The spirit of adventure

Author and journalist Lela Gilbert came to Israel looking for a story, and found a home.

By JIM FLETCH
Author and journalist Lela Gilbert 521 (photo credit: courtesy)
Author and journalist Lela Gilbert 521
(photo credit: courtesy)
A California girl, Lela Gilbert embraces adventure – to a level that her family and friends never quite anticipated. But in 2006, Jerusalem came calling.
“When I came to Israel I’d never had anything to do with journalism,” remembers the writer, author and now-journalist.
“But I wrote a piece – a reflection on my time there [for The Jerusalem Post Christian Edition] – and Ruthie Blum [former features editor at The Jerusalem Post] read it and put it in the Post” newspaper.
It was the beginning of something for Gilbert.
“Then I started getting into issues that I didn’t know anything about: Temple Mount, rockets, ‘apartheid state’ accusations. Then, 850,000 [Jewish] refugees, which was the most shocking to me. It has never been well publicized or talked about.”
Indeed, the plight of those Jewish refugees from Arab countries after the 1948 War of Independence led to Gilbert writing her most recent book, Saturday People, Sunday People: Israel Through the Eyes of a Christian Sojourner, in which she describes the new friends she’s made in her host country of Israel.
Originally from San Diego, Gilbert learned about the importance of Israel from her Christian parents.
“My awareness initially came through my parents, my father (he was convinced that the re-gathering of the Jewish people was a sign of prophecy, especially after the victorious end to the Six Day War),” she said. “He believed there were signs from modern times that God’s word is true. Later, I got acquainted with Jewish people and was curious about Israel.”
All this paved the way for Gilbert’s desire to write about Israel from the perspective of one who lives there. In reality, although journalism was not her agenda, she had been writing for some time before stepping off the plane in Tel Aviv in August 2006.
“It was like I suddenly came home in some weird way,” she remembers. “ I had written for years, beginning with the Christian market. I fell into that, brainstorming for a book in 1979. The project sold almost immediately. I then involved myself in ghostwriting for a few years until little by little it opened up for me to write books for myself.”
And when Gilbert arrived in Israel, she immediately felt a connection with the Israelis she encountered.
“I realized those same countries [from which Jews were expelled in 1948] are now doing the same things to Christians. It’s so very similar to what happened to the Jews.”
Gilbert has been able to tell the story of Jewish refugees in a wide range of settings, from the Future Congress event in Dallas in January to her work with the Hudson Institute. She has also written for National Review Online and the Weekly Standard.
Saturday People, Sunday People was published by Encounter Books, thus giving her credibility among diverse communities.
In addition to highlighting Arab rejection of Israel, Gilbert is also passionate about Christian persecution in Middle East countries.
“In every one of my speaking events, people ask, ‘Why aren’t Christians doing anything about this [persecution]?’ Jews have always quarreled among themselves, but they have had great solidarity when Jews are being persecuted. Christians don’t do the same thing.”
Not content with merely bringing Christian persecution to the attention of Western audiences, Gilbert is an activist of sorts: “It’s a media issue and an interest issue, partly. But also: What are we going to do about it?” Gilbert says members of the Jewish community are moved by her interest in these issues, and it is in the information-sharing that she hopes to educate both Christians and Jews about the historical background and context to events now unfolding.
“With regard to 1948, it was more of a population exchange – more Jews were expelled than Palestinians. But [the Jews] don’t call themselves refugees. They came and resettled, not an easy task. Most lost everything.”
Gilbert is quick to check off littleknown facts that greatly impact the discussion: “These Jewish refugees have never had one UN resolution on their behalf, no inventory on their losses.”
It is the aftermath of Israel’s founding, though, that inspires Gilbert.
“I’m so amazed by what they’ve done there. The year after my father was born, the first groundbreaking was made. When I fly in, I always marvel about the stunning accomplishments.”
Now, as she divides her time between California and Jerusalem, Gilbert laughs about the adjustments to life in the dynamic country.
“Everything was different; I had no dishwasher or garbage disposal, no clothes dryer, nor car. I didn’t speak the language. But it did come easily. I figured it out fairly easily. It was fun actually!” Everything about Israel inspires Lela Gilbert, the blonde southern California girl who originally came over for a brief stay. It is the spirit of the Israelis that moves her.
“I love to hear music in the air in Jerusalem – families singing and blessing the food. Then hear musical instruments being practiced. That and people read books and actually think and discuss ideas... those are the things I love the most.”
Gilbert has discovered what virtually all visitors to Israel muse about.
“They really celebrate life. They’ve seen enough death and know how to celebrate life. There’s a spirit in the country of gratitude.”