Dear VTT Community,
I was recently blessed to be able to travel to Israel and join the festivities associated with Prime Minister Harper's state visit to Israel. I am happy to share some of the highlights of the trip with our Talmud Torah community. We arrived in Israel on Sunday, January 19 and while there was a reception that night the first real highlight was the next day.
Morah Etti poses for a photo with her husband, Bill Kaplan, and Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
On Monday, Prime Minister Harper made the first-ever address by a Canadian Prime Minister to the Knesset. The event started with Mr. Harper signing a guestbook and receiving the "key" to the Knesset: the first time anyone has ever received such an honor. His speech was emotional and inspiring. He talked about Canadian support for Israel and the common democratic values that link our two countries. It was very moving to sit among all of the Canadian delegates cheering our Prime Minister and feeling such a surge of pride for both our Canadian and Jewish heritages. It was truly a special moment.
Morah Etti in front of the Kotel--moments after she placed her students' messages and prayers in the cracks in the wall.
On Tuesday we toured the Old City with a group of delegates. It is always a treat to walk in the narrow streets of the Old City and take in the history and flavors of our culture and the other cultures that have coexisted for thousands of years. It was heightened by sharing the tour with other delegates, both Jewish and non-Jewish, who were experiencing the magic of the Old City for the first time.
Later that day we visited
Yad Vashem with the Prime Minister and accompanied him on his later visit to the Kotel (Wailing Wall). What a contrast! From the despair of Yad Vashem to the pride of watching our Prime Minister visit one of our holiest sites and pay his respects to our heritage and our homeland. There could never be a more dramatic reminder of how far we have come as a nation and how much we must fight every day to ensure that we never allow the evil of anti-Semitism to overwhelm us again.
That night was the dinner with all the delegates, Prime Ministers Netanyahu and Harper and their wives together with a host of Israeli ministers and officials. Both Prime Ministers gave moving speeches about the close relationship that our two countries have. After dinner an Israeli "60s" band began to play. After a couple of songs our Prime Minister joined them on stage, at the electric piano, and sang three songs with the group. One of them fittingly was "With a Little Help from my Friends," It was a very unexpected treat. The Israelis could not believe it!
Our last day was a full day. We started with an early morning bus ride from Jerusalem north to the Hula Valley in northern Israel. The purpose of our trip north was to attend a ceremony naming the Stephen Harper Education Center in the Hula Valley bird sanctuary. The sanctuary lies on the migratory path of literally millions of birds from Europe to Africa. Its development is a testament to Israel's commitment to environmental renewal and preservation. The ceremony was attended by many Israelis from neighboring communities, including our sister community of Kiryat Shmoneh. After the ceremony at Hula Valley we again boarded the buses and traveled to Tel Aviv University where an honorary doctorate degree was bestowed upon the Prime Minister. The ceremony took place in an auditorium at the university packed with the Canadian delegates, Israeli dignitaries and a number of Canadian students studying at Tel Aviv University.
In fact there were two Talmud Torah graduates in attendance who recognized "Morah Etti" and came over to say hello. What a treat! During the presentation of the degree, the President of Tel Aviv University said to Mr. Harper that now that he was a doctor he would be the dream of every Jewish mother in the world. The Prime Minister said that he had two things to say in reply. First, that even though his mother was not Jewish, she would still be proud to have a son who was a doctor. Second, that even THAT would not be enough for her!! How's that for a little Jewish humour?
The trip ended with the sad realization that we would be leaving Israel and our fellow delegates. There were many highlights of the trip, but meeting and spending time with this collection of fascinating, committed Canadians was a special and a once in a lifetime event. I will remember the week with great memories of the trip and the many people we met, but mostly with an overwhelming sense of pride and gratitude that we have such a dynamic homeland and the our own country stands tall in the whole world in supporting Israel.
I am truly grateful that I had the opportunity to participate in this historic trip and all its special moments. I am especially grateful to Talmud Torah who had the vision and sensitivity to allow me to go so that I could share the experience with our students and all of you. Todah Rabah!
