Vancouver. What an amazing city. I have just returned from a 10 days visit in British Colombia as a guest of the congregation of Temple Sholom in Vancouver. As some of our readers here may already know – I am an injured veteran of the Israeli Defense Force, I was wounded in December 22nd, 2000, when I was waiting for a lift to Maskiyot, where I had served at that time. A stranger, young Palestinian “hugged” me and blew himself up over me and my dear good friend Tsipi Ben Shahar, fortunately killing only himself. Beit Halochem Canada invited 8 of us vets to visit them in Vancouver, and enjoy a wonderful trip full of surprises they had organized for us.

After traveling for 26 hours in total (we missed a connection flight) from Tel Aviv to Vancouver via Toronto, we arrived in the middle of the night to meet our hosts. It is hard to explain the sort of experience it was for me to come as a guest to a home of people I had never met before. The warmth and friendliness of their hospitality and welcoming abolished any awkwardness right on our arrival.

Each vet was hosted by a family who volunteered their homes , time and money to make our visit comfortable and enjoyable. I had the pleasure and honor to be a guest of Tamara, David, Naomi, Adina and Cooper, who made me feel as one of the family.

The trip was organized perfectly and we had a pretty easy going schedule which was relaxing and fun. We visited Whistler where we took the chair lift up to Black Comb and I walk bare feet in the snow, we went to the first concert of the last and final tour of the Police, that was so good, I wish I could go the the last concert of the tour as well! I swam in the pacific ocean with snow covered mountains tops around, drank a lot of excellent local beer and wine, met the mayor of Vancouver BC (he left a very good impression on all of us), visited many artists studios in Granville island, also visited with Tamara the Anthropology museum of UBC (a great collection of Indian Art), sailed around English Bay with a massive sail boat that David and Tamara rented, enjoyed fabulous dinner parties and many other enjoyable adventures, the list is too long for me to remember it all at once, I still suffer a little jet leg, and I’m so tired!

We met many passionate people who cares a lot about Israel, Art, nature and about us, the vets. I believe that their feelings towards Israel and the efforts and commitment they showed me over the last 10 days, helped me a lot in making a very difficult decision about my future – I am canceling my registration to Royal academy of the Arts in Den Haag. and staying in Israel, working here, and help writing my country cultural History by creating new and exciting Art installations.

If by any chance anyone from they people I have met in this trip are reading these lines, I want to express my gratitude you, for being open and friendly and patient. I had a great time, and I hope I could make your visit to Israel as interesting as you made my visit in BC (I know the best places for sandwiches and Humus in Tel Aviv! and some other nice places).

Random Posts

• A New Service @GolanArts
• Beau Lotto’s Optical illusions
• Action Painter, and the Knoted Belly

This entry was posted on Monday, June 4th, 2007 at 9:00 pm and is filed under Life. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.