Dear Temple Beth Avodah Families,
I am writing on the final stretch of our airline adventure,
with 30 minutes remaining before landing in Tel Aviv! Our travelers (TBA teens) were patient and flexible as we dealt with an emergency medical
situation on the ground in New York that took us from our ready position at the
runway back to the gate.
The students bartered away their prime aisle seats on this
12-hour flight so that they could sit together!
Of course, the other passengers were thrilled and so were our kids! (Very clever!) The flight has been smooth for the most part,
and it seemed that despite all of the electronics – or perhaps because of the
electronics – movies, music and games gave them what they needed in order to relax and fall asleep at least for a
few hours.
We have traveled almost 11,000 miles from New York, and with
an extra two hours added onto our journey, we are more than eager to get out of
the skies and onto the ground. And, not
just any ground: we will soon be
stepping on that unique and mystical ground that has drawn people to it for
several millennia.
The take-away for our students is complex and simple at the
same time. The history and geography and
story of this small strip of land in the middle east has fascinated and
frustrated; it compels us at the same time it feels so forbidding. We will soon use all of our senses to try to
capture the secret message of this land and its people – our people. As it has done century after century, it will
tell its story to us and to our students, and even if the history or geography
or politics elude us sometimes, we will fall in love with this place and its
people – our people.
There is really no perfect way to prepare for this touch
down; whether it is the first visit or the hundredth, there really is something
“promised” about this land. We are about
to discover that promise for ourselves.
Warm regards,
Rabbi Lisa Eiduson
Have a wonderful trip!
ReplyDelete