, in their house!"A year after our wedding, my parents realized that they have an empty
nest and decided to accomplish an old dream, of living within a short
walk from the Mediterranean Sea... They wanted to have their own home again (no more Condos
and noisy neighbors...) For a long time, they were looking for small house with some land, in which they could plant fruit trees
and grow some vegetables. Eventually they found a small,
two bed rooms house in Netanya... It had a few grown trees
of oranges and apples and enough room for a small vegetable garden. My parents, who planed to add an additional bedroom to the tiny house, realize, they used most of their savings, in order to buy the three plain tickets, in order to fly to the U.S for my wedding...So the small house remained as it was - Small, which was enough
for the two of them... They placed in the living room a sofa, which
could turn into a large beds, in case they had sleepover guests, planted a small vegetable garden, walked to the beach and were very happy in
their quiet and peaceful little home, which was just a walking distance, from the Mediterranean sea...
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| Pilgrims kissing the Holy Land's ground |
Al and I landed at Lod Airport, after the exhausting eleven hours flight... There were people from all nationalities roaming around, among them was a group of Arabs, wearing their traditional white robes and headdress. Al turned to me with alarm; "Look Shira" He whispered. "There are Arabs here!" He seemed to be scared which made me laugh... "Don't worry darling, these Arabs are Israeli citizens! They have nothing to do with our enemies... Israel has always been and is still their home they are Israeli citizans, they Okay!"
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| Israeli Arabs |
Al had to pick up our heavy suitcases, from the conveyor belt and was complaining
about the lack of porters and his acing back,finally piling the luggage in to three
carts, which we found nearby and we started to push the heavy load, towards the
car rental agency... Once outside, we saw a group of pilgrims, getting on
their knees and kissing the ground of the "Holy Land", where Jesus was
born. .. We received our car and transferred the luggage into it, starting
to drive north, to my parents house in Netanya which was about an hour and a half away...
After the hugs, kisses, tears and laughter and watching with a smile my excited parents, stroking
my belly (which contained their future grandchild...) we finaly set on the sofa, which
was covered with a few colorful, soft and inviting pillows and were sipping Turkish coffee, enjoying the fresh and dry fruit, my mom brought in. (No cakes in a vegetarian house...) As we were talking and catching up, Al was
looking around at the modest room, which was so different, from his
parents large and well decorated home... He admired the tasteful collection of knickknacks and art work, my
parents accumulated throughout the years, especially the antique
grandfather clock, which chimed the same melody as the Big Ben in London, every fifteen minutes, as well as the
entire tune, on the hour... At one point, after Al excused himself to wash his hands, he came back and whispered in my ear:"Where is the rest of the house? I couldn't find the guest' bathroom.. or our bedroom..." "There is none..." I told him laughing, X"My parents bought this house a few years after Rami and I moved out, it was big enough for the two of them; One living room, one bedroom and this one bathroom -What you see is what you get Albie! This is Iarael, not the United States...
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| Red figs |
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| Green figs |
We were sitting with my parents, talking and catching up,when the Jet leg 'kicked in', even though it was only early afternoon. My mom and Dad replaced the sofas' covers, with the fresh sheets, which were drying on the line, at the back yard... (No dryers in Israel during those days...) After they gave us pillows and blankets, Al and I closed the shutters and within minutes fell into a very deep sleep and woke, around three in the in morning, ravenous... Before our trip I wrote my mother and asked her to get fresh figs for Al, who never tasted one before... In the small 'fridge' of my vegetarian parents, we found steamed vegetables, a large fresh vegetables salad, eggplants salad, hummus (garbanzo beans) baked sweet potatoes and two bowls of fresh figs... Al, the 'Meat Eater', was dreaming of a salami or corn beef sandwich, but the figs, were a pleasant surprise, if not exactly a substitute for cold cuts... The two of us set reclining chairs on the porch, eating figs, looking at the starry sky and enjoying the mild chill, of the approaching Israeli Auumn... How nice it was to be on the other side of the world! We were talking and making planshow to spend our time in the following days and finally went back to sleep...
Being health conscious; my parents believed that one, should sleep on a hard surface, without springs which "Damage the spine!" Years before, my father removed the springs from the beds and sofas and replaced them with flat hardwood boards, underneath the thin mattresses... My poor Al was unable to sleep... He was moaning and groaning, complaining he was very uncomfortable and that his back was killing him... I responded with lack of sympathy; telling him he is very spoiled, which reminded me of the children's story by Hans Christian Andersen, about "The Princess and the Pea"... When we finally fell asleep, the Grandfather Clock woke us up every fifteen minutes, with an additional part of the Big Ben's melody and the full melody, on the hour... The next morning Al complained about terrible stomach cramps! Evidently, the result of the figs he was not used to, which he enjoyed so much the night before... As the day progressed, we found out that besides his stomach ace, Al was running a high fever... My parents started to prepare all kinds of Natural Remedies: "Carrot and Green Juice with Ginger" (which made Al gag, after taking the first sip...) They also put cold compress on his forehead, to reduce the fever... My poor spoiled American husband, was whispering to me, that all he realy wants, is to go back to the United States! In spite of the concern and sympathy for him, my parents and I couldn't stop laughing hysterically, the was we did when my father would tell onme of his new joke...
The doctor, my parents finally summoned to the house, assured Al that he had nothing to worry about! He said that most of the 'Stool specimens' in his lab, belong to tourists, who are not used to the water and fruit in Israel... The good doctor was able to calm Al down after giving him some pills, promising he would get better within a few days! Even after Al's temperature dropped, he was still complaining; "My stomach hurts, the drinking water in Israel has a strange Aftertaste, the food is uneatable and the Toilet Paper is more like Sand Paper!" Al's complaints caused my parents and me to laugh hysterically (when he was not within an earshot).... I began to realize that my handsome American husband, was not very Brave and was rather spoiled, as well as being a 'Complainer' (to put it mildly...) This did not make me love him any less, on the contrary... After all, haven't I read in the romantic literature that real True Love, is not to love your partner 'because of', but 'in spite of'... On the third day I asked my parents, not to be insulted if Al and I move to a nearby hotel... They said they could understand what a culture shock, Al must be going through, since he grew up in the 'Lap of Luxury', in America and finds himself in their tiny house, with only One bath-room, especially when he is sick! They suggested, that before we leave for the hotel ,Al should try one more Natural "Sure-Cure", which they used on my brother and me, when we were sick... Offered to wrap his entire body with a sheet, soaked in cold herbal water and then, cover him with several heavy blankets, so his body would Sweat and Release all Toxins, within a few hours! When I translated what they said, Al looked into my eyes and pleaded: "Please Shira, don't let them come near me, with wet sheets! All I need now, is to get Pneumonia and die in the Holy Land, before seeing our baby!"
The hotel we moved to helped... So did the doctor's medicine... Within three days Al was up and around, ready to see the rest of the country! My
friends invited us to their homes and Al suggested we reciprocate by taking them to a well known, popular restaurant/night club in Jaffa... Now, that my American husband felt better, his charming personality and sense of humor returned and like always, he was conquering everyone's heart... A few days later, the two of us drove our rental car to Jerusalem, staying for a few days in the King
David Hotel, (which used to be the previous British Headquarters) and was bombed during the War of Independence... The two of us walked all over this charming old city and met the
large family of Ellie and Yedida, who welcomed us as if we were their long lost relatives! Abraham Bekowitz, my old school friend, who became an Archeologist, took us to see several Archeological digs and some of the biblical places in Jerusalem, which their small duplicates my grandfather carved out of "Jerusalem Stones" and were given to us, by my parents, as our wedding gift... .XXX Buildings.....
The day before the holiday of Yom Kippur; "The Day of Atonement", we left Jerusalem, driving our rented car back to Netanya. Al was th drive and I acted as the navigator, with the map spread across my growing belly... "Don't make a mistake and get us over the border, Shira!" Al said. "After all Israel is bordering with Jordan, Syria, Egypt and Lebanon, countries which don't particularly likes the Jewish People!" I started to laugh, "Don't be crazy Al, they are NOT that close!" After a while Al said:"By the way, I hope the Arabs will not choose to attack Israel on Yom Kippur!" "Oh Al, I am beginning to realize that you are realy Paranoid!" I was laughing, "The borders are very far and besides, why would they attack us on our Holiest day of the year?" "That's why!" Al said "You told me that almost everyone here, is in the synagogues on Yom Kippur, what a perfect time to attack and catch the Israelis off guard... can't you see that?" He said "No, I can't!" I answered, "Just relax Al, the Israelis are never off guard and the border is far away! Suddenly I spotted an armd tank, standing by the right side of the road...
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| The tank and I |
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| "Border ahead" |
We arrived at my parents house in the evening; just in time for the Yom Kippur dinner, which my mother worked hard to prepare: Vegetable soup with beans and barley, vegetable quiche, red and green lentils, brown rice, baked squash, hummus puree, garlic eggplants in tomato sauce and for desert, baked apples and a fresh fruit salad... When my Dad noticed how Al was shoving the food around his plate, rather then eating it, he said to him with a forgiving smile; "I am sure you are used to have different kind of food, on the Jewish Holidays, but you are stuck now with your new Vegetarian Family!" The next morning we woke up early. I couldn't wait to show Al, how deserted the streets were, on Yom Kippur... After we crossed my parents small street, to the main one, we saw to my amazement, buses, cars and trucks; driving fast in all directions! "I thought you said that no vehicles move on Yom Kippur!" Al said when I suddenly noticed a solder, in a full battle gear, talking to a woman,who was standing on the third floor balcony of the building next to us; "Something is happening in the South!" He was saying... After translating it to Al, he became alarmed: "I wonder what's going on?" He said. Then I heard another solder was telling a man near by, that "Something is going on in the North!" Al became pale, when I told him what the second soldier said. "Oh my God!" He told me, "The distance between the North and the South, in this country is very small! Let's get the hell out of here!"
At that moment the Air Raid Siren went off... Older soldiers from the National Guard, began to usher and shove people, from the streets to the near by shelters... I was very calm, I guess that besides being fearless, after going through four wars in Israel, I developed some kind of "Immunity to fear"... However, I could understand how frightening all this maybe, for a person who saw wars only in the Movie Theaters and I began to feel badly for Al... "Don't worry darling!" X We finished them in six days last time, we will now do even better!"X An older woman with a British accent, who was standing next to us in the crowded shelter, joined in: "Yes, don't be afraid! My late husband and I went through the Blitz in London! God who loves the Jewish people, is always watching over us!" "Rely?" Al said turning to her, "What do you think the Arabs are saying now, about which side God loves more?" I had to cover my mouth with my hand to suppress my laughter...
After the All-Clear siren, we returned to my parents house... They were
sitting next to the black and white TV screen (which is usually off during Yom Kippur...) listening to the newscaster, who was saying that Israel has been
attacked by Egypt, Syria, and Jordan... When the siren started again, we
hurried to the shelter in the back yard... Al was terrified, while my parents and I were calm... After all, we lived through three wars, which Israel won! I noticed that the 'baby' was jumping around in my belly, much more then usual... Years later, I would learn that babies in utero, can
feel the mother's emotions and react to her fear of danger... "Relax darling" I told Al. "Israel finished them in six days, during the last war,I t would now take four days only!"... On the second day of the war, Al and I took a walk to the center of
Netanya, to buy an English newspaper... On the front page of
the Harold News from London, we saw three big bold black words: "ISRAEL LOSING WAR!"
"Oh my God!" Al becoming very pale: "Israel losing war! Lets get out of here!" Across the street was a travel agency and he pulled me towards it. "There are two tickets left on Al Italia to Rome" The middle age woman in the office told us. "Lets go right now!" Al said "We will be in Rome tonight! We can have Spaghetti and Meatballs! Please Shira, let's get out of here!" I looked at him with astonishment! "Are
you Nuts? My country is at war, my brother, cousins and friends are
fighting now, endangering their lives to protect us and all you can think about is going to Rome to have spaghetti and meatballs?!" A moment later the office manager, who was on the phone with Al Italia, told us that all the flights of Al Italia, to and from Israel, were canceled... The war was still raging when the Newscaster announced that Iraqi
forces besides those of Egypt, Syria and Jourdan, were joining in the war
against Israel... Two days later, Al as well as my parents, forced me to leave on an
American flight which came to rescue the trapped Americans in Israel... My
heart was heavy X "How can I
leave now, when Israel is in danger? I called Yedida's and Elly's family members, to find out if their sons who were fighting, were O.K. They said that so far, thank God, they didn't hear any bad news... When I was hugging my parents before we left, I felt as if I was a traitor and was praying that the war ends soon, with Israel's victory!
Al and I were met at Kennedy Airport, by his older brother Lewis. The family and friends in New Jersey were very worried and happy to see us safe in the US... Three days later, we flew to Puerto Rico,where we met with Eli and Yedida, who were 'sick with worries' about their families and relived to hear, that so far they were all well... We were glued to the television sets for days, until the war came to an end, with an amazing victory for Israel! All together the war lasted from October 6th to the 25th . It was named "The Yom Kippur War..."
"During the first few days of the war, Egypt and Syria seemed to be winning... However the Israelis were able to push the Syrian forces back... The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) were stationed 40 k.m from Damascus, the capital of Syria.....On October 14, Egypt, which earlier surprised the Israeli forces in the Sinai peninsula, attacked as well, trying to advance deeper into the Sinai desert... Israel defeated the attackers and the Egyptians lost about 250 tanks. After heavy fighting, the Israelis crossed the Suez Canal, between two Egyptian armies. They trapped a large Egyptian force on the eastern side of the canal, only 101 kilometers away from Cairo, the capital of Egypt..."
I never met a person who visited Israel and upon hearing I was Israeli,wouldn't say what a fascinating country it was!
In the upcoming years, Al embellished the stories about his adventurers
in Israel during the Yom Kippur War, telling his audience, how he predicted the War
(which was true) and was adding to the story the Air Raid sirens the sound of falling
bombs (which was not true) He describing how he wasn't afraid die
in the war, as much as dying from his mother-in-law's vegetarian cooking
and the wet sheets his father in law,wanted to wrap him with, to help bring
down his fever, when he was close to dying... After showing the photos he took of the group of pilgrims, kissing
the ground of the Holy Land, Al added: "I did the same thing, but the other way round: The moment after the plain landed in N.Y, I got on my knees and kissed the ground of Kennedy Air Port!" He was always rewarded with roaring laughter...When asked "Did you learn any Hebrew when you were in Israel?" Al's answer was" Yes!"Milchama, Tankim and Shilshul!" (War, Tanks and Diarrhea!)
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| Pan am to Atlanta |
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| Eddie and Sandy |
Between all the possibilities of places to move to, from Puerto Rico, we finally chose Atlanta in Georgia. The weather seemed perfect: It had mild four seasons, which we missed so much in Puerto Ric... Eddie, Al's close friend from N.J and his wife Sandy were a part of Al's group of the friends. I first met the two of them when they flew in for our wedding, telling us what a lovely city Atlanta is! They invited us to stay in their two story house, until Al finds a job, in one of the hotels in the city... During the time I lived in NY, I befriended Joel, the principal of the Hebrew high school, where I was teaching. At one point Joel and his Israeli wife Sara, moved to Atlanta, to ran a Hebrew High school. When I called to ask for their opinion about the move, I asked if by any chance, Joel needed a teacher... His answer was:X"Yes! You are Hired!"X Sara, who had a three years old child and was pregnant with a second, was delighted to have an Israeli friend... Al found a job at a small hotel in Down Town Atlanta and we were ready to make another move... We said tearful good by, to our friends in Puerto Rico and flew to N.Y. where we stayed with Al's family in new Jersey, for a week, then bordered the plain to Atlanta ready to start our new life... I was in my seventh month of pregnancy...
Erace photo below... (does it belong to another post?)
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| The Colosseum |
