By Miriam Gershenson
LA JOLLA, California– If you were not aware that there was a Yom Ha’atzmaut event being held at the JCC, you must be living under a rock and most likely not reading this article. For the rest of you, I hope you managed to make it because if you didn’t, you really did miss out on a fantastic day with perfect weather.
Once we got “inside” (the event was outdoors), we were greeted with a sign that said “Welcome to Israel.” We realized it all made sense because different areas of the lawn were named different cities in Israel. That was clever and cute.
We made our rounds checking out the different booths and activities. We sought out some and discovered others. The avira (atmosphere) was incredible. People were happy, children were running around laughing, everyone was just enjoying the festivities. In the center of the field, there was still a reminder that we are waiting for our hostages.
I thought we would be trying to see all the stage shows but honestly, we ended up being so distracted by all the other things going on that we never really had a chance. After making the rounds, we decided to get a bite at Pita 22- it did not disappoint. But what did was the lady standing behind us. She was upset that the line was long. She even complained to the people working the station multiple times.
She was nervous that she was going to miss a show on the stage which in turn meant she could consistently get in my personal bubble of space time and time again. I even tripped over her and kept knocking into her. I suggested she go find a seat and that I will bring her the food- she was making me uncomfortable and she was unkind to the workers. She declined. She kept complaining and I realized, it is this type of behavior that gives us a bad image out in the world. If the line is too long for you, go to one of the other vendors with shorter lines or come back to get food when you have more time. We absolutely must do better!
Once my husband and I got our food, which was delicious by the way, we opted to sit on the grass. We could hear the music from the stage while having a visual on the various booths and being able to make a plan of action for our activities. Once we finished eating, we went over to Tzofim to make pita. I think this was my favorite activity of all. It took me back to when I was little and my dad took us to the Bedouin villages where we would get the large pita and choose our toppings. I remember eating it sitting around the fire and drinking tea with nana (mint).
At this point, my friend Maya arrived with her son, Julian. This was my opportunity to finally take part in the kid side of things. I felt it would have been weird, awkward, and probably looked down upon if an adult me would have been playing with the children’s items by myself. Now with Julian, I had a reason to make a name plaque and decorate it with glitter and paint in the IAC booth. I finally had a reason to get soap bubbles because obviously, Julian needed and wanted them. Ok, he had zero interest except the one time he blew the soap bubbles but frankly, that’s all I needed to justify my playing with it.
We continued on to PJ library where there was a color your own flag of Israel- Julian wasn’t too interested in coloring it so I got to. Then we got to the kiddie pools and I got to splash around and play with the fake fish to pretend that I was catching them. If you ask if Julian was interested, the answer is no. He didn’t care. He was more interested in the sticker my husband got him and looking for his mommy who was finding out more information about Jewish daycare.
I mapped out the area when Albert and I made our rounds initially. I knew we were near the Ken booth and they were serving coffee. I personally don’t drink but Albert and Maya do. I also knew I had to keep them caffeinated so I could continue to run around. If they are caffeinated and Julian is not complaining, then I can continue to do all the things. Believe me when I tell you, I did in fact want to do all the things. With everyone being in a good and happy place, it was time for me to spend some money. Off to the shuk part of the event. I knew what I wanted to buy from the initial walk through. Sadly, it was already 3pm at this point and some of the vendors already cleared out or were clearing out. I managed to buy some burekas and a bunch of Israeli snacks.
From here, I thought I’d take everyone to the Kindness booth because I love plants and I knew they were letting people color miniature pots and plant plants in them to take home. We did lose Julian and Maya at this point because Julian was mesmerized by the stage so Albert and I made our plants without them. Just like that, it was 4pm and the end time for the event.
The day went by so quickly, I wish it could continue for much longer. We truly had a great time from having chocolate milk in a bag- something I haven’t experienced since Israel- to making beeswax candles. The event went without a hitch. I think this was a great way to allow people to take a moment to enjoy life despite what’s going on. I hope we will get to experience more events like these in the future. It was great to see so many organizations and individuals come together to celebrate Israel’s independence.
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Miriam Gershenson is a dog-loving freelance writer based in Escondido.