a strange but wonderful vacation – other than occasional emails I couldn’t reach the outside world at all, and for us the only attempts that were important were concerned with the war in Israel.  But hearing about the war from a ship of fools was nothing like seeing and feeling it in here.  As soon as we got on the El Al plane we began to understand how isolated we had been.  Yes, we heard all the news, but we didn’t feel it.  Now we feel it – desperately.  

But I want to tell you about El Al.  As soon as I get into the plane I felt secure.  It was not only the staff I saw, it was the staff I didn’t see – the people I know were behind the scenes.

But it was also the humor.  While abroad I must have cracked a joke every few minutes, and found a smile once out of ten times.  Example:  I get into an elevator full of people and say, “Okay, who’s in charge here?”  Nobody laughs.  On the plane I walk up the aisle to the toilet and the steward says, “We’ve been Waiting for you!”   and he graciously opens the door for me – to which i bow and wave in a majestic manner.  i’m home.