Side by side with criticism we must always bear in mind that Israeli society has plenty of positive aspects as well. One of the most outstanding characteristics of Israeli society is this special type of true and real friendship that simply does not exist anywhere else in the world.
This was the case of Hanna (due to her privacy many details were changed from the original story), a new immigrant of 50, divorced and a mother of 2 mature children, who made Aliyah all by herself. Hanna left behind friends and family to become an Israeli citizen.
Hanna rented a small but very cozy apartment in the Jerusalem area. She left behind more than family and friends; she also left an excellent job. At least she had a substantial savings fund from where she received a monthly pension – enough to cover her basic needs and a little more.
After two years in Israel Hanna learned to socialize with the Israelis surrounding her. Her neighbors became good acquaintances but she still felt like “a foreigner”, not “belonging” or at least “not accepted” by the others. They viewed her as “the new immigrant” who judged from the second floor.
Hanna didn’t have a job but she volunteered in 2 different organizations. One of her volunteer jobs was in the neighborhood working with elderly people.
One day Hanna wasn’t feeling well, this went on for a few weeks. Hanna kept diregarding how she felt by convicing herself it was some type of cold. One morning Hanna felt sick and so week that she could barely call an ambulance before collapsing. Hanna was taken to a hospital and was diagnosed as having some type of rare heart failure. She was told that she would need not only a diet and special medication to recover but she would also need bed rest over a period of at least a few weeks.
Hanna’s children came to Israel in order to organize her house and helped her to rest. however life is what it is and after two weeks the children had to go back home and resume their own busy lives– they had jobs and their own family to look after.
Hanna was a strong person but after only two days unable to leave the house she started to panic so she called Shosh. Shosh was one of her good Israeli friends and Hanna asked her for advice. Shosh asked her many questions regarding her schedule, her daily needs, and her finances… a little too much for Hanna who couldn’t understand the Israeli mentality. But under the circumstances she relentlessly answered the questions.
Shosh was so nice to her and helped for a few hours but then disappeared leaving Hanna in a state of despair.
Two days later Shosh knocks again on Hanna’s door and after excusing herself for the disappearance she had explained to Hanna how she worked out this plan in order to assist her.
Shosh started blabbing about the schedule she had prepared for the next few weeks and who would do what and when. Hanna didn’t understand anything, she was confused and frustrated until people started to pop in, not once a day but twice a day. People she had met in the past or volunteered with or just neighbors from the building, and many others she couldn’t even remember where she had met them before.
Over the next few weeks Hanna was given not only her basic needs met such as cooked meals but even some help with the cleaning and shopping. Hanna wasn’t alone anymore, she had a constant flow of people in and out coming to help, offering their help, bringing food etc.
It was a long recovery but Hanna learned a lesson of comradeship she could only dream of before; if it wasn’t for her illness she would have perhaps never had seen that side of a true “sabra”.
Even since Hanna’s experience she feels she must return some of that good back to society. So, Hanna created a committee in the neighborhood in charge of those in need for companionship and offers assistance to people with special needs.
Hanna doesn’t feel like a stranger anymore – she is now part of Israeli society at its best.
