“What is Your Definition of Danger?”
In 2007, when Rabbi Marc Rosenstein of the Galilee Circus first asked me to bring the St. Louis Arches to Israel, I instantly replied “No, it’s too dangerous.” Obviously, I changed my mind and did take the Arches to Israel not just in 2007 but also in 2010 and this year (which, if you’ve been following the news has gotten us stranded here, thanks to the FAA ban on flights out of Israel to America). Anyway, back to 2007.
We were in Israel, at a camp fire and some of the St. Louis Arches were doing somersaults over the flames. Rabbi Marc stood by me and watched this for a while. Then he turned to me and said, “When I first asked you to come to Israel, you said it was too dangerous. Now, I’m watching this. And I have to ask you: what is your definition of danger?!”
My answer was then and is now that danger is when you are not in control of your safety. I absolutely knew my students could clear the flames. I hadn’t known if they would be safe on the streets of Israel. This year, I was so certain they would be safe in the Galilee (northern) part of Israel where we were headed that I decide to bring them to Israel despite the starting of the latest violence between Israel and Gaza.
If you followed us on this blog or at www.Facebook.com/circusharmony , you would have seen that the visit here has been in a place that seems almost idyllic. You would never know that a war is raging just a few hours away. Now, we’re stuck.
The children have been staying with various circus host families in both
Jewish and Arab villages. My students had actually been begging me to extend our stay here in Israel. Tuesday night, we had just finished our final show and were
sitting down to a feast cooked for everyone by the families, when we got the
call from one of our stateside parents about the airline flight ban. At this point, it looks like the soonest flight we could get does not leave until Monday night.
Our hosts have graciously extended their continued hospitality. People have
donated activities and food. We have booked additional shows and workshops. Today we ate, swam and took a theater class at a kibbutz. The kids are fine. It is the adults who want to return to the U.S. to get back to work. Of course, parents are VERY anxious to have their children home! We are also missing some important events at our circus.
We are skyping with families. Two moms skyped today who have never done
so before and were able to see for themselves that where we are in the
Galilee is peaceful and not like the scenes on the news which are filmed in
Gaza.
Our children are resilient. They are more than that. They are an amazing
example of what can happen when you focus on what connects you instead of
what divides you! They are looking at the positive side of this extended stay: more time with their new friends, more time to soak in this culture, more time to teach and learn from each other. They don’t feel that they are in danger but from the outside they are flipping over a bonfire.