Dateline Jerusalem — I’m home. The home of my ancestors. The home where I get goosebumps, shivers, tears whenever I land here in Israel. The home where I feel G-d’s presence at all times. After a fabulous month in the U.S. visiting family and friends, I am glad to be back to my life in Israel. I am home a week and I am still trying to overcome jetlag, but a 15½-hour non-stop flight from Los Angeles to Tel Aviv can do that to a person. I am coping between catnaps and yawns. So great to be back!
I had a relatively uneventful flight from Tel Aviv to Los Angeles. No hassles with searches or boarding. From a private screen in front of your seat, El Al airlines gives 90 movies and tv shows, music and games, and other entertainment to choose from during the long flight. The girl sitting next to me spilled her Sprite drink on me when reaching over to hand something to the flight attendant. Later another flight attendant splashed water on me when pouring it into a cup. Considering both liquids were clear and the temperature on the plane was too warm for me, it was quite refreshing to cool off and not worry about stains to my clothing. As usual when I fly, someone spills something on me. Once when I flew from California to New York years ago, a stewardess spilled hot water on me. To prevent burns, she spilled ice water on me. I had to sit on the flight soaking wet.
The Reason? Search Me
On the flight home from Los Angeles, also no problems with El Al security, but TSA searched me. Usually TSA tells me it is because I wear a skirt, but so do a zillion other women, and they do not get searched. This time I was told that the x-ray screen showed yellow squares on me. Of course, after taking me into a private room and searching me, they found nothing. But there was nothing to be found!!! For the last eight years since making aliyah to Israel, I have been searched by TSA. It is time they realize they should be profiling and searching real terror threats instead of 65- year-old grandmothers.
This week three friends and I travelled to Beit Shemesh, “house of the sun” in Hebrew, 30 minutes away. The ride was so pleasant and the scenery spectacular. The road twists and turns as it skirts around acres of farmland, with fruits and vegetables growing in neatly ordered rows, and wineries and grapevines dotting the landscape. For miles there is a lush carpet of greenery against a backdrop of perfect blue skies. With the recent rains in Israel, it is hard to believe that the land was left fallow last year for shmita, the Sabbath or sabbatical year. During shmita, the land and all agricultural activity are forbidden — including plowing, planting, pruning, and harvesting. Leviticus in the Torah (bible) promises bountiful harvests for those observing shmita. It is obvious from the luxuriant vegetation abounding in Israel that observance of shmita was greatly rewarded by G-d. Since the beginning of the State of Israel, this desert land has been transformed into forests and farmland. AIsraeli ingenuity, technology, and hard work has enabled farmers to plant exotic fruits, vegetable, flowers and trees. What was once thought to be an arid scorched desert is in fact a fertile oasis in the Middle East.
The reason for the trip to Beit Shemesh, a city with a large English-speaking population, was to shop at a market that carries a lot of American items. Many of the products have the Kirkland Signature brand, produced by Costco. Like shopping at Costco in the States, the items come in large sizes and quantities at relatively good prices. If one shops at a store carrying American products, it is not unusual to find people from the States also shopping there. One of my friends recognized someone in the market who she used to know in Miami Beach. They were thrilled to see each other, and they are looking forward to rekindling their friendship.
L’hitraot. Shachar