Steve Goldsmith

By Steve Goldsmith

I was fortunate to get a chance to visit Israel a few years ago and, while the historical and religious sites I saw were incredibly moving and meaningful, I would have to say my favorite part of the trip were my conversations with the Israelis I got to meet and spend a little bit of time with.  Sometimes it was just a quick exchange of a few sentences between me and a stranger. And sometimes I got the chance to spend some quality time with them,  touring their workplaces and learning what a truly amazing job some of these folks were doing.  I met the staff at Ziv Hospital who were taking in Syrian children with life threatening war injuries and providing them world class medical care they couldn’t receive in Syria at no cost to their families.   I also visited a farming kibbutz in the desert where the farmers had invented an irrigation system for growing crops that is being used all over the world to feed people in deserts and drought stricken areas.  At an Ethiopian welcome and absorption center I was able to speak with refugees and hear their brave stories of escaping to Israel for a better life for them and their children.  I also got to spend time with some young men and women of the IDF at their base in the Golan Heights.  Over an afternoon and a shared meal we spent a lot of time together and I learned a lot about them individually and how much they gain personally by way of their volunteer service.  Whether they were brief encounters, long conversations, or during organized tours it was these conversations that I remember the most from my trip.  I learned a lot from these Israelis and I’m sure they did as well.