Although I have a lot of family in Israel, I have only been there once. After taking the bar exam in 2009, I conducted a survey called ” birthright– A program that provides young Jews with free trips to Israel. I’ve been telling myself for the better part of the past fifteen years that I should visit Israel again, but the logistics never worked out. In fact, in the summer of 2023, several of my cousins visited New York. I wanted to take my family to see them but we had other travel commitments and couldn’t make it. I told my kids we were going to Israel next year.
Little did I know what would happen on October 7th. I am in close contact with many of my cousins and fear for their safety. Still, traveling to Israel seemed out of reach.
March 2023, World Jewish Congress Sponsored A delegation of American judges visits Israel. missionary Some headline News. The WJC has since sponsored other similar delegations. In April, I received an invitation to participate in a mission with other law professors. The timing was not auspicious. Just days later, Iran launched a large number of drones and missiles at Israel. Thankfully, the United States and other allies helped Israel shoot down almost all of the bombs, causing very little damage. Still, a potential war with Iran looms. In addition, United Airlines and other airlines canceled all flights to Israel through June.
I thought about this for a while and finally decided to accept the invitation. In a future article I will explore my thoughts Why I chose to go. Here I want to make a more basic point to others: Tourism in this country is safe as long as proper precautions are taken. In fact, as I travel throughout Israel, I keep hearing this refrain: The best way for Americans to show solidarity with Israel is to buy a plane ticket and see for themselves what is going on. Reading stories and listening to podcasts isn’t going to cut it.
Additionally, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit Israel without the crowds. Tourism has declined in recent months – and rightfully so. There are often hours-long queues for landmarks such as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. But now it only takes a few minutes to get in, without people jostling for space. I was able to have some private time at the Western Wall (Kotel) without anyone crowding around me. (Also, in the Jewish Small World ministry, I met two rabbis who were friends with the rabbis of my hometown in Houston.)
A quick note on security. Israel is a small country, about the size of New Jersey. From top to bottom, the drive takes about five hours. At its widest point, it takes about three hours to drive from east to west (or from river to sea, if you prefer). The most unpredictable threats are missiles from Lebanon in the north and Gaza in the south. (the other side Not available A brochure or newsletter indicating the location and time of missile launches. There’s also an app for reminders on your phone. Every structure needs to have a “safe room” that provides at least some level of explosion protection. Each floor of the hotel has a special space. Warning times vary depending on distance from the border. In Tel Aviv, you have about 90 seconds to enter a shelter after the siren sounds. In Jerusalem you have about 1 minute. In Ashkelon, you have about 30 seconds. If you’re near the Gaza Strip, you have about 10 seconds – just enough to lie on the floor. Fortunately, I didn’t hear any alarms during the trip, but I was prepared to follow safety protocols. WJC has a designated safety officer to ensure our safety. As he said in his typical Israeli accent: “If you do what I say, you will be safe and don’t have to worry.” It’s a miracle that people can live normally in a war zone.
the last point. I realize that my posts on most topics tend to trigger and irritate people. If so, I encourage you to stop reading. My opinion will not be popular and may cause some controversy. But those most likely to be angry really have no control and will read just to express their feigned anger. This is a vicious cycle. Remember, these responses are largely performative. Everyone plays their role.
