Why I write...

When I’m in Israel for the first time this week, I’m going to keep you posted via blog. Kindly allow me to tell you why.

I once had an assistant at work, we’ll call her Sue, who was about to take a trip with her family to Disney World. For weeks she was downright giddy about the vacation.

The day before she left, we walked out of our offices together and she seemed surprisingly subdued. I asked her why, and this is the essence of her response:

“Well,” she sighed, “looking forward to it is probably the best part of going on vacation. Once it happens, you’re there for a few days and then it’s over.”

Knowing the end of the story — she had a great time while there, and fond memories upon her return — I think her sentiment was a tad exaggerated. But the lesson I took away from that conversation with Sue is that any planned event in one’s life really comprises three parts — anticipation, experience and recollection.

I’ll be embarking for Israel around the time you read this, and true to Sue’s sage words, the anticipation is practically as palpable as touching down and tramping on Israeli soil.

Through a generous grant by the Lubin-Green Foundation to the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 10 local agency execs will visit Jerusalem, our sister city region of Yokneam/Maggido, Tel Aviv and points in between. And during the trip, we’ll have contact time with Israeli professionals to foster ongoing relationships and develop an understanding of each other’s challenges and opportunities.

As one representing a news organization, I of course have great interest in current events. Arriving on the heels of the Gaza battle (with the embers still burning white hot), and a few days before the national elections that will matter gravely in the direction of any peace initiative, there’s no lack of relevant immediate content.

But I also approach this trip as a member of the world Jewish community, with a thirst to grasp “Israel” in a visceral way. Certainly one of the many reasons for such a mission trip as this is a hope by the sponsors that the newbie will engage at a deep spiritual and religious level, one that builds an intractable emotional bond to the Jewish State.