shalom from jerusalem

So...here we go...a new technological miracle (I hope), handicapped only by a rabbi who still types with only two fingers:

As we approach the Mediterranean on Continental flight 88, we are asked to be in our seats for the final hour before landing, at the request of the Israel military, as the pilot informs us.
A new security precaution since my last trip, no doubt linked to the heigthened tensions in the region.

Israel is more green, more fertile in its appearance than I have ever seen it, the result of a rare several-days-ina-row of heavy rainfall. At the King David hotel, near my hotel, prime-minister designate Binyamin Netanyahu met with Ehud Barak of the Labor party, as he tries to form a coalition government. Today (Tuesday) the 18th (and newest) term of the Knesset began as well.

Today's travels led our group of rabbis to Sderot, the site of eight years and eight thousand rockets from the Gaza strip. Though many have left the town for good, many have remained steadfast and determined. One resident told us to share the message with our friends at home, not to forget the courage of their Jewish brothers and sisters...and not to forget the damage inflicted by those who purposefully choose civilian targets. From a hilltop, we gazed across the border into Gaza.

We travelled as well to Ashkelon, where we met with a group of beautiful teenage Israelis of Eithiopian descent. They spoke with us about their fear during the missle strikes of the war in Gaza, and about the racism they feel from white Israelis. They asked us if we were at all familiar with Barack Obama, which brought a smile and a laugh to our faces. He is a huge hero for them.

And despite all of the conflict, construction is booming...and I am in awe, once again, of a people that not only clings to life, but that cherishes and celebrates it at every turn....
More tomorrow from Jerusalem...