Thought of the Week- Missing Home


Greetings from Israel, Reflecting on things has helped me clear a thought that I have had since being in Israel the last two weeks with family and friends. I'm feeling at home here enjoying a communal vibe that Israelis are so good at sharing while equally feeling the aggression and sometimes violence that is in the air. People honk here all the time, waitresses tell you what you should order from the menu, and strangers will pat a pregnant woman's belly in the supermarket telling her how cute she is without asking her first. It's all common, acceptable, and the norm in Israel. However I love the blend...I love the warmth, and the spontaneous behavior I feel next to the directness and sometimes noisiness my Israeli sisters and brothers can have. My nephew came to live with me for a few months in NYC and when he left a few weeks ago, going back to Israel, he told me he really appreciated the American kindness and politeness that we, Israelis are lacking of. He said he noticed his friends and him don't use the words "thank you" , "please" and "sorry" as much as he heard it said in NYC. It made me understand why I love living in the States but also what I sometimes miss from Israel. If we can just be direct while being kind, spontaneous while being polite, and close while respecting each other's boundaries, it would be the best of both worlds. Wishing you all a happy Wednesday from the other side of the world. Yael unnamed

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