How much can I hold
In my hotel room wrestling
With my suitcase
And all the experiences I’ve accumulated in 4 days
Can they all fit?
Israeli, Educator, American, and Immigrant perspectives, can I hold space for each lens in my mind’s eye?
Can I hold all the smiles of school children I saw in my heart?
Shoulder the trauma and resilience of the Nova survivor and father of a murdered son on October 7th like weights in my backpack?
It’s hard.
The zipper refuses to move.
Where do I create the space In the small section of my case-? Who can slide in as I go to Tel Aviv?
The mother of the fallen soldier? The children at the Gan on kibbutz Elumim in the south?
The founder of Early Starters, creator of safe spaces in war-torn areas for families to connect, play, and a moment of calm in the midst of their upheaval?
Or, the Palestinian bookshop owner who shared his views as a permanent resident alongside his coffee and cookies?
Who holds space in their homes for the missing and just asks me to take back their story?
Tzvika Mor’s rejection of ‘Bring Them Home’ about his hostage son’s status at the expense of Israel’s Security, instead saying ‘Let Them [all] Go?’
The heroism of Kochi’s brother, uncle, and cousin in the peripheral city of Ofakim who were killed fighting to protect neighbors in the absence of their military and government presence?
Who hasn’t created space in their suitcase for opposing views and experiences, but instead collected more artifacts that solidify their convictions and frame of the Jewish experience in Israel? Why haven’t you tried to listen?
What trinkets and tools will I bring for our children, students, and parents? As a mom, friend, and educator?
I may just need to buy an extra bag.
*Post Trip: The bookseller from East Jerusalem was Mahmoud Muna, the man who, you may have seen in various news outlets was arrested by Israeli Authorities over the weekend. I felt safe, welcomed, and respected in his bookshop, and I was grateful that he shared his ideas and feelings with a group of Jewish Educators.
Adrienne Rosen
Gan Shalom Director
