“Yi’yeh b’seder” – it will be all right – is one of the most common phrases heard here, covering everything from financial to marital to health problems. We don’t say it for comfort – we really believe it.
When we travel anywhere in Israel, our hearts lift up at the unique beauty of the land: Eilat in the south with its turquoise waters, palm trees and flamboyant coral reefs; the loneliness and stark symmetry of the Negev desert; the lunar landscape of the Dead Sea area and the ibex silhouetted against the skyline of Ein Gedi; the inspiration of Masada; the sparkling waters of Lake Kinneret; the lushness of the Galilee and the Jezreel Valley.
And everywhere we find holy sites and archaeological ruins that prove the authenticity of the Bible and allow our history enter every pore of our bodies, until we become saturated with its weight and solemnity.
I have lived in Jerusalem for 42 years. It hasn’t always been easy but I know that every time I leave, it’s like an amputation. If one day I am granted a place in Paradise, I am convinced it will look just like Jerusalem.