I went with my father last week to see the new movie on the Holocaust, Defiance.  Throughout my life, I have seen dozens of films on the topic, walked through the Holocaust museum in DC a handful of times, visited Yad Vashem in Israel five times in the past year and half alone, and taken classes on the topic, but for some reason the implication of the Holocaust never quite clicked.  I understood it as a historical event; as a defining point in Jewish history, but never as a defining point in my history.  After this movie however, I walked out of the theater with tears in my eyes and speechless.

Through five months in Israel and a whirlwind adventure in Thailand, through war, parliamentary scandals, and fifty hours straight of travel home, I didn’t think about what it would be like for me here, in Baltimore.  The most common question people ask me is if I feel like a lot has changed since I went away.  The honest answer is no; things were heading in a certain direction and have kept on that path.  What has changed is my perspective and my question now is where these new experiences will fit into an old life.

We are lucky to live in a city where Jews are ubiquitous.  Where the public schools basically shut down on high holidays and new kosher restaurants are thriving.  We don’t have to think about what being Jewish meant to our grandparents or even what it means to our peers in Israel.  Even in my family, where taking two days off for Rosh Hashannah and a day for Yom Kippur used to be a given, it’s not anymore.  Instead, it has become more important to keep our employers happy and our jobs secure. 

Understanding the importance of Judaism in our lives can’t be explained by someone else.  It is the connection that we, as individuals, finally make with something bigger then ourselves.  I sat in that movie and I realized, after a Bat Mitzvah, Hebrew High School, 6 trips to Israel, a Chabad house in Thailand, and being told millions of times, that I am Jewish and this is my history. 

In the meantime, we went to the floating markets today.  They are literally markets that are on water.  Thais pull up on paddle boats next to yours to sell you some delicious Thai delicacy.  Shying away from the fried bananas and meat on a stick, my friends and I stuck to the amazing fresh fruit that they peal and cut into slices for you.  The paddle boat tour took us through the neighborhood where people actually live on the water.  Our tour guide noted that evey house has at least 1-2 boats because it is the only way to get around.  Literally, there are no sidewalks, no roads, just water surrounding the homes.  It was an extremely unique experience. 

I love this part of Israeli culture.  It recognizes that there is value and importance in seeing and experiencing the world and creates communities of Israelis all over.  The value of traveling is something I whole-heartedly buy into and will soon be joining the Israeli Connection (a real place for Israeli backpackers) in Bangkok.

Next Thursday February 12th, I will be starting a three week adventure.  From tribal treks in the north, to a national park where you stay in tree houses to elephant rides and boat tours of islands, I can’t wait to see it all.  This trip is easing the pain of leaving Israel.

The last five months have been a rollercoaster ride of emotion for me.  The initial high of moving to a new city plummeted during the War with Gaza and rose again once the tension in Jerusalem eased.  I now find myself leaving Israel with a renewed sense of pride in my Judaism, a completely different view on Israeli politics, and redefined understanding Zionism.

I think that it was really important for me to be here for the past five months.  I don’t mean to sound melodramatic, but modern day Israel has only been around for 60 years, so it is conceivable that in 60 years from now, it won’t exist anymore.  What if this time is just a blip in history where Jews have the privilege of walking freely amongst each other in the land that is written about in ancient Jewish texts?  What if my grandchildren found out that I lived during this era, and I didn’t take advantage of it?  Today, we are privileged to be able to touch the Wall and think about the temple times or visit the grave of Rachel and understand her integral role as a foremother of Judaism, or walk around the desert and realize that this is the same desert that the Jews wandered through when we read the exodus from Egypt.  This land is our living history and no matter how hard we struggle with it, disagree with it, try to ignore it, it isn’t a choice, it’s our reality as Jews.

I have spent 8 of the last 18 months in Israel, which is incredible.  The fact that I opened my shades every morning to an incredible view of Jerusalem including the Dome of the Rock and the Knesset is simply incredible, and there are so many things I want to remember about being here.  It will be interesting to reflect 6 months from now, a year from now, five years from now etc. to see how this experience has changed me.  For now, I’m looking forward to the next adventure, following the Hummus Trail.

Israeli Jew.  You never hear it used because it seems like a given.  If you call someone Israeli, the assumption is that person is a Jew.  Israeli Arab.  You hear that all the time, but if being Israeli inherently means being Jewish, then isn’t Israeli Arab a contradiction?  If it isn’t a contradiction, does it shown possessiveness?  This Arab belongs to the Israelis…

The tension felt between the term Israeli and the term Arab is one that Palestinians living in Israel struggle with daily.  Being born Arab in Israel means poorer quality education, high poverty and unemployment rates, and life as a second class citizen. Being born Arab in Israel also means equality for women, a voice (though it may be small) in the government and access to public education and services.

This duality, the pros and cons of each identity, makes the life of the Palestinian in Israel confusing.  The reality is that they have very different goals then the Palestinians living in Gaza and the West Bank.  Yes they want a two state solution, but many of them wouldn’t move.  According to a lecture by Mohammad Darawshe, the Co-Director of The Abraham Fund Initiatives and leading expert on Jewish-Arab relations, (and my cab driver from last night; cab drivers here are really talkative) most of them would choose to not to leave Israel.

Mr. Darawshe used the actions and inactions of the Palestinians living in Israel as proof of this statement.  He pointed to several Hamas leaders that called on them to begin the third intifada, and those calls were ignored.  Demonstrations have been peaceful and contained and Muslim leaders in Israel are thinking about the day after. They realize they will still be living in Israel the day after. 

Arie, the Spanish desk head, rushed past our meeting room and yelled in Hebrew that we should not ignore the sirens.  Still the two Americans, Canadian and Brit on the writing team had almost no reaction.  The Canadian, our team leader, lives in Gedera, an area that has been barraged by rocket attacks.  Her kids haven’t gone to school in weeks and she just couldn’t be bothered.  All of them agreed that there was no real threat since Hamas doesn’t possess weapons that could reach Jerusalem.

It turns out that the sirens were a mistake.  They were working on the system and someone set them off. Oops.

My day to day reality hasn’t changed.  I have my routine of gym (well gym in theory at least), work and out with friends and that hasn’t changed.  I get around by bus and go to popular places in Jerusalem.  None of my friends have left the country and most of them are actually planning on staying a few months after our program ends.  The changes I feel are subtle.  It’s the extra hug that I give a coworker because her husband was sent into Gaza, it’s the extra phone call to my friend stationed in the north on reserve duty, it’s the second thought before going to the Old City, it’s taking my boss’s kids to the science museum so she can actually get some work done. 

I’ve been trying to keep up with some of the American media. Many of the articles are about the humanitarian crisis which is definitely a huge problem.  People living in Gaza are essentially trapped in the war zone.  Israel drops pamphlets warning them to get out, but where are they supposed to go?  The area is tiny and all borders are closed. I read one article in the New York Times about a doctor who lost his wife and son because they were caught in crossfire.  Most of these people didn’t elect Hamas based on their hate for Israel.  If that was the case, they probably would have chosen a much more extreme group like Islamic Jihad.  They chose Hamas because at the beginning, they were building schools, setting up welfare programs and creating other opportunities to help the Palestinian people.  Today, despite 20 days of fighting and over 1,000 Palestinian deaths, Hamas is continuing to fire rockets into the south.
Unfortunately, there was no better solution to the problem.  Israel needs to defend its borders.  No Israeli wants their family member put in harms way, especially in the face of an enemy that has no value for human life.  Everyday Israelis read the news hoping that today will be the day they will finally end this thing, that today their brother, sons, husbands and friends will get to come home.  Israel doesn’t want the territory; they just want their citizens to be able to live without constantly having to run to shelters.  Hamas makes it so there is no way to distinguish the good guys from the bad guys.  They store weapons and hide themselves in schools and hospitals, so that when Israel fights back, the headlines create International outrage. Hamas brought this on the Palestinian people, not Israel.

This is the reality in Jerusalem.  Everyone is continuing to live.  It’s only when we catch the fleeting seconds of vulnerability that we really understand that affects of this fight go far beyond the death toll.

3) Channel 1 has been running “school on TV” programming since last week for kids that are in the bomb shelters. This morning programming started with President Shimon Peres, who taught a lesson on citizenship and government. Other leading Israeli figures will be “TV teaching”, and many Israeli rock stars and celebrities have been touring bomb shelters in affected areas and performing for free for the kids there.

I’m frustrated because we Jews know better.  There is nothing better to unite a minority then their mass killing.  It seems on some level that Israel is just feeding into Hamas’s plan and I don’t think it’s a coincidence this is coming at the doorstep of the upcoming elections. 

From my perspective, sitting in my office in Talpiot, nothing has changed.  I am working on an environmental proposal for the Foundation because on top of all this junk, Israel is in a dire water situation.  I just returned from a vacation in Turkey where we met a middle aged Israeli couple that tried to take care of my friends and me.  They helped us book travel arrangements, gave us pointers, and even stopped by at the end of the day to check in.  Guy even commented that now I am a true Israeli because I went to Turkey for vacation.  This worldwide family is what the world should know about us, not this ridiculousness in Gaza.

“My decision to join Parallel Lives was probably made at the most appropriate time.  This period has high potential as a turning point in my military service.  As a commander I had to deal many times with my soldiers’ questions including ‘why am I here?’, meaning why should I carry on my shoulders the defense of my homeland?  Why me and not someone else?  Is it worthwhile, because someone else can do it instead of me, isn’t that so?

I had to clarify these answers first for myself, before I stared my officer training and made the decision to take responsibility as commander, trainer and educator, responsible for the welfare of 25 soldiers.  There are no absolute answers to these questions and you being to wonder about it many times, especially when the service becomes harder and harder.

Now I move on to my personal experience while meeting with you, Jews from all over, my dear brothers.  I see your love for this country; see your honest care and ongoing interest in our doing.  I witnessed your enormous will to be part of the Israeli existence and your efforts to approach Jewish people from around the globe and connect them to their Jewish roots.  I witness that and become stronger, witness that and get excited and inspired.  I witness that and understand that on my shoulders lay the defense and contribution to preserving and preparing the platform for the fruits of your actions and in addition, eventually, to your Aliya to Israel to take part in ensuring the sustainability of the state of Israel.

It may look obvious to all of us, but it isn’t.  Not at all.  The road is still long and anything can happen.  For all of that, thank you.”

-Rotem Mirzae
IDF Commander
Age 23

We asked each other the normal get-to-know- you questions of any first date and on the surface, we have very similar lives.  Guy lives in Tel Aviv (like most Israeli young adults), hangs out with friends and plays sports for fun, enjoys going to the beach on his day off and loves to travel.  Then we started talking about life experiences and suddenly the disconnect was apparent.  Guy is twenty-six and just finishing up his BA because he chose to become an officer in the Israeli army which obligated him to an extra three years beyond his compulsory service.  He couldn’t give me the specifics of his job, but recounted stories of patrolling settlements in the freezing cold middle of the night as part of officer training. 

With Facebook and Youtube, we are connected to the same global world.  As young adults, the same issues concern us- love, money, future- but at some point the reality of our worlds are completely different.  At 17, I was sitting in Pikesville High School consumed with what college I would attend and who I wanted to ask me to prom while Guy was running kilometers a day to prepare for the physical tests to be placed in a good unit.  I told him stories about my sorority in college and he told me about being in the Gaza strip.  Not only that, but Judaism in Israel manifests itself as a nationalistic pride.  Just as Americans are proud to be American, Israelis are proud to be Jews.  In the case of many secular Israelis, the two are synonymous.  They may never go to shul, celebrate Shabbat, or willingly keep kosher, but they are Jewish because they are Israeli.

What happened in Hebron is happening throughout Arab communities in Israel.  Right-wing Jews who believe they have a right to live anywhere in Israel will pay exorbitant prices to Arabs for homes in disputed areas such as Hebron or the Arab quarter in the Old City. 

A few weeks ago when the Baltimore Federation came on a mission trip, we visited a few of these homes.  One family of fourteen was living in a home that needs to be protected 24/7 by an armed guard to ensure the safety of the family.  The father even told us one story where he was attacked and luckily he had guards walking with him that saved his life.  Their groceries are delivered to their home and the children are often escorted to school so they don’t have to walk alone.  They legally bought the home and fervently believe that they have a G-d given right to live there.

I was chatting with a coworker about the situation in Hebron and her 15 year old daughter is an ardent Zionist.  She asked permission to go and protest with the settlers.  Her mother said that she wouldn’t give her the money to go, but wouldn’t stop her either. I asked her mother how she could let her daughter go knowing the immense danger.  She responded that she is a Zionist and that it would be hypocritical to stop her.  The 15 year old didn’t end up going, but her friends were arrested for allegedly assaulting a soldier.