I follow a lot of Israel pages on Facebook, so I see a lot of posts and news stories about celebrities going to Israel and all the fanfare they receive. Just yesterday, I saw a story about Michael Douglass and his family arriving there. Apparently, Jon Bon Jovi now has a concert scheduled there for October. I remember when Madonna said that she "considers" herself Jewish...that was also newsworthy, apparently. When Kim Kardashian and Kanye got there, of course, it was the same scenario. Even the latest Duggar baby...wonderfully named Israel, was EVERYWHERE. Every Israel page I follow seemed to post about that little guy continuously for a week (at least) :)
Congratulations to them on a healthy baby boy, and love to Israel!! Hey, why not? I get that. But lets get back to Michael Douglass for a minute. From what I understand, his family is now in Israel for his son's Bar Mitzvah. This is WONDERFUL!! Amazing! Mazel Tov! Now, if I recall correctly, an article came out about a month ago in which Michael Douglass said that he is Jewish, but he had never really celebrated his Jewish roots or heritage. Douglass said that he now wanted to change this...and he wanted his children to also know their Jewish roots. So, very soon after that, another story came out, saying that Douglass's son was given a bad time (bullied) for wearing a star of David. This story also went all over social media and, understandably, gleaned a lot of support. Now, the Douglass family is celebrating his son's Bar Mitzvah in Israel, and apparently, Michael Douglass has sustained an injury (at the Bar Mitzvah). So this...is also newsworthy...I guess.
Okay, it's not hard, I would think, for famous individuals who can afford what they like to do things like visit Israel. I would imagine that this gives them A LOT of exposure that sometimes, even THEY would rather not have Like MJ said in the song..."Just leave me alone." Right? Anyway, this is ISRAEL. This is The Holy Land; this is the Promised Land, this is THE place where so many Biblical things happened. This is where Jesus Christ, Yeshua Hamashiach walked and talked and performed his miracles. (!!!). People all over the globe...myself included, dream about making it someday to this tiny country. In my case, my desire to go, has flourished pretty recently. But many people have wished and hoped and dreamt and prayed about getting to Israel for decades. I'm sure, the reasons for this vary greatly... but no doubt, many times it's a financial issue. Many of us simply can't afford it. So is the case with me, and many others. My own mom used to describe Israel tours, and how much they cost to people everyday because that was her job. But she was behind a desk everyday, with a headset on. Anyway, she never actually WENT..and so I've not been either.
To anyone fortunate enough to have gone on one or many Israel tours, congratulations to you...how amazing! To anyone who wants to get to Israel so bad they can (almost) taste it...I so empathize with you. My mom used to describe to me that the water in the Dead Sea is so dense, people can just sit on top. She used to tell me how sometimes she would get calls from people asking if she had been to Israel herself, and what could she tell them about it? (??). How different it must be when you've been to a place and seen it firsthand...especially Israel!! :) But whatever the particular reason for wanting to go, I'm sure many of us have our heartstrings tugged, if we read or hear of a story where another celebrity has arrived there, and they receive all the notoriety that comes with it. Anyway, because my mom's job was telling folks how wonderful and amazing Israel is, I learned quickly not to soak up all of the negative news reports that are EVERYWHERE surrounding this tiny little paradise. Mom would often get calls from people concerned about whether it was safe to visit. The only special instruction given was that everyone just stay with the tour...which of course is just par for the course, no matter where one travels.
I think if I had one wish (one wish of many) but one wish, I would set up a fund for everyday people (more specifically, low income people) who would like to go to Israel, but can't afford it. Not a college scholarship, and not a Kickstarter Campaign. I have no idea right now what the criteria would be: Would there be special incentives for someone who was born in Israel and want's to go visit, for example? What about a college student? No idea, so I should think about this more. I'm just thinking about all the average folks out there who love Israel, and want to go see it...no fanfare, no publicity, no celebrity welcome. Just someone who gets to stare at the Sea Of Galilee and feel as though they hear angels singing... (HALLLL-lelujah). Wow!! I would love to this myself...but would also love to help someone else find their dream. PS...an absolute must, would be spending money, because things are expensive in Israel, so this would be included in the total amount. Yes...I think that would be great! I would also encourage each person granted the fund to keep a travel blog while there...and if you see any famous faces while visiting the Holy Land...let me know! :))
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