Bringing it all home

5/21/19

            We successfully checked out of our hotel in Jerusalem and made our way to Ramat Gan, home of the Israel Sports Center for the Disabled. This remarkable organization, founded in 1960 in response to a polio epidemic that left many children permanently disabled, epitomizes the spirit of Israel. As a non-profit organization, the ISCD provides a host of services to some of Israel’s most vulnerable individuals—folks with disabilities. Some of the center’s many community members were born with disabilities, other became disabled during military service, through chronic illness, and even in terrorist attacks. While there we met and hung out with Asael Shabo, one of the world’s finest wheelchair basketball players and mentors. Four members of Asael’s family were killed in a terrorist attack in their West Bank home in the early 2000s. Asael lost his right leg below the knee. The ISCD played a central role in his physical, emotional, and psychological rehabilitation.

            The highlight of our visit was definitely having a chance to play wheelchair basketball with Asael. Watching him roll up and down the court, turning nimbly, passing the ball as gracefully as Magic Johnson, and challenging our kids to show there stuff was really special. One thing was noticeable during the rounds of wheelchair basketball—our kids spent most of the time passing the ball rather than shooting it. Perhaps this was because they were afraid of missing the hoop (which most did), but I think it’s because the ISCD encourages a spirit of community, of helping one another succeed, and of teamwork. Kudos to the many Davis students who champion this cause and the many more who will have a chance to bond further with Asael and others from ISCD at this year’s Maccabi Games in Atlanta!

            From there we wove through Tel Aviv to Nahalat Binyamin and the Carmel Shuk. There we merged with fellow tourists and native Israelis as we checked out the wares both handmade and mass produced. We ate some lunch and got our first real taste of Tel Aviv humidity. Just what we needed before our flight.

            After relaxing with some AC at Dizengoff Center we walked to Gan Meir, one of Tel Aviv’s largest parks. The park was packed with Israeli scouts, young children, families, pick up basketball games and the like. We were there to have our end of trip reflection time. We did that by chaperone group and as an entire grade. Once we got into sharing mode, some thoughtful, surprising, and meaningful comments were made. They were really just the tip of the iceberg and I hope that all of you will be privy to the vast layers of meaning and stories beneath the surface.

            During our closing dinner we thanked our drivers, medics and guards, chaperones, and tour guides. We enjoyed a wonderful meal of Yemenite Israeli food at Tel Aviv’s famous Maganda restaurant. It was a perfect way to conclude the trip, albeit a somewhat risky way to prepare for an overnight flight due to the quantity of food we consumed.

            This blog has been my best effort to keep y’all apprised of the goings on while your kids/grandkids/nieces/nephews/students were in Israel. As I said at the outset, this blog is really divided into two parts: documenting what we did and starting to unpack what the experiences mean by providing context and making some connections. In that spirit, this blog is meant to be a placeholder until your kids are ready to share their versions of the same. When taken together, hopefully you’ll have a deep appreciation of why the 8^th grade Israel Trip is such a culturally significant program for The Davis Academy as well as why it’s a life changing experience for each and every participant.

            Traveling to Israel as a North American Jewish teenager with a strong Jewish identity and Jewish knowledge base is a singular experience. What other place could our kids visit that is simultaneously so exotic and so familiar, so far away from home and so close to the heart? They’ve left a piece of themselves in Israel and they’re carrying a piece of Israel home with them. The result, on a personal level, is that they’ll be one step closer toward composing the mosaics of their lives. And for the Jewish people, the result is that we are one step closer to truly being Am Echad, One People.