Many Things In One Package

"We have a broad range of interests on this bus," my father-in-law, Jack explained to our tour guide Dina. It seemed fairly obvious at the time given the range of array of ages and personalities – which he also explained. But it wasn't until the end of the first day of our custom-built, professional tour of Israel that I realized how true that statement was.

From the beginning of our day taking a walking tour of the old port city of Jaffa, to Bailey's Bat Mitzvah project of packing boxes of food for the poor and elderly at the Jaffa Institute to our tour of the Neot Kedamim nature preserve where among other things, we planted trees – it was a day where everyone got something at any given stop, but not necessarily the same things or in the same amounts. For example, while touring the 5,000 year-old town of Jaffa, some of us enjoyed our guide's run-down of the rich history and current culture of a town written of in the Bible. After all, Jonah was swallowed by a whale just off-shore. But others were hot under the summer sun and found more interest in our stop for gelato. Napoleon's invasion of the Holy Land, or single-scoop cookies and cream? For the younger part of the crowd, the answer was obvious (except for Ailyn who preferred half strawberry, half vanilla).

Bailey found her beautiful silk Bat Mitzvah talit at a well-known shop in Jaffa's old town. Sennen had many questions about a variety aspects of Jaffa and Israel in general answered. Jack dove into the details of biblical history. I struggled to understand exactly what Napoleon was doing in Israel. Ailyn rode on my shoulders and was doted on by her cousins. Many people were taking many things from one situation.

Lunch seemed to be the one time everyone got equal benefit from a stop – all devouring falafel, shawarma, hummus and more at a local Jaffa eatery with plenty of seating and air conditioning.

After lunch at the Jaffa Institute, we received an education on how an estimated 2.2 of Israel's 9 million people live under the poverty line. The Jaffa Institute runs an impressive program that includes delivering essential foodstuffs to families in need, Holocaust survivors, and the elderly in general; and running numerous local centers where children receive hot after-school meals. The Jaffa Institute also has two core values that are pretty amazing: 1. Serving all segments of the community under the poverty line, irrespective of religion and ethnicity (there are poor Arabs, Jews and Christians in Israel) and 2. Preserving the dignity of their beneficiaries by making packages of food look as generic as possible – as if they could be deliveries from Amazon. They want no one to feel ashamed of getting needed help.

While some of the social implications, lessons and full-range of the program were lost on the younger kids, they happily put together boxes of dry goods for delivery to homes in need – having at least the basic understanding that they were helping to feed those in need. "This is so fun!" Sennen said as he placed bags of rice in boxes and took time to "organize" to ensure they could close properly.

But for Bailey whose Bat Mitzvah project it was – I think she got the entire value of the experience and likely a meaningful memory.

By mid-afternoon, we arrived at Neot Kedamim for what had been described to us as a sheepherding experience. While there were no sheep to be found, Neot Kedamim turned out to be a beautiful and meaningful experience. The preserve was built by a man who wanted people to be able to understand the Bible better through experiential learning. To him, that meant being able to step into the physical world in which the Bible took place. Neot Kedamim features the plant and animal life of ancient Israel as well as things like real, working ancient cisterns to understand the importance of water in a desert environment and the way stories like that of Rebekah becoming Isaac's wife by because of her goodness – as demonstrated by how she gave generously of water to a stranger and his camels.

Neot Kedamim is also a fully hands-on experience. The kids pulled water from a cistern, picked capers, ground their own za'atar (a green herb seasoning related to oregano and thyme), used a water wheel and planted trees. The activities are seasonal (hence the lack of sheep) and the preserve is huge – so one could come back many times and never see or do the same things twice. Our incredible guide there, Michal, was an amazing educator and had the kids very engaged without in any way neglecting the adults. At different moments, Sennen was excited to learn how the za'atar plant was used to smear lamb's blood on Hebrew families' doors in the Passover story; Jack to discuss closeness of the pre- '67 borders and the implications of the West Bank on Israeli life; Emily to plant trees today as she did in fourth grade; Bailey to discuss lessons and receive blessings for her Bat Mitzvah; and Ailyn to look down a water well and to ensure she was pulled away without falling in. Again, a variety of individual experiences within one group experience.

By the end of the day, everyone was ready to head back to Tel Aviv, wind down and get some dinner. 

For Emily and me, we learned that not everything on the upcoming itinerary is going to work for our kids and that in some situations, they may need breaks. Our tour guide, Dina – whose English and knowledge is beyond impressive – was ready to guide us with what is likely to work and what won't. So, we'll be missing the Palmach Museum tomorrow and perhaps heading to a nearby park to let the kids play while the others enjoy. But organized touring is new for our family – so we're learning and adapting, which is exactly the purpose of travel.

And more importantly, we're having an amazing experience as a family that all are certain to remember.