Report on part of the first day
Day 1 – Friday, 3/11
We landed around 9:30 a.m. This was my first time at the new Ben Gurion terminal. I think I like the old terminal better. The walk from the plane to Customs & Immigration is long…very long.
Once we got our bags (Hannah, Marty and Marvin were on the flight) I turned over my large duffle to the others to bring to the hotel in Jerusalem. I headed out the door to look for Dalya and Ra’anan Nuttman. Dalya stayed with Susan (my wife) and I a couple of years ago. She is the “den mother” for the Rehevot Youth Orchestra and travels with them as a chaperone when the come to the United States. I wanted to touch base with her again so she and her husband were kind enough to pick me up at the airport.
We drove to Jaffa, the old city that was near what was to become Tel Aviv and now has become part of the new city. It is an old Arab city with winding streets and old narrow alleys. Ra’anan stopped at the Abilaphiha (that’s the best I can make out the Hebrew) a bakery shop open to the street. He picked up what looks like an elongated sesame bagel with a salty cream cheese for me to try. It was pretty good.
We drove up a hill to a section of the city that had an open plaza, a church, restaurants and galleries. The weather was cool but sunny…a delightful day. I enjoyed our stroll which took us to a spot that overlooks Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean…a magnificent site. (It was the same location where a group I took to Israel last May enjoyed our first lunch after arriving. It was a funny coincidence to be eating again (this time a bagel) in the same location on my first day back in Israel.)
My conversation with Dalya revolved mostly around family. She continued to insist that I come back with Susan and the kids and stay with them in Rehevot. One day I’ll take her up on it. Dalya has 13 grandchildren for whom, despite her protest to the contrary, she willingly provides food, money and gifts all the time. She said that once a week she and her husband go to a restaurant and invite the family to join them. She never knows how many will show to the consternation of the management.
Of course we spoke of politics and the Matzav. My sense was there is renewed hope but it is very cautious optimism. They believe that it will take an extended time to work toward peaceful relations. The hope is that violence will remain light. The fear is that impatience will cause an increase.
Following our stop in Jaffa Ra’anan drove to a gas station. I must have missed it on prior visits but I discovered that the stations (at least in Tel Aviv) have attendants to pump the gas. More importantly, in a brilliant marketing move, the attendants are generally very attractive women in their twenties. Ra’anan said that most of these ladies are college students working their way through school. They are paid to pump gas and get tips for washing windshields. Two of the attendants were happy to pose for some pictures.
From the gas station Ra’anan and Dalya took me to my next get together. They dropped me off at the south end of the shore promenade at a restaurant called Manta Ray. There I was to meet the Nachmana and Lobel families. Gal Nachmana and Nadav Lobel are students at the MetroWest High School in Ra’anana, just north of Tel Aviv. They stayed in our home about a year and a half ago when a group of students from the high school visited our community. Now I was following up on their parents’ invitation to meet them in Israel.
I spent a little while walking near the restaurant as I waited for them to arrive. Because of the wind off the sea it was a little cool but otherwise a beautiful day. Again I had nice views of Tel Aviv and Jaffa.
Around 12:15 the Lobels and Nachmanas and we went inside the restaurant for lunch. The restaurant sits about 20 yards from the water and is very popular with Israelis. During the summer it is very difficult to get a table.
We sat down at a table overlooking the sea. This was the first time I had met either set of parents. Steven Lobel was a restaurant owner and now does consulting in that field. Eli Nachmana works for Agrexco, the Israeli produce and flower exporter. Fanny Nachmana works for the town of Ra’anana setting up cultural events. I never learned if Ilana Lobel works outside the home. They are all very nice people. All made aliyah: Steven from Zimbabwe, Ilana from South Africa and Eli and Fanny from Romania.
Both Steven and Eli had been paratroopers in the army. Eli served in the Six Day War and thereafter. Steven was in Lebanon.
Of course the conversation turned to politics and the Matzav. One gets a real sense of people in Israel just wanting relative peace…not an end of terror but just a substantial reduction (not that they want any terror). It is almost a fatigue. They seemed to say, “We just need peace.”
There was a consensus that the Palestinians are not ready for real peace…long lasting based on mutual respect and cooperation. There is still too many who insist on return and want the Jews in the sea. But they hope for a respite…an extended break. The all favor the security fence and say the two peoples just need to be separated for an extended time.
I’m always fascinated by the stories of cooperation with the Palestinians despite the situation. Some how the business world just goes on. Eli told the story of getting a call from a Palestinian produce shipper. The produce is shipped through Agrexco. The shipper ran into trouble at a Gaza checkpoint by not using the right containers. Eli had to make arrangements and calls to get the shipment through.
There are also the terrible stories. What troubles so many Israelis is that it is the terrible nature of the situation that soldiers have to make awful decisions in a split second. They told me of the son of a friend who was at a Gaza checkpoint. A car came speeding towards the checkpoint. The soldier son waved for the car to stop. It didn’t. Procedure then took over…warning shots and then fire into the car. They killed the driver who was taking his wife to the hospital to deliver a baby. It was not the first time I heard Israelis say the situation forces their soldiers into these terrible actions.
We changed the subject and spoke of happier things…family, friends and vacation plans. Steven is taking Nadav to the Italian Alps to go skiing. It’s Nadav’s first time and I told him he’ll fall a lot but he’ll have a good time. Also, Nadav is just getting his driver’s license so I got to exchange horror stories about teenage drivers.
Lunch was great. We said our good-byes and I took a cab to Jerusalem.
More later.
Gary
We landed around 9:30 a.m. This was my first time at the new Ben Gurion terminal. I think I like the old terminal better. The walk from the plane to Customs & Immigration is long…very long.
Once we got our bags (Hannah, Marty and Marvin were on the flight) I turned over my large duffle to the others to bring to the hotel in Jerusalem. I headed out the door to look for Dalya and Ra’anan Nuttman. Dalya stayed with Susan (my wife) and I a couple of years ago. She is the “den mother” for the Rehevot Youth Orchestra and travels with them as a chaperone when the come to the United States. I wanted to touch base with her again so she and her husband were kind enough to pick me up at the airport.
We drove to Jaffa, the old city that was near what was to become Tel Aviv and now has become part of the new city. It is an old Arab city with winding streets and old narrow alleys. Ra’anan stopped at the Abilaphiha (that’s the best I can make out the Hebrew) a bakery shop open to the street. He picked up what looks like an elongated sesame bagel with a salty cream cheese for me to try. It was pretty good.
We drove up a hill to a section of the city that had an open plaza, a church, restaurants and galleries. The weather was cool but sunny…a delightful day. I enjoyed our stroll which took us to a spot that overlooks Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean…a magnificent site. (It was the same location where a group I took to Israel last May enjoyed our first lunch after arriving. It was a funny coincidence to be eating again (this time a bagel) in the same location on my first day back in Israel.)
My conversation with Dalya revolved mostly around family. She continued to insist that I come back with Susan and the kids and stay with them in Rehevot. One day I’ll take her up on it. Dalya has 13 grandchildren for whom, despite her protest to the contrary, she willingly provides food, money and gifts all the time. She said that once a week she and her husband go to a restaurant and invite the family to join them. She never knows how many will show to the consternation of the management.
Of course we spoke of politics and the Matzav. My sense was there is renewed hope but it is very cautious optimism. They believe that it will take an extended time to work toward peaceful relations. The hope is that violence will remain light. The fear is that impatience will cause an increase.
Following our stop in Jaffa Ra’anan drove to a gas station. I must have missed it on prior visits but I discovered that the stations (at least in Tel Aviv) have attendants to pump the gas. More importantly, in a brilliant marketing move, the attendants are generally very attractive women in their twenties. Ra’anan said that most of these ladies are college students working their way through school. They are paid to pump gas and get tips for washing windshields. Two of the attendants were happy to pose for some pictures.
From the gas station Ra’anan and Dalya took me to my next get together. They dropped me off at the south end of the shore promenade at a restaurant called Manta Ray. There I was to meet the Nachmana and Lobel families. Gal Nachmana and Nadav Lobel are students at the MetroWest High School in Ra’anana, just north of Tel Aviv. They stayed in our home about a year and a half ago when a group of students from the high school visited our community. Now I was following up on their parents’ invitation to meet them in Israel.
I spent a little while walking near the restaurant as I waited for them to arrive. Because of the wind off the sea it was a little cool but otherwise a beautiful day. Again I had nice views of Tel Aviv and Jaffa.
Around 12:15 the Lobels and Nachmanas and we went inside the restaurant for lunch. The restaurant sits about 20 yards from the water and is very popular with Israelis. During the summer it is very difficult to get a table.
We sat down at a table overlooking the sea. This was the first time I had met either set of parents. Steven Lobel was a restaurant owner and now does consulting in that field. Eli Nachmana works for Agrexco, the Israeli produce and flower exporter. Fanny Nachmana works for the town of Ra’anana setting up cultural events. I never learned if Ilana Lobel works outside the home. They are all very nice people. All made aliyah: Steven from Zimbabwe, Ilana from South Africa and Eli and Fanny from Romania.
Both Steven and Eli had been paratroopers in the army. Eli served in the Six Day War and thereafter. Steven was in Lebanon.
Of course the conversation turned to politics and the Matzav. One gets a real sense of people in Israel just wanting relative peace…not an end of terror but just a substantial reduction (not that they want any terror). It is almost a fatigue. They seemed to say, “We just need peace.”
There was a consensus that the Palestinians are not ready for real peace…long lasting based on mutual respect and cooperation. There is still too many who insist on return and want the Jews in the sea. But they hope for a respite…an extended break. The all favor the security fence and say the two peoples just need to be separated for an extended time.
I’m always fascinated by the stories of cooperation with the Palestinians despite the situation. Some how the business world just goes on. Eli told the story of getting a call from a Palestinian produce shipper. The produce is shipped through Agrexco. The shipper ran into trouble at a Gaza checkpoint by not using the right containers. Eli had to make arrangements and calls to get the shipment through.
There are also the terrible stories. What troubles so many Israelis is that it is the terrible nature of the situation that soldiers have to make awful decisions in a split second. They told me of the son of a friend who was at a Gaza checkpoint. A car came speeding towards the checkpoint. The soldier son waved for the car to stop. It didn’t. Procedure then took over…warning shots and then fire into the car. They killed the driver who was taking his wife to the hospital to deliver a baby. It was not the first time I heard Israelis say the situation forces their soldiers into these terrible actions.
We changed the subject and spoke of happier things…family, friends and vacation plans. Steven is taking Nadav to the Italian Alps to go skiing. It’s Nadav’s first time and I told him he’ll fall a lot but he’ll have a good time. Also, Nadav is just getting his driver’s license so I got to exchange horror stories about teenage drivers.
Lunch was great. We said our good-byes and I took a cab to Jerusalem.
More later.
Gary
posted by Gary A at 2:39 PM
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