By Henry Oliner

Genine was born in Queens, New York. Her parents were holocaust refugees. Hearing of their stories growing up, she saw Israel as the miracle it was; a fulfilled 2000 year old dream in the wake of the Jewish people’s greatest disaster, successfully creating a state against incredible odds.

In Israel she traveled as many young Israelis do to India where she met her husband, Ronen Bar-El; a professional chef who had worked in the United States, most recently in Atlanta, GA. Ronen had returned to Israel, and was also on a spiritual journey. They married and bought a 150 year old house in Safed (Tzfat on the Israeli maps) in northern Israel; a beautiful old home on a narrow stone street with white walls and stone with pointed arches and a stone courtyard overlooking the calm scenic hills of Galilee and the Golan.

Safed dates back to 70 AD and is one of the four holy cities in Israel along with Hebron, Tiberias, and Jerusalem. In the 16th century Safed grew as scholars and mystics fled to the town when expelled from Spain. It became known as a center of Kaballah, a branch of Jewish mystical teachings recently made a bit trendy for the VH-1 crowd by Madonna and a few other Hollywood types.

The Bar-El home became their business. They started hosting study groups, but grew into hosting weddings, bar mitzvahs, various visiting groups and tonight they were hosting 19 visitors from Macon, GA.

The food was an indescribable experience. A first rate chef and his wife cooking in their home, two of the tables set in their small kitchen. Two young beautiful children made random appearances. Genine seemed to be about one month away from a third child.

We wondered what codes such a business would have violated in the United States. Have we abdicated such soul defining experiences to the authority of petty bureaucrats?

Safed is 20 miles from the Lebanese border and last June thousands of Hezbollah rockets rained on this part of the holy land. A lady was killed next door to the house where we were now enjoying a delightful dinner. Five children were seriously injured. Genine and her children went into makeshift underground shelters. Further attacks ensued and Genine and Ronen would no longer put their children at such risk. Since the war had squelched most of their business, and since Israelis were headed south for shelter, they decided to vacation in France.

In France most of the news coverage was about Israel’s disproportionate response with practically no reference to the 1,000,000 Israelis uprooted by unprovoked attacks from Hezbollah, funded by Syria and Iran. I wondered how my fellow Americans, especially in Georgia would respond to 4,000 missiles exploding for days around their homes.

They have returned to their home in Safed and are again open for business. Nine months after the Lebanese barrage there is a small baby boom; pregnant women and infants are everywhere in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The northern border is quiet for now, and business is again growing. Amidst the big hearted smiles of our hosts and the warm intimacy of a very special meal in a very special place, last summer’s vicious attacks seemed more like decades away rather than the mere ten months that had actually passed.

Check out the menus or book accommodations at Genine and Ronan’s Inn at www.bar-el.com.

The sweet potato and mushroom soup was incredible.

HKO 4/24/07

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