You Say Goodbye, And I Say Hello

It is with mixed emotions that I bid goodbye to Tbilisi. We met people who are resilient, talented, beautiful and, above all, proud. Proud to be Georgian and proud to be Jewish. Proud to have overcome many struggles and proud to live in a democracy. But the country has a long road ahead, and many people with whom we talked wish to make aliyah to Israel. While I am thrilled that they feel a connection to Israel, does this mean that the best and the brightest will leave behind those who are too old or too frail to start afresh? And what will become of the 2600-year-old Georgian Jewish culture? Will that die a death by 1,000 cuts? I found myself musing about what it would take to keep the Jewish Georgian culture alive, and how much would be needed to create better options for young adults who are educated and talented but who are out of work.

Clearly there are no easy answers. The problems are not restricted to Jews. Unlike many other places in Europe the issue isn't one of anti-semitism but of economic opportunities. It is an issue that the Georgian government will need to solve. But in the meantime it is good to know that the Jewish Agency and the Joint Distribution Committee are there to help Jews in need and to reinvigorate the culture through camp programs, the Chesed Center, food assistance and myriad other programs.

We boarded the plane with more than a little excitement about getting to Israel. Now, I must confess that I haven't been to Israel since, gulp, 1975. I was pretty much an outlier on this mission, as there are a number of "mission junkies" in our group. They go on at least one mission a year, sometimes more. I have become quite used to hearing sentences that start with "Well, when I was on the mission to Ukraine/Ethiopia/Budapest/Romainia/China... And here I was, a lone staff person who last visited 40 years ago. What would this country look like? Did I have a mental image that was born of my BBYO summer trip? Would it all come streaming back to me as soon as we landed? Would I even recognize the motel? I knew that it would be as if I were seeing the country for the first time.

...and here is my first glimpse:

Baggage claim, passport control, bus and finally our hotel in Tel Aviv. Tomorrow will be a full day.