If you could reduce Jewish history into 3 sentences it might read... "They tried to kill us... We won ... Let's eat..."

It's no secret that I go alone to Max's restruant in Silver Spring Maryland, for a "Super Max" burger every now and then. It was one of those "munching sessions" when Synagogue president, Harvey Kramer, sat down at the table beside me and said "Jerry - the shul would like for you to go as its representative to the OU mission in Israel." All I could do was smile and say "wow ... uh can I get back to you later on this - I need some time to think. I need to find out exactly what the OU mission is about."

The OU/RCA Solidarity Mission is a opportunity to visit and reach out to the Jews in Israel and give them chizuk (strength). Let them know that we, the American Orthodox Jewish community, support them. There are lots of these missions going on - Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform. Jewish and even non Jewish. They all have different agendas. One needs only to surf the World Wide Web under "Solidarity Israel" and look at the hits. I did some research and consulted with my family.

A couple of days later I called Harvey and said "I'll be glad to go."

Today I am going to tell you about my journey.

First there is good news and there is bad news.

The good news is I, for whom this was my first trip to Israel, found first hand how indeed the land is Tov M-Ode M-Ode (exceedingly good). My wife asked how is it? How do I describe Israel to my wife? This is like describing what chocolate tastes like to someone who has never had any. I think to myself, where has she been - LA? Qucikly I tell her on the telephone - Weather and trees - a lot like Los Angeles and lots of Hebrew. Too simple of an explanation. This is Israel, a country where the society is a Jewish society. What a good feeling to be like the majority. Besides, I had just davened (prayed) at the Kotel. What an experience!

When people I know talk about their visits to Israel, they usually speak about visiting Jerusalem, Rehovot, Harnof, The Dead Sea or Masada. Where did I go? To Judea and Samaria (West Bank), of course! First I went north to the Binyamin area, visiting Pisgat Zev, Shilo, Eli, Ofra, Givat Amuna. In the south I visited Gilo, Tekoa, Gush Etzion, Efrat, Har Etzion, and Hevron. I went to Yeshivat Beit Orot at its Mt. Scopus Campus and visited arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem. I traveled to Lod to participate in a Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebration for children of recent immigrants from Ethiopia, Iraq, Iran, Russia. I never did see Harnof or Rehovot.

I met with residents living in areas I visited. To me they are the true heros of Israel today. More about that later.

I also met and heard officials speak, including:

Rabbi Benny Elon, the new Minister of Tourism, his predecessor Rehavam Ze'evi was assassinated in a Hyatt Hotel on Mount Scopus (East Jerusalem). I met the head of the Binyamin Area Council, Pinchas Wallerstein, I met with senior officers from Yesha army headquarters. I attended a dinner with Daniel Kurtzer, United States Ambassador to Israel and I had breakfast with Rabbi Yizchak Levi, Member of Knesset. I met with Shaul Goldstein, Head of the Gush Etzion Area Council. I heard a wonderful talk by Rav Lichenstein at Yeshivat Har Etzion. I met with Eli Suissa, Minister responsible for Jerusalem affairs, and I was present at a talk by Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert. I attended a breakfast with Avraham Duvdevani, Chairman, Settlement Department of the World Zionist Organization and I met Israel President Moshe Katsav at Beit Hanassi, their "White House."

Our Shabbos speakers included the OU's new Executive Vice President,a former Summit Hill resident and former Rav of Shomrei Emunah (Baltimore) Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, Rabbi Schonfeld from the RCA, Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, Chief Ashkenazic Rabbi of Israel and Rabbi Nachman Kahane, Rav of Young Israel of the Old City.

Background:

Prior to my going on this trip, a 71 year old American who had moved to Israel 40 years ago, had been kidnapped and shot dead by Palestinian gunmen. A shooting had occurred at a bat mitzvah party, where several people had been shot. I personally received a telephone call from another solidarity attendee telling me that he was scared and not going. I went, and I was not scared. After all, I work in Washington D.C.

The plane to Israel was to leave New York motzi (after) Shabbos - I could not stand the thought of rushing to New York after Shabbos in Silver Spring to catch a plane to Israel. What would I do if I did not get there before take off time. I remembered something I had once learned. Always try and go up in Kedusha. So what did I do? I went to Borough Park to spend Shabbos with my very good friends, Avraham and Esther Sternlicht who are Belzer Chassidim. Several of the people I met that Shabbos said I must be a very brave man. That Shabbos afternoon it started snowing. Borough Park looked so peaceful during that "white" Shabbos. I arrived at JFK that evening around 8:15 knowing my plane was to leave just before midnight. However, we ended up sitting on the runway waiting for de-icing until 3AM. No one seemed to mind, after all we were going to Israel! So there I was having dinner over the Atlantic as the sun was rising. We crossed the Atlantic, France, Switzerland, the Alps, Italy, Greece, and flew over the Mediterranean arriving late Sunday night at the airport in Tel Aviv. There I was, at 11PM with tears in my eyes, standing at the Kotel. On top of that no jet lag at all.