Israel:CCAR Social Action and Solidarity Mission

January -February 2013

Sorry Rochester, but my first day in Israel was sunny and in the mid sixties.  I made my way to the David Intercontinental Hotel, checked in and then headed to the Shuk HaCarmel, the open market in Tel Aviv.  Walking through this colorful venue reminds me I am back in Israel.  It is a part of past years before modernization and technology but is not an ancient historical site from Biblical times.  I had time for a cup of café hafuch (latte before Starbucks and others popularized the drink in America) and a chocolate ruggelah.

Upon returning to the hotel the group was just beginning to gather to meet and greet.  It is wonderful to see old friends as well as meet colleagues I had not met before.  We then proceeded to Jaffa where we met with a counselor and a few participants of the Mechina program.

Mechina is a gap year program for high school graduates before they go into the army. Mechina rents most of a small building where they have four apartments and two meeting rooms for the fifty participants.  Although this program is sponsored in part by the Reform movement in Israel (IMPJ – Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism) many of the students who opt to participate do not have previous connections with the movement.  They study various topics, mostly in the morning and in the afternoons do community service.  Their work might be in afternoon school programs, helping the elderly and a few other options.  They mentioned that they serve Jews, Arabs, Druze and refugees.  They are independent from home and do their own shopping and cooking.  The study courses which include Judaism, social economics, Israeli society and moral choices, to name a few areas.  They have a sense that when they enter the IDF they are much stronger better prepared.  

We returned to the hotel and had a meeting with retired Major Miri Eisin who was a political adviser to the Prime Minister and spokesperson to foreign media.  She spoke of tomorrow’s upcoming election and the complexity not only of internal Israeli politics but how Israel will confront the surrounding nations who are in a process of major change.  She also spoke of numerous dilemmas facing Israel including the many illegal immigrants from Africa who walk across the Sinai and now number to possibly as many as 100,000. Due to the terrible crisis in Syria over 450,000 Syrians refugees have entered Jordan, Turkey and Iraq.  Israel also shares a border with Syria.  Israel is in a quandary about Syrians who might be seeking political sanctuary through the shared border.   

She mentioned that today in Israel with a population of about 8 million almost 6 million are eligible to vote.  20% of the population is Muslim Arabs with another 5% of others including Christian Arabs and Druze.  In September of 2012 46% of entering first grade students were either Arab or ultra-Orthodox (Haredim).  The election tomorrow has many unknowns until the final votes are in.

After a lovely dinner where I sat next to a friend of Noam and Jaime’s who is now the marketing and public relations director of the hotel it is time to turn in for the night before we depart tomorrow at 8:00 am.