The Big Day...

So this past Sunday morning I woke up bright and early to experience a true right of Israeli passage... I visited the Misrad Hapnim (The Israeli Ministry of Interior), the office responsible for Citizenship, Israeli ID cards, Travel documents (passports), Birth certificates and Visas. I was going there to receive my Teudat Zehut, Israeli ID card.

My employer gave me the morning off to go on this "adventure", they told me, "see you around 1:00", since the Misrad Hapnim closes at noon on Sundays.

There are a few things that I should explain before this story continues...

First, my job. I currently work at a truly INCREDIBLE organization called "Nefesh B'Nefesh" (Jewish Souls United). Nefesh B'Nefesh (NBN) was founded in 2002 by one of the most fascinating, inspiring, dedicated and respectable people I have ever had the honor working with. The sole purpose of NBN is to help Jews from North America and the UK move to Israel, become citizens and live happy and successful lives in the Holy Land. Since its inception NBN has helped nearly 14,000 people fulfill their dreams of making Israel their home.

Enough with the PR... so I am a receptionist at NBN (you can call me Pam) and I freaking love it. I sit at the hub of the office answering all the calls that come into the organization's main line, over 100 a day, and greeting all the people that visit our offices, nearly 70 on any given day but often more. I have various other responsibilities and truthfully look forward to going to work everyday. I have amazing co-workers and get to work with a population that loves Israel as much as I do.

So when I had to go to Misrad Hapnim, obviously NBN understood why I had to go, how long it would take and what the process I would be going through would be like... I had been advised to bring a book and lots of patience.

Also important to share is, certain institutions in Israel don't really believe in 9 to 5. For instance, banks are open in the morning, they close for a few hours in the middle of the day and then, if your lucky, they re-open in the late afternoon for a couple hours. Government offices, like Misrad Hapnim, do something similar. They choose days to be open in the morning, like on Sundays they are open until noon, and they choose days to be open in the afternoon, like on Mondays they are open from 2:30 - 5:30, thus making everyday packed with people trying to do their business.

The story continues... so everyone at work told me to get to Misrad Hapnim at 7:00 to start waiting in line for the doors to open at 8:00. Now, if you have even been to Israel, or even a place with a lot of Israelis, you know that there is no such thing as a line. It may start out as a line but as soon as the doors open, or the bus pulls up, or the person at the window calls "next in line", it is a mad dash. Elbows are thrown, old people are knocked over, pregnant women stomp on toes to get you out of their way, all common courtesy is lost and whatever line may have been there becomes a mosh pit.

Since i am a sleeper i figured there was no point in getting there to line up in a line that was going to be irrelevant at 8:00am. I arrived at the office just as the doors were opened, pushed my way up to the front along with everyone else, and received a ticket with #10 printed on it along with a form to fill out. I was stoked to get #10, i sat down, filled out my paperwork and waited for them to call my number. I only had to sit about 20 minutes but in those 20 minutes i was reminded of one of my favorite qualities of Israel... her diversity.

Because there are so many different services provided by the Misrad Hapnim (see above) it is a complete cross section of Israeli society. There are Sabras (born Israelis), tourists, new immigrants, Jews, Arabs, old people, babies, moms with 10 kids in tow, Ethiopians, Russians, Thais, Brits, Americans, Canadians, Israelis and everyone else under the sun. As i sat there, half asleep, I partook in some of the greatest people watching of all time (Coachella is the only people watching experience I've had that rivals this one). I witnessed a son helping his elderly mother navigate the complicated system of paperwork and numbered windows. I saw an Israeli mom to a 6 or 7 month old daughter translate the form of an American mom to a 6 or 7 month old son. In that office I experienced a sense of community that I can honestly say I never felt at the DMV in the states. I'm sure my senses were heightened due to the fact that my 10 year old dream was about to become a reality, but I was truly touched by my experience the day I received my Teudat Zehut.

With my Teudah Zehut, and much love from the Holy Land.