“What had seemed so basic now seemed like paradise.”

February 5, 2007 - 3:57 PM by Sarah

In response to a recent post, Israelity reader Sarah Rolph posted this heartwarming comment about Israeli hospitality. With her permission, I’m posting it here:

I was lucky enough to work for a part-Israeli company a while back, and visited Israel to write a paper with a colleague. I was there for three weeks and it was a wonderful experience.

I loved the warmth and generosity of the people. Colleagues who had never met me until that moment invited me over to their houses for supper. One colleague loaned me a bicycle to make it easier to get around. People were always asking about my comfort! And they were truly interested in telling me their stories and listening to mine.

One colleague took me for a tour of the area over a weekend and when another colleague heard we were going to be in the north, she insisted that we stay with her family for the evening. In the US that would generally be considered an imposition. My colleague assured me that the invitation was sincere, so we stayed with these folks on a Moshav.

I’ll never forget the experience. We arrived while they were still having dinner, which in the US would be embarrassing. Nobody minded in the least, in fact, they all started putting pieces of their food on plates for us!! The house was packed; it seemed that everyone had invited someone to stay over that weekend. Again nobody minded; foam pads and blankets were found and room was made for all of us.

Going to sleep on my improvised bed that night, thinking about the way we had been welcomed — in this very humble house made of cinder blocks — I felt a peaceful sense of gratitude and wonder that has stayed with me ever since. After a lifetime of expecting the most and the best without even realizing I had that mindset, I found myself among people who had little by my standards but much by their own. And they were more generous, and more grateful, than I had ever been. I realized how incredibly lucky I have been, and something in me changed.

In the morning the experience was underlined by a sumptuous breakfast in the sun. At night, all I had seen was the humble house, so basic by American standards. In the morning, I saw the land. We sat on the deck, which had an arbor that was covered by young grape vines. Everywhere in the yard there was life — fruit trees, nut trees, beehives in the yard… We feasted on beautiful local fruit. What had seemed so basic now seemed like paradise.

I’ll always remember this warmth and generosity and the way it opened my heart.

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