Israeli Travel
Detroiters schedule and cancel trips to Israel.
SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN
Staff Writer
1 ust 10 weeks ago, it was diffi-
cult to find a place in Israel
without Detroiters. During a
summer of leisurely travel, a
feeling of security pervaded the Jewish
homeland.
Now travelers are scarce, and some
who had planned to stay into the fall
and winter months are back home.
Cancelled trips and early returns can be
chalked up to parental caution and con-
cern for the safety of those on Israel trav-
el programs, coupled with news reports
of rioting and anti-Semitic vandalism.
13
thrown on the highway that separates
East Jerusalem from us. The border
patrol came. Twenty minutes from my
school, in an area that is supposed to be a
safe place, a mob pulled three American
yeshivah students from their car.
"It's not as bad as the [American] news
makes it. You don't see bullets flying
through the air. You can travel, but there
are just places you know you can't go.
I've never been scared before. It's more a
fear of the unknown," Drissman says. "If
I go five minutes from my house in
Farmington Hills, I'm at the end of my
sub. If I go five minutes from my school
in Israel, I would say the Shema."
Media Versus Eyewitness
American travelers home from Israel agree
that what they have seen dif-
On Oct. 24, the U.S. State
fers from what news cam-
Department upgraded
eras show.
from travel advisory to
"Our view of Israel's poli-
travel warning its directive
tics and reality is seriously
for American citizens to
influenced by a media that
defer all travel to Israel, the
plays the usual game of
West Bank and Gaya. The
protecting the underdog,"
warning cited indications
says Rabbi Leonardo
of a heightened threat of
Bitran, who spent part of
terrorist incidents.
the week of Oct. 9 in Israel.
American citizens
"My visit to Israel proved
already in Israel were
to me that Israelis were and
advised to avoid shopping
are interested in peace." He
areas, malls, public buses
says, however, they are dis-
and bus stops as well as
appointed with Palestinian
Rabbi Bitra n
crowded areas and
leader Yasser Arafat and his
demonstrations, and to
people.
maintain a low profile to reduce their
"They really hate us — as if we
vulnerability.
believed or wanted to believe they did
Words like these, mixed with media
not before!" says the Congregation
reports, whether slanted or exaggerated,
Shaarey Zedek B'nai Israel rabbi.
have caused the cancellation of trips and
"There is a sense of depression among
brought some Detroit-area kids home
the
people in Israel right now, a sense of
from Israel study programs.
having
gone backward in terms of
Ezra Drissman, 19, of Farmington
prospects for peace and a grave concern
Hills had planned to continue studying
for what the future holds," says Robert
at Ohr Somayach in Jerusalem until
Aronson, chief executive officer of the
December. But his second year at the
school was cut short when he returned
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
home in October.
Detroit in Bloomfield Township. He
"The decision was my parents'," he
returned Oct. 28 from a week in Israel.
says. "They got worried. We were right
"There is isolation — Israel is com-
by the Arab border. Everyone's parents
pletely without tourists. The hotels, the
were worried."
streets, the malls are empty. But for
One Detroit-area classmate also came
Israelis, life goes on. People are Working
home, while a second remains.
and carrying on."
Drissman says he would have pre-
Aronson visited Detroit's Partnership
ferred to stay on, despite a change in the
2000
region in the central Galilee, where
atmosphere in Israel in recent weeks.
there
has been some rioting. "I met with
"The mood of the whole country,
leadership
of the region, reassuring them
totally swung downward," he says. "You
of
Detroit's
support and concern."
see soldiers everywhere you go. Stones are
Coming Home
1 1 / 3
2000
16
as long as yOu don't go to non-touristy
places, you'll probably never know what
"A lot of college and high school pro-
is going on elsewhere. Those who go for
grams are going on," Aronson says. "A
vacation will get there and wonder what
lot of the kids are staying." Among the
all the noise was about."
programs is the Federation-sponsored
Americans traveling to Israel this
Project Otzma, providing leadership
month are visiting family, not touring,
training and volunteering throughout
says Michael Hochheiser of
Israel for North Americans of college
CWT/Crown Travel in Oak Park.
and post-college age. It is a 10-month
"This time of year I would normally be
commitment. Of this year's six program
swamped, booking five to six trips a day.
members, one is home for a visit, but
Now I'm down to a couple in a week.
This week it started to perk up again, a
plans to return. The others remain.
little, but it is people with family there —
Safety concerns others still on Israeli
not vacationers." He is booking trips for
travel and study programs.
parents of kids studying in Israel.
Lisa Wolfe is participating in a four-
Among those traveling in December is
month work-study program on Kibbutz
Huntington Woods' Lynne Avadenka,
Hanasi in the Galilee region. Her moth-
whose family will visit her 18-year-old
er, Marilyn Wolfe of West Bloomfield,
son, Max Sussman. On a Habonim
says Lisa "originally planned to extend
D'ror program, Sussman is living on a
her trip and do some traveling in Israel,
kibbutz in north central Israel. "Like
but that depends on the safety factor."
everybody, we're worried and we're
Marilyn Wolfe says, "I can't help but
watching," Avadenka says. "But how can
panic when I watch CNN, but I know
we have our son there and not feel safe
she doesn't feel unsafe."
enough to go, too."
The touring Lisa has done has been
Hochheiser says, "People are
on group trips. "This is
ss, F3- going with caution, but they
not the experience we
come back and tell people
expected from her trip
that in Yerushalayim you
— she does not have the
feel safe — and there are no
freedom of movement of
lines to wait in."
being in a major shop-
He says with hotels, tour
ping area or going to
companies and airlines waiv-
Old Jerusalem. She stays
ing and reducing fees for late
mostly on the kibbutz.
cancellation, travelers can
"Unless we are told by
Wait to make decisions.
Lisa or by the program
Even with individuals can-
(New York-based Project
celing trips, he says, "The
Oren Semester Program),
tours still are going. I haven't
we will not force her to
heard of tour companies can-
leave," Wolfe says.
celing. They will be rerouted
Rabbi Dr. Yigal Tsaidi, Robert Aronson
if necessary to stay in safe
educational director of
,,
areas.
Yeshivat Akiva in
Hochheiser's own 21-year-old son Yudi
Southfield, says, "I think if I told my
is studying in a northern suburb of
son to come home, he wouldn't." His
Jerusalem that has seen some of the vio-
son, 17-year-old Yahel, is studying for a
lence. Believing strongly that Americans
year at a yeshivah in the Gush area of
should be in Israel, he says, "I have no
Israel.
intention of bringing him home."
"The assumption that Israel is the least
safe place to be, I disagree with complete-
ly. I don't think Detroit is more safe than
Travel Changes
A Jewish Community Council-spon-
the Gush. There are soldiers all around
,
— you feel safer with the army all over."
sored trip for the end of November has
been postponed. "The trips we plan are
not for tourism," explains David Gad-
Encouraging Travel
Harf, executive director of Jewish
"Those considering a trip to Israel in
Community Council in Bloomfield
December should definitely plan it,"
Township. He says this did not seem the
says Mark Myers, community shaliach
opportune time to take Michigan digni-
and director of the Michigan/Israel
taries on the planned trip to Israel,
Connection of the Federation. "But be
"There are certain areas on the itinerary
informed and don't ignore State
that we would be restricted to visiting."
Department warnings."
"We were the first of the Big Ten
For those who already have tickets,
schools to suspend our programs," says
"Don't change plans as of novv," he says.
Ed Ingraham, acting director of the
"People going to Israel proper — not
the West Bank and Gaza — wouldn't
Office of Study Abroad at Michigan
State University, which oversees Israel
know there is a problem. The reality is
Staying On