One of the most amazing things about fulfilling a dream is that once fulfilled, one is again and again reminded of how it looked from far off and once again one can feel the joy of its having been accomplished.
One way in which I experience this is in my feelings for living in Israel. My first consciousness of Eretz Yisrael came when as a child I heard my maternal grandmother at the end of the seder tell the family that it was her intention to take the whole family to Israel next Pesach. I believed then and still believe today that that is what she truly wanted to do and probably would have, had she lived long enough.
In Sunday School and Hebrew School, we talked about Israel, but it wasn’t until I saw the movie Exodus that my longing to visit Israel began. It was only after a broken engagement that I got to see the land for the first time in 1965, and only after twelve years of marriage and five children that I returned in 1978. The real longing to live in Israel started then and intensified when our oldest son left the US to study at Hebrew University in 1984 and finally, after each child had come to live in Israel on his or her own, I joined them. My father-in-law and husband were the last of the family to arrive.
And you would think that after ten years in Israel, seven of them living in our own home, I would just take living here for granted. But you would be wrong.
Every morning waking up to the sweet smells of our garden, I am reminded of the beautiful place that I live. Each trip to Jerusalem makes me love her ancient stones more intensely. Our trip to Sde Boker and Ein Avdat brought me the awe of desert landscapes with colored sands and rich wadis and waterfalls. And last weekend, our shabbat at Karei Deshe allowed me to hear the gentle lapping of the waters of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) at night and to watch the sun shimmering in its waters in the day.
These places are not just places. They are spiritual landmarks, places where I meet God’s works face to face and experience a closeness to Him and a feeling of serenity and completeness.
And I think about what I hoped I would find when I got here, and I am awed that I have found so infinitely more.
My trip to Israel was amazing this summer, while I went with a reform congregation and its Rabbi, It was amazing to sit around after Friday Night Services and talk about our different experiences. Because we came on El Al, we saw a lot of davening. I remember one man saying how wonderful he thought that was. I now remember a service that took place at Kfar Blume. I also remember how great it was visiting with my cousins in Jerusalem.
People say you want to visit this country? I say I am really anxious to return to Israel soon.
Only one thing could make this land even more wonderful… a better train system…
– Leah who wakes up and smells all the beautiful smells for about 5 minutes before it’s diesel and bus smells for another 2 hours.