HOME SAFE!
“To move, to breathe, to fly, to float,
To gain all while you give,
To roam the roads of lands remote,
To travel is to live.”
― Hans Christian Andersen, The Fairy Tale of My Life: An Autobiography
The photo above was taken right before we boarded the plane in Newark for the final leg of the journey home. We left our gallant Galilee friends family on Monday morning (photos of the tearful farewell are on Facebook) and, thanks to the window afforded by the semi-ceasefire, we stopped at the Dead Sea (pictures of mud covered Circus Harmonians are on Facebook) and were able to visit Jerusalem (photos of awe-struck children at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and Western Wall are on Facebook) before boarding an overnight flight to the U.S. We landed in Newark at 3:30 AM (an hour before the customs people were even there, so they would not let us off the plane!?!). We did get to see the sun rise over Manhattan, though.
We had the most incredible homecoming the Arches have ever received with families of the kids from the trip, Circus Harmony familes who weren’t on the trip and numerous media represtnatives all there with signs, flowers, cake, microphones, smiles and hugs! Look for us tonight on most of the major St. Louis stations as well as something soon in the St. Louis Jewish Light and a follow up story on St. Louis Public Radio. (You can also, of course, check out those homecoming photos on Facebook!) We are incredibly grateful for ALL the wonderful people in American and Israel who made the trip possible, for the brave parents who waited from afar, for the host familes who treated everyone like they were their own, for our champion chaperons, Bill Dodson and Leslie Tupper, for the Circus Harmony staff who kept the home children soaring and for all of you who cared about the flying children and what they were doing in Israel!
The impact of this journey was profound and will be felt for some time to come. I cannot tell you how deeply moved and appreciative people in Israel were that we had come despite what was going on. I cannot even put into words how life-changing this truly is for all the chldren directly involved. We can only hope that the media attention that came after we got stranded there will help people realize that the positive work of both Circus Harmony and the Galilee Foundation for Value Education exists and goes on every day. Pay attention to the good work being done in the world. It is like the Galiee Arches themselves: if you concentrate on what connects you, instead of what seperates you, it is amazing what can be created.
Thank you for following this blog. Please feel free to share it with others. I will keep blogging here but it will not be on a daily basis. I do want to add that if you know of anyone who would be interested in supporting this particular project, “Peace Through Pyramids”, please let us know. Right now, we struggle to raise the funds to do this every other year. We would love to do it every year or even to have secure funding to do it every other year. It is, as mom, Cheryl Mayaan put it, “A candle in the darkenss.” If you can help it glow, please contact us.
Peace through Pyramids. Harmony through Handsprings. Joy through Juggling.
Jesisca Hentoff
Artsitic/Executive Director of Circus Harmony