Dear Friends,
Mrs. Nomi Kessler-Feinstein contacted me on the recommendation of Shlomo Toledano (Tolle). She is writing an article that will be published on the Keren Hayesod - United Israel Appeal website and has asked me to write about my personal impressions of the mission. Apparently, these electronic publications are viewed by Jews all over the world.
I am giving you a copy of my essay and hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. It brought back lots of memories of our time together.
I am dedicating this essay to Gabor Kertesz. He was a part of our family and I will always remember him.
Larry
My name is Larry Nachshen, and I'm from Montreal, Canada. I am 66 years old and have just taken my first trip to Israel. By way of background, I had little interest in visiting Israel until I attended Shul last Rosh Hashanah and after listening to Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz' spellbinding sermon on Israel, I became determined to go. Coincidentally, within a week I received an invitation from Combined Jewish Appeal to travel to Poland and Israel on the Chairman's Mission. I registered the very same day.
Little did I know that this decision would change my life. While family and friends questioned my decision to go at this time, I had no fear and on April 17, 2004 I departed for Poland and Israel.
The next ten days were the most intense I have ever experienced. I now understand the extremes of joy and sadness that life can bring. Poland, Auschwitz, Birkenau - those names alone bring pain, sorrow and tears. The emotions I felt standing in Auschwitz with 7,000-8,000 Jews from 45 countries is difficult to describe. Knowing that the youth from Montreal were heading the March with our mission right behind them was so inspiring that I felt as though we were telling Hitler and the Nazis "Look at us, we're here, we have survived!" When I heard the sound of the Sofar and the March began, my tears and those of my new friends flowed freely.
Entering Birkenau and seeing the train tracks that lead so many of my people to their horrible deaths, seeing the bunkhouses where they endured the worst of torture, the gas chambers and the ovens where they all perished, was almost too much to bear. My body ached and I thought my heart would burst out of my chest, but I endured. I endured because I anticipated what was coming. I saw the past and looked forward to seeing the present and the future. We then left Poland and came to Israel. What a sense of joy and anticipation I had on arriving at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. I was not disappointed. The next seven days that I spent in Israel were the most moving and awe inspiring. The things I saw and the feelings about people I met and friends I made will never be forgotten. The description of the sights, the feelings, the friends could fill a book, and I will try to describe some of the highlights of these seven days.
As one of the five first-time visitors to Israel, I was extremely moved, when we stopped just outside Jerusalem. The rest of the mission formed a circle around us, and in sight of that beautiful city, Rabbi Steinmetz said a special prayer and some beautiful words. I wept openly as I thought of my late Mother and Father. They never had the opportunity to come to Israel - I was here for them as well.
Our trip to the Golan Heights was special. Through the words of our resident scholar, Ross Culiner, I learned much of the area, its history, and its vital importance to Israel. I loved that part of the county, its views, and the residents we met there. Having lunch with our young soldiers of the IDF tank brigade was an honour. To speak to these young men and women, to learn of their lives, their goals, their fears and their outlook on life certainly made me examine mine. I was moved and very impressed. Israel's future is strong with young people like these.
Dinner at Kibbutz Tel Hai that evening, the music and camaraderie was joyful. I was reluctant to leave.
There was so much more to do and see. We were awakened each day at dawn and never got to sleep before midnight. Friday, April 23, 2004 is a day I will always remember. The day started with a visit to Ammunition Hill, where so many lost their lives in the battle for Jerusalem. The monument dedicated to the soldiers who lost their lives captured our hearts and minds. I wish we'd had more time to spend there. We saw a film of a young soldier whose two closest friends lost their lives at Ammunition Hill. This film affected us all, as we sat for a period of time at the completion of the film, unable to move.
A visit to Orr Shalom, an organization dedicated to the care of children who must be removed from their homes because they are at risk, followed. It was heartwarming to see the work done by the professionals and to know that the funds raised by our Federation were so well used.
I spent lunch time and a good part of the afternoon with Ross Culiner on Ben Yehuda Street. I enjoyed that period of time sitting and talking to an Israeli. The sense of being there without fear was transferred to me. I had no fear. I was in Jerusalem, in Ben Yehuda, enjoying a falafel and a beer with friends. Don't Israelis do that all the time? I am one of them!!
Friday night at the Kotel was electrifying. Dovening at the Wall and saying Kaddish along with my friend Carl Ravinsky felt good. To see so many Jews saying their Sabbath Prayers was hypnotizing. The best of all however was yet to come. That night, under the open sky we dovened and sang and danced with the young men from Montreal, the very same young people we had met at Auschwitz. We marched with them at the death camps of Poland. We wept with them at Birkenau. Now in Israel on the Sabbath, we danced and sang with them. What a night to remember.
After spending Saturday morning on a walking tour of Jerusalem where I learned so much more from Ross, I was fortunate to spend the afternoon with my family in Israel, three generations of immigrants from Russia and a cousin who had moved to Israel in 1958. That afternoon with my family was so rewarding. I was able to share with them all that I felt. They were wonderful.
Sunday was another busy day. We were on the road to Beersheva before 8:00 AM and we visited Gesher Chai School. The young children were beautiful. They entertained us and talked of their school. They talked of the connection to the United Talmud Torah school in Montreal. It was a delightful visit.
After lunch, we headed toward the Dead Sea and Massada. Time constraints forced us to choose between swimming in the Dead Sea and visiting Massada. I chose to see Massada. I am fortunate that I did. It was well after 4:00 PM when we arrived. The cable car lifted us up to the fortress. From the top we had a magnificent view of the dead sea, the terrain around the fortress and the mountains to the west. Ross was with us. His discourse on the construction of the fort, the flight of the Jews from Jerusalem, the pursuit by the Romans, the siege and its outcome had a major impact on us all.
Massada affected me deeply for another reason. It was Sunday, April 27, 2004. It was the Yortzeit of my brother Sam who had died four years earlier. He was 68 years old, and had succumbed to Leukemia. He and I were very close. To say Kaddish at what was the synagogue at Massada with those who meant so much to me, along with the most wonderful Rabbi I have ever known at my side, was a memory I will always cherish.
We attended a Memorial ceremony that night at the Sheraton Hotel. It was Yom Hazikaron. It was very emotional. A girls' choir sang and poetry was read. A woman spoke to us of the loss of her son who was kidnapped by Hamas and murdered. He was one of seven children. His name was Nachshon. Change the O for an E and that is my family name. I spoke to her afterwards and I told her that my name has taken on a new meaning. I will never forget her.
The following morning we visited the Share Zedek Hospital which handles victims of suicide bombings. We saw a film depicting such an event from the hospital perspective. It was heartbreaking. The presenter and the entire group wept throughout.
That evening we attended a special Yom Haatzmaut Ceremony at Latroun. I was very proud. Our soldiers were so young, but so brave. I could not get over the young men and women who defend our country. They are remarkable.
There are many words and phrases that I can use to describe my first visit to Israel, but I'm sure they've all been said before. To me, Israel is not only a country, it's MY country. It is not only people, it's my people, it is a way of life. It is an attitude of determination, honesty, and love. I said earlier that it has changed my life, and it has. Before coming to Israel, I was of the Jewish Faith. I've come home a Jew, a citizen of Israel who loves his country dearly.