This evening I went to dinner at a lovely outdoor cafe across the street from our hotel (the Mount Zion) with a group of participants in the Israel Mitzvah Corps. We are near the end of our 10 day mission to learn about economic and social justice issues in Israel, and enjoyed a well-deserved evening of leisure. The restaurant was right next to the Cinematec, which is filled with people of all ages enjoying the Jerusalem film festival, the lively music and people-watching. Yes, people had heard the news about the bombing in Netanya just a short while ago. Although it's been some time since the last bombing, they take it in stride. The cell phones go off as people check in with each other, but then they go back about their business. When I returned to my hotel, I immediately turned on the TV to see the update... with the exception of one station covering the story for about 1/2 hour, and a brief reference on CNN (it's the British version of CNN and all about the London bombing this week), I saw no mention. No "Special Reports" no interruption of the reality shows or soap operas or reruns of "Friends". Business as usual. I'm not sure which is more disturbing -- the bombing, or how nonchalant Israelis have become about them.

It's hard to synchronize this event with our activities today. We began with a session with Rabbi David Forman from Rabbis for Human Rights, who shared with us this story. One day his daughter dashed back into the house just before leaving for school and ran into her room before heading out again. When David asked what she had forgotten, she said she needed to get some photos of herself for her friends. Why, he asked. She told him that her friends trade photos of themselves so if they are killed in a terrorist bombing, their friends will know which photo they want to appear in the media. It's hard to imagine living like that. Even harder to imagine such a father nonetheless fighting for the rights of "the enemy", defending the hundreds of residents of Silwan whose homes are scheduled for demolition -- not for security, but to build an archeological park for Jewish tourists. We met with some of these families, and I admit, it's hard to look them in the eye. As challenging as these visits have been for our group, the inspiration of Rabbis for Human Rights, and our own Israel Religious Action Center, has been uplifting. They truly bring the prophetic vision to this country.

Speaking of prophetic visions... our next visit was to Hazon Yeshaya ("Isaiah's Vision") which is the largest soup kitchen in Israel, distributing meals throughout the country. Hazon Yeshaya is a combination soup kitchen and Meals on Wheels; it also provides a place for seniors to socialize, a pre-school, after school programs, dental clinic and vocational training. Unfortunately, they are growing by leaps and bounds. Like the U.S. fiscal policy, the Israeli government recently imposed severe cuts in welfare benefits and poverty is on the rise. The income gap between the rich and poor rivals that of the U.S. It is a story that the typical tourist in Israel does not see -- how can the "land of milk and honey" be overflowing with hungry seniors and children living in poverty? Not the pictures that make for attractive travel brochures. But our hardy group rolled up its sleeves, and joined dozens of Israeli volunteers in peeling potatoes and packaging nutritious meals for the 7300 people -- Holocaust survivors, Jewish and Arab school children, disabled adults and home-bound seniors -- for whom this will be their only meal of the day. It may not have been a lot, but it felt good to be among the minions seeking to make Isaiah's Vision a reality, knowing that, at the moment, it remains just a dream.

And speaking of the Holocaust... out next visit was to the newly renovated Yad Vashem, a beautiful and impressive monument to memory. Whereas the original museum focused largely on the big picture -- the victims, the perpetrators and the heroes -- this exhibit is much more nuanced, with biographical vignettes throughout, making it both very real and very personal. 

That is how this trip has been -- real and personal. We have faced the harshest realities of Israeli society, challenging though they may be, and through this experience built personal relationships among ourselves and with our Israel partners. Together, we can make Isaiah's vision a reality; a vision of a nation that cares for the vulnerable and treats the stranger in its midst of one of its own

I look forward to sharing other reflections as I continue to "process" this experience. 

With prayers for peace,
Rabbi Marla Feldman