Reflections on My Trip to Israel

I'm on my way back to Chicago. Unfortunately I don't think I will be able to post anything today except for this short note. I left Israel shortly after Yom Tov Sheni ended. I will not be arriving in Chicago until Wednesday afternoon.

It was great spending Yom Tov with my son, daughter in law, and 7 Israeli grandchildren.

Ramat Bet Shemesh A is a great place to visit and to live. I met all kinds of people there on all sides of the Hashkafic spectrum and every single one of them welcomed me as if I were one of their own.

Despite some of my early negative observations - it still seemed like there was a tremendous sense of Achdus in many respects. The Shul I davened at was very Charedi and yet a great number of regular attendees there are Dati Leumi - Kipa Seruga, no jacket or hat. Even an occasional Israeli solider in full uniform can be found  catching a Minyan there. All are welcome.

There are Hashkafic differences that have led to some of the things I described in an earlier post. But at the same time there is what I just now described. Hard to explain it but that's the way it seems to be there.

I guess if you avoid talking Hashkafa or politics with your ideological opponents, you can get along marvelously. Is that enough? Not sure.

Gotta go. Next new post: Thursday.

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