ISRAEL, REVISITED by Avraham Azrieli
Posted on Nov 2, 2016 in Articles | Comments Off on ISRAEL, REVISITED by Avraham Azrieli ISRAEL, REVISITED by Avraham Azrieli (Originally published in the Jewish News of Greater Phoenix, July 2013) A recent visit to Israel rekindled my affection for our Jewish State, while fueling my dread of its demise. Despite ominous warnings from our kids’ nanny and the State Department, we left for Israel with our three youngsters to attend my niece’s Orthodox wedding, which was unlike any nuptial celebration we have seen before. The groom’s friends, in white shirts, slacks and sandals, handguns stuffed in their belts, danced tirelessly to modern interpretations of old Hassidic tunes. Faces red, long dresses sodden with sweat, the bride’s girlfriends danced behind a see-through partition until their ankles showed. The groom himself had hired a tutor to help him rehearse the complicated steps of an old Sicilian piece, which he preformed without tripping before his betrothed. The parents’ friends, hair graying under knitted yarmulkes and colorful...read more
