By Shirley Berger

Earlier this year, Lou and I  returned from our Israeli trip and we wanted to share some of our experiences.  On May 6, we left San Diego for Israel; on May 7, we arrived in Tel Aviv. We were right on the Mediterranean Sea and it was a beautiful sunny day...Each day thereafter we walked along the promenade and smiled; we were so happy to be in Israel.

We toured Tel Aviv on foot and by cab. The food was good but we found that the portions were too large, so we started sharing platters.  We watched the para-kite surfers; the blue-sky soaring was beautiful. We walked on the beach and collected sea shells.  

After spending a few days in Tel Aviv, we made arrangements to travel to Jerusalem by cab.  It is only a two-hour drive. We arrived on May 11. The cab driver was very informative and while on the trip he gave us a mini-tour of the sites and history of the different areas we passed.  This day, May 11, happened to be Israel's Memorial Day, Yom HaZikaron, followed by Israel's Independence Day, Yom Ha'Atz'ma'ut.  While we were on the road at noon, we heard a very loud siren sound. All the traffic stopped. Everyone got out of their cars and stood on the road for two minutes of silence in honor of the fallen veterans of all the Israeli military services dating back to 1948.  The Israeli flags were flying all over—from cars, homes, buses, buildings, baby carriages, etcetera.  They are a very patriotic people.  It felt good to be in a Jewish country; in Israel the people are very friendly and warm.

We arrived at our hotel, unpacked and went down to the lobby, had some lunch and then called our nephew who is now a rabbi.  He has a beautiful  sweet Israeli wife and two beautiful children.  He made arrangements to meet with us the next day at a friend's house to celebrate and share the barbecue picnic in the back patio.  It was nice being a part of an Israeli life style.  Lou even fixed a piano for a friend.  He only charged mileage, ha-ha.

We came to Israel for the history and geography and to taste the Jewish life style. It was more than we expected or dreamed of. The next day we went to Ben-Yehuda Street in Jerusalem.  This is a walking street with shops, cafes, entertainers, music, etcetera. Loui sat in and played with a Dixieland band called Dr Jazz. He played the washboard. It so happens that the leader once lived in San Diego and Lou knew him.

While the music was going on, I was sitting on the side and watching people throwing shekels (money) in the pot. A man sat down beside me; he was also enjoying the music.  He was telling me that his wife was shopping. After finding out that we were from the U.S.A. he started giving some advice as to what to see, where to go, etcetera. When his wife returned, they left.

The next day we visited the Wailing Wall.  It happened to be Saturday—Sabbath—and it was a sight to see.  It was wall-to-wall praying, with people just inches from the Wall.  We started back to see the Old City with all its old gates, walls, etcetera, when, lo and behold, we met the same couple from Ben-Yehuda Street. They said it was meant to be that we become friends. They suggested that our next visit should be Netanya where they lived; that he would find us a hotel right on the beach, overlooking the ocean. He did just that.

The next day after breakfast me met a nice girl named Galit. She also lives in Netanya and told us to make sure to call when we visited there as she would like to show us some sights. In fact, she drove us to Haifa.  There, we hired a cab for two hours, and the driver gave us another mini-tour filled with interesting things about Israel.

We checked in, unpacked, and called Shimon and Hana.  He told us that they had made plans to take us around and show us the important sights, and that is what they did.  The hotel in Haifa was just around the corner from another walking malls with shops, cafes and nice people.

We also took some paying tours, such as one to Masada, a 2000-year-old stone fort.  For us, the only way up was by sky tram.  Later we were at the Dead Sea, then at Ein Gedi Spa.  That is where people smear the black mud all over their bodies.  It is supposed to be very good for their skin.

On May 16, we met our nephew Jonathan and we talked about his childhood and the fun experiences that we had. He is such a beautiful adult inside and out. We sadly said goodbye to him and left the hotel for our next adventure in Netanya. Shimon and Hana picked us up at our hotel for a full day of fun and touring. We headed north almost to the top point of Israel to Tiberias where a jazz and folk festival was being held at a kibbutz.  Lou was invited to play with the same band that he had played with in Jerusalem. We had a wonderful lunch and then we walked in Tiberias.  We got back in our car and drove farther north to the fenced border with Lebanon.

They told us about the real history of the different areas, and I think we learned more than we would have had we taken a regular guided tour.  We were told about the politics, the wars, and the Nomads, and we saw the gun mounts, the protected concrete walls, etcetera. We then drove to the coast to visit this ancient stone fortress in Akko--a city mostly occupied by Arabs and where Napoleon and his troops landed.  It was dark, damp, dirty and weird to see how poorly the Arabs live. We then headed south going through Haifa once more before returning to Netanya.

The next day we were invited to Shimon and Hana's house for a lunch barbecue.  We met their daughter, Sivan, a college student.  They made us feel like part of the family.  How lucky we were to find such nice people so far from home.

That evening we went to the promenade square to watch the big celebrations. There were people standing shoulder to shoulder, sound stages with dancing and singing, balloons, lights and food.  Shimon and Hana met us there for coffee and dessert because we were leaving the next day for home. It was very difficult saying goodbye to them just as it had been saying goodbye to Galit a few days beofre.  She had taken us to a great restaurant in the countryside.

We have fond memories of our trip to Israel, especially of the new friends whom we have found. The one good thing about a computer is that it gives one an easy way to stay in touch.  We have invited our new friends from Israel—Shimon and Hana, Galit, Elazar the band leader, and Jonathan and his family—to visit us in San Diego.

These memories are only the pinhead of all the places and adventures that we have experienced. It would take many more pages to tell them all.  I hope we have given you the flavor of the enjoyment awaiting us....in Israel.