The Big Fat Jewish Wedding


Me and Eran got up early on thursday and started our long journey (2 hours) to Eran's parent's house in the North. Apparently 2 hours is considered a very long drive according to Israeli standards. I understand that now having travelled from the northern most point to the southern most tip of Israel. It takes 6 hours to go across the country. Considering what a small country Israel is, it is very geographically diverse and it is surrounded on all sides by, putting it lightly, not so friendly neighbours. Jordan runs alongside pretty much the entire length of Israel, and in the north are the lovely Lebanese and Syrian neighbours. In the south, Israel shares its border with chums like Egypt and Saudi Arabia is just a stone's throw away.

So, we drove to Golan Heights where Eran is from. His parents live in a Mushaf...it is like a Quibbutz but a bit more modern idea and works a bit better. For those of you who don't know what a quibbutz is, here's a short lesson. A bunch of people live together in a little community where they all work together and all the money goes to the joint fund in the quibbutz. Then the joint fund divides the money equally among the members living in the community. Kids don't live with their parents but are raised in a communal nursery. The idea was nice but didn't work. So, in a Mushaf people live together in a community, and all do their own work and earn their own money. But they live like a big tight-knit family.

Needless to say I was a bit scared to go to his hometown...coz the whole bloody community (about 80 families) is his family. But the fear was completely baseless as they welcomed me with open arms. His dad especially is a beautiful person with a very warm heart. He made me feel really welcome...making delicious treats for us to eat. Very warm and loving family. I met his brothers and other friends. The day after we arrived there was his brother's wedding. What a gorgeous setting. If, under the influence of drugs or under a fit of insanity, I ever decide to get married again, I would like to do it the way they did it. The setting was a lovely rustic restaurant on the edge of a cliff overlooking a beautiful valley and Golan heights. They had cushions on the floor for seating with low tables. There were hammocks everywhere, a live band playing some beautiful hebrew and arabic tunes.

The ceremony itself lasted for maybe 10 minutes and was beautiful. After the ceremony, we all ate and the dancing began around 4 pm. Then we danced with the older people until around 6 pm and the real partying started after the oldies left. Great music, lots of booze and the green stuff, and pretty soon it was looking like a trance party in Goa. We danced till about 1 in the morning and then everyone just passed out outside. Next morning there was a lovely breakfast and the usual funny drunken stories from the night before. Very fun! It was one big stress free wedding party.

After the party split, Eran took me for a little sightseeing tour. Beautiful Golan heights....miles and miles of beautiful barren land with the highest concentration of mine fields per square meter in the world. All the sights he showed me had a war story behind it. We drove to Mt. Hermon which is the highest point in Israel. There are checkpoints all over the place as this is close to the border with Syria and Lebanon. At the top of the mountain there was an army bunker. It's really surreal to see that. In Canada you go to a top of the mountain, you see a lighthouse welcoming the ships to the harbour. Here you go to the top and there is an army bunker. Shootout points that look directly into Syria. Underground hiding places for war times. Very sad. Eran said that seeing these places through my eyes has given him a completely different perspective. He was shocked at how many war stories he told me and made him realize that growing up how much of the dinner table conversation was about war!

The next day, he took me to see his dad's farms. Avocado, grapefruit, pomegranate and my favorite mango trees. We went on an ATV, which Eran drives like a maniac. It's nice to see this side of the calm, meditative Eran. He can be quite a rough, tough farm boy. Very nice ;) I like! We picked mangoes off the trees, got covered by mango juice, delicious, delicious, delicious!

Got back home to Tel Aviv for a day to do our laundry before setting off to the south of Israel.