I was curious about Israel’s relationship with China. All I knew was that China always voted against Israel in the U.N. I was directed to an organization called SIGNAL (Sino-Israel Global Network and Global Leadership) and its founder and executive director, Carice Witte. I asked her if she would grant me an interview, and she kindly invited me to the organization’s headquarters.

When I arrived at the address on Jabotinsky Street, I looked up at the two sleek, 14-story buildings of the Twin Towers complex, covered with reflective glass windows, located in Ramat Gan’s Diamond District. As I entered Carice’s office, I felt as if I had been transported to the Far East. It was meticulously furnished in the Chinese style.

Now I was sitting in front of Carice Witte, a most remarkable person. How many of us have dreams and passions that we have actualized no matter how long the wait and the delays that life throws at us? How many people get satisfaction from their passions in that they know they are used in the service of their people? Carice Witte is one of those people. In the following interview, I got to find out about her and learn a bit about her great knowledge of China. Here are segments of the interview.

I’ve been living in Israel since 2002. Throughout this time, I have been renting in Jerusalem. Recently, with the awareness of the rise of anti-Semitism in the U.S., I have had the thought of myriads of Americans making aliyah and gobbling up whatever apartments are available. But even without that, it is a fact that more and more people from abroad are buying apartments in Israel as “insurance,” “just in case” they need a roof over their heads one day.

It’s no joke. There are many empty apartments in Jerusalem owned by people from overseas who occasionally show up for a few days out of the year. And their demand for such properties is driving up prices.

It was 2010. My father, z”l, had passed away, and I was sitting shiva with my sister at my parents’ apartment on Diskin Street. The apartment was full of people, when suddenly a young woman in her late twenties or early thirties walks in. She was wearing flannel shirt, flopped over her jeans, and her head was completely shaved. People’s gazes darted to and away from her. 

She sat down next to me.

Today, as on the last couple of Sundays, I hitched my bike rack to the rear of my car to load my bike and then pick up my riding partner and hit Israel’s trails. I inadvertently over-loosened a mechanical arm that holds the bike in place, and it came apart. Not being mechanical, I was at wit’s end. It “just so happened” that a fellow wearing a kippa and a spotted mask walked by, and, although I didn’t know him, I asked if he could help me put it back together. He gave it a try and succeeded! He literally saved the day. It was as if G-d had sent an angel. And it made me think of angels in my past, especially the “invisible” and the unexpected ones – those messengers who worked behind the scenes. This article is dedicated to a few of these people: people who cared and who made a major impact on my life – some without me even being aware of it until years later.

It was hard to believe. Remember the date: August 31, 2020. Fox News reported: “A Star of David-adorned El Al plane flew from Israel to the United Arab Emirates on Monday, carrying a high-ranking American and Israeli delegation to Abu Dhabi in the first-ever direct commercial passenger flight between the two countries.”

The Israeli delegation was headed by National Security Council Chief Meir Ben-Shabbat (who always wears a kippa), while the American delegation was headed by senior White House advisor Jared Kushner, President Trump’s religiously-traditional Jewish son-in-law. They came with their advisors and government ministers to hammer out the details of a historic peace agreement between Israel and the UAE, the third Arab country to “normalize” relations with the Jewish State.

South America was on my “bucket list” of places I wanted to visit. I saw a kosher tour organized by Zvi Lapian to the Amazon rainforests, Galapagos Islands, and Peru, including the legendary Machu Picchu, Lost City of the Incas. It sounded exotic and exciting, so I decided to sign up. Little did I realize how strenuous this trip would be. If you’re looking to relax, don’t look here! But if you are seeking to explore the world and learn a lot, by all means go ahead! The remote Galapagos Islands, in particular, are fascinating not only because of the unusual and abundant wildlife but also because of their connection to Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, which has had such profound effects on Western civilization.

I flew from Tel Aviv to Madrid with Air Europa. The flight from Madrid to Ecuador was delayed by five hours, which meant that I had to spend the whole night at the Madrid airport. There were long lines waiting at all the eateries and food stands, and I had to wait a long time just to drink some cold water. (On the way back to Madrid, they had no kosher meal for me to keep me going for the 11-hour flight – even though it was confirmed weeks before by the travel agent. Traveler, beware!)

At 5:30 in the morning, a huge line of angry people was waiting to board the plane. There was a shouting match with the staff of Air Europa. I guess the Spanish, like the South American Latinos, are emotional people.