Advocacy on a global scale

A family is travelling around the world to change the stereotypical way that Israel is viewed.

By YOCHEVED MIRIAM RUSSO
Zemach family 521 (photo credit: Courtesy of the Israeli Family Project)
Zemach family 521
(photo credit: Courtesy of the Israeli Family Project)
On August 1st, Chami and Oksana Zemach, their daughters Gali, 13, Tamar, 11, and Michal, 4, closed up their comfortable Negev home and stepped into a worldwide fishbowl.
For one year, the family will travel around the world, stopping and staying on four continents, spending time in local communities in 27 countries – all with the objective of changing the world’s attitude toward the State of Israel.
“All along the way we’ll meet and talk with local citizens,” Chami Zemach said from his home in Kadesh Barnea, an agricultural moshav in the Negev. “We believe that much of the prejudice directed toward Israel is based on the fact that most people don’t know any Israelis.
“Our plan is to travel to their cities and villages, meet with people, discuss topics of mutual interest, sometimes share a meal along with our life stories, and thereby change their perceptions.
“By creating a bond of appreciation and identification with us – allowing people to see us as a typical, normal Israeli family not all that different from their own – we can make a difference in the way the world views Israel.”
When the idea for the worldwide public relations tour was beginning to percolate, Zemach recalled, he had a meeting with officials in the Foreign Ministry.
“They were very excited about the project, saying it was exactly the kind of thing that was needed. They showed me a research survey that had just been done.”
Researchers had taken 40 separate American focus groups, people from all walks of life, and asked them about their impressions of seven different countries, one of which was Israel.
“When it came to Israel, the survey results showed that average Americans thought Israelis all lived in houses behind very high walls, where few outsiders were ever invited. Israelis, they said, all had long beards and black hats, and were generally very cold, serious, and patriarchal.
“When asked if they’d like to visit an Israeli home, the average American said, ‘Yes, but I don’t think they’d let me in.’ Imagine how happy the ministry was when they heard about our project. Sending our very typical family all around the world to counteract those stereotypical notions was exactly what was needed to offer a different perspective.”
The family began thinking of themselves as emissaries during their nine years living in Kadesh Barnea.
“A lot of groups came to the moshav from abroad. We began adapting ourselves to them, answering their questions, talking about our lives, the things that were important to us.
“The thing they most wanted to know was, ‘What brought you to the desert?,’ followed by, ‘Why are you doing what you’re doing?’ It became a very emotional thing with them. They felt connected to our story and to what we were doing.”
For 13 year old Gali, this trip is like a dream come true.
“Music is my thing,” she smiled.
“Music comes from my heart. It’s something I love very much. For me to be able to travel around the whole world, singing and making music with other kids my age, is just an incredible opportunity.”
Theory aside, the logistics of the journey boggle the mind. How does a family of five live out of suitcases for a year, hit 27 countries via plane, train and automobile, in all seasons, plan stopovers in several hundred individual communities – and manage to keep smiling the whole time? “You’re right,” laughed Zemach. “It’s a challenge.”
For starters, who will all these local residents be? “We’ve been working on this a long time. In each of the 27 countries we have contacts, both Jewish and non-Jewish. Some of them are Israelis living abroad, some are embassy staff or other kinds of representatives, and others are from pro-Israeli Christian organizations.
In each case, we’ve asked them to organize some meetings for us.
“Nothing more – all we want them to do is to invite people to some location they think is best, and try to focus some media attention on our visit to attract others.”
The journey began on August 1st, when the family flew out of Ben- Gurion Airport to Greece. First, they will go through Europe. On November 17th they will enter the US, and on January 2nd they will leave the US for New Zealand, Australia, Japan, India, China, and Mongolia.
Then it’s on to Russia, Belarus, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. From there, it’s back through Western and Northern Europe, arriving home again in Israel on July 31st, 2012 –exactly one year from the time they set off.
“After we get back, a second objective takes over. We want to pass the wisdom of the trip along, somehow.
Maybe other Israeli families could be encouraged to take such a trip.”
“What we do know is this,” he said. “As tourists came to visit us in Kadesh Barnea, we saw that people were very much taken by our story.
They had a little peek into Israeli society they hadn’t known existed. Through that, they came to understand the values of the Israeli family, and then, the greater story of Israel itself.
“As people come to know us, to meet and talk with us, their perceptions of Israel will change. All that’s different is that now, instead of waiting for people to visit us in Kadesh Barnea, we’re going around the world to see them. Something good will come out of this, for all of us.”
Readers can follow the Zemachs’ journey through their website, www.ilfamily.com. Also, at noon on Friday each week, www.walla.co.il will present a short video of the family’s travels. Contact them at isrfamily@gmail.com on Facebook and Twitter, or at (08) 657-3993