From Israel to Europe and America, then back to Jerusalem

After commuting between three continents for years, it was time to move back to Jerusalem. The wheel has come full circle

By SHOSHANA TITA
A woman looks down at the Western Wall during holiday prayers (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
A woman looks down at the Western Wall during holiday prayers
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
“Much have I traveled in the realms of gold,” John Keats wrote. “And many goodly states and kingdoms seen.”
Growing up in Israel, studying in Europe and working in the US gave me a unique perspective on life.
After graduating high school in Israel, I left for England to explore new educational horizons. I then went on to study for my MA at the University of Cologne in Germany. Despite the sheer size of the student body, the quality of this free education was outstanding.
Eventually, I traded the eternally gray skyline of Cologne for sunny Dallas.
Somehow, the energy in Dallas was conducive for business and enterprise. Applying my language skills, I was transformed from an academic to a business woman.
My workout regiment in Cologne, which consisted of walking to the university and back, was replaced by a state-of-the-art gym in Dallas.
The physical vibrations in Dallas are remarkable and it’s a city that is constantly growing. It was not by chance that Dr. Kenneth Cooper started his famed Aerobic Center and clinic there.
Ten years in Dallas were followed by 10 years in Washington DC, where the pendulum has swung yet again to intellectual pursuits. The human landscape could not be more different. DC – home to government and the National Institutes of Health – was fertile ground for my lecture series.
Yet, it seemed as though I could not stay in one place longer than 10 years. It wasn’t until I landed in Barcelona on a snowy Thanksgiving in DC that I appreciated how the deep blue sky of Barcelona inspired generations of painters. Aesthetics matter a great deal there.
The exterior, be it the beautiful architecture of buildings, not just Gaudi’s, but also the way people dress.
At every street corner there is either a gym or a beauty salon.
However, the real reason for my move to Spain turned out to be the numerous descendants of the Anusim (the Marranos), for whom exploring their Jewish roots was of crucial importance. Their collective memory had never died since 1478.
Shalom TV helped me reach out to larger audiences and help make their Jewish heritage more easily accessible to many.
After commuting between three continents for years, it was time to move back to Jerusalem. The wheel has come full circle.
It was time to welcome my European and American friends and colleagues to Jerusalem. I remember my friend, who runs a hi-tech firm and moved to Tel Aviv from Manhattan, warning me about the “dark” colors of Jerusalem. But I only saw Jerusalem of Gold. Nothing equals the unique pleasures of Jerusalem.
Walking to the Western Wall on early Shabbat mornings through breathtaking scenery, one feels a part in the long chain of history. It is ever so easy to be spiritual here. Jerusalem may not the fashion or art capital of the world but it is home to highest number of charitable organizations in Israel and ranks number one in Israel in optimism. Maybe the two are related.
As the Talmud so aptly states, “Ten measures of beauty descended unto the world, nine on Jerusalem.”
Shoshana Tita is a writer, lecturer and director of Torah Life Center in Potomac, MD