Introduction
Bob Jacobs’ first trip to Israel was in the summer of 1957 on a Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) tour when he was 22 yrs old. He was longing to see the new Jewish State but his motive to travel then, was also to surprise his girlfriend, Elaine Mirwis, who was already on a summer tour to Israel with “Young Hadassah”.
At that time, both the ZOA and Hadassah, through the “ZOA-Hadassah Youth Commission”, sponsored joint tours to Israel. Their youth traveled together and lodged in the same campus – but in separate buildings. During his 6-week visit, he managed to tour almost the entire country and wrote 31 letters to his parents and 7 separate letters to his younger brother Alan, who was twelve years old at the time. Already, during his first day of touring, he described Israel to his family in the USA as a “storybook dream coming true”.
These letters offer a description of Israel in its early days of statehood from the perspective of a young American on a first-time visit. As you read the letters you can feel the deep impressions each experience had on the author. The trip was life-changing, and solidified his connection to the Jewish people and their homeland.
Israel won it’s War of Independence in 1948 and this trip was only 9 years later. The Jewish People were still recovering from the horrors of the Holocaust and Israel was absorbing a massive wave of immigrants flowing in from every corner of the earth. These were the years of austerity, insecure borders, and hostile neighbors.
In these 38 letters, handwritten on EL AL stationary and Israeli aerograms, we get a fascinating look and deep appreciation of the developing state during those early years. At that time, the most widely used medium of communication were letters. A primitive telephone system did exist, however, it was difficult, time consuming and expensive to access.
Though the letters are informal in their style, one can notice that the author is a stickler for detail. From the aircraft registration number on the tail of his plane, to the detailed descriptions of Tel Aviv, the Dead Sea, and Jerusalem – his astute observations provide the reader with a realistic insight into the Israel of 1957.
Israel then was different than the Israel of today, with many of the changes being quite dramatic. For example, in 1957, Jerusalem was a divided city, with the Kotel (The “Western” or “Wailing Wall”) under Arab control, as the author writes: “This afternoon, mass services are held at Mt. Zion overlooking the Wailing Wall, What a pity it’s not in our hands.”
On the other hand, some things haven’t changed much: “if you think New York traffic is bad and the drivers are nasty, try driving over here. It’s the worst madhouse you have ever seen.”
Our hope is that these letters will inspire Jews to embrace Israel as their homeland, as Bob Jacobs did. Today, thanks to the donors of “Birthright-Taglit”, young Jews from all over the world now have an opportunity to participate in a free visit to Israel – something not available during Bob’s time. There is no telling what kind of impact this type of trip can have on Jewish youth.