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It’s 4am. The bags are all packed and waiting downstairs. I woke up about a half hour ago and I am way too giddy to even attempt to go back to sleep. The entire street is quite and dark. The ceiling fan is slowly turning above me and it feels like I have been waiting for this day for centuries.
Today, Robert and I go to Israel. Today, we board an El Al plane, turn our music on and sit there as time creeps by as we fly the 6,000 miles to Israel.
Israel. The land of milk and honey. The land of my people. The place that has always been home to me, my family and my heritage. There is nothing like the feeling of going to Israel. There is nothing like the feeling of knowing when you land, everyone will understand our rush to get to my sister’s house before Shabbat (Sabbath) begins. There is nothing like the feeling of knowing that I won’t have to pronounce my name two times, spell it and then explain “It’s Hebrew. I’m Jewish.” And there is nothing like the feeling of knowing you belong. No matter what, you belong in this country, with these people and in this land.
The land that we fought hard for. The land we continue to fight for. The land that may not be perfect, but it is ours and we love it all the same.
It has been eight years since both Robert and I have been in Israel. How crazy is that? Almost an entire decade! The last time I was in Israel I was 19 years old, the entire country was obsessed with “How I Met your Mother” and BlackBerry was totally a thing. Now, eight years later, I am finally going back! I finally get to see how much the country I love more than any other (sorry America) has changed, developed and grown.
So as I sit here, at 4am, not only day dreaming about hugging my nieces and nephews for the first time this year or even just being in the same country as my two sisters, I daydream about the incredible feeling it is to be going home to Israel.
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“All the kids are staying up as late as they can before they pass out.” Shana, my sister, WhatsApped me. I laughed when I read the message. There is nothing like staying up for Passover Seder when you are a kid. Drinking what feels like galloons of grape juice, smelling the bitter horseradish but not eating it, singing the dozens of songs we practiced and showing off the beautiful Hagadot (Seder Books) that we spent hours creating in school. It was our night to shine and I loved every second of it.
As I think about Akiva and Shmuel belting out the “Four Questions” on the top of their lungs, with their younger siblings trying to keep up and my sister and brother-in-law smiling, I can’t help but feel an immense warmth and sense of pride. I find the whole Passover ordeal charming. Don’t get me wrong, I know it is a lot of work. I know the cleaning can be overwhelming, the cooking can be challenging and the long nights can be exhausting. Yet, there is nothing like sitting around the Seder table, asking the same questions as every Jewish generation that came before us and eating the same Matzah as all the Jewish generations that will be coming after us.
Passover, in its essence, is a holiday for the children. It is here to teach the next generation our heritage. Teach them about the exodus of Egypt, the strength of the Jewish people and our ability to overcome obstacles. I never fully understood the power of this holiday until I witnessed my oldest niece, Shira’s, first Seder. The twinkle of pride in her eyes as she sang her songs, the happiness that washed over her face every time she answered a question correctly and the smile that shined through as she showed us the projects she made in school, finally made me see the incredible importance of this holiday. There is nothing like watching the next generation fall in love with your heritage and your traditions the way you did once upon a time.
This year, all the little ones will be in Israel (as they should be) but that doesn’t make Passover any less special. This year, Robert will be coming home with me. We will be surrounded by family and close friends, tradition and tons of wine. I couldn’t be more excited to share my favorite holiday with my favorite human. I could not be more excited to sit down and keep the Jewish Tradition alive for yet, another year.
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My mission is to not only craft images, but really celebrate the unique spirit of Jewish love. I'm here to honor our culture, capture the magic of your love, create family heirlooms for your future and do it all with a whole lot of heart and soul.