L’hitraot to Some and Shalom to Others

The end of an 11 day tour of Israel came with relief, sadness and satisfaction. It was an intensely busy 11 days that in Dina's words was "boot camp" – but they were extremely rewarding. Doing so many things each day was tiring – but the end result of having really seen and experienced Israel – as a family – was very rewarding. And of course Bailey's Bat Mitzvah was the high point of it all. It was an opportunity for children and grandchildren especially to connect with Susan and Jack's love of Israel and Judaism and to hopefully carry that legacy forward. Moreover, it was a time of togetherness – for us all, but with a special emphasis on Cousins who all loved and adored each other so much.

Last night we went for a fantastic Italian dinner to farewell to Israel and mark the end of this particular family adventure. We discussed our favorite moments and what each of us got out of the trip. For me, watching Sennen and Jack walk hand-in-hand at the Kotel for Shabbat was my non-Bailey's Bat Mitzvah highlight. I have been to Israel before – and I am sure to come again – but on no other trip could I have seen my son experience the Kotel with his grandfather and that is of immeasurable value. 

After desserts and hugs and extra hugs, everyone parted ways. We felt especially grateful and sad to part with Dina who was not just an incredible tour guide, but who became part of our clan. Kids went to bed and most of adults gathered for one last get together over wine in the hotel's executive lounge. Saying goodbye was particularly unusual since we won't see any of them again for two months.

Molly, Hugo, Bailey and Hayden left for the airport at 5 am. So when we awoke, a large part of our party was already gone. So we had breakfast with Susan and Jack (aka Grammy and Zaide) and then said goodbye to them. They have a late night flight home tonight, while we had other plans.

We packed up, got a rental car and headed to Zichron Ya'achov in Northern Israel – about 25 minutes South of Haifa. Zichron Ya'achov is a cute little town on a hill and our Airbnb Apartment is right above the central promenade with tons of shops and eateries lining the streets below, with the town square just across the road. 

But why a charming little town few people have ever heard of? Friends.

Our good friends Ziv and Hila and their two kids, Emma and Guy live here. Ziv was one of a group of Israeli soldiers mixed into my Birthright Israel group. The soldiers' were purposely lodged with different members of our group each night so that young Americans and young Israelis had more chances to connect and potentially create long-term friendships between young American Jews and Israelis . The designers of this system would be proud to know that it worked on us as Ziv and I hadn't really connected until the night we shared a room on a Kibbutz in the Galilee region. That night we ended up talking and laughing late into the night and for the remainder of the trip, we were a pair. Ziv and I even tackled some of the tough issues – like whether cottage cheese belongs in a sandwich (the Israeli way) or eaten with a spoon (the American way) – as well as the virtue of all-natural peanut butter vs Skippy. We never bridged the cottage cheese gap, but Ziv now enjoys Laura Scudders. Of course the main thing is that Ziv and I have been friends for 17 years now and have always stayed in touch, visited each other and as time has passed, wives – and now kids – have become part of the relationship.

After dropping our things at our Airbnb apartment, we headed over to Ziv and Hila's beautiful home for a backyard BBQ late lunch. Other than some slightly grayer hair on Ziv, neither of them have aged since we last saw them seven years ago in Los Angeles. Sennen and Ailyn haven't had any days of just playing like they would at home – so to find a house with toys, a backyard with grass, numerous activities and same age playmates was a treat. To our surprise, Sennen and Ailyn made themselves very much at home and practically moved in. Emma and Guy, on the other hand were a little taken aback by the American invaders who spoke a strange language and felt extremely comfortable despite showing up for the first time.

When Sennen was three and Ailyn was one, we went to Bali where one of the staff had children who sometimes played out back behind our house. Sennen and Ailyn happily played with Ana and Novi despite neither party speaking a word of each other's language. In fact, Sennen just generally talked at them in English despite knowing they didn't speak it. But the kids managed to play ball and other games together.

The ability to be inclusive and connect despite language differences seems to have lessened with age. The two sets of kids more or less began by doing each their own thing and only as the afternoon progressed and they had a little help from parents with organizing soccer and swimming in a blow-up kiddie pool did detente begin. Emma at least seemed to feel less invaded and began playing with our kids. By the end of the evening, she was even speaking to Sennen to get him to engage in play.

The adults had no problem picking up where we left off – and having kids the same age makes it easy to relate, and to work together. Emily and I were also overwhelmed by the huge lunch spread and warm hospitality Hila and Ziv had waiting for us. We all feasted together, caught up and had a very nice time.

Tomorrow we will continue our visit with our friends with some adventures around the region – perhaps checking out nearby Akko and Haifa (Ziv and Hila's hometown) together. Dina was amazing, but we'll be pretty happy with our local tour guides too. We are also planning to decelerate to the pace of life we're used to with our kids. Sleep until everyone wakes up on their own, cuddles in bed in the morning, grab breakfast as we're ready, have fun with friends doing whatever works for all. It sounds like a nice way to spend the next few days.