Having just been in Israel six months ago, this trip will take me/us to places both familiar and new. That said, returning to any place is also new, in a way, as you have a different relationship to it than the first time. Street corners are recognizable…you remember this neighborhood and that…there’s a favorite gelateria on a bustling street to visit…the place seems smaller and there’s a comfort level with getting around, the people recognizable. It is now as welcoming as it was foreign before. And being with family – who have not been here – means I get to share it with people I love: my mom, Liz, Janell, Soli (who just had his bar mitzvah!), and Liz’s dad Joe.

Our arrival in Tel Aviv was thankfully uneventful after the very long flight from SFO. The airport was relatively quiet, immigration quickly handled with the assistance of our expeditor (who is permitted to meet us at the plane), and our bags came through on the first pass. Even the Tel Aviv traffic cooperated and we were soon at the hotel on the Mediterranean shore under starry skies. A bite to eat at the hotel and we crash…

We came a day before the tour officially starts for a leisurely entry and to combat the inevitable jet lag. After eating too much at the hotel buffet (why is that always the case with a buffet?!), with no plans laid out and a bit bleary-eyed from lack of sleep, we ventured into the city’s hustle and bustle on our way to the Jaffa Flea Market.

We find both a neighborhood and an actual flea market – tiny storefronts jammed with dusty relics that seem plucked from estate sales along with an old school swap meet where individuals sell stuff laid out on blankets. There’s also a labyrinth of stalls down narrow alleys that all seem to have the same trinkets and t-shirts and woven backpacks and pashmina scarfs and such. We chat with the vendors and wander, Soli being the only one to buy anything (after some negotiating, of course!). We sit for a coffee and make friends with a local and his dog. It was a first morning perfectly matched to our not-quite-awake mindset.

The day passes in a bit of a fog – except for the most amazing version of shawarma ever that we randomly find at a little place on Dizengoff Street – and we meet Joe upon his hotel arrival. Afternoon naps fade to dinner in an artsy neighborhood of cobblestone streets. It’s a very casual place, complete with local cats visiting our table, and highly recommended for reasons we don’t understand. But the people are friendly and we are happy to be together embarking on this adventure.

The next morning we meet our guide Hilik. He greets us with enthusiasm and humor and we can tell right away he will be a great leader for us as we discover Israel. Let the explorations begin!

We have a whole day to see Tel Aviv, and start in the old city of Jaffa. Calling it the old city doesn’t really do justice to the “old” part – it is one of the oldest cities on the planet, dating back 5,000 years, even appearing in the bible. Today it is a combination of gentrified luxury and artist community. The winding narrow streets [steps] are lined with galleries and jewelry shops, both inviting and intimidating at the same time. There are very few people around, giving it all an air of exclusivity that is likely unintended. It is tranquil and livable, perched on a hill above the sea, the smell of crisp, clean marine air elevating the sense that this is a special place.  And it is.

I peeled off from the group to go have a coffee with Nadav, who runs Outstanding Travel and gave us such an amazing trip in June (scroll back in the blog posts for those entries). It was so great to reconnect with him and to have a “familiar city” experience of a coffee and chat with a friend on Rothschild Blvd.

Our group reconvened for lunch and to wander through the Nahalat Benyamin Arts & Crafts Fair (with a side trip to the Carmel Market right next to it). The artists that gather here on Tuesdays line the street with tables and booths displaying their beautiful work (mostly – to be honest; some of the art is, well, hmmm…). Painting, jewelry, pottery, metal work, wood work – it’s all here. The bursting crowds are people young and old, some moving slow and others quickly, and navigating without us losing each other is a challenge. We manage to stick together.

As if that wasn’t enough for the day, we traverse the city to the Palmach Museum, arriving just in time for the last show of the day. The Palmach was the elite fighting force of the Haganah, the underground army of the Jewish community during the period of the British Mandate for Palestine. I’ll spare you the history lesson (it’s long and complicated) but let’s just say they were young (teens and 20’s), energetic men and women fighting for the establishment of a Jewish state from 1941-1948 (it was disbanded when the State of Israel was established). An interesting bit of history but the “museum” was pretty hokey. Old-tech dioramas and films of scripted actors with overlays of real photographs, experienced as you wander through tired “sets” of forests and camps and boats and such. There was even an animatronic sailor who didn’t really move but spoke. Think Disneyland from the 1970’s and you’ll get it.

Presentation aside, the experience told us of the struggle to establish a homeland for the Jews, and those that fought so bravely, many giving up their short lives.

And it reminded us that it is our youth who will change the world, and always have.