My Recent Trip To Israel

by Paula Weinstein

My eagerness to attend our granddaughter’s wedding wasn’t affected by grim State Department warnings, or the great concern of relatives and friends about our traveling to Israel. The only obstacle we encountered was a mild December snowstorm, which caused the cancellation of our BWI-to-Newark flight. In order to connect to our Continental Airlines international flight, we had to drive for two hours to Reagan Airport near Washington, and just barely made our flight from Newark to Tel Aviv.

Arriving at Ben-Gurion was easier than in the past. “Going to a chasana” was a great password. The mazal tovs came from “security” personnel as well as fellow travelers. Although it rained in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, our spirits weren’t dampened. There’s something about being in the Holy Land that generates a happiness and belonging that cannot be experienced in any other place on earth, including my community of residence, Baltimore.

The wedding of Tziona Weinberg to Rafi Hanson of Manchester, England, at Ulamei Gutnick in Givat Shaul, Jerusalem, was a real joy! Thanks to Hashem, my husband and I, proud and happy grandparents, were delighted to participate in the marriage of our eldest granddaughter. Among the guests were many Baltimoreans. Some had made aliya, others had come to Israel to attend Tziona’s wedding. A big surprise guest was Hirshel Wohl, our former neighbor from Randallstown. Hirshel is attending a yeshiva in Jerusalem where Rafi works. It’s a small world, indeed!

The chupa was performed outside. Only the chassan, escorted by the two fathers, and the kalla, escorted by the two mothers, walked down the “aisle.” Actually, Israeli outdoor weddings frequently don’t have a real aisle. The guests, including the relatives, just stand around the chupa and simply separate to allow the chassan and the kalla to approach.

Due to the destruction of the Bais Hamikdash, many people do not have large bands in Jerusalem. The one-man-band, using a synchronizer, entertained this large simcha with great gusto. I didn’t have to plug up my ears because of excessive amplification. Some of the chassan’s friends from various yeshivot were outstanding in their dancing, fire eating, and other acrobatic shtick. The women broke through the barricades and watched open mouthed at some of the feats performed by the young men. There was plenty going on in the ladies section, too. The dancing was exuberant and went on for hours. Tziona, dressed in a white satin gown, the veil embedded with white roses and a rhinestone crown, sat on a large folded round table held up by her friends. She floated and swayed, dropping white lilies at her dancing friends.

The photographers worked hard to capture the action on camera and video, and waitresses carried in selections of meats, starches, and a variety of vegetables. There were all sorts of cakes and nasherei. (The unused food was donated to a yeshiva in Geula, the flowers to a couple of hospitals in Jerusalem.)

Sheva brachos were held at Telz Stone, Har Nof, and Ramat Shlomo, as well as a few in Maaleh Amos. The Weinbergs and their extended family joyfully socialized with the Hansons and their extended family from England, Holland, and Efrat.

After the sheva brachos, my husband and I took a trip to Eilat. The scenery was so fantastic – I dreaded getting off the Egged bus when we pulled into the station after four hours. ??why?? We took a 60-meter-deep dive into the Red Sea on the yellow submarine “Jacqueline,” and saw the light, colors, and marine life at different depths, from the cold moon-like surface of the seabed in deep water, to the warmer colors of the reef. We viewed the cliff of corals, called the Coral Wall. The area is a protected nature reserve, where fishing and removal of corals is forbidden. We also visited the underwater observatory marine park???, where hundreds upon hundreds of varieties of fish make their habitat. A Picasso-like triggerfish, identified by its blue, yellow, and red markings, floated up to my eye-level, mimicking and flirting with me. It wouldn’t swim away until my husband took its picture. After that it swiftly departed to join the other fish, wagging its tail in a goodbye gesture. While a guide spoke about the underwater observatory, a scuba diver fed the fish cabbage and lettuce. A large group of children was seated in the center of the observatory, while the adults leaned around the rails, taking pictures. I derived great nachas to see such a natural treasure belonging to Israel. There were many tourists from America, Europe, and other continents.

After two days in Eilat, we boarded the Egged bus and returned to Jerusalem. We found an efficiency condo at Lev Yerushalayim at a very reasonable rate. We were surprised to run into Rabbi Leventhal of Talmudical Academy, his family, parents, and relatives. Rabbi Leventhal came to Israel to celebrate his son’s bar mitzva. We were doubly surprised by a group of 200 people who came from Modiin and Ramat Beit Shemesh to celebrate a bris. Our intention was to go to the Great Synagogue for Shabbat services, a habit we’ve fallen into when visiting Jerusalem. However, we stayed at Lev Yerushalayim in order to experience the “Carlebach minyan.”

Shabbat services started at 8:15 a.m. and lasted for over four hours. In the women’s section the majority of the guests came from Modiin. They included toddlers, children, and grandparents. All the women wore multi-colored layered outfits – including laced pants in white, black and beige – almost completely covered by tunics and vests. The layers were matched – but mostly mismatched. Some of their offspring wore matching outfits. Gypsy earrings, nose rings, and diamond studs decorated some faces. I wondered if they were a mark of any hierarchy in their tribe. Dressed in a suit, I stood out as a strange phenomenon. What was I, a 20th century American, doing among the 12 tribes?

Before I could acclimate to the surroundings, the women grabbed me to join their dance. They handed me a nusach Sefard siddur, so that I could follow the service. The grandmother of the baby, whose bris was to be performed, pointed out the pages to me, since I kept getting lost. When I finally realized how ferblondzhet I was, I gave up. I decided to listen, and observe a service that was foreign and yet fascinating. Men, women, and children davening with songs, dancing, and rhythmic movement bewildered and charmed me. Their arms performed agile stretches, similar to, but not quite Tai Chi, as their hands, extending over their heads, invited the Shechina to join their double celebration. Their bodies, swaying in a snakelike movement, devoured the prayers. Handclapping and spontaneous dancing erupted sporadically.

Hugging was rampant among the guests. As each guest arrived for the service, there was a lot of embracing and congratulating. The grandparents of the eight-day-old baby were platziing (bursting) from nachas. Each female guest hugged the mother and the grandmothers; each male guest hugged the father and the grandfathers. (The father is a sofer in Beit Shemesh; the Torah used in the service was written by him.) The melodies that emanated from this praying group began to stir my soul. In the women’s section, some of the women knew the prayers by heart. How amazing! Their heads bedecked with layers of colorful clashing snoods revealed spiritual faces, devoid of makeup. Some wore multicolored shawls wrapped around their necks and waists. It took me some time to discover that inside the shawls were infants. The men also wore exotic clothing. Some had broad white crocheted yarmulkes; others had black hats and shtreimel. Most had long curly peyos, which rested leisurely on their shoulders. One man wore an orange, yellow, and brown knitted yarmulke that perfectly matched his infant son’s sweater. The baby was held by his mom, who was seated next to me. Another man’s blue tzitzis, worn on top of his shirt, had a picture of Superman.

Where did they get their “fashionable outfits?” Did they come from a studio that filmed The Ten Commandments, or did the Modiin people loan their costumes to Hollywood? I later found out that they came from an Israeli shop that sells hippy clothing. Some of the women, however, do sew their own outfits. That Shabbos I took an extra long nap. It took me a long time to get back to my prosaic Ashkenazic existence.

While in Israel we prayed at the Kotel, we prayed at the shul in Maaleh Amos, and we prayed at Lev Yerushalayim with the Carlebach minyan. Our stay in Israel was safe and joyous. I’m hoping that my prayers for peace in Jerusalem and Israel will come true soon. Hashem’s hand guided us from our onset until our return. We are most grateful for that.

While lining up to check our luggage for our return flight, volunteers were asked to give up their boarding passes for a later flight, in return for a $500 voucher and a free stay at a Tel Aviv hotel. We willingly agreed to be bumped and were delivered, via van, to the luxurious Renaissance Hotel near the Tel Aviv beach. The next day we were served three kosher meals and walked on the boardwalk and the beach of the Mediterranean Sea. We couldn’t believe our good fortune when, in the evening, before packing up for our return flight, we received a call from Continental Airlines offering us another $500 voucher and free stay at the hotel. With $1,000 each in vouchers, my husband and I are looking forward to another trip to Israel in the near future.