Further Down the Rabbit Hole

For many Jews in the United States, Israel is an ideal. It is the Jewish home, defined by images, symbols, hopes and dreams, connected with via prayers, trips, and advocacy. We learn about it, hear about it, form our opinions and conceptions. But from thousands of miles away, the reality of life here may not always translate. As we are discovering, it is an amazing but also a very complex society filled with unique challenges and visions.

Our day began on the other side of the Green Line, the border between Israel and the territories occupied by Israel in the wake of the 1967 war. Known by many names, with each name carrying its own loaded connotation, these territories are home to many people. The majority are Palestinian Arabs who have either lived here since before 1948 or as refugees of the War of Independence. A growing minority are Jewish settlers who, for a variety of reasons, have chosen to make the West Bank their home. Our first stop was in the series of Jewish towns and villages that make up Gush Ezyon. Riding in an armored bus, we crossed the checkpoint into Area C (which remains under Israeli military control) and made our way through the Judean Hills to Gush Ezyon. There, we watched an informative video that traced the history of Jewish settlement of this region in the 1920s and 1930s, during the British Mandate. The settlements were lost during the War of Independence, but when Israel regained the territories during 1967, the children of the original Gush Ezyon settlers decided to reclaim their ancestors’ lands and to restart the settlement. Today, it is a diverse and thriving community of several kibbutzim that engage in a variety of agricultural pursuits. The Jews living here see it as a continuation of their parents’ and grandparents’ hopes and dreams.

Next, we went to Efrat, a town built on a series of seven hills over the last thirty years. We were joined by Bob Lang who told us the history of the town, pointing out the schools, the community centers, and the synagogues that today serve some 2,000 families, a slight majority of whom are native Israelis with the rest immigrants. Bob presented us with his viewpoints, about peace, about why he is living here, about the future of Israel. His views are representative of many who live in Efrat: they live here because it is the heart of Biblical Israel, the site of the earliest dwellings of Jews and the paths traveled by the Patriarchs. Asked about what he envisions as the solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, especially in light of settlements in the West Bank being considered one of the remaining unresolved obstacles to peace, Bob unveiled for us his ideal of a one state solution, with Israel stretching from the Mediterranean to the Jordan River, a democracy integrating all those that live there. It was a powerful testament of one man’s convictions and world-view that drive and motivate him in living his life in the way he has. After intense questioning from our students, they emerged more knowledgeable and aware of the variety of views Israelis hold regarding Israel’s future.

As we made our way back across the Green Line, we went to an institute that specializes in the cross-roads of modern technology and Halachic law. We were treated to a wonderful demonstration by its executive director who spoke about the challenges of keeping Shabbat in the modern world and the institute’s efforts to allow the use of technology in ways that do not violate the Shabbat restrictions. Ranging from basic grama mechanisms that govern the use of lights and telephones, to more complex structures like metal detectors, video surveillance, and computers, we learned about the innovative ways being explored in Israel to both minimize the violations of Shabbat restrictions by people like doctors and to fully incorporate oneg Shabbat via modern technology.

After a short break and dinner, we returned to the themes of conflict and peace by meeting with an organization called the Parents’ Circle, composed of families from both sides of the conflict who have lost loved ones to it. In powerful and moving speeches, an Israeli and a Palestinian described their life stories, focusing on their experiences of loss and reconciliation. Hearing a bereaving Israeli admit that the only thing that gave meaning to his life after his loss was the opportunity to share and connect with Palestinians with similar situations was a touching and deeply meaningful experience. We all know the immediate responses to loss of this kind (sadness, anger, desire for revenge) and the efforts of this organization to overcome all of these to arrive at something more significant are true testaments to working toward peace at the grassroots level. Whether by setting up anonymous telephone conversations between Israelis and Palestinians or by tireless lecture campaigns throughout Israel and the territories, the Parents’ Circle is bringing their vision of peace and co-existence to prominence.

For most of us, our night concluded with viewing a powerful drama about yet another side of Israel. Called Ajami, the movie centered around this neighborhood of Jaffa where the lives of Jews, Arabs, and Bedouins are mixed in complex and intricate ways. Various plotlines, from the nearly tribal settlement of blood feuds among Arabs and Bedouins, the illegal immigration of workers from the West Bank, the difficult job of the police to mediate disputes between Arabs and Jews, and the desperate need for money for its impoverished residents, came together in dramatic fashion to demonstrate yet again that life in Israel is far from simple.

These glimpses into the life of Israel are coming together to form a more complete picture. While Israel definitely remains an ideal, it is one that is being adorned with all sorts of new, heretofore unconsidered images and realities. It is our hope that in the end, even with all this complexity in tow, we will appreciate it even more.