{"id":4727,"date":"2013-08-26T10:45:57","date_gmt":"2013-08-26T10:45:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/prayables\/?p=4727"},"modified":"2013-08-26T10:51:44","modified_gmt":"2013-08-26T10:51:44","slug":"gramma-good-travels-to-israel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/prayables\/2013\/08\/gramma-good-travels-to-israel.html","title":{"rendered":"Gramma Good Travels to Israel"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Israel\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I recently traveled with my husband to Israel, a country about the size of New Jersey. Established in 1948, Israel (meaning \u201cHe Who Strives with God\u201d) is a democracy in the Middle East and the only Jewish-majority state in the world. Since its founding, Israel has fought several wars with neighboring Arab nations. The citizens, eight million strong, represent a wide array of ethnicities, nationalities and religious beliefs. It is Israel\u2019s greatest strength and one of its greatest challenges.<\/p>\n

I want to share a few of my experiences in order to provide you with\u00a0knowledge of the heritage of this country and its exceptional people.<\/p>\n

Everywhere we travel, my husband and I ask questions. Questions lead you to answers. This is my fourth trip to Israel, and I never stop questioning and learning about its people and the country. This particular blog is about some of the people I spent time with on this trip, from President Shimon Peres to our guide to waitresses and shop owners.<\/p>\n

Restaurants are a perfect place to ask questions. This is a typical conversation between me and the waiter or waitress:<\/p>\n

\u201cHi. Were you born in Israel?\u201d I ask.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d they reply, with a huge smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cWere your parents born in Israel?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d Another smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about your grandparents? Where were they born?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn other countries,\u201d they answer. They are beginning to wonder why I am asking these questions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere?” I asked.<\/p>\n

Here are some of the fascinating replies:<\/p>\n

\u201cMy grandmother was from Iraq. My grandfather was from Morocco.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy grandmother was from Egypt. My grandfather was from Turkey.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy grandmother was from Iran. My grandfather was from Russia.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy grandmother was from France. My grandfather was from Africa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy grandmother was from Germany. My grandfather was from Argentina.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy grandmother was from Spain. My grandfather was from Australia.\u201d<\/p>\n

I asked our guide, Haim, the same question: \u201cWhere was your family from, Haim?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy grandfather and my grandmother were born in Alepo, Syria.\u201d Heim married a seventh-generation Israeli from Eastern Europe.<\/p>\n

The last person whose heritage I will mention is Shimon Peres, the President of Israel.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. President, may I ask you your heritage?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

His reply:\u00a0 \u201cBoth of my grandparents were born in Poland.\u201d<\/p>\n

Israelis from all over the world! From Africa, Poland, Argentina, Egypt, France, Spain, Iran and Iraq. I was taken aback and knew that God had a purpose for the Jewish people to resettle in the Land of Israel, homeland to the Jewish people dating back 4,000 years.<\/p>\n

Do Something GOOD Today: Ask someone of a different culture about his or her traditions and background. You never know what you might learn!<\/p>\n

-Gramma Good<\/a><\/p>\n

\"gramma<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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