Peruvian Zionists

 10:30pm Thursday July 14, 2011

Visiting Israel is something that most American Jews take for granted. I’ve probably spent 15 months of my life in Israel. American Jews also have free programs like Birthright, or highly subsidized Israel trips like those of Maimonidies, ZOA, or Hasbarah. We have direct flights to Israel from many major American cities.  All of this is very foreign to the Huanuco Jews.  They express their desire to go to Israel, asking about my visits-what its like, how special the Western Wall is. Yet, sadly because of the lack of Latin American counterparts of the programs that we Americans have at our disposal, my Huanuqueñan friends will probably never step foot in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem.

And it’s really not fair. A trip from Huanuco to Israel would include: 9 hour bus from Huanuco to Lima, an expensive flight to somewhere in Europe, and then a flight from there to Israel.  So probably all together maybe 24 hours of travel and more than $2500. The main issue really is the price tag-a trip to Israel just isn’t feasible unless there is some stipend, scholarship or subsidy; and neither the Huanuco community nor I know of anything to help Jews from third-world countries get to Israel.

Nonetheless, when I lead services here, I stress the importance of Israel in the lives of Jews worldwide.  We sing Yerushalyim shel Zahav and other songs, glancing at the large Israeli flag hanging in the living room of Señora Holzmann’s house, together hoping that someday Jews from all corners of the world will be able to  unite in Israel.

 

 

Carmen and Willie from Huanuco learn to read Hebrew so one day

they can speak read and speak Hebrew

  

Miguel, an aspiring HUC rabbinical student, needs to first learn to read

and write Hebrew before he can accept his scholarship