Emma and Eitan always loved being back in Israel. They especially loved the north. Kibbutz Nof Kinneret was a place hallowed in the history of the Groh family. Every trip back to the Kinneret region was special. This time, however, was drastically different. Never could they have imagined that they would be caught up in a world of political intrigue, assassinations, and covert operations. Danger was not necessarily new. Eitan had seen a lot during the years he lived in Israel. He was among the throng of people at the rally in Tel Aviv when Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin was assassinated. He lived in Jerusalem during several different terrorist bombings and even arrived on the scene of one at the Machane Yehudah marketplace, where he helped clean up in the aftermath.
Because the Grohs had spent time living in Israel, they knew that very bad things could happen at any time. One always needed to be on the lookout for suspicious behavior. But those types of occurrences were happenstance. Terrorists generally attacked whoever happened to have the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. This was a whole new situation. Noam was already dead, and the government of Israel believed that a foreign government with an axe to grind had their names on a very specific kill list. As they entered the gates of Kibbutz Nof Kinneret, the usual feelings of warmth and comfort were replaced by anxiety and fear. Even the warm welcome they received upon arrival could not ease the unsettling fright they felt in the pits of their stomachs.
Neither Emma nor Eitan had an appetite, but when Yehoshua led them to the dining room buffet, they did their best to put on a brave face. The general mood in Israel had been uplifted since the Ukrainian Jews were rescued. Their arrival was considered a significant political triumph for the Israeli prime minister and his shaky coalition. The kibbutzniks who joined the Grohs and Yehoshua at the communal dining tables were oblivious to the role they had played in the whole affair. Their minds were elsewhere. Excitement over the evening’s European Champions League basketball game between a Tel Aviv team and a Spanish club permeated the room. These sorts of matches had the capacity to bring great pride to the tiny State of Israel, and excited conversation filled the dining room. Yehoshua tried to ease Emma’s and Eitan’s moods by inviting them to watch the game in the kibbutz’s social club. Eitan smiled at Yehoshua’s suggestion, but his mind was wandering. He could not imagine having the patience to sit through a basketball game. All Emma could think about was how much longer her life was going to be interrupted. For the rest of the night she barely said a word. The Grohs went to sleep that night confused and scared but hopeful each succeeding day would bring better news.
Mornings were always Eitan’s favorite time on the kibbutz. Though he’d tossed and turned all night, at six thirty in the morning he decided to go for a light jog to clear his head. There was a chill in the air, but it was sunny and Eitan appreciated the fresh, cool air of the Galilee region. He walked outside his bungalow and then broke into an easy jog past the dining hall and administration building. Contemplating everything that had happened over the last few weeks seemed an insurmountable task. But as he picked up speed, Eitan was beginning to see this recent upheaval in his life in a new context. Though still scared and shaken by Noam’s death, he recognized that he had more in common with his grandfather than he ever thought. He loved being a rabbi, and he loved Miami. But what he loved more than anything was being bound up in the history of the Jewish people. Perhaps helping to bring Jews home to Israel was the best way he could do that. With all due respect to his grandfather’s career in Miami, what his grandfather had always been most proud of was helping Holocaust survivors come to Israel. Eitan felt the same way about his role with the Jews of Ukraine. Maybe it was this type of endeavor that he should focus on next. There were still a lot of Jews living in places where they were hated, and the hate was only increasing. Maybe it was time to bring a lot more of them home to Israel.
Eitan pondered these thoughts for close to forty minutes. He had made one complete circle around the perimeter of the kibbutz and was now resting pensively on a courtyard bench. At precisely seven thirty, Yehoshua emerged from his room eager to get some fresh air. When he spotted Eitan, he headed in his direction and took a seat next to him on the bench.
“Boker tov, achi. Glad you got some exercise in. How are you feeling?” Yehoshua asked.
“Ok, thanks. I’ve been reflecting on everything that’s happened. You know, just thinking about what we accomplished.”
“Nothing like fresh Galilean air to focus your spirits.” Yehoshua smiled.
Eitan nodded and then looked out across the courtyard. Kibbutzniks were starting to head towards their work posts, walking briskly in all directions.
Eitan remained silent, enjoying a peaceful moment in his friend’s company. Yehoshua also held his tongue until several minutes had passed by. Then he tried to offer a few more words of comfort to buoy Eitan’s spirits.
“I know you have never been through something like this before, Eitan.”
“You mean I never had a Nazi dictator try to kill me before?” Eitan interrupted.
“Well, yeah, it sounds bad when you say it like that,” Yehoshua joked. “But honestly, you are safe here. And this will blow over. These things always do.”
“I don’t think Noam feels that way,” Eitan shot back.
“Yes, but you are not a Mossad agent on assignment in Europe. Here we can protect you and Emma,” Yehoshua said with confidence.
“I trust you. I just hope this passes soon. Especially for Emma’s sake.”
“Me too. But listen, defending the Jewish people has never been easy. Your grandfather knew that, and so did mine. I guess when you live here all your life, that notion becomes part of who you are,” Yehoshua said.
“I hear you,” Eitan said, sounding unconvinced.
“Do you see that field over there beyond the fence?” Yehoshua asked, changing the subject.
“Yes, what about it?” Eitan replied.
“There is a story about it. A story everyone on the kibbutz knows. It involves my grandmother and your grandfather.”
“Really, what happened?”
Yehoshua leaned back and took deep breath. He smiled gently and began to tell Eitan a story that united the two men cosmically before either of them were ever born.