Witness tradition and culture amidst struggle

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL -- Two weeks ago, I heard the explosion of a car bomb for the first time. Last week, I was ten minutes away from the discotheque in Tel Aviv where 20 Israelis were killed in a suicide bombing just a few hours later last Friday. I live within earshot of the nightly gunfire rituals that take place in Gilo.

But my handful of experiences, gained in only three weeks time, cannot even compare to the thousands and tens of thousands of Israelis who have learned to live and deal with the bullets, the bombs and the blood.

And still, my flatmate Yair tells a story of his uncle, who owns a store in Netanya. As the story goes, the uncle once caught a thief in the process of stealing and called the cops. Israeli police are not known for their crime-solving or public relations capabilities. So when the uncle called the police, they told him that they were unable to come out to the store, and that he would have to bring in the thief himself.

Obviously, this country is not an amusement park. Unlike that special place in Orlando, no one sprinkles fairy dust on your head when you enter. And life does not all of a sudden become perfect when you take your first step here.

Yet, somehow this place can completely change your life. I can think of no other country where I would want to live, and I can think of no other place where I would want to raise a family. One's first sight of the Wailing Wall -- the last remnant of Israel's Holy Temple and just a mere ten minute bus ride from my apartment -- takes your breath away. And for me, every sight of a two thousand-year-old ruin makes me feel like I am that much more a part of the rich history of this country and this faith.

Despite the hardships, the attacks and the bloodshed, this place grows on you and becomes a part of your soul. This is the case all the more so if you are Jewish.

This is why I was surprised to learn earlier this week of the decision by the Union of American Hebrew Congregations -- the umbrella organization of Reform Judaism -- to cancel their youth trips to Israel this summer.

Every year, thousands of American Jewish students -- some of them Reform, some Conservative and some Orthodox -- sign up for trips to visit this historic country, anywhere from two weeks to ten in length. Every participant that I have talked to upon their return has commented that it has changed their life.

Sure, this place is dangerous. Every day I take the Jerusalem 18 bus to work, the same bus that was bombed twice eight years ago. Sure, the local population is not too friendly to foreigners. But, this land has been the cornerstone of a faith for thousands of years and has been the hope of many for just as long.

A spokesperson for the UAHC, communications director Emily Grotta, commented that the reason behind the decision to cancel its trips this year -- reached a day after the deadly Tel Aviv bombing -- was safety concerns.

"There's a difference between an individual adult standing up and saying, "I'm going and showing my solidarity," and taking responsibility for someone else's children," she said.

But such a decision, at a time of great struggle for the state of Israel, only plays into the hands of the terrorists. They have sought to frighten not only the native population, but the population of potential tourists abroad. And, perhaps more importantly, such a move deprives many students of their opportunity to see the land they have only heard about in sermons and read about in Scripture.

I am glad to see that other Jewish organizations have not yet followed the UAHC's lead and are continuing to send students to Israel so that they too can share the experiences offered by a country so rich in tradition and culture. Now is the time for not only Jews, but anyone else who has a connection to the land I am writing from, to come and show their support for this nation and these people.

I am quite confident that those who have participated in tour programs here agree with me. To those who are planning on coming, and to those who will come soon: There truly is no other land like this in the world.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.