“Secret Israel”, or “When a Jew Gets Stuck in Nebraska”
By Shakked Beery
Two years ago, my country forbade me from returning home. Though I’m a tenth-generation Israeli Jew rooted deep in this land, two years ago, Israel, wouldn’t let me set foot in my homeland. I didn’t do anything bad. I didn’t commit no crime. No one was “after me”. I was simply stuck on the wrong side of the border when Israel closed it’s gates to its citizens, during the hermetic lockdown of 2020-2021.
I left for the US before the flight-lockdown started and found myself stuck there for many months to come. My country shut itself, first in the face of foreign visitors, and then in the face of its own citizens. The citizens were allowed to come home after a few months. The foreigners were prevented from setting foot here for two whole years.
Covid caught me as an Israeli tour guide, leading visitors through their journey to Israel and the Holy Land for the past 10 years. Suddenly, I was left with no way to make a living, and nowhere to go. Given that during Covid people weren’t exactly eager to host (and who can blame them), I found myself heading towards the one friend who would open her house and her heart to me – and she lived on a ranch in Nebraska.
For five months I lived on the ranch, and through the long and blessed winter (sorry, Israel) I had plenty of time to ponder my suddenly-absent career.
Ten years of leading people through their journey in Israel, ten years of explaining the depth and beauty of the country I love so much. Ten years of making people’s visit to Israel a memorable and forming experience. A certification from the Israeli Ministry of Tourism. A Masters degree in Israel Studies. All gone. All suddenly useless.
I wasn’t the only one, of course. Many were with me in the same doomed boat. But self-pity isn’t a very pleasant, or attractive state of mind.
Ben Shapiro and Shakked Beery
Therefore, in the new Covid-world where every crisis is an opportunity, all lemons turn magically to lemonade, and unicorns roam the streets in search of rainbows (hey, prove me wrong…) – I decided to flip the coin, and asked myself:
“Shakked, let’s take advantage of this blessed moment in your life where you can decide to be whatever you want to be. If I asked you now what is your dream job, and you can choose anything your heart desires, what would you choose?”
“Excellent question!” I thought, and started pondering. After quite some time (and winter in Nebraska is plenty of time!), I finally got to the conclusion:
“I wish I could take people through their journey in Israel!”
That went well.
Dennis Prager
But it was too early to be cynical. To be fair, most people will visit Israel once or twice in their lives, for a limited time. While here, they will go to the same handful of sites, to make sure they don’t miss any of the highlights, as well they should. But for me, Israel is so much more than that. When I dreamed of becoming a tour guide all I envisioned was taking my guests to the places I love the most. But in life as in life – reality has its own ideas.
Just so, I realized this might be an opportunity of a lifetime. Maybe now of all times, banned from my country and from my profession, I will get to live my long-forgotten dream, and take people to the Israel I love most. The Israel Most Visitors Miss.
For many, Nebraska is the flatland they always fly over from one coast to the other. For me, Nebraska is the place of good people who’ll open their homes and heart to you in time of need, and it’s where dreams come true.
Within months “Secret Israel – The Israel Most Visitors Miss” saw light, and in it are ten sites, ten secret gems with mind-blowing stories.
If you’re interested in the depth this land has to offer – I would love to take you on a journey of history and storytelling, of knowledge and surprises.
Oh, and it’s available on Amazon, Kindle, and Audible.
Enjoy!
P.S.
Maybe a crisis is an opportunity after all. My other dream was also to be a traveling speaker. If you want to invite me to speak about my book or many other fascinating topics about Judaism & Israel – all the information you need is right here: shakkspeaks.com | wanderingjewess.com
See you on the road!
