An appropriate title for a whirlwind of a day that truly encompassed the full range of experiences and emotions that have always been and continue to be present in Israel’s historical, political and social radar.
We began our day in Shorashim, a village in the Lower Galilee, where we got a brief overview of the Israeli educational system. We learned that there are four different government-run educational options. Unlike in the US, children can go to a Jewish Day School as one of the funded choices. There are also funded schools available to Arab Israeli families. We got the unique opportunity to visit one of those schools. We traveled to the Arab village of Nachef and were welcomed warmly. We were also exposed to opinions and points of view that were at times troubling, as they saw our presence there as an opportunity to share their perspective.
Further in our day we paid tribute to Arbel Reich, an officer killed at age 21 in a roadside bombing in Gaza. His mother showed us the beautiful memorial and testament to his life that his family has erected to perpetuate his memory.
The contrast between the Arab village that we visited in the morning, and the Druze village, where we feasted in the afternoon, was dramatic. We enjoyed more than 15 Middle Eastern delicacies, as we listened to a speaker from the Technion who shared her experiences in environmental education. This was a meal to remember!
Little did we know that our day was far from over, as we arrived in our sister city of Karmiel. In typical Pittsburgh fashion, we met up with our nearest and dearest from the UJF Mission, and had a joyous evening of dancing and festivities in the streets with our Karmiel friends.
Today evoked the full range of emotions. We traveled through ambivalence, anger, sadness, empathy, unity and joy. In reflection, these are emotions that Israelis experience on a daily basis as they face these complex issues. This was truly a ‘Day in the Life of Israel’.
Sarah DeWitt & Pinny Herman