洪心瑜 Sherry Hung
I’d like to first refer to my expectation that I told everyone on the first day we arrived in Tel Aviv. Indeed, I learned a lot about Jewish traditional culture and the history of the Israeli people. But what I gained is far more than that, and the situation of Israel with its surrounding nations is far more complicated than I could imagine. Moreover, I really saw many differences as well as similarities shared by Israel and Taiwan.
Israel was founded in 1948 (which was similar to the time Taiwan left Japanese rule), with a land area comparable to that of Taiwan and a population less than half of Taiwan's. So far, it has cultivated 12 Nobel Prize winners, ranks second in Nasdaq, and has been ranked the tenth happiest country in the world for many years. Innovative minds, rich traditions derived from history and culture, a public-owned and shared communal system, seamless cooperation between academia, the government, and enterprises... Each topic of this visit is worthy of in-depth discussion.
But as a student of the Faculty of Humanities, I was surprised that such a country that focuses on innovation, and has the smartest high-tech talents, a brilliant incubating system, and flexible government regulations, is mostly known for discussions about national history and Jewish tradition. I was amazed by how much Israeli people cherish their own culture and the opportunity for the Jewish family to stay together. They will even be willing to sacrifice their lives to protect it.
When we visited the high-tech industry in Tel Aviv, a terrorist attack occurred two kilometers away; we visited the Holocaust Museum and learned about the anti-Semitism, bullying, and cruel treatment of Jews; in the past two weeks, demonstrations against the Prime Minister and the Supreme Court have continued to be staged in order to protect democracy. Some of our students have taken themselves to the streets to support…
Too many events are happening all at the same time, but you manage to cope with them in a proper way, and never stop being suspicious and always contemplating. When we visited the City of David, the Palestinians who refused to leave when Israel was founded lived opposite the ruins, and the daily life of drying clothes and cooking was clearly visible.
In Israel, everything is extreme. We were told: “We take those extremes, and merge them together.” Such as Huzba, they speak up loudly, firmly, and confidently. They grow things in the desert; they build up entrepreneurs out of nowhere. Their people reborn after the catastrophic Holocaust, bring it up again and again in order to reflect on its meaning, and try to see it from
both sides.
I saw both warmth and strength in Ben, and also in everyone we have ever met. They were kind but never weak; they had their own opinions, but never seemed aggressive. This is something very different from Taiwan; in our discourse of prosperity, we tend to mention our rich natural resources, and the very obedient persona of Taiwanese.
And I also realized that having a forever home that always welcomes you, protects you, and values you as a citizen is crucial. When we claim sovereignty from the international community, what we want is a complete home.
I wish to say thank you to our guide Ben for telling us everything about the country he loves with a passionate and sincere heart, but never trying to hide any internal contradictions in the country and the complexity of the Jewish community and its external conflicts. Also, thanks for his dedication to teaching us a lot of knowledge related to Jewish traditions, but did not hesitate to expose the huge differences between sects, traditional conservatives, and secular believers.
This trip will certainly become an unforgettable memory deep in my heart. Thanks for all your efforts, and blessings to both Israel and Taiwan.
