My First Date With Israel

“Have a good vacation!”

“What vacation?”

I‘m not going on a vacation. It is a first date. A first date with Israel and I want to do it right. So why am I going? A friend invited me to dinner and I just wanted to go. I have known him for 20 years but we were not really close. Yet, somehow we never lost touch and the friendship has grown little by little. Today I feel close to him and to his family.?

Don’t get me wrong, I also did the tourist thing. I went to the Western Wall in Jerusalem and to Tel Aviv Beach. But when I went to Yad Vashem (The World Holocaust Remembrance Center) and to Beit Hatefutsot (Anu Museum of the Jewish People) it was more than a casual visit. It was something deep down that wanted me to connect and to face all aspects of Jewish life and the State of Israel.?

Arriving in Israel, it felt like I was arriving in the Switzerland of the Middle East. Things are working. I immediately eased into the rhythm of Tel Aviv although I had to up the pulse in order not to fall behind. Exiting the train station, I noticed that the turnstile moved much faster than in Vienna. I got my Rav-Kav card on the first day and public transport was always only a few steps away. On Shabbat, a more infrequent bus service is available that is free for the riders. A friendly, young Israeli told me adding with a wink: “Well, somebody pays for it.” Thank you, taxpayers!

Friendly. Everyone was friendly to me. Quick to give a smile. Even the young girls and boys with machine guns. I saw them in the streets, in museums, on trains and in restaurants. The military service is 3 years for men and 2 years for women. Everyone is self-confident and relaxed.?

Going to Jerusalem I saw many more Orthodox Jews in black and white. I also met Jewish Israelis that were not religious at all. They drove a car on Shabbat in Hod Hasharon, north of Tel Aviv. This is also where I was invited to a Shabbat family dinner. Or maybe I invited myself. Hey, that is what you learn from the people in Israel: don‘t be shy to ask for something.?

I spent time with a family whose grandfather and great-grandfather was born in 1893 in Frankfurt and emigrated to Mandatory Palestine in 1935, narrowly escaping the Nazi horrors. There is still German language left in the household. The large family descending from a Jewish couple in Frankfurt could not be more diverse. It combines cultures from Iraq, Morocco, Yemen, and obviously Germany. It shows in all the beautiful different shades of hair, skin and eye color. All united in common values. “This is how the world should be everywhere”, was my thought standing among them. Large cities like London or Paris might be very diverse but they are mostly not in the nucleus of single families.?

Israeli politics are messy. Any liberal democracy is messy. Only totalitarian regimes seem so smooth.? We all know, however, that under the surface there is oppression and terror that flatten any messy arguments. Israelis of all ages care for their liberal democracy. And they care for a good argument. I participated in a demonstration in Hod Hasharon for democracy featuring Israeli flags and T-shirts stating “Free in our country”. The largest demonstration took place in Tel Aviv with some 100,000 people participating. It was the 22nd consecutive week of actions against the Judicial Reform plan.?

In the Anu Museum of the Jewish People, there was also one area with “Israel in numbers”. The following caught my attention: “89% of Israelis are content with their life”. So it seems that the people in this country have found a way of life that makes them happy. I cannot help but believe that the Israeli people will again emphasize that which unites over that which divides. Israel is part of the Western liberal democracies and we all need each other.?

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Disclaimer: The following text reflects my personal opinion only. I recently visited Israel for the first time, from Wednesday to Sunday. It's important to acknowledge that my observations may be limited and from an outsider's viewpoint. I understand that some individuals may feel offended by my perspectives, although that was never my intention.

Following some pictures I took on the trip.