By Adam Felson

Exhausted beyond comprehension, I walked through the airport security, with ticket and passport in hand. I would be back in San Francisco after what would be the travel equivalent to participating in an Ironman race. But, I didn’t regret having to travel so far. It was definitely worth it.

This may have been the most high-energy week of my life …  According to the calendar, my travels lasted almost exactly one week, but I felt as if I had been away for years. Traveling in itself to the Holy Land is a delirious experience involving hours of waiting, interrupted naps and time zone calculations. After I arrived, I felt as if I had completed a journey to an exotic planet light years away. Our days were totally booked with programming, as our waking hours extended to about 20 per day. Eventually, each moment’s activities blurred together and the conception of time passing varied from a snail’s pace to that of a jackrabbit.

Tel Aviv One was a leadership conference for young adults from North America. The purpose of the conference was to instill a love for Israel in young people and provide a first-hand understanding of how North American communities support the Jewish state. This conference provided an opportunity to better appreciate what life in Israel was like and to remove misconceptions that have been developed in our minds by living thousand of miles away in a world clouded by a skewed news media.

At first, I wasn’t particularly interested in going. I had been to Israel three times before, and I wasn’t sure if I could take that much time off from work. Even if I could, I told myself that there were other places that I was interested in traveling to.
 
I criticize myself today for second guessing the chance to take advantage of this lifetime opportunity. It had been almost 10 years since my last visit to Israel and I was beginning to forget the details of its beautiful lands. I had let newspapers, television and other people’s opinions corrupt my cherished memories. I lost touch with how important this little country is to our Jewish heritage and existence.

I can’t think of many other times I had stepped into a room filled with 1,200 other Jews my age. The energy at the conference was high and full of excitement for the week’s activities. I noticed the crowd was segregated by individual communities – not in a competitive nature – but for the purposes of building unity and local pride. I was extraordinarily proud to sit near the sign with the Golden Gate Bridge. We were a massive group sitting in the front of the room, ready for one of the greatest weeks of our lives..

I met Jewish people from all over. Even before getting on the airplane, John F. Kennedy airport greeted me with dozens of Jews from near and far. A Minneapolis guy came up to me and introduced himself. We talked for a while, ended up sharing a few breakfasts together and coincidentally packed the same free T-shirt we received at the sneak preview to the movie Miracle (what are the odds?). I met a structural engineer from Dallas. Stacey from Donald Trump’s reality show, “The Apprentice” was at the conference. I met a dentist from the Amish country and an administrator for the Boy Scouts of America who converted to Judaism just two years ago. I met a girl from Chicago who was the director of her local Jewish federation’s Young Adults Division, and a couple of people from New Jersey.
One guy from Orange County, CA had a cool pair of glasses, and I talked real estate with a Las Vegas fellow who just married a girl who was part of Team-In-Training in San Francisco. One man from Montreal told me about what it’s like living in a city that speaks two languages. I talked to a girl who had just come back from an interview at Del Monte Foods, and a guy who just moved to the Haight. I met lawyers, doctors and financial advisors. Not to my surprise, I met a few people who knew people related to me. The Pittsburgh group was still cheering about January’s Super Bowl victory. I had deep conversations with people I had only known for five minutes.

I discussed Hurricane Katrina details with a man who recently had been able to return home after a four-month evacuation. Explanations of commute options came up in conversation with a girl who says it’s a hassle for her to get into Manhattan.

I had instant connections with all of these people because they were Jewish. It didn’t matter what they looked like, where they came from or how they dressed. Without hesitation, we were able to connect, and in many cases, talk our brains out. We’re all truly alike when it comes down to it. Everyone I met was extraordinarily pleasant and delightful to get to know. I’ve never spent a week like this before. I am so accustomed to being smothered by people from other walks of life that I have little in common with. I was part of the majority for once. I belonged. It felt outstanding.

Being Jews, we share our history, values and heritage. We share our beliefs, culture and know what its like to be different. We all light the menorah in December and have mothers that worry. As Jews, we have warm hearts and look out for each other. What a great feeling it was to be among those like me!

As a tourist, the feeling of walking Jerusalem’s silent streets during Shabbat was like the shock of pouring yourself a bowl of cereal, opening the refrigerator and lifting the empty milk carton someone was too lazy to dispose of. You automatically think something is going to be there, but you are left with emptiness. Maybe the reason I ended up going to synagogue was due to the lack of a lively street fair scheduled on Saturday morning.
 
I proudly wrapped my body in a tallit (prayer shawl) as I entered the Great Synagogue, which was one of the most Ultra-Orthodox houses of worship I’ve ever stepped foot in. The men work dark suits, big black hats and beads like the guys from ZZ Top. They rocked their bodies back and forth as they prayed, an action known as davening. Some of the men davened so quickly and forcefully that I hoped they knew a decent chiropractor. They younger men and boys appeared to be mostly engaged in the service, but I could tell four hours of prayer exhausted them.

The women were banished to the sanctuary’s “nosebleed section” to keep everyone from being distracted. I suppose the technique of keeping men and women apart forces people to stay on track with the prayers, but I am used to sitting closely to my wife at temple and sharing our spirituality. Neither practice is better than the other; it is just a matter of preference. That’s what’s great about Judaism – there are so many ways to be Jewish and you can observe in whichever way that is most comfortable to you.

I enjoyed the experience that morning and felt at home, but couldn’t follow the service very well. Page numbers were not called out and the Hebrew flew out of the rabbi’s lips just slightly slower than the speed of sound. I wasn’t frustrated by my inability to participate because I was just grateful to see how these Jewish people practice their religion. The Ultra-Orthodox people are so similar to me in terms of their history, values and heritage, but so different in their lifestyle and how they find their spirituality.

There are characters that appear on the breakfast table in Israel that you’d never find part of an American morning. Upon waking up, Israelis often crave Mr. Cucumber and Mrs. Tomato. Who’s ever thought of needing salad dressing prior to 7:00 a.m.?  Our breakfast buffets at our hotels also served us cheese, crackers and chocolate cake. I would often be confused about what meal we were truly eating. Appetizers? Dessert? Yogurt is also an essential player in the game of breakfast . I loved all of the food served to us, and began craving it myself. They took good care of us.

I thought it would be a waste of our precious time when the bus stopped at the shopping mall. I pessimistically exited the bus and imagined more unique Israeli places we could have been taken to. As we entered the mall, the colorful storefronts glimmered with Israel’s young, modern culture – one that is just as fashionable as any other nation on Earth. It occurred to me that visiting the shopping mall brought us up close to the styles and personalities of Israeli people, and helped me realize that they are just like us.
I realized that I needed a new pair of jeans as I stumbled across an eclectic men’s clothing boutique. After seconds of browsing, an Israeli salesman my age greeted me and was eager to assist me. I quickly found myself in a dressing room wearing the hippest shirt, belt and pair of jeans I had ever worn. I felt like an Israeli. I felt at home and comfortable. I made the purchase.

One of our adventures took us to an Arab school and nursery center that our local Federation supports. The dark-skinned women dressed in patterned shawls and cradled their newborn infants. Young Arab children greeted us with grins and provided us with a musical performance. As wonderful as it was to see these Arabs enjoying a better quality of life in Israel than I ever imagined, I questioned why the Federation had been funding a culture known to hate the Jewish people.  Wouldn’t our money be served better if we focused exclusively on the programs for needy Jews?

I quickly understood the brilliance of this controversial funding allocation decision. Twenty percent of all Israelis are Arab – which is a fact that must be accepted. Israel will only thrive if all of its people are given an opportunity to progress socially and economically. I realized how critical social and economic equality is towards building Arab-Jewish integration and peace. The Jews need Israel and Israel’s entire population needs assistance.
The Arabs were very happy to see us. They appeared like regular people who just wanted to live normal lives. Hopefully we can help them achieve that.

The construction and real estate development in Israel blew me away. I must have counted more than two-dozen giant cranes dotting the skyline in Tel Aviv. I was proud to discover the Israel Center complex, featuring two twin fifty-story towers anchored by a three-story mall below. We visited the top floor of the Center and had a 360-degree bird’s eye view of Tel Aviv – a city I could hardly recognize since my last visit years ago. Tel Aviv was sprinkled with modern, dense residential structures and sleek, glass office towers. A simple but classy stone façade commonly was used in these new buildings, which tied the modern construction to the history of the land.

I sat next to a girl from Slovakia who was telling me about the small Jewish community in her city. There are lots of unaffiliated Jews who want to practice their Reform Judaism, but they are not even considered Jewish by the city’s only rabbi. This rabbi is Ultra-Orthodox, and his traditional beliefs sadly exclude more than half of the Jews in the community. The girl expressed her frustration in trying to bring the community together, as her small community was conflicting with itself. I asked if a Reform rabbi could be hired to serve those who aren’t Ultra-Orthodox, but she feared that it would cause lots of anger and conflict by the traditionalists. The Reform Jews were forced to essentially only observe their beliefs in the privacy of their homes and become generally unaffiliated. Hearing this just made me want to scream at the top of my lungs – why couldn’t everyone be embraced as one? Isn’t it hard enough just being a Jew?

The afternoon tide brought in rippling current to the pristine Mediterranean coast. The sky above the sea was filled with the colorful masts of kite surfers who rode the crests of the waves like skateboard ramps. The kite surfers soared in the air, appearing free and energized. I couldn’t imagine a better way to express your freedom than jumping the crest of a wave from the sea as the orange sun melts under the blue horizon.

I forgot how beautiful the people of Israel are. They come in all shapes, colors and sizes – just like in the United States – and many are attractive enough to be models. If only they would pull their cigarettes and cell phones away from their faces more often.

Our conference lead us to an evening at an Air Force base where we had an opportunity to see fighter planes up close and meet with Air Force soldiers. I spoke with a 22-year-old soldier whose job was so top secret that he couldn’t even tell me what he did.    One of the top generals also spoke to our group and you could tell he meant business. The tiny country of Israel has such a powerful and advanced defense force. Though details are rarely offered to outsiders, I got the impression that Israel leads the world in security of its homeland. I suppose I knew this already but to see the men and women involved underscored my conceptions. Israel needs to be the best at defending itself – as they have many neighbors itching to stir conflict. Some said that if it weren’t for the Jewish federation system’s support, there might not be an Israel in the future. But, if it weren’t for the Israel Defense Force, there definitely would not be an Israel in the future. I couldn’t deny that this was shockingly true.

We listened to the Israeli businessmen and watched an innovative demonstration of a new software technology that appeared to revolutionize the world of computer instant messaging communication. I was impressed that the little state of Israel was capable of this complex creation and was confident it would be integrated into worldwide use in a matter of years. Regions such as the San Francisco Bay Area are often seen as more of the birthplace for high-tech developments, but I was able to see firsthand that Israel is contributing as well. We also drove by the modern offices of some very sophisticated companies involved in semiconductors, wireless communications and networking technologies. Someone said we were in “Silicon Valley East.”

On the bus in Tel Aviv, we drove by the National Tennis Center, which was a huge, competitive athletic facility for, well, tennis. I never knew Israelis played tennis. We also drove by the incredible Rowing & Nautical Studies Center, which was located on a river. This blew my mind. Who knew something like this existed in Israel? Apparently Israel is more athletic that I imagined. In the 58 years of Israel’s existence, six Olympic medals have been won by its citizens. Israel is home to Anna Smashnova, who is among the world’s top 15 women’s tennis players. For a country this small, I find this to be remarkable.  

One thing that Israel shares with the United States is the reputation of being a mecca for immigrants who need help. People seek Israel as the land of opportunity, a safe haven for freedom and for the fairness of democracy. Israel’s people come from origins spanning the globe – from Ethiopia to France to the former Soviet Union. Israel is a place where people can begin their lives over again and escape the poverty and oppression they faced in their former lands. I can’t remember when our media sources in America have ever made this clear. It seems that Israel is only associated as a center of conflict, injustice and turf wars. I wish I could let the American people know that Israel has opened its arms to those that weren’t afforded dignity by the rulers of their countries.

I’ve now returned home back to the routines of my daily life. My life is cluttered by alarm clocks, back-to-back conference calls and voicemail systems requiring six-digit passwords. It is so easy for me to get caught up with my tiny world whose one-mile borders are the financial district office building and the condominium that I continuously pace back and forth between. For years of my life I didn’t visit the world’s only sliver of land devoted to the Jewish people, let alone give its newspaper headlines much priority over the local news that felt more close to home.

This voyage reminded me how long it took for the world to give the Jewish people a land of their own and how important a nation was for groups of people who were pushed out of a homeland for over 2,000 years. While I am tied to the United States and couldn’t imagine moving, I still value Israel as my second home and consider it a place that has great significance to my Jewish identity. By going to Israel again, I invigorated my Jewish pride and had a chance to remove the blinders that had been covering my eyes.

Adam is a member of the board of the Young Adults Divison.