Before we get to Josh Lancman’s poignant and poetic update I want to thank Eric and Orli for their dedication, energy, patience, and photography skills 😊 Toda Raba!
That today was the last day of Naale wasn’t something running through
everyone’s heads today; how best to enjoy it was our focus. And
this somber day started out just as all other days on our Israel trip
began with not enough sleep, a traditional hostel breakfast, a lot of
caffeine, and the fact that none of those elements mattered, because
we were with our friends.
What jolted us from our slight melancholy was Ms. Pinsberg’s excited
announcement that we all tested negative for Covid. Hooray! We
continued the fun by journeying to the old city of Yafo, where Rob
took us through the ancient port’s twisting streets and offered
enlightening commentary on the history of this grand place. Many
lollipops were handed out as prizes to those smart or lucky enough to
guess the answers to his wide-ranging questions.
It’s always been strangely surreal to visit these old places, knowing
that the immensity of their history dwarfs all our own combined life
experiences. The people and events and things we’ve all heard about
and had to study for history tests were real, not just facts
learned in class, and they were here, right where we’re standing,
probably admiring the same old buildings or struggling up the same
stone steps. Maybe they were admiring the beautiful view of the
Mediterranean from the shorefront or placing their hands on the
zodiac themed bridge. We’ve been walking in the footsteps of our
forefathers this whole trip, but it was never more apparent than when
Rob was choosing students to pretend to be different historical
figures who had to do with Yafo.
Today was a day of continued surprises. First were those students
acting as Golda Meir or the prophet Jonah; the second was our dance
party in the middle of Tel-Aviv. We came to a sidewalk seating place
and were handed headphones with music playing on them, told to never
stop dancing, and then guided throughout the city by an instructor,
dancing to the music in our heads all the time as people stared on
this unusual scene. What was most surprising was how easily everyone
became involved with this weird activity- nobody would have thought
all of us would be dancing to music in headphones while walking
publicly in the middle of a crowded city! But we did, and it was
glorious. Our enthusiasm even carried over to most of the people
around us, who involved themselves in the madness of this incredible
activity. My personal favorite moment was when our guide, decked out
in a yellow-orange jumpsuit and incredible at incorporating the
environment around us, involved a street musician and his violin,
encouraging him to play along to the music in our heads.
Our next surprise was a visit to our third sea, the Mediterranean,
where we peacefully watched the sun set on the calm aquamarine water.
Our trip began with a sunrise over Cyprus seen from out the plane
window, each of us in our own scenes, and ended in Tel-Aviv, with all
of us crowded together on the beach.
The fourth surprise was a feast of middle eastern food at the aptly
named ‘Dr. Shakshuka’ restaurant. We were joined by our fifth
surprise, former Golda Och teacher Morah Pininah, who liked
sarcastically commenting on how little we’ve grown. But despite
her cynicism, I feel we’ve all grown a lot on this trip. As I look
around at this odd and unique group of people I not only see them
differently, due to having gotten to know each of them better, but I
see different people. We’ve all matured and grown up in different
ways, all following our own spiritual paths to a place of adulthood. I
don’t think any of us know for sure whether the changes made on this
trip will stick for the next two years of high school, but if there’s
one thing this trip has taught me, it is the necessity and importance
of having faith. That’s both in the religious and interpersonal sense.
I might look around and see friends now, but they may not be there
next week. But I still have faith that these changes will last.
In between the old city and dancing, we went to the shuk for a pizzur.
Those with family had the opportunity for a visit. I got to see my
great-aunt Vita, who had been absent from my life due to covid for the
past two years. It was comforting to see her, not having changed one
bit from the last time I saw her. I guess that happens when you’ve
lived for over eighty years. None of us have that sort of life. We’re
teenagers, you can literally see us changing all the time. But the
important developments, the real actual growth, that’s just as easy to
detect in someone. But while physical changes happen naturally,
without easily perceivable cause, rhyme, or rhythm, it’s totally
impossible to know when maturity will happen. A classmate of mine said
on this trip that personal growth is personally induced out of a
desire for growth; I tend to agree with that. It’s just hard to know
what will cause someone, us, too actually mature.
Naale is an experience manufactured to make the kids who go through it
into something a bit closer to adults. As Rob has said every time, I’ve
asked him, there has never been an unsuccessful Naale. It’s made to
tie us closer to each other, to Judaism, to our homeland of Israel,
and even to our school. It’s that last one that really stands out now.
Naale is also going to have a unique soundtrack in the minds of
everyone who remembers it. But the song that’s been running though my
head this whole trip isn’t one that’s been blasted on one of our
group’s many JBL speakers, but on my own headphones. ‘Wild Horses’, by
the Rolling Stones, is about commitment and growing up. “Childhood
living… is easy to do” is the first line of the song, and I think
anyone who’s experienced Naale can relate to those words, at least now
that they’ve entered adulthood. But the song really stands out in
particular to me now, especially the chorus. “Wild horses… couldn’t
drag me away”. From this group, from this school, from this religion,
from this homeland, they couldn’t, not with how connected I now am.