Today was the first day for our Israel mission. After arriving at the airport, many parents were grabbing their children and giving them kisses and hugs before our departure. The first flight to Philadelphia went fairly well. At the airport we were given an assignment to ask people why they were going to Israel. We also asked questions like what their favorite Israeli food was, if they felt safe there, what they were most looking forward to and their perception of Americans or Israelis, depending on their nationality.
From the awaiting travelers, we obtained many interesting responses. One group wolfi’ites interviewed an elderly gentleman who was born in Israel, then moved to America but now lives in Jerusalem. He said that the reason he lives in Israel now is because “I feel like I am making a difference.” I thought this was very significant, because although he was born in Israel and could just be any other sabra, he instead views himself as an outsider who is on a mission to make a difference for the country of Israel which he feels he has a moral obligation to protect. Another interviewee who worked for Homeland Security discussed the difference of how the US’s intentions were to protect the individual civil rights of the citizens as Israel’s intentions are to protect the entire nation, even if that means not catering to the individual rights of some citizens.
Here are the excerpts from the remaining interviews:
“The future of Israel lies in America”
A Christian mission was very excited to see the land that Jesus walked on.
A woman discussed her daughter’s duties as an Israeli nurse, and how she treats the Arab patients and the Israeli patients equally.
After evauluating the enitre day, I feel that the program is off to a great start as all the students are very friendly and for the most part everyone knows each other pretty well. However, standing back for a moment, I think it is interesting to compare how simple it is nowadays to travel to our homeland, by just taking an easy 12 hour flight, but comparing to the difficulties that the Israelities had to endure when they were first traveling to Israel and how it took 40 years. We all have to appreciate the ease of travel, especially to a place of such biblical and historical significance for not only the Jews but for the three most popular religions around the world.