Disclaimer: What can I say? I happen to seriously be blessed with smart, interesting, creative, cultured, and talented friends both here and in Chicago (y'all know who you are) so its possible that the following ramblings are colored in some way by this fact.
Happiness. One of the most important emotional states. Some strive to achieve this through pursuing specific career paths, acquiring large bank accounts, procreating, socializing, giving and receiving love, feeding their sensory systems with food, sex, drugs, music, art, dancing etc.
In America, where most would agree anything is possible, things were fine for me. Status quo. While I do agree that America is the "land of opportunity" I'm not sure I would agree that the streets are "paved in gold." Life is unquestionably much easier for me in the US than it is for me in Israel and yet I am signing up for another year and citizenship in this country. So I have to ask myself "why is that?" Does it have something to do with my pursuit of Happiness? I publicly complain a lot about the inconveniences I encounter living here, so what exactly do I see contributing to Happiness in Israel?
First of all, the value system here in Israel seems like it is based more on close family ties. By "close" I mean in proximity since the country is small and children stay in their parents' modest-sized home until later in life. I also happen to see many grandparents caring for their young grandchildren and continuing to spoil them well into their young adulthood. Because of financial stress, there also seems to be an multi- generational reliance on family members to help provide necessities. For example, on our apartment lease, the first information requested is "parents' address and phone number." Later, I was explained that often it is the parents who co-sign on apartment leases. Due to its shear size and the options for University and jobs in America, children begin to leave the nest much earlier. Once settled with their own families, they may only return on an annual basis.
Then there is the sense of pride and ideology here. Many people chose to come to this country for ideological reasons, which automatically instills a higher purpose into one's daily existence. As long as the ideology remains strong, this forces a person to be connected to the country in personal way. Because the country itself is so young, many of its live citizens still have a sense of pioneering the land giving them a sort of parental pride. Others come here escaping hardship looking for opportunity and in comparison to their homelands, Israel offers them more stability.
The next point becomes more obvious after having crossed two of Israel's borders (Jordan and Egypt). This tiny little country is indeed surrounded on all sides by enemies which promotes a tribal society. Within a tribe, individual needs are secondary to the survival of the tribe. The Middle East has a long-standing tribal history. The remains still exist all over the country where fortresses were strategically placed to protect communities from their enemies. The country of Israel has become a fortress for Jews (and non-Jews) all over the world searching for safety and survival. People are escaping religious discrimination and persecution, violent governmental regimes, poverty etc. With the military presence everywhere you turn, Israeli citizens know their fortress is being protected. Living in this tribe somehow requires citizens to sacrifice some of their individual needs for the survival of the country. In turn, Israelis depend on one another more.
The privileges that come more easily with an American passport can be achieved here but are reached with a deeper level of appreciation. Case in point. Devorah and I rented a car this weekend and (among other trips) had a therapeutic release by Target-style shopping. How many times did I take for granted simply jumping in my car for a Target run to load up and pull up to my door to unload the cargo? It's second nature. I never even thought twice. Not this time. With every step through the aisles our eyes were in awe of all the options and reduced prices. And the fun didn't stop. There would be no schlepping on a bus or walking. Door-to-door service. AHHHHHHH. The ease a rental car gave us in buying just some basic necessities for the house. Including... du da du. Drum roll please......A fold up, plastic 6-person diningroom table. Our charming sunroom has instantly been transformed into a dininghall. And only the two of us can understand how this may somehow contribute to our staying in our war-torn apartment. Happiness and Appreciation experienced with something I'd consider quite ordinary in America.
Privilege and Appreciation. I guess my parents knew what they were doing when they worked hard and saved to move to the suburbs in order to give their children the privilege of better schools. Do any of the students/parents in my previous District 112 think it is a privilege to have a Smart Board in every classroom? To have personal laptops? For the class sizes to be under 30? To be able to join after-school activities? For their teachers to answer parent phone calls and emails? My guess is an emphatic "no." At one of my schools, there is no computer lab. And the students who are given the "privilege" to log on to the one open computer during a free period will likely have to share with other students. Are they more appreciative of the opportunity to log on? I have to say, I think so. When things in life are taken for granted and you run on automatic pilot it hard to be appreciative. Though I do not think I can endure some of my Israeli challenges long-term, the temporary sacrifices are 100% making me more appreciative. I can only speak about my personal experience and therefore I cannot generalize, but for me the work environment is a lot less toxic. There are challenges and pressures but overall there is much more solidarity and less division among professionals. I am appreciate of this though saddened by the insulting salaries.
Finally, I think the Mediterranean climate, diet, and lifestyle contribute to Israeli Happiness. Taking a simple evening stroll along the sea, eating healthy fresh food, and absorbing lots of vitamin D all year round helps buffer the daily hardships. Of course experiencing this with close family and friends helps once again to promote Happiness. So some of what I see as contributing to Israel's somewhat impressive Happiness ranking (considering its economic and political reality): close social ties, ideology, pride, patriotism, tribal survival, deeper appreciation.
