Being in Israel for over a month now, there are a lot of moments that have stood out to me and left an impact. Only in Israel would I be able to get so close to the Western Wall that I feel like I am closest to God as possible. Only in Israel can I study Jewish history and literally be where the history happened. But one moment that stuck out to me was one near the Gaza Strip.

During the Purim holiday, we made boxes called Mishloach Manot, or literally sending of portions. These baskets were filled with snacks and drinks for the families near the Gaza strip that have members of their family who are physically or mentally impaired from war and the army. Driving to these neighborhoods, I will admit that I was nervous. I was expecting little houses and grumpy old people who would just take the packages and close the door. But I was taken by surprise to find that this was not the case at all. These families lived in beautiful houses. Of course they were much cheaper because of the location, but they were well kept and not run down at all. Most families were waiting at the door for us to arrive, and they immediately welcomed all of us inside the house with open arms. They had platters of snacks and several types of drinks with cups and napkins waiting at the table for us. They were so happy to see new faces and new positive vibes flow throughout the house. These families were the most hospitable people I have ever seen in my life. The families with children were so excited to see us. They greeted us with hummus, chicken wings, bamba, chips, and all the good snacks. Some families told us stories of a bombing that happened to the house directly across the street, and how all that stood now was just the frame of the structure of the house. How they have bomb shelters all over nearby, because they have only 7 quick seconds to find shelter if they hear the sirens. And then I think to myself, why don’t these families leave? Why don’t they find a safer place to live? And as we continued to hand out packages, I found my answers. These families cannot move for several reasons. Some do not have the money to move anywhere else, some feel comfortable in the house they raised their children in or grew up in, and some feel a sense of community. Community in the sense that they are all from different areas; backgrounds, cultures, families all differ form house to house. Yet they still stick together in a time of trouble. This was an only in Israel moment for me. Only in Israel can these families remain in a time of trouble with a smile on their faces. In Israel these people can feel a sense of comfort in a place that is quite unsettling. This really stood out to me as a moment that I will never forget.