Distant Cousins
by Jill Cousins
J Life’s own Jill Cousins travels to Israel with the Jewish National Fund.
Your Dream Vacation Is Only a Click Away.
That was the subject line of the email I received from the Jewish National Fund back in June 2019, and I was intrigued. At 59 years old, I had wanted to travel to Israel for many years, but the time never seemed right, and no one else in my family had expressed an interest in joining me.
But times had changed. I married my husband, Kurt Levy, in 2013, and he was very interested. My mother, Joan Cousins, had moved to the Oakmonte Village senior-living community in Lake Mary just three months earlier, and many of her new Jewish friends were urging her to visit Israel while she was still physically able.
So, I scrolled through the email, which outlined several different themed tours: Spirit of Israel, Art & Fashion Tour, volunteer tours, family tours, and even a Culinary, Wine, & Music Tour. But the one that caught my eye was the Sunshine Tour: For Active Adults 55+. I figured this 10-day excursion was something that my husband and I could enjoy and my mother could handle at age 81.
Before I made my decision, I contacted two friends who were active JNF
supporters: Debbie Meitin and Meril Salzburg. They both gave me glowing reviews of JNF’s tours, and they were so excited that I was considering one. Prior to this, all I really knew about the JNF was its focus on planting trees in Israel.
“JNF offers more than anyone could imagine,” says Meril, the current co-president of our area’s local JNF Board. “The research and development of what JNF does for Israel goes so beyond the trees – where it all started – to today, in areas of medicine, science, technology, and building community. Seeing is believing. When you visit Israel and all the JNF sites, you see our visions at work.”
At first, my husband thought he’d be too busy to take the trip, which was set for November 10-19, 2019. But my mother was on board, so I went ahead and booked it. Unfortunately, one month later, she fell and broke her tailbone. My mother would be unable to go to Israel, but she generously offered to pay for Kurt and me to go as a better-late-than-never honeymoon gift.
So Kurt cleared his schedule, and we were set to make our first trip to Israel.
An Eye-Opening Excursion
We arrived in Tel Aviv two days early so we could explore on our own before the tour began. Thanks to the recommendations of JNF professional Cheryl Lefland, we spent our first day at Beit Hatfutsot: The Museum of the Jewish People, which is located on the lovely campus of Tel Aviv University. The highlight was an exhibit called Let There Be Laughter: Jewish Humor Around the World, which included an entire room full of memorabilia from the classic TV show Seinfeld. On our second day, we took a two-mile stroll from our beachside hotel, along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, to visit the ancient port city of Old Jaffa, which was both beautiful and fascinating.
Our Sunshine Tour began with a delicious dinner in our beautiful Tel Aviv hotel (this would be the beginning of an endless array of absolutely fabulous meals!), where we met the other 35 members of our group as well as tour chair Bernice Friedman and JNF staffers Matt Bernstein, Bill Adolph, and Cheryl, whose husband Steve Lefland was our resident photographer. We also met our Israeli tour guide David Roth, who was an endless source of fascinating information.
Unfortunately, another person missing from the trip, besides my mother, was actor Hal Linden. The former Barney Miller TV star, who turns 89 on March 20, has been the national spokesman for JNF since 1997. He was supposed to be part of JNF’s tour staff but had to pull out when he got an acting gig.
Our busy schedule began each day with a seemingly endless Israeli breakfast buffet, and we were usually on our bus by 8:00 a.m. In nine full days, we visited almost two-dozen places, including many of Israel’s most famous sites, but we also traveled to the sites of many lesser-known but equally fascinating JNF projects. We even spent an impromptu 10 minutes in a bomb shelter (inside the hallway of an apartment building), when rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip in retaliation for Israel’s killing of an Islamic Jihad leader. Thanks to our experienced tour staff, we were never in danger, but it was one big reality check as to what many Israelis experience on an all-too-regular basis.
The day after the strikes, we had to change our itinerary en route to the Dead Sea region to avoid areas where the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were actively involved in the matters at hand near the Gaza Strip. Instead of stopping at an IDF base to see JNF’s Special in Uniform program for youth with special needs, we made stops at a touristy but cute attraction called Genesis Land, in the heart of the Judean Desert, where we rode a camel and participated in a drum circle. We also took a hike in the beautiful Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, where I bravely stood under a chilly waterfall.
Other impressive JNF projects we visited included a therapeutic horseback riding center for children with mental and physical disabilities, a 21,000-square-foot indoor playground for children who live less than one mile from Gaza (which allows 500 area children to play safe from the threat of missile strikes), and a one-of-a-kind rehabilitative village for individuals with severe cognitive and physical disabilities.
JNF is also involved in preserving Israel’s historical sites and building new communities. We visited fascinating places like the Ayalon Institute, where a hidden bullet factory beneath a kibbutz’s bakery and laundry facility aided Jewish soldiers in the fight for Israel’s Independence in the 1940s; Ammunition Hill, site of a pivotal battle during the Six-Day War in 1967; and American Independence Park, where JNF honors its generous supporters with beautiful plaques and memorials.
Memories and Mementos
Among my personal highlights – in addition to the mouth-watering halvah and delectable falafel sandwiches – was our trek to Masada, the ancient fortress built by King Herod in the Judean Desert; a side trip to the Rose City of Petra, Jordan, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World; a historic walking tour of the Old City of Jerusalem, including a visit to the Western Wall and its underground tunnels; and an absolutely heart-wrenching, two-and-a-half-hour tour of Yad Vashem, Israel’s official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust.
Among the last things we did while in Jerusalem was spend time shopping at the Machane Yehuda market (where I bought almost three pounds of halvah!) and Ben Yehuda Street’s pedestrian mall, where we stopped at a popular souvenir and Judaica shop.
My 12 days in Israel left me wanting to see more and learn more about the country. I want to improve my limited grasp of the Hebrew language. I hope to return some day to see more of this lovely nation and JNF’s wonderful projects. In the meantime, while at Danny Boy Gifts, I purchased a delicate Star of David bracelet, which I now wear every day to remind me of Israel and how I am now prouder than ever of my Jewish heritage.
What is the Jewish National Fund?
The Jewish National Fund is a nonprofit organization established in 1901 to buy and develop land in what was then called Ottoman Palestine (and later became Israel and the Palestinian territories). JNF-USA’s main goals are to help build a strong, secure, and prosperous future for the land of Israel and its people.
In addition to planting trees (an estimated 24 million since its inception), JNF also invests in Israel’s future by building new communities, providing cutting-edge facilities for residents with disabilities and special needs, and preserving historical sites associated with Israel’s rebirth. JNF also helps Israel in its remarkable work in the areas of research and development, water solutions, and forestry and green innovations.
“I love JNF for its honesty, integrity, and complete caring for Israel and her people,” says Longwood resident Meril Salzburg, who became involved with JNF four years ago and is now co-president of our local board. “It’s heartwarming to designate our dollars to where they’re needed the most in covering the myriad of programs available through JNF. It’s very meaningful knowing where your money is going and its impact.”
For more information about JNF and its tours, visit JNF.org or call JNF’s Orlando director, Laura Abramson, at 407-804-5568.