A few of my favourite things

Overthe past week or so, I have noticed a few "only in Israel" experiences that I want to share: .  This is by no means a comprehensive list of all that is Jewish in Israel, but it is all "only in Israel": 

- Natural springs are named for people, such as בריכת דובק, fixed up by high school students from Efrat, and named in loving memory of a tour guide (Dov Weinstock) who was also a mentor to mmany teenagers who had "lost their way".

- Every college campus has its own Beit Knesset.

- The Ministry of Housing builds at least one shul and mikva in every neighbourhood.

- Frum (of all flavours) special education classes and schools are provided, free of charge, by the government.

- Every calendar and diary has the Hebrew calendar and Jewish holidays on it.

- The course of study for a teaching diploma / degree requires several courses in Judaics, such as "The History of the Siddur".

- A chain of shoe stores is giving away canvas shoes.   While Lands' End tells you that cloth shoes are good for summer, in Holon the sales girl tells customers that they are good for Yom Kippur.

- No one blinks an eye at the "kupat holim moked" (telephone centre for making medical appointments) when you ask them for the Hebrew date of the appointment they  are offereing.

- Tu b'Av is a national "holiday" , with stores advertising special "love baskets" of chocolates; music festivals; and articles about improving relationships.   

- The farmer who takes children (and parents) ona tractor ride quotes Tanach, Hazal and Yedcid Nefesh about  plant and mountain that they see.  Of course, the mountains are all of Torah significance - this is Eretz Yisrael, after all!!!

- Everyone, in and out of Israel, expects Israel to be PERFECT and NOW-  forgetting that we are after 2000 years of Galut; only 70 years after the crematoria; that even now, 50% of the world's Jews have never seen a Humash; that all through the world and throughout our history, there have been famous and powerful self-hating Jews; that on average, 80% of the world's Jews are marrying non-Jews; that we have more deadly enemy nations and local terrorists than any country in the world; that we are still developing the desert...  

We forget that Geula is a process, because we know that we CAN do more.....

And, BEH, we will do more.   But it takes time....   

BEH we should learn to be better "parents" to ourselves and to other Jews, keeping our sights high, but with patience, CELEBRATING EVERY SMALL STEP.