Uman and estrangement

On Saturday I flew from Israel back to Japan.

While I assumed the Airport will not be busy on Saturday, I was surprised to find large groups flying to Uman, Ukraine. Overloading the security lines and my patience.

All the people who traveled to Uman to celebrate the Jewish New Year are male, of some religious status. From Ultra-Orthodox, to light version.

It was a cultural experience to listen to their phone conversations, to see their behaviour, to smell some of them.
As I was watching them I have realised that although we are both Jewish, I feel very little connection with them. If we start a conversation, I doubt if we will have anything to talk about. Literature, movies- No. Culture, Japan – No.

It felt strange to feel like a stranger in my own country, but actually this feeling grows each and every-time I visit Israel.

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