This is a guest post by Trundlemaster.
I approached my first trip to Israel with a mixture of apprehension and desire. I had a desire to see and experience some of the country, but I was apprehensive about ‘culture shock’.
Although my new wife – we married last year – had been to Israel several times before on various organised and independent trips, it was my first visit to the country and I didn’t know what to expect. I’d been given dire warnings about going, from people who had either never visited Israel or who harboured antipathy to the place. One of them even said ‘make sure that you come back with the same number of holes that you left with’ in a reference to terrorism and war.
What I found once I arrived was light years away from what the ‘know-nothings’ who get their news from the Beeb and the Guardian believe Israel is. I found a fantastic get up and go country full of people who were proud of their nation but who were polite, helpful and very kind especially when I used my rather poor Hebrew to them.
We stayed in Tel Aviv and explored the city’s restaurants and museums for some of the time and went from there to Jerusalem to visit The Kotel and to the fabulous air force museum near Beer Sheva.
We found the public transport system affordable, reliable and clean. It does take a day or two to get used to seeing armed national service personnel travelling round on the buses but that is more due to the fact that here in the UK we have been disconnected from the military due to having all volunteer armed forces, which means that the average British subject isn’t familiar with being around uniformed personnel.
Highlights of the trip apart from the Kotel were the Air Force Museum, the Haganah Musem and the Museum of the Diaspora. Jerusalem was a complete eye-opener. You can feel the power of the city’s spiritual meaning for so many, almost as soon as you step out of the bus station on Jaffa Road. To pray at the Kotel was amazing, the only way for me to describe the experience of praying there was that it was like – if it is not considered too sacrilegious – is to quote from the film Spinal Tap: ‘turning your prayer up to 11’. You really feel that the Divine Presence is strong there and it was a privilege to be there to feel that for myself.
To be there in Jerusalem after so much longing on my part was fantastic. At Seder this year the words ‘next year in Jerusalem’ will have even more meaning to me personally, having now been to Jerusalem and experienced some of the place. Leaving the place was weird, I felt that I’d left a little bit of myself behind in the city of gold and vowed to be back as soon as I could.
Yad Vashem in Jerusalem was incredibly upsetting and moving in ways that I find difficult to describe in words but I felt that I could not visit Jerusalem without seeing Yad Vashem. One of the things me that impressed me about the layout of Yad Vashem was the way you emerge from the memorial burdened by the weight of what you have seen into the sunshine and a stunning view over the hills of Jerusalem.
One of the things that most impressed me about Israel however isn’t something I saw or something I did but it was something that was missing from Israel when compared to the UK.
In the UK the media and the academic institutions seem to be dominated by people who are influenced by various types of Trotskyist thinking that exploded in academia and elsewhere after 1968 and this has contributed to the constant drip-drip of anti Zionist, and anti UK propaganda emanating from the BBC and the political establishment. This has led to a left-wing orchestrated ‘cultural cringe’ where people in the UK feel they need to apologise constantly for the UK or feel ashamed of who they are.
This I found totally absent in any intrusive way with any of the Israelis we chatted to. It was a pleasure for someone like me who has had his total fill of left-wing Jew haters to be in a ‘Land without Trots’ or at least a land where the Trots do not have the sort of influence that they do in the UK. I never thought I’d be so pleased to not hear the words ‘Socialist Worker, get your Socialist Worker here’.
People appear proud of Israel’s achievements, although sad that the nations around them refuse all offers of peace, even when it is plainly in the interest of the average person in the Arab world and for everyone else in the world for there to be peace.
I couldn’t help feeling that if Israel didn’t have to spend so much money on defending itself, it could be a major engine for growth, both economically and in human terms for the Middle East. Without the existential threats it faces, it could truly be a light unto the nations around it if only it was given the chance to do so.
We only saw a fraction of what we wanted to see as we were technically on our proper honeymoon and didn’t want to be too stressed with rushing round and round from place to place. We did feel that we deserved a bit of a rest.
This only means that there is more for us to see next time we go. It was lovely to be pampered in the hotel in Tel Aviv but having seen the quality of the food in the markets I really want to self-cater next time we go. However I will make a point of eating again at the wonderful Rochele’s dairy restaurant on Ben Yehuda Street in Tel Aviv, I’ve never tasted a vegetarian lasagne as wonderful as the one I had there.
I want to be the one laden down with groceries from Ha Carmel Market rushing back to cook a lovely dinner for my wife.
I was completely bowled over by Israel and Israelis and cannot wait to go back. Go to Israel – it’s fabulous.
Thanks for this guest post Trundlemaster.
So much of what you wrote chimed from my experiences on my trips there, especially about the Kotel and Yad Vashem. I agree about the public transport system too. My experiences of the buses is that although people happily consume all manner of food and drinks on them, the buses remain clean and tidy. I also agree that the comments of ignorant Westerners about Israel really are shown up for what they are once you actually set foot there. I love your plan to self-cater in the future. Although I’ve never gone that far (yet) on my trips there, I have been a little bit more self-reliant each time I’ve gone and it feels good.
If you enjoyed the Haganah museum I also recommend the Etzel Museum. I went there on my last trip and found it fascinating. I actually got offered a spontaneous tour by one of the guides there and he was amazingly passionate and informed by any standards. Loved his pride and passion. Upstairs from there is the Jabotinsky Museum which is a must.
Of course there are plenty of left-wing minded people in Israel, some of whom go as far as regularly colluding with Israel’s enemies. A friend of mine who served with the IDF near some settlements said he was astonished how during weekdays the area and its Palestinian neighbours were at peace. Yet at the weekend the ‘peaceniks’ would arrive with their camcorders and make sure they stirred up trouble which they could put on YouTube as evidence of how bad Israel was. Then they would go home and immediately order and relative harmony would be restored.
I’m so glad your wife and yourself had such a great time there. May you have many more happy trips there – and enjoy the self-catering! Thanks again for the guest post.
CNB said:
‘Thanks for this guest post Trundlemaster.’
Thank you for the opportunity.
So much of what you wrote chimed from my experiences on my trips there, especially about the Kotel and Yad Vashem. I agree about the public transport system too. My experiences of the buses is that although people happily consume all manner of food and drinks on them, the buses remain clean and tidy.
Yes, I noticed that the public transport was clean even the normal Dan buses in Tel Aviv.
I also agree that the comments of ignorant Westerners about Israel really are shown up for what they are once you actually set foot there.
The fact that the ignorant Westerners who spout about Israel do not bother to inform themselves of other views of Israel and constantly deride those who say ‘hang on there is another side’, points to something else, something darker in their attitudes.
I love your plan to self-cater in the future. Although I’ve never gone that far (yet) on my trips there, I have been a little bit more self-reliant each time I’ve gone and it feels good.
It feels more homely to cook for ourselves and besides that I enjoy cooking for my wife and I missed doing that.
‘If you enjoyed the Haganah museum I also recommend the Etzel Museum. I went there on my last trip and found it fascinating. I actually got offered a spontaneous tour by one of the guides there and he was amazingly passionate and informed by any standards. Loved his pride and passion. Upstairs from there is the Jabotinsky Museum which is a must.’
Thanks. These two must go on our next Israel trip list.
Of course there are plenty of left-wing minded people in Israel, some of whom go as far as regularly colluding with Israel’s enemies
IMO they cannot see the irony of having their right to express openly anti state views protected by the military of the state. A person who expressed an anti state or challenging view in nearly all of the states on Israel’s borders would find themselves in serious trouble.
A friend of mine who served with the IDF near some settlements said he was astonished how during weekdays the area and its Palestinian neighbours were at peace. Yet at the weekend the ‘peaceniks’ would arrive with their camcorders and make sure they stirred up trouble which they could put on YouTube as evidence of how bad Israel was. Then they would go home and immediately order and relative harmony would be restored.
Some people who profess peace want anything but. The problem is many on what I call the ‘mad’ left – Galloway et al – (although I’m not a lefty myself I accept that leftism is a valid poltiical view) get off on the idea of revolution and are often found stirring the pot when sensitivity would be a better way of dealing with a tense situation. I saw this on CND demos in the 80′s with the ‘bombs not jobs’ crew of troublemakers.
I’m so glad your wife and yourself had such a great time there. May you have many more happy trips there – and enjoy the self-catering! Thanks again for the guest post.
Thank you again for the opportunity to make the post.
BS”D
I was so happy to see the results of the writer’s trip. But, one thing left me in doubt as to whether he actually ever came here – and that was at the beginning of the article where he says he found us “polite”. Hmmmmm…where did he go exactly?
Seriously, it sounds like a very successful experience. Come back again, y’all. Y’heah?
Haha! I know where you’re coming from with the polite joke Sarah but I’d actually agree with him. I think Israelis are polite. Just not falsely polite.
No way are Israelis ‘polite’ – they are straight. WYSIWYG, if you prefer.
A breath of honest fresh air in the whole of the middle east IMO.
(BTW don’t they have scrums to get on the buses any more? What is the place coming to?)
A friend of mine who made aliyah last year put it this way:
In England, people will hold the door open for you and let you go first. But if you fall over in the street, nobody will stop to check you are OK. In Israel, everyone will barge through the door before you, but if you fall over in the street, they’ll all rush over to see you’re OK.
Which is more polite?
Love it
Beautifully written Trundlemaster. I know exactly what you mean about Israelis being refreshingly proud of (and grateful for) their country. It was one of the things which hit me too when I first arrived in (ahem) 1977. I just fell in love with the fact that there’s a folk song about every last river, hill or pond!
Come back soon – there’s loads more to see, especially in the more outlying regions of the Negev and the North.
This is such a lovely article. Everyone’s experience of a place is bound to be different, but so many things Trundlemaster says struck a chord with me too: especially the discovery of the simple goodness of Israel and Israelis, being bowled over by the food, and even finding the people – while I might not choose the word ‘polite’ – sincerely helpful and kind.
I’m looking forward to visiting Israel hopefully later this year. Although I’ve been made redundant and so need to get a job first! My last line of work saw me visiting several Arab countries although sadly I never went to Israel. On a separate note a close friend whom I worked with in Iraq commented that after visiting the Arab countries, he developed a newfound respect for Israel. Others who have visited the region have commented in a similar vein.
I agree with the ‘falling over in the street’ bit. Not that I fell over but as a one-time kibbutznik, I was quite astonished by the care shown.
When, through my own stupidity, I got sunburnt, I was packed off to the nurse who was incredibly patient and kind. People dropped by to see if I was OK, with one bringing ingredients for a restorative tea and another an ointment which she felt outdid the nurse’s remedy.
I also remember my friend and her section leader protesting loudly to each other one morning. He discovered she had a stomach ache and refused to let her work. She protested that she would be fine, he protested louder and she, too, was packed off to the nurse and then made to rest. Having had a boss or two who would see me half-dead before letting me go home, this incident was quite astonishing.
One of my jobs was in the kitchen and, even now, it has to be one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. Our boss, Avi, was so patient and laid back, ambling about the kitchen getting on with his job whilst we sang, joked – even danced – as we chopped veggies and salad. Only once, when we had a fit of giggles that was threatning to border on the hysterical, did he pop his head over our section, still grinning, and tell us to take a coffee break so that we could calm down. As long as he had the right end-result, our singing, laughter and spontaneous ‘ballet’ with mop and bucket was fine by him. The atmosphere in that kitchen was the best I’ve ever worked in – going to work was a real joy.
We were only 8miles outside of Jerusalem so went there often. It’s an amazing place. I never tired of it.
I’m going to Israel in June – only for two weeks – but I can’t wait:-))
I’m really enjoying this discussion!
Chas – it’s been wonderful to remember Israel, the real country, with real people and, for many of us, real memories. Ballet with mop, bucket and window wiper, in my case:-))
In terms of blogs, responding to mis-information, bigotry, poison and downright hatred weighs heavy after a while. This positive article made me think that perhaps more like it might well be an alternative way to counter the on-going and unjustified attacks on Israel and the Israeli people.
So, cheers Chas and cheers Trundlemaster:-))
As I said, I found Israelis very straight and “to the point” (“rude” in English, but then that’s just because the English are two-faced – no offence intended
P).
In terms of kindness, I remember when I was hitching down from my Kibbutz in the Golan (Ein Zivan) with a friend from Aberdeen we got a lift off a retired Israeli general. He was very impressed that we had volunteered in Israel and when he dropped us off in Tiberias gave us the equivalent of 100 quid to help finance the rest of our trip. Being Scottish, needless to say we returned to the Golan with a hefty profit ;o)
Of course, Jews don’t have a monopoly on kindness. When we got to Hebron, we identified a building site we could camp in (did I mention we were Scottish?) In the morning, we spied an Arab lady coming out of her house and heading in our direction. Now rather alarmed as she climbed the gangplank into ‘our’ site, we realised she was carrying a large bowl of water. She had also brought flannels, soap and towels. Just as we had finished washing, she returned with freshly made flat bread, a large comb of honey and two large glasses of hot sweet tea. She couldn’t speak a word of English, unfortunately, although hopefully she understood ‘thank you’.
That was back in 1987 when you could criss-cross the West Bank without noticing a border. Shame it’s not still like that…
Penny -is that the driving tour we once talked about on HP?
Hi Israelinurse
Yep – flying into Ben Gurion on 31st May, picking up the car (eeek!) and heading towards Galilee for a few days. Then down to Ein Gedi, throught the Negev and into Eilat (my friend wants to swim with dolphins!)before winding up in Jerusalem for 5 days. Hopefully, we’ll stay at my old kibbutz for a couple of them. Although I doubt anyone remembers me, Debbie, and our mop ‘n’ bucket routine now:-))
It’ll be a very hectic fortnight. This particular friend has never been to Israel before but has always wanted to go. As a teenager she had planned to work on a kibbutz but for various reasons, it didn’t happen so she’s trying to make up for that a little. Naturally, she wants to see so much – I just hope we’ve both got the energy to keep up with the schedule!
Penny – the drive down highway 90 from the north (or Jerusalem) along the dead sea and on to eilat is possibly the most amazing drive i’ve ever done (i did it a couple of years ago). enjoy it (but watch out for a couple of places where you have to turn off the road to continue on route 90!)
Thanks Benjy – any and all travel/route tips gratefully received:-))
I didn’t get to travel south-bound when I was in Israel, so can I ask what it was about route 90 that you liked?
We’ve heard that there is a giant crater and, apparently, the world’s biggest fossil in the Negev – does route 90 wander anywhere near these?
Trundlemaster Thank you for a ray of sunshine in these terrible days when Israel is covered by Sxxx in the press and media.etc
I am an Israeli who lives in Europe and I feel like being covered by filth , when I go back twice a year it is like taking a long shower and only than I feel clean again.
In my last visit to Israel last year i was having dinner by a seaside restaraunt and was invited to share table with a big AfroAmerican from Texas and his pretty girlfiend from NewYork.,in their first visit to Israel.We had a long chat and he told me how much they enjoy the country and its people, from the press in US he got a different idea ! ( bad)? but now when he is going back he will tell his friends about the real Israel
BTW if you had any doubt lol, English isnt my first language sorry sorry wink
Pesach Sameach to you all
Penny – there are two ways to get down to Eilat -either through the Arava, which I think is the way Benji is suggesting, or if you have time, via Mitzpe Ramon and the craters which are absolutely phenomenal and down Ma’ale HaAkrabim and through the Wilderness of Zin, which is my favourite route. The desert scenery is really special. Don’t forget to stop off at Kibbutz Yotvata for the ultimate experience in Israeli chocolate milk! And of course the underwater observatory in Eilat is a must.
If you like you can ask Chas for my e-mail; I’ll be home by then and if by some chance you get to the Golan you’re very welcome to pop in for coffee, but also just as a backup – a local contact in case you have any problems.
Thanks for that offer, Israelinurse. I’ll contact Chas and give him my details to pass on.
My husband has family up in the Golan but he hasn’t seen them for years – they were the branch that were also exiled from Egypt but turned right into Israel, when my husband’s family turned left into Europe. But he’s not going on this trip – the lucky so-and-so may well be spending several months out there soon because of his job. So this is my turn:-))
I returned from Tel Aviv yesterday on a full to the brim El Al flight. It was hysterical, landing here, when all the babies (and, gosh, were there a lot of them!) all joined into one cacophony of wailing and moaning. They must have realised that they had returned to the cold, grey, wet, windy and, unfortunately, nasty UK.
The drive down to Eilat is great. We did it and it took about just under five hours from Tel Aviv. Take lots of water and music. The road is good and, generally, so is the driving! Things have changed. In fact much has changed. Every time that we crossed roads at crossings cars stopped to let us cross. Years ago that never happened! The streets are clean and the people are polite too! Unbelievable…
My sister was at the Mann Auditorium for a Yitzhak Perlman concert this week. This is what she wrote: ” It started off strangely as I met about 4 sets of people I hadn’t seen in years. After going round in circles we discovered our seats were high up on the side balcony overlooking the stage. It’s usually used for latecomers, but every ticket was sold. People were asked to keep noise to a minimum as the concert was being televised for Intermezzo. The first piece was the Egmont, and there was a certain amount of muttering behind us as people kept coming in, with the usual loud shushing. The next piece was the Beethoven Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello and orchestra. Sublime. Then we heard the sound of someone falling on the floor behind us! Transpired that an elderly man, seemingly alone, had a heart attack and lay prone on the floor. Sitting next to us was a doctor and his wife and he immediately tried to help. They brought a resusication kit WHICH SPOKE THE INSTRUCTIONS OUT LOUD. All eyes were on our corner and the orchestra played on. It was quite surrealistic. One of the helpers turned out to be an army medic and he was pressing on the man’s chest for a long time (the doc said it was physically exhausting to do that) then he got up and called out to the audience for doctors. About 12 could be seen running from various parts of the concert hall. The ambulance arrived after about 20 mins! I don’t know what happened to the victim. It was quite an evening.”
I recall my daughter telling me one time when she was in a queue in the supermarket and someone telling her off because she has tattoos! Another person joined in the conversation, telling the critic off!
I’m proud
Hi Chas,
what lovely reading there is here, enjoyed Trundlemaster’s name and his trip blog!
You mentioned Gilad Shalit in one of your recent posts.
I don’t know if you’re going back to Israel, but if and when you do, you might indulge your journo’s instinct (and interest in cute accommodation) by going to the family’s B&B.
http://www.weekend.co.il/galilwest/biktot_horesh/indexe.html
Hope Gilad’s sanity is still intact…
take care.
Hi Jill, I’ve added a stay at those cabins to my planned itinery for my future visits to Israel thank you!