In the Promised Land with the Chosen People

It's hard to believe I've been in Israel 3 weeks already. On the one hand it seems like I've been here ages and have already done some awesome stuff; on the other there's so much more to do and so little time in which to do it.

I suppose I should apologise for not having posted much so far - the simple reality is that there have been too many thing to write about and, being my mother's son, I've had difficulties deciding what to write about.

This is my fifth time to Israel but, really, is very different to all the others - the first was when I was 12 with the family of a friend, and the intermediate three were in the summers of 2002/3-2004/5 with AUJS Israel Programs. Really, this is the first time I've actually been able to properly interact with Israelis as an adult, and the first time I've really had to take care of myself here in any way.

I knew that this time would be different so, while I came with lots of questions, I didn't really have many expectations as to what I would find, other than what one is told of Israelis - that they are loud, aggressive, impatient, lying/cheating/theiving etc. In my assessment, three weeks in, these stereotypes are ... well, kinda true, to some degree. I guess that's why they're stereotypes! But really this aspect of the national persona is not what is predominantly felt (at least not in Jerusalem, where I've spent most of my time) but rather it has become clear to me that the word that should be used more than any of those above is simply "nice".
Ok, so they use their elbows to make sure they get on a bus, it's rare that one can delineate a queue and people honk each other on the roads all the time .... but they're actually incredibly friendly and generous, willing to help when they can and very warm. A lot like Aussies I guess but in my experience, around the world not everyone is like this.
And more than Australians, Israelis seem to care about each other in a fairly active (some would say intrusive) way - unsolicited advice given on the street and such, but also people on the buses actually talk to each other (God forbid!!), and even to the groups of people with Down's sydnrome one sees on occasion travelling the city, and invitations are freely made for meals with people one's just met with very few questions asked other than "do you have a place for dinner?"

It's strange, we have a society where everyone is rushing somewhere from somwhere else; where everything is of world-class standard but people don't get paid enough; where the people and the country are in a constant struggle for survival in the face of military and political threats from many directions ... and everyone, rather than fighting tooth and nail (other than in traffic and queues) , is out there looking after each other. It's incredible, really, and I think there's a lot that can be learnt from this nation. I hope that in Australia, as we drift towards a dog-eat-dog American-style mentality, we can take a page from Israel's book and learn to band together, rather than to drive ourselves apart. Perhaps the Chosen People in the Promised Land can still be that historical Light Unto the Nations...