On our last day in Israel before our overnight flight, we headed to Jerusalem for a little more fun knowing we still had plenty of packing to do. We parked on the outskirts of the city and waited for the train, a new beautiful addition to the city which runs down Jaffa street, now closed to automobile traffic. After purchasing the tickets we needed, we waited for the next train.
Not unusual at all, a conversation began with a lovely stranger who inquired as to where we were from, what brought us to Israel, yadayadayda... and then it dawned on her... did we have all of our tickets?
It seems the person before her in line at the machine mentioned he got two tickets only having paid for one and commented - "hmm that's funny". As she explained this to me, I counted them, finding that I was in fact short one ticket. The young woman sprung into action, ran over to person she recalled got the extra ticket and returned it to me just as we were boarding the next train.
If I retell this occurance to many Israelis - they would be nonplussed, important part of this story is that is not an extraordinary event here. If i repeat the story to others here, they are not surprised but may think it is nice to hear. Repeating he story in the US will receive amazement.
Now there are wonderful, honest and giving people the world over and there are certainly some less than pleasant Jewish Israelis.
Nonetheless, I think any objective observer would have a difficult time finding a country such as israel, under constant threat of its very survival and still, valuing its elders and looking out for each other day in and day out.
On the ElAl flight home I watched some of Tal Ben-Shahar's 2012 documentary "Israel Inside". He explains that Israelis have an ownership in not just the land but also a feeling that we are all responsible for one another. So when one sees parenting that they think needs improvement, they express it openly to strangers at the park. To our American ways, this quality can feel intrusive, uninvited and is not always welcome or met with pleasantries. Native born Israelis are called - Tzabras which translates directly to Cacti. Perhaps many of you know this already but consider it fully. The most common explanation is that a cactus is prickly or harsh on the outside but sweet on the inside. It is equally if not even more significant that a cactus can thrive with very little if any nurturing. It survives sand storms and months without rain.
We are a Jewish people that has survived and thrived. Adversity makes us stronger. Not all of us are so prickly on the outside and certainly there are some who are less than sweet on the inside. It is also important, before bathing in our accomplishments and Jewish ethnocentrism, to recognize that there are giants in all faiths and among the unfaithful.
