Five weeks Tel Aviv – and my soul wants to stay here. What do you do when your mind has booked the return flight, but your soul doesn’t want to leave?
In Tel Aviv, I am full of energy. It’s the place I belong to. There are so many things that move, nourish and fascinate me: the culture, the people’s attitude to life, the sun, the religion, the smell, the sea, the music, the coffee, the bike paths, the language, the food, the warmth. I simply love (almost) everything. Although, of course, there are 1,000 reasons to return to safe Germany. For example, during my stay, I had to go to the shelter several times. The Houthis fire once a week their obligatory rocket at Tel Aviv. Fortunately, the Israelis’ resilience rubs off on me. For instance one evening, there was a missile alert just before a coaching session. So I quickly texted my client: “Sorry, I’ll be late – rocket alert in Tel Aviv.” Ten minutes later, I’m sitting in the call. Back to normal.
Despite the war, Israelis seem more balanced than Germans. They don’t project their own dissatisfaction or fears onto others. In Hamburg, people are quick to give me the imaginary middle finger if I ride my bike a few meters on the sidewalk or don’t behave accurately at the supermarket checkout. Of course, there are also delicate situations here, and sometimes I am the trigger. So what? People don’t constantly judge each other. I like that, and it makes me reflect on my own ingrained German dogma.
What I love is the hospitality of the Israelis. For example, this week is Yom Kippur, the holiest Jewish holiday. In the synagogue, I strike up a conversation with the woman sitting next to me in the morning. After five minutes, she invites me to her home in the evening for the traditional breaking of the fast. Johanna and her husband Aaron have 20 people sitting at their table in the evening – neighbors, family, and friends. It’s a cheerful gathering with delicious home cooking. I enjoy the food and interacting with the locals.
It’s slowly getting cooler here in the evenings – autumn is on its way. Next week at this time, I’ll be sitting in my chilly apartment in autumnal Hamburg. How am I supposed to survive the winter in Hamburg? It’s my memories that keep me warm and alive.
Tel Aviv, you are my great love.
תל אביב, את אהבתי הגדולה