Israel, Again
By: Larry Gordon
For decades things went smoothly. We would call a travel agent or go online and book our flights presto. Then we would pack, go to the airport, and ten hours later, land in Ben Gurion Airport for another visit to the Promised Land.
It has been a full year since we’ve last been to Israel. Once the children got married and moved out of the house, there was an unspoken pact we made that we would try to go to Israel at least twice a year, if not more.
Even when life is good and G-d is shining His countenance on you, there are still challenges in life that require skillful navigation.
One of my plans was to be in Israel last Chanukah to observe my father’s 35th yahrzeit. I purchased airline tickets, booked hotel reservations, and even calculated my son and daughter-in-law, Dovi and Mari’s due date so if the baby was a boy, we would have enough time to attend the bris before heading off to Israel by the sixth day of Chanukah.
Everything went well, thank G-d. The baby was a boy and the bris was held on time—except for the fact that the baby was born six days after his due date, which automatically rearranged our travel plans. When it comes to timing, some things are in the Aibishter’s hands.
Since we missed the yahrzeit and had a couple of weddings on the calendar, we figured we would just go closer to summer so we could attend the annual Mike Huckabee-Israel Heritage Foundation group trip. We got the tickets and were all set to go when, lo and behold, at the end of June, the country closed down when Israel and America attacked three nuclear facilities in Iran, effectively shutting Israel down. Almost overnight, the airports closed and the country was a no-fly zone. If you recall, those people who were outside of Israel could not get back home, and those who were in Israel had to take a long and circuitous journey to get back home.
Since we were still in the U.S. and there was no way to get in, we stayed home. Some people we know who were in Israel for as many as two or three weeks prior to the start of the Iranian strikes had to wait another few weeks until routes opened up that allowed them to leave the country.
Most people we knew who were there and needed to return to the States did so through Egypt, flying out of Sharm El-Sheikh on flights headed directly to Europe, usually to Madrid or Bucharest.
It was only after a week or so that President Trump ordered the B-2 stealth bombers to do their thing and obliterate Iran’s nuclear threat, hopefully for a long time to come.
So, our annual Chanukah trip to Israel was pushed off to the last week of August. Joey Jones of Fox News was going to accompany us, and we were due to attend a dinner at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem with Ambassador Mike Huckabee as host. But then Fox News told Jones that he was scheduled to work over the traditional holiday week at the end of August, so that was also crossed off our list.
It was at this point that the idea of going to Israel for part of Sukkot took root. We are not part of the movement that believes that spending every chag in Israel is mandatory. I know more than a few families who fall into this category, and some who’ve been doing it for almost three generations.
So, we’re seriously thinking about spending Sukkos in Israel. The thought process begins with: “Well, I have these airline tickets…” and continues sequentially and logically from there.
In reality, this might be the first time in two years that the yomim tovim in Israel can resemble what they used to be in years past, prior to October 7, 2023. And it is our sincere wish that the hostages will be rescued before then so our Simchas Beis HaShoeivah can truly be heartfelt.
While we’re on the subject, I’d like to discuss the idea of incorporating Israel into our lives. I was just talking to someone recently about this concept, and the fact is that today (aside for the high cost), given how long we’ve yearned and prayed for Eretz Yisrael, actually reaching the Holy Land is an accessible dream for so many.
Again, except for the high cost, which I do not intend to minimize, the fact is that all we have to do to reach Israel is go to an airport, board a plane, and relax for the ten or so hours it takes until you land.
My grandparents and in-laws came to America after traveling on the high seas for weeks, barely escaping with their lives, often leaving families behind, never to see them again. Some came to the U.S. and some landed in Palestine. My father-in-law had an uncle (who we met in 1980 near Haifa) who made it from Poland to Palestine in the mid-1930s, but that was all there was. Everyone else was murdered by the Nazis.
Today, the legacy media and even some world leaders are engaged in unprecedented levels of slander against the IDF and Israelis. When you consider the history of the Jewish people and the world events that brought us here today, including pogroms and a Holocaust, it’s difficult to conclude anything other than we are dealing with something between mindlessness and unmitigated hatred.
This year, spending the chagim in Israel represents a logistical obstacle course. The two main routes make it imperative to arrive in Israel prior to Yom Kippur and remain through Sukkot. Another option is to stay home for the first days of Sukkot, leave on Chol HaMoed, and spend a few days or a week after the Chag in Israel. Right now, we’re working on arranging that option.
When it comes to travel, there are numerous moving parts. For example, if you are flying El Al and you do not have reservations yet, you might be better off planning for Pesach or next year.
Of course, there are numerous combinations and options. One of the more popular ones is to fly via Aegean Airlines to Athens and then hop a short flight (3.5 hours) to Tel Aviv after a two-to-three-hour layover. You are best off consulting with an experienced travel agent.
One way or another we’ll hopefully see you there.
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