Only the Beginning...

My name is Sam Zeitlin. I am from Potomac, Maryland and this is my first time in Israel. I didn't know what to expect on the plane ride over to Israel from JFK but I hoped I was sitting next to someone interesting. Little did I know my life would change forever in that plane ride.

I discovered for the first time that the inhabitants of Israel are some of the most magical and decent human beings I have ever met, never being to the great country before. An older religous man was to the left of me. I knew he was religous because of his long unkempt grayish beard, his white collared shirt, and his black kippot, which he wore proudly. A little taken aback, as well as interested by the mans appearean ce, I started talking with him. He asked me if this was my first time traveling to the country. I replied yes, not knowing what he may think of me or how he would anwser. He told me that Israel was a great nation and that he was happy I was able to take the trip to his homeland. Not being a religous Jew, we had great discussions about our lives, as well as the political, social, and economic fututres of our nations. I explained to him that I used to be in a teen led Jewish Youth Fraternity called Aleph Zadik Aleph. It was such a special moment, for whenever I try to explain AZA to someone, I cannot get my mind nearly across the whole concept. It's a feeling, a life style, kind of like Judaism. It was easy to explain to this man, who I never met in my life, what this activity was that was close to my heart. He was so amazed by my story and told me a lot about him self. Having 12 children, one of them was being Bar Mitzvahed. Only knowing him for 5 hours, he invited me to his son's Bar Mitzvah, which was happening a week after my trip ended. He told me about his ancestors, many of them coming from Yemen, his job, as well as the other children has. It was such a life changing moment. I have discovered, only being in Israel for less then 3 full days, that this nation is more then a paradise. This small plot of land is a place of hope, brotherhood, and togetherness, much of what my youth fraternity was to me. I hope to have a chance to blog more in the trip but now I am going to take a rest. Sam Zeitlin