Sybil Kaplan, journalist, author, compiler, editor and former Kansas Citian, now lives in Israel and had a chance encounter at a Jerusalem bus stop.
I went downtown to do some errands, and, when I got on my bus, an older lady sat down next to me.
As we neared my stop, she asked on which one I was getting off, and I told her. She then asked where I lived and I told her “#6,” and she said, “Oh, I live at ‘#2.’ I'll get off and walk with you. I usually take it one more stop.”
There is a tale told that when two Israelis meet, they ask each other what unit they were in while serving in the army.
When two “Anglos” meet, we ask, “Where did you come from?” and she did. I said, “Kansas.” She said, “Oh, I'm from St. Louis.”
Then she asked where, and I said, “Overland Park.”
She then asked, “Did you know Rabbi Schwartz?” I said that I didn't go to his synagogue, but I knew him, and he knows me.
She said, “Oh, he's my son-in-law!”
I then asked, “Are you familiar with the walks in Machaneh Yehudah in English? I created them and lead them.”
She then said, “What's your name?” and I told her.
She laughed and said, “I was on one of your walks years ago when the [Association of Americans and Canadians in Israel] did them!”
