Finally after two weeks I have emerged from the haze of jet lag. I wanted to write down my thoughts and impressions of our recent trip to Vienna and Israel. We took this trip to celebrate my oldest grandson, Shmaya’s, Bar Mitzvah in Jerusalem. Before we went to Jerusalem, our three grandchildren wanted to do some European travel and somehow we decided with the other grandparents, Wendy and Doug, that the three kids would fly to Vienna, and all the grandparents would spend five days there before flying to Israel.
I had found an apartment/hotel in the heart of the Jewish neighborhood recommended by the local Chabad house. It was a comfortable place, and we had arranged for the kids to have their own apartment and Doug and Wendy had theirs Jeff and I arrived first after flying to Munich then a short flight to Vienna. My first impression was this was an elegant city, clean and well cared for. This was confirmed when I saw how meticulous sanitation workers picked up trash. We arrived in the early afternoon and the children would arrive in the early evening. I got a text from them and they were on their way. I went down to the lobby to wait. It was a thrill to see them after a year. What is remarkable is when we are together, there is no distance, no awkwardness, just lots of hugs and kisses to catch up on. Technology keeps us close and it is the same for the other grandparents as well.
We had picked up dinner for the children from one of the kosher restaurants in the neighborhood. There were probably ten to choose from. It is a culture shock to see religious Jews on scooters, living their every day lives in a place where there were once Nazis parading down the avenues. I could almost close my eyes and imagine Nazi flags hanging from the older buildings. Religious children scampered by, young women in stylish wigs pushed strollers. We were also close to two kosher markets. One was small; the other reminded me of markets in Israel and had a bakery and restaurant where we had breakfast a couple of times.
We got the kids settled the first night and went to sleep. We took them on a Hop on Hop Off bus the first day to get an overview of the city and made several stops. The other grandparents would arrive in the afternoon. The kids couldn’t wait to go to the huge amusement park, Prater, which had a Ferris wheel that was over one hundred years old. The children had a joyous reunion with their other grandparents,(aka Zabah and Zeema), and they were game to take the kids to the amusement park already on their first night in Vienna. (Wow….they are amazing and we are blessed to share our kids with them!)
The next day I had arranged for us to have a private tour led by a guide of the Jewish historical sites and Holocaust memorials. The Judenplatz Historical Monument known as the nameless Library has books stacked together with their spines backward without handles on the doors. It is quite stunning. We walked around the area and visited the Stadttempel, a beautiful synagogue which was ironically spared during Krisstallnacht when all the other 93 synagogues were destroyed. It was built as part of an apartment complex and destroying it would have set the buildings it was attached to on fire.
However during our tour, I was starting feel yucky, and I was also not enjoying the hot weather, probably in the 90’s. I knew I was coming down with some sort of stomach virus. After the tour, I went back to our hotel and rested. We had plans to go to Chabad for dinner that night which was just a few minutes from our hotel. I was feeling well enough to go (I had tested myself for Covid which thankfully I did not have), and all of us went to Chabad for Shabbat dinner. There must have been 100 people there from all over for a typically wonderful, welcoming Shabbat feast. Jeff keeps insisting it was one of the best meals we had during our whole trip. We met the friendly Rabbi and were impressed at how well organized the dinner was. We had our own family table. Jeff and I left right after dinner but the kids and Wendy and Doug stayed longer for singing.
The Oakland Raiders and the Hospital Bill
The next morning I felt lousy and was concerned that I might need an antibiotic. We decided to go to a hospital which was close by, in walking distance. I am having a not very good record of getting sick during our travels as I also visited a hospital when I got Covid in Morocco last October. (yuck) Long story short, we got seen quickly. The doctor gave me a number of blood tests and some IV fluid. I did not have an infection (luckily) and basically had to wait out the virus which took about a week to get over. Two funny things happened which Jeff has made a highlight of the stories he tells about our trip. One, was when we were about to leave the hospital and wanted to get documentation and a bill to give to Medicare, the doctor told us our visit was NO CHARGE!! Jeff almost plotzed. This would never happen in the US to be treated and walk out without paying a cent! The other thing which was so funny was as we were leaving, the doctor asked where we were from. We said, “Oakland”, near San Francisco. She told us she is a big fan of the Oakland Raiders. That was really a kick, in the middle of Vienna, to find a doctor who knew about the Raiders. In fact, she played on a flag football team called the Oakland Raiders.
The next few days in Vienna, I managed as best I could, hoping to feel better, but my stomach was iffy. The weather was hot, hot, hot which also made it more difficult to do everything we wanted to do. My nephew Marcus joined us in Vienna and he took the kids to Prater one night where they stayed until one in the morning.( Nice to be young and be able to sleep in. )He also took them on a bike ride. While they were riding bikes, Jeff and I went to the Sigmund Freud museum which was the house where he lived and treated patients. Wendy took the three kids after the bike ride to a forest for zip lining and climbing. (She is the best grandmother!) One of our highlights was taking our granddaughter, Atara to a chamber music concert in a magnificent church. It was an experience. When we came out, the downtown area was packed with people, bustling with cafes and restaurants. We had not been in that area before so it was fun to see this hip part of Viennese nightlife.
Jerusalem, Traffic Jams and Skunk Spray
We left Vienna for Jerusalem Monday, July 24 with the three grandchildren. The other grandparents would stay in Vienna an additional two days. It was a short, three hour flight. Andy, my son in law, picked us up at the airport. He could take us, two of the kids but Atara, the oldest took the fast train from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem which only takes a half hour. He got all our luggage situated and we were enjoying our water bottles and his air conditioning. It was probably close to 100. We knew there were demonstrations after a vote which put limits on the power of the Supreme Court which was very divisive, but Andy thought he could bypass the potential traffic mess (or as they say in Hebrew, the balagan, which works for any mess. Despite his best intentions, we were right in the middle of it and our normally 40 minute ride took about 2 ½ hours. We managed OK with water and snacks. A poor woman had to abandon her car and hit the side of the road to relieve herself. Not a pleasant sight and my heart went out to her.
The demonstrators had blocked a major highway and getting in to Jerusalem was almost impossible. Finally the traffic started to move and we managed to get to our hotel. We were also greeted by the “skunk water” spray, a foul smelling odor that lingered in the hot air which had been used to disperse the crowds. Our hotel was nor far from the Begun Highway. This was not our most auspicious welcome to Jerusalem. I could not begin to discuss the complex issues which had Netanyahu fighting against a large portion of the population. I was sad to hear how this decision pitted Israelis against each other. I can only hope and pray that at some point there can be some workable compromise.
We stayed at the Wyndham Ramada which is a fifteen minute walk to where our kids live. They had made some nice improvements to the hotel including efficient elevators and the rooms were comfortable and spacious. There is also a big swimming pool with cool water which came in handy on the very hot days. Our daughter, Devora, came to the hotel. It was so wonderful to see her. It had been way too long as she had not come to the US last summer like the kids. We had a dinner with her in the lobby, a time to catch up and be together.
Staying at a hotel in Israel often includes a large buffet breakfast, Israeli style. What this means is tons of cheeses, a huge variety of salads, pastries, egg dishes, and everything else you can imagine. Jeff likes his simple breakfasts and is always searching for oatmeal. My stomach was still tentative and I ate very little. I can close my eyes and see the full tables of food with almost overwhelming choices. Unfortunately it was wasted on us.
We spent the next two days visiting with our family and at night had dinner with old friends from Oakland, Joel and Ruthi Ackerman. It is always fun to see them when we come to Israel. We had dinner at a restaurant we like, not far from the hotel, just one light rail stop away. We have become quite comfortable using the light rail which is close to the hotel and Andy gave us bus passes which make it a snap. You have to swipe your pass when you get in the car. There are inspectors which come by every so often and check if you have paid, and people get tickets all the time.
Building Building Everywhere
Jeff made an astute observation that Jerusalem will be unrecognizable in ten years, except for the old city. In our family’s neighborhood, Kiryat Moshe, as in many, many neighborhoods in Jerusalem, there is a tremendous amount of building and redevelopment going on. Many old apartment buildings have been knocked down, or in some cases they have been retrofitted, floors added on top, apartments remodeled. Families are paid to move out for several years until they can come back to a new apartment. There are different plans being implemented. The whole landscape of tired, worn out buildings is being renovated, and it will be a sparkling new city. There are huge cranes and building sites everywhere. Devora and Andy are not sure yet what will happen to their building. They don’t want to move but are waiting to see what will transpire in their neighborhood. There are also extensions to the light rail being constructed in several areas of the city so many major roads are a mess.
We were in Jerusalem during a difficult time as the city commemorated the holiday of Tisha b’ Av, (the ninth of Av)the saddest day of the Jewish calendar and a fast day which recalls the worst tragedies which have befallen the Jewish people. Andy and family fasted, though we did not. We decided it would be appropriate to go to Yad Va Shem, the holocaust memorial, on Tisha B’Av. We had been there several times before. Once again we were reminded of the worst inhumanity man is capable of which is stunning. We spent almost three hours going through the rooms and which document the history of Hitler’s rise to power, the lost communities, individual stories of survival . I was struck by a large youth group of American kids, having lunch ( obviously not fasting) outside on the patio of the building. Seeing them, their youthful exuberance, made me happy in the sense that Hitler did not win and we prevailed. I felt this emotion too when I was at the playground on Shabbat afternoon, and it was teeming with adorable screaming kids from large families.
After the holiday, it was full speed ahead for the Bar Mitzvah. Friday night the two sets of grandparents sponsored the Shabbat dinner in the Ramada hotel. We were a group of twenty five, and it was so special to celebrate this wonderful occasion together. Saturday morning we left the hotel with Doug and Wendy and excitedly walked to the Shapell yeshiva which was maybe ten minutes away. The Bar Mitzvah was in a chapel with the women in an upper room separated behind a curtain which we opened. Shmaya was a champ and read a long Torah portion and his haftarah flawlessly (and fast!) He essentially had been preparing for his Bar Mitzvah since he started school so chanting the Torah was almost second nature, but still required much preparation.
After the service there was a kiddush lunch and then in the evening we went to Devora’s and Andy’s place for the “third meal.” There was tons of yummy food and again the family had a chance to be together and catch up. Elana, my youngest daughter, and Saul and Bayla and Elijah, were there. Andy’s brother Seelig came in from Washington DC. My cousin’s daughter Kimberly and her family were there from Corta Madera, CA. My niece Julie and her husband Rusty who have been living in Jerusalem for the past three years were there with four of their children, their oldest was away. My nephew Marcus was representing his family and came in specially from Philadelphia. He was the “older” cousin and got pounced on and pummeled endlessly. Atara and Eliana are the proud sisters of Shmaya, and it was wonderful being with them and hearing about their active lives. Israel offers so many opportunities to teens. There are youth groups and Atara has assumed a number of leadership roles in a special organization called Krembo Wings, (named after the gooey marshmallow cookie) which is a youth movement that accommodates children with disabilities. She also regularly rides an ambulance for MADA, Mogen David and has become a docent at the Israel Science Museum. Atara led the family on an impromptu tour. Eliana has tons of friends and enjoys her youth group as well. She attends a boarding school outside of Jerusalem that she really likes.
On Sunday after the Bar Mitzvah, I had arranged for a tour of some of the highlights of the old city with expert tour guide Shulie Mishkin. It was fun shlepping around with her to some of the sites we had not seen before. We all had lunch in the old city. Jeff and I returned to the hotel for swimming in the pool and Bayla and Elijah joined us.
Monday morning Jeff and I met my cousin Rachel and cousin Celia who was visiting from New York. Rachel and her husband Nat have seven sons and thirty one grandchildren.( I’m not sure I could remember the names of thirty one grandchildren.) When I think of Rachel and Nat’s kids and grandchildren and now great grandchildren and add up all the other children and grandchildren who are descendants of, my grandparents, Etel and Nathan Bernstein who perished in the Holocaust it is a significant number. I am reminded of the scene at the end of Schindler’s list when all the families are gathered of those who survived. We had a lovely brunch in a café which is part of the Israel theater. It was great getting together and catching up.
The main Bar Mitzvah celebration was Monday night in the Jerusalem forest in a lovely room, almost like a lodge. There were family and a few friends, but most of the attendees were Shmaya’s buddies. One of the highlights was a drum circle led by the DJ which the kids (even the big kids like Jeff) really enjoyed. There was a yummy dinner and spirited dancing.
On Tuesday, following the Bar Mitzvah, our wonderful son in law, Andy, picked up our big luggage and took us to the bus so we could catch the correct line to Tiberias. We wanted to go somewhere where we had not been recently and also were planning on meeting a friend there. The bus ride was about two and a half hours. The hotel was lovely with a great infinity pool. We didn’t imagine how HOT it would be there…really unbearably, unpleasantly hot and humid which made us not want to do much of anything except stay in the air-conditioned hotel room or be in the pool. We did manage to meet our friend for dinner but didn’t stay long because it was not possible to walk around, even at night. The next day we thought we could beat the heat and got up early to walk. We were wrong. Even at 8 am it was impossible to walk around. We went back to the hotel for more cooling off in the pool. In the afternoon, we had hired a cab to take us to Sfad where we would meet up with Devora and Andy and Elana and family.
Hasids and drones
Sfad is a quirky, artsy, place, picture Sausalito. It is filled with galleries, many run by transplanted American hippies. The streets are crowded, and we stayed in an alley with the children and Marcus in a stone building. At first we thought, Oy Vey, but we adjusted and after we went to the market for some food to make for breakfast (French toast) we managed fine. Andy and his crew, Elana and Saul, Jeff and Marcus went to the Jordan river for a rafting experience. It was crowded with rafts as this was a very popular vacation time for Israelis besides tourists. Devora and I had some quiet time to ourselves visiting galleries and jewelry shops. We had lunch together in a courtyard. I treasured having this time with her. After the crew came back, everyone got ready to go for a dinner at a well-known grill restaurant. It was a challenge just getting out of Safed. The streets were packed, the roads narrow and cars can barely pass each other. I was fascinated by the Yeshiva we passed with lots of black coated students pouring out. This is a particular sect, the Breslov yeshivah, with distinctive frockcoats and flat hats. The boys all have curly earlocks and they could be transplanted from the nineteenth century. There are large Hasidic contingents in Safed as some famous Hasidic rabbis are buried close by.
The Breslovs were blocking the street, and I looked up and there was a drone hovering over them, perhaps taking a picture. I wished I could have taken a photo but I was in the car. What perfect juxtaposition, the crowd of Yeshivah boys, old world, and the drone above them, new world.
We returned to Jerusalem for the final Shabbat. Devora had ordered amazing food for the weekend from a restaurant with a huge variety and had everything delivered. It’s so nice you can do that in Jerusalem! We had a restful Shabbat and after Havdalah had a cab pick us up and take us to the airport for our trek home. I wish I could have slept on the plane, but I never can. It took me almost a week to catch up. Despite the heat, the jet lag, the stomach virus, just being there for Shmaya’s Bar Mitzvah and getting to spend time with Atara and Eliana and of course their parents made it all worth it. I would recommend avoiding Israel in the summer if at all possible!
Drum circle
Joanne Jagoda 