There are “only in Israel” moments and then there are “you’ve got to be freakin’ kidding me only in Israel” moments. Yesterday was one of the later.
My 18 year old is amazingly energetic and creative when it comes to his activities and his transportation. With snow on the way last week in Israel, he made tentative plans to go skiing in the Hermon with friends. But all of the car options fell through and it looked like he might not make it.
Never fear. Saturday night he took a bus from Gush Etzion to Hispin in the Golan and spent the night (more like a few hours) with a friend. They had secured two cars, and the 8 of them headed from Hispin on Sunday morning to get to the Hermon.
Now, there is only one skiing location in Israel and when the snow falls and the conditions are right – the place is mobbed. He and his friends knew this and planned accordingly. They left Hispin at 3:30 or 4 in the morning and made it to the nearest community outside of the Hermon at 5:15 to get in line for ski rentals. The rental place apparently opens at 5:30 and he said they were fifth in line. With their ski equipment in hand, they raced back to their cars to get in line for the Hermon. The army only opens the gates at 7:30 and my son said that by 6am they were in line with 100 cars to get in. Looked like a good time for morning prayers, and they all got out of their cars, gathered others around and had a minyan. Oh Israel, how I love you.
When the gates opened at 7:30, my son and his friends were ready to go. He said that they were on the slopes by 8 and had an amazing morning.
When he called me at about 4 to check in, I told him that I had heard that it was so crowded up there that they closed the Hermon to incoming skiers at 1:30.
There was a pause.
“Um, Mommy, you didn’t hear the news? Oh man I probably shouldn’t even tell you.”
But tell me he did. Apparently, Syria shot a missile at Israel in the afternoon. Everyone skiing heard the massive sound and looked up to see two of our iron dome missiles shooting straight up into the air before turning to connect for a direct hit with the Syrian one.
“What did you do afterwards? Did they close the slopes?”
“No, we kept skiing.”
But of course.
(By the way, the ski slopes were eventually closed as a precaution.)
But never mind the missiles. The reason that he was calling was that his friends were heading home in another direction and he wanted to see if I could put a message on one of the lists to get him a ride. I did not manage to find him a ride, of course, but he found himself one.
When he got home at about 11pm I said – “How’d you get here?”
“Oh, that was a great story, Mommy. When we got to the parking lot in the Hermon I started yelling ‘Is anyone going to Jerusalem?!’ but no one was. Then we went to the place to return our skis and I saw a large family with a big van. I asked them where they were going. Jerusalem! I asked if I could go with them and they said – sure but we need to get food so we are stopping for dinner. And I said – amazing I’m starving! So, I ate dinner with them and they brought me to Jerusalem.”
Right.
Every time that he tells me a story like this, all that I can do is look at him in wonder. His can-do attitude, his ingenuity, his energy and his love of the country are all exactly why this little nation of ours will continue to thrive, create, reinvent itself and excel.
Even when missiles interrupt your perfectly planned ski day.
Kids here are so self reliant. It’s great. A neighbor of mine was also skiing, though with some of her sons, when they saw the iron dome in action. Wow!