WHEN A DREAM BECOMES A REALITY! AND EVERYTHING COMES TOGETHER!

      Caf Tet b'November (29th of November). A day in history where a dream became a reality. For those who don't know what I'm talking about and most Israeli's don't about it either which is a surprise considering it was a big moment in the creation of this country. November 29th 1947 was the day the UN voted and approved the partition of Israel. Yes Israel didn't officially get its independence till May of 1948 but this day was where the reality and beginning of the 6 month journey to independence.

     Yesterday we went to Atlit where we visited a interment camp where they brought illegal immigrants who tried to come into the country mostly by sea, who didn't have the appropriate papers, and the British only allowed so many people in at one time. so they either were turned back and sent else where or put into the camp. We saw the disinfecting area, some of the living quarters, and what not. it was interesting because we saw items from the original camp form 47.  and they showed us some videos of some of the people were in the camp and at the same time we saw someone that was there that was visiting and she was actually a person who was in that camp 61-62 years ago. So that was interesting even though she wasn't really comfortable to talk to use about it. This location for me summed up a lot from my first trip here in israel. in 2000 I came here on a program called through NFTY called Exodus. The exodus was one of the ships that was commisioned in attempt to bring jews from europe to israel illegally. it was a long venture but they made it. however like everyone else those who were on that ship was brought to Atlit to the camp.

      After that we took a short hike up along the Carmel mountains along a path that was walked along when the people in the camp broke out and made their way to a near by kibbutzim to safety.  there it was a tough hike up, and even hard when we got to the finger hold caves. where they were pitch black and all we had were dinky tea candles that we used to light the way it was sad. they hike down too wasn't any better. but a hell of a work out yet kind of painful. i strained my alkalis tendon while going up the mountain. from there we went to akko where we went to the arce fort. where it really had been used by the turks as a prison. It at one point held 9 men men who were apart of the yirgun a radical freedom fighting group. these men were imprisoned for fighting for something they believed in, a dream, a dream they would never get a chance to see come true.

      Yesturday was a day that dreams were realized. six years ago another dream was realized... my dream of coming to Israel the same way these immagrants came over 60 years ago. I came over 6 years ago on the Exodus experience re-enacting the Exodus voyage, and landing in the port of Haifa as they did years before. what a feeling and what a experience it was, to be able to hear first hand accounts from people on the ship was just heart felt experience.   it was a day that for me summed up a lot of what I have learned and experienced over the years. not only did their dreams of coming to the promised land get realized but mine have too. for years I dreamed about coming to israel and to have come over the way I did 6 years ago after really seeing what I did yesturday and with my background and beliefs, I couldn't really see a more fitting way of doing it! :-) well thats if for now.. till next time peace from the middle east!