Setting foot in the homeland, Israel, is, for the most part, a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Not for Dr. Taub, though, currently a history teacher at my temple. In fact, he has been to Israel five times, and all of them a memory of their own. When asked, he says his most memorable moments were during his first and third trip.

At the age of 18, accompanied by his parents, he made his first trip to Israel. As he got off the plane, he was greeted by a group of people, none of whom he knew, and felt this to be rather strange. They turned out to be his family, who were then living in Israel and claiming to know him. He felt badly because he couldn’t return the line. After days filled with sightseeing and other touristy events, he had his first seder in the homeland.  

“I felt at awe,” he told me. “I remember having all the windows down because of the nice weather, and since everyone seemed to be doing the same thing, you could hear everyone sing in the neighborhood. It was magical. We were all in sync.” 

If not proud to be an American then, he sure was after his third trip. Dr. Taub was invited to attend an officer induction ceremony. Knowing very little Hebrew, he told me: “I couldn’t understand a thing. It was the most awkward feeling. After that, I knew my place was in America.” Curious, I asked him why.

“I feel that it’s my place here to teach Hebrew. I can at least do my part,” he says.

Of course, he reminds me to go there the very first opportunity I get. “It’s amazing," he adds. "It’ll change you.”