My Story 26

Beit El seemed like paradise. Actually, there were two Beit Els at that time. Beit El Alef was a run-of-the-mill wishy washy Modern Orthodox community. Beit El Bet was centered around a Yeshiva, which was based on the teachings of Rabbi A.I. Kook, and his son, Rabbi Tzvi Yehudah Kook, who had just recently passed away. It was a type of Judaism I had never known. They looked Modern Orthodox, they dressed Modern Orthodox, but they were most certainly not Modern Orthodox. The men studied Torah every available moment. The women also had many classes available to them. Prayer was taken very seriously. No one spoke during the Torah reading., There were no short cuts in matters of observance. At the same time, they were also unusual. They bore no animosity towards the secular Israelis, many of whom hated them. But there was considerable animosity towards the Hareidi (Ultra) Orthodox. Many told me that when they walked through Hareidi neighborhoods, they would be filled with rage at these people's non-recognition of the Redemption that was "obviously" taking place. As to the secularists, since they were part of the Zionist enterprise, they were part and parcel of the process of Redemption. Rav Kook had even written that observance of mitzvot was insignificant at this point. (This was my first, but certainly not my last, inkling that the Kookian approach had been influenced heavily by Shabbateanism). Later, those distant would come back to Torah. (His assertion that if not, there would be a revolution, has been carefully expunged from the later editions of his books, though people spoke of it in whispers.) The women of Beit El Bet wore tichels; head scarves. The women of Beit El Alef went either bare headed, or with hats or wigs. In fact, when Sima had worn a wig during our first Shabbat there, she was informed by other women that it was not acceptable. Over the years, tensions gradually eased, and the two Beit Els merged into one. We were so excited to be in Eretz Yisrael, and especially in Beit El, a place with much Biblical history. Secular Israelis feel an affinity to the coastal plane, which had little Jewish history behind it. (Yes, there is a Tel Aviv mentioned in Ezekiel, but that one was in Babylon). Biblical Israel was Nablus (Shchem), Shiloh, Beit El, Jerusalem, Beth Lehem, Hebron; what is now called the "West Bank". Troubles came, but we chalked it up to being new, and needing to learn the ways of our new homeland. First, shortly after our arrival, a relative in Jerusalem got us in touch with a man who had bought a beautiful prefab house, only to learn that his community wasn't zoned for that kind of house. We could have it for only $20,000. Within six months, we could have our permanent home! The community secretariat told us that we were not living there long enough to have building rights. Shortly thereafter, a joint building project was launched. I now had building rights! I purchased a parcel of land (actually, it was a 99 year lease. The Israeli government retains ownership of virtually all land). The price was reasonable. Veteran Israelis had to pay a 5% tax. But new immigrants were exempt. Six months later I got a huge bill in the mail. A law had been passed RETROACTIVELY that all immigrants had to pay 1/2%. So now, I must pay the 1/2%, plus interest and penalties for the time I hadn't paid, before the law came into existence. I complained to the authorities. I got my first dose of "Kacha Zeh Ba'aretz!" (that's how it is in Israel). Then came the mortgage. Many government agencies had to approve. I, and the others who were building, spent weeks going from office to office, getting permits for our homes. At the end, we each had to cosign each other's mortgages, as Israeli law, in order to protect the consumer, makes it almost impossible to evict a person, even if he is not paying his mortgage. But the cosigners CAN lose their homes! If any of us were to default, we would all go down. The mortgages were approved on a Friday. BUT, a certain official in a certain government office, must stamp the documents. We went there, only to be told that he only stamps documents on Wednesdays. This was the era of galloping inflation. The mortgage was officially okayed by the dollar equivalent of Friday's exchange rate. But we didn't get the money until Wednesday, which meant a loss of over a thousand dollars in the value of the mortgage. We would pay back according to Friday's rate, but only receive according to Wednesday's rate. But we had our money. However, the community's agreement with the contracting company was based on a 400% inflation rate. The galloping inflation ended two weeks later, as a result of a new economic policy. The new homes would now be ridiculously expensive. The company refused to budge. The deal was cancelled. We each lost $700 (equivalent to $1,700 now) for the plans that had been drawn up. Another building company was engaged, this time by Beit El Alef. High quality prefab houses were available. The offering price was extremely reasonable. Plus, if we got more than fifteen families interested, there would be a 17% discount. We were ready to sign. However, the company kept mentioning additional costs which they had "forgotten". Suddenly, it wasn't cheap, but still not too bad. We signed. After that, the company seemed to disappear for about a month. At that point, the Israeli government decreed a policy of raising the cost of all building contracts already in force by 17%! (The company had apparently been tipped off to this move, which would account for the delay in beginning construction). Many of us were furious. Negotiations between the company and the residents were set up. One of our number, who was also a high ranking military official, was chosen to negotiate on our behalf. (Big mistake). A "compromise" was reached, in which they would forgo the 17% government raise in the contract, in exchange for us forgetting the 17% group discount. The army man proclaimed this as a great victory. I pointed out to him that we were at exactly the same place we were before negotiations. He said "you can't make them feel like they got nothing". The "logic" was lost on me. I suddenly understood why Israel, victorious in battle, always lost in negotiations.Seven of us wanted to drop out of the deal., The company pointed out that we had a signed contract. I found out that the company was, at that time, signing people up for building in Florida. I called them, and told them that I was calling a press conference for the Miami Jewish Herald, letting them know how this company was treating American immigrants to Israel. We were called to the company office. The man in charge glared at me. "If you have come to threaten, it is of no avail. However, before you raised this terrible, immoral threat, I was just going to tell you that we have decided to let you out of your contracts, providing you sign an agreement not to disclose what has transpired between us. And by the way, the real reason for the raising of prices, is that Beit El Alef wants us to build a new synagogue, and have you guys pay for it. Your own people have been screwing you." Private, unlicensed contractors descended upon us. Several of us chose to build with a "gentleman" named Rafi. Rafi finished the frame of the house, and told me "I'm about to go bankrupt. I will collect money from the person after you in line, and finish your house, but leave him with nothing. Your money has been used for the house before yours". I was faced with a terrible dilemma. Should I inform the person after me, and not have my house completed, or keep quiet and ruin him? I knew what I must do, but it wasn't easy. I told the other person, who immediately canceled his contract with Rafi. Work on my house stopped. Rafi had taken my money and run. I was paying rent. I was paying a mortgage (which, by the way, was supposed to be a negative interest immigrant mortgage, but, with the new economic policy, the 25% interest of the mortgage, which with 400% inflation, should have been practically a gift, was now at usurious rates). I had no funds, and no hope of ever completing the house. I felt ashamed to appear in public. Eyes were either pitying or mocking me. I fell into a deep depression. I needed and received anti-anxiety medication. But there was still no hope. I went to a lawyer. He said I had a good case, but, as all of Rafi's assets were in his mother-in-law's name, I would never collect. But I should sue anyway...on principle. I immediately understood that the lawyer also wanted to rob me. My life seemed to be over. But HaShem thought otherwise. He sent my salvation through a new friend who came to my aid. He did more for me than any other human being has ever done (outside of immediate family). But at the same time, I was faced with needing to reevaluate my basic concepts of "us" and "them", of "friend" and "foe". My new friend was named Hussein 'Abd El Qadr. That will be my next post.