Lintz Family Does Israel

After arduous conversations over who will visit who and on which continent, Howie, Mom and Dad departed Charlotte east bound for their first adventure to Israel and a reunion after the longest stretch of time we have ever gone without seeing each other. Sitting outside of the arrivals gate I watched many families reunite before seeing my own. So many children burst out of the gates galloping towards grandparents they seemingly hadn’t seen in ages with recognition I would expect only within the capacity adult minds. I guess the heart is full of its own senses and wonders. Flashing in neon green letters I read on the electronic chart that the flight from Atlanta had landed at Ben Gurion airport circa 5:51pm and it was a matter of moments before I saw my own family after four months of phone conversations- doing the best we could do to paint pictures of our lives and own adventures. Finally they walked through the gates with pieces of luggage neatly stacked on a rolling cart; one compact suitcase each plus a gargantuan duffle full of my winter clothes and miscellaneous items I miss from home [sans Chloe]. (Thanks Mom and Dad- this couldn’t have come at a more perfect time as it is quite cold in Haifa.) Off Dad went to pick up the rental car, and off we were to our hotel in Jerusalem- a forty minute drive that between my navigation skills and Israel’s well marked roads took us nearly an hour and half.

It is amazing how little time the four of us spent backtracking and filling in gaps of the past few months. We make an effort to communicate over email and phone, but it must be the phenomenon of what happens when you are with people you love and have known your whole life… just pick up as if no time has passed. Okay, it might also be partly because I was a bit of a slave driver who jam-packed our itinerary with a plethora of activities and little sleep built. Thus, all conversation time was clearly needed to process history, politics and thoughts on all that we were seeing and doing, right? I guess all of my Taglit Birthright Israel experience has paid off because tour guiding came quite naturally to me. I know not everyone will read the entire blog entry… so in one sentence: This was the most magnificent Lintz family adventure (including Elizabeth) I can recall and I only wish Philip could have been with us. I use the word “adventure” because I think that true travelling is not a vacation at all. The way we have learned to let each others’ neuroses, faults and habits go in order to appreciate and enjoy our time together made the time that we had unforgettable. We filled our time in the car- road trip after road trip- with questions and conversations about Israel, the upcoming American elections, Jewish peoplehood, history, opinions, future plans, and adoration. I always tell people that my parents and brothers are wonderful people, but I have a new New Year’s resolution: to embody even a small fraction of the selflessness, generosity and love that my family exudes and reaches out to even the most perfect stranger.

So, off we set to conquer Jerusalem. We visited Har Herzl- a military cemetery and memorial, Yad Vashem- the Holocaust Memorial and museum, and a cute café called Anashim in Ein Karem. The next day we had a true Israeli experience when our rental car wouldn’t start and we were bullshitted (sorry Mom and Dad but I must use that word…) by the company for hours before behaving Israeli-like right back, handing the keys over and getting a new car from a new company. While spending several hours in the garage of a hotel could be considered a waste of time by some, I think that in a weird way the Lintz family enjoyed the challenge of reading each other, collaborating in fighting The Man, and seeing how we have all grown or changed a bit. I know for sure that Mom and Dad got a kick out of seeing me argue (borderline screaming) with the employee who was sent to jump start our unjumpable battery. I guess I forgot to explain to them that Israelis yell *a lot* and that when he was done hearing my voice he would make it very clear. This whole yelling thing became a bit of a game between the four of us and while it was frustrating it was almost fun in a way. We spent the next day with Elad, a tour guide I found on Facebook (seriously) and who I would recommend to anyone visiting Israel. He took us to the City of David, around the Old City and the Western Wall, showed us the sites and filled in gaps that tour books won’t. It was also a magnificent opportunity for my family to speak about Israeli society and politics with someone other than me- particularly an educated and thoughtful Israeli gentleman. For a never-ending conversation ask my dad these two questions: How did you enjoy driving the Ford Mondeo? Can you tell me what an upstanding young man Elad is? Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

We finally made it to our desert destinations: Ein Gedi, Masada, and the Dead Sea. Followed by adventures northbound to the captivating site of the Kineret (Sea of Galilee) where we stayed in a lake front cottage with a breathtaking view from our patio on Kibbutz Ein Gev. Surrounded by Golan Mountains and hills, the day was so clear we could see the city all the way across the lake from us. I have not quite embraced the extent to which we lucked out with weather. For ten days, in the end of December no less, we had not one bitter cold day or drop of rain. Continued northbound to checkout Mount Bental, an old army bunker from which you can see Syria and Lebanon and which previously served as a critical power point in order to survey the neighbors and protect Israel’s fresh water source, the Kineret. On to Rosh HaNikra, a cliff at the Lebanese border on the Mediterranean where ancient merchants (and the British in the early 1900s) ran an old transportation route from Lebanon through Israel, down to Egypt and onwards. We made a quick stop in Haifa, and spent a leisurely afternoon in Ceasaria (another grand establishment created by Herod in ancient times) on the coast before meeting Elizabeth in Tel Aviv.

Having Elizabeth, the closest thing I’ll ever have to a sister, with us made the whole trip feel like home, and the fact that her trip coincided so perfectly with ours was such a treat. We couldn’t have spent Shabbat any more gloriously than we spent our Saturday venturing south to the Negev where we visited Sde Boker and Machtesh Ramon, the largest non-crater crater in Israel. That sounds weird, but it is a natural phenomenon that exists only in Israel. In three places in Israel erosion and water carved out mammoth craters. En route back to Tel Aviv we stopped in Beer Sheva to show the family my residence for the last four months at the absorption center and spent a couple of hours at my friend Tal’s apartment drinking coffee and discussing (once again) American politics, school systems, and Israeli culture. We spent our final day in Tel Aviv exploring the market in Jaffa, wandering around modern and hip Sheinkin Street, looking at the city from the 49^th floor of the Azrielli towers at sundown and visiting with Michal. It wouldn’t have been a complete Lintz adventure without a hectic departure full of tears and “I love you”s. Luckily I had two more days to explore Tel Aviv with Elizabeth- including New Year’s Eve- and off she, too, returned to the States after just a few more tears. Just a few, I promise. And ‘zeh hoo’ (that’s it) folks. A not brief digest of a wonderfully splendid visit with my family… and more to come about my first few days living in Haifa.