MONDAY, JULY 14
The day was spent exploring Atlanta. We broke up in to groups and visited classic Atlanta sights like the Georgia Aquarium (amazing!), the Coca-cola Company and the Martin Luther King Center. Some went to visit Emory University and other sites. It was a warm day, a nice preparation for Israel. I had hoped we could visit the famous Temple in Atlanta, and was in touch with the Rabbi and Executive Director there, but the time did not work out well.
After some concern with ARZA, I went to the airport in the mid-afternoon to check on the status of our reservations. Our flight was scheduled for 10:40 pm but it was not clear that our group was set with Delta, although I had various confirmations. After some more standing in lines, I received assurances that everything was fine. I spent the rest of the day in the Atlanta airport until the rest of the group joined me in the early evening. We all stood together in line, received our boarding passes – but no seat assignments. That would have to come at the gate.
After security we came to the gate, but no ticket agents were present to give us seat. In fact, we became quite nervous because they did not give us seat assignments until we the plane was already half boarded. However, we did meet a wonderful group of 12 year old Israeli Jews, Christians and Arabs participating in an organization called Kids4Peace. I spent some time speaking with the organizer and watching these kids play together. They had spent time together in Israel getting to know each other and had some time in America as well. But mostly, it seemed, they were playing like any ordinary group of kids. It was a great reminder of what can happen when you approach someone as a human and not a label. I am sure they have differences, but whatever they are they tend to melt away when they know each other.
Our lost day grew to a close as we boarded (at last!) our flight to Israel. My heart leaps whenever I get on an Israel bound jet. I thrill to hear a voice speaking the language of the Torah, the language of the Prophets, telling me to make sure my “seat back and tray tables are in their full upright and locked position.”
The day was spent exploring Atlanta. We broke up in to groups and visited classic Atlanta sights like the Georgia Aquarium (amazing!), the Coca-cola Company and the Martin Luther King Center. Some went to visit Emory University and other sites. It was a warm day, a nice preparation for Israel. I had hoped we could visit the famous Temple in Atlanta, and was in touch with the Rabbi and Executive Director there, but the time did not work out well.
After some concern with ARZA, I went to the airport in the mid-afternoon to check on the status of our reservations. Our flight was scheduled for 10:40 pm but it was not clear that our group was set with Delta, although I had various confirmations. After some more standing in lines, I received assurances that everything was fine. I spent the rest of the day in the Atlanta airport until the rest of the group joined me in the early evening. We all stood together in line, received our boarding passes – but no seat assignments. That would have to come at the gate.
After security we came to the gate, but no ticket agents were present to give us seat. In fact, we became quite nervous because they did not give us seat assignments until we the plane was already half boarded. However, we did meet a wonderful group of 12 year old Israeli Jews, Christians and Arabs participating in an organization called Kids4Peace. I spent some time speaking with the organizer and watching these kids play together. They had spent time together in Israel getting to know each other and had some time in America as well. But mostly, it seemed, they were playing like any ordinary group of kids. It was a great reminder of what can happen when you approach someone as a human and not a label. I am sure they have differences, but whatever they are they tend to melt away when they know each other.
Our lost day grew to a close as we boarded (at last!) our flight to Israel. My heart leaps whenever I get on an Israel bound jet. I thrill to hear a voice speaking the language of the Torah, the language of the Prophets, telling me to make sure my “seat back and tray tables are in their full upright and locked position.”
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