Thursday, January 12, 2006

It Wasn't a Dream

Allow me to introduce myself, I am Jack, from Random Thoughts- Do They Have Meaning? I have the privilege of joining this fine group of substitute bloggers who are pinch hitting for Jameel while he is out painting the rest of the land Jerusalem Gold.

I have been wrestling with what to write about. If you take this seriously you realize that there is a fair amount of responsibility in sharing the pedestal of the blog, especially when it is not your own blog.

So I have taken a few minutes to search through the library of memories inside this thick skull of mine to see if I have a good story to share. The truth is that I have many, but the question is what is appropriate for this blog and this moment and the reality is that I am stumped. I am just not sure what to write about so I am going to ramble a bit as this is something that I do quite well.

My first trip to Israel was in June of 1985. I went with a group of 37 other teenagers from Ramah in California. It was one hell of a summer. Prior to our departure we spent a week at camp learning about Israel and being prepared for what was to come.

During that time a major forest fire broke out and we were evacuated from camp and sent for an overnight stay at a hotel next to the airport. We left for Israel the very next morning. A group of tired and excited teens who joked about the tiyul that was not consumed.

I spent the next nine weeks or so living in various places in Israel. I made friendships that will last forever and forged a connection to the land that is so deep words are incapable of expressing my love for it.

And now a little more than 20 years later I look back in amazement. Two of the members of that group are no longer with us, one lost to brain cancer and the other to suicide. The rest of us are doctors, lawyers, teachers, mothers and fathers who shared an incredible experience that has helped to shape who we are today.

I realize that this has been a bit broad and somewhat vague and I hope to have time to come back to it shortly. In the interim I hope that you enjoyed this tiny glimpse into my life and that you found it interesting.

Good night from Los Angeles where I still dream of walking the streets of Yerushalayim.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael

7 comments:

rockofgalilee said...

"Good night from Los Angeles where I still dream of walking the streets of Yerushalayim."

Hey jack, as muqata would say "why the hell aren't you on the plane?"

Jameel @ The Muqata said...

Rock: I don't say it that harshly, do I?

Besides - the "want to want to make aliya" is an important step and frame of mind to be in.

Too bad so many people aren't even at that madrega.

Jack Steiner said...

Rock,

One day I will be.

Anonymous said...

Well the streets of Jerusalem are currently freezing and rainy, so maybe wait a while.

Ezzie said...

Great post, Jack.

Truth said...

Anonymous:
Well the streets of Jerusalem are currently freezing and rainy, so maybe wait a while.

Thanks for digging up that memory for me, oh the thrill of riding on the back of a moped [yes, moped] in the freezing rain and snow in Jerusalem in the brisk and misty early morning hours, while the lovely blue lights pulsate hotly pursuing us in the nearly-dawn silence of a winter morn [to this day I wonder why they didn't turn on the sirens]...

Good thing we had plenty of turkish coffee stiffened with a splash of 'extra fine' waiting for us at home [you see, this was way before the Kitzoni Cafe opened...]


Truth.

Anonymous said...

Very nice site! » » »

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