Have you experienced déjà vu where you feel as though you have seen something before and are reexperiencing it at the moment? It is a strange feeling, to be sure. I had that same experience the first time I visited Israel. Somehow, it felt I had been there before. Many people looked vaguely familiar, as if I attended a Jewish summer camp with them, and the Hebrew letters, written on so many street signs, reminded me of the prayers I learned in Hebrew school.
Many members of our congregation have gathered to experience Israel together. Some of our members are being joined by other family members from around the country, and other participants found out about our trip and will be joining the TAE family, at least temporarily.
This ten-day trip is more than just a gathering of people going on vacation together, rather we are like pilgrims, exploring the possibility of discovering deep religious, historical, and cultural significance in the ancient stones and modern sky scrapers of this second home of ours. It is a strange feeling to be traveling to a new place, feeling like it is a return home. This is exactly what many people feel when they land at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.
I hope you will join Sandy and me along our journey through Israel as we discover its beauty, understand its struggles, and work for its betterment.