There are few things in existence that are universal. Family is one of them. They can be found everywhere around the world and in all shapes and sizes. A “family” is so easy to spot, yet so difficult to define.
Meet the Siboni family; Yair, Sarit, Lidor, Dorian, and Yoel. Mr. Siboni is a police officer. Mrs. Siboni is a preschool teacher. Lidor, the Siboni’s oldest son, is currently serving in the IDF. During my interview and photo shoot with the Sibonis, I discovered there were few significant differences and many profound similarities between the Siboni family and my own. When I asked Mr. Siboni what he thought was the most important aspect of family, he clasped his hands together and replied, “b’yachad, together.”
The togetherness Mr. Siboni expressed is something which transcends physical separation. It is an unconditional bond. While thinking about this bond, I couldn’t help but think about another bond: a covenant between a land and a people.
Our connection with Israel is a familial one. I was lucky enough to be able to experience this connection after our photo shoot, as we attended Shabbat dinner with Dorian’s entire high school class. I probably felt the same confusion at that dinner that Dorian experienced when she visited me in the States and came to my USY convention. However, there was still the familiar overabundance of food and I knew most of the songs they sang. Everyone was so incredibly friendly that I just couldn’t help but feel like I was part of their family. Even though I had never met the Siboni family (aside from Dorian) or Dorian’s classmates before this trip, I discovered our similarities were the kind that transcend physical separation because we are all part of the same people, the same family.