Summer B'nei Mitzvah Trip to Israel

I don’t want to scare any of our travelers! But let me tell you, my bubble has been burst.

From the moment I got on the first plane to NYC and then NYC to Tel Aviv. I was one of very few people masked. Arriving at Ben Gurion airport, though beautiful and modern, I was taken back to the Ben Gurion of 40 years ago…a balagan - understaffed, pushy and exhausted travelers, machines not working, a start-up nation, top in tech, understaffed and struggling to meet the needs of it’s exploding return to tourism. Luckily I was whisked through with VIP kindness and know-how. Fast forward 9 hours and I watched the frenzy of Thursday evening hustle and bustle of Tel Aviv nightlife, mini skirts and fashion alongside ultra-orthodox hailing cabs and waiting for their buses, soldiers eager to get home for Shabbat. This scene felt familiar. But what felt so unfamiliar? Where were the masks? I arrived at my first coffee shop, first meeting, first bar and dinner out as the lone mask wearer, and let me tell you, my bubble was completely burst. It wasn’t gentle, it wasn’t subtle, it was POP!