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by Sue Orsen

The nativity scene often includes at least one camel, which we set or stand next to the three kings who traveled afar, from the Orient, on those lumpy beasts, bearing gifts, following yonder star.

The camel certainly belongs to the kings since Jesus, Mary, and Joseph were plodding along with a donkey, the shepherds were shepherding sheep, and the manger housed lowing cattle.

That’s how the story goes and it’s been written down and faithfully told and retold for 2,000 years.

State Representative Paul Kohls of Victoria, one of nine sojourners from Minnesota, on an airliner to the Holy Land, traveled afar in mid November 2008 and, in a manner of speaking, followed the same yonder star.

To be clear, Paul is not the Paul of Tarsus who was struck by the Hand of God on the way to Damascus. He is the Paul of Victoria who was struck with some insights of his own after this journey, which is precisely why he went to Israel in the first place.

“It was both a cultural and political trip,” said Paul. “The purpose was to assist at providing me, and others, a better appreciation of the internal and geopolitical situation in Israel. It’s the only democracy in the Middle East and some of its neighbors want to destroy it.”
The Minnesota travelers didn’t start out in a city of Galilee named Nazareth, and they didn’t end up with a miraculous birth in Bethlehem, city of King David. But they did walk in the Holy Land and in the footsteps Jesus walked 2,000 years ago.

The nine people included Michele Bachmann, U.S. Congresswoman, and her husband Marcus Bachmann; Attorney Todd Gurstel and his wife Susan; Dan Rosen, Attorney with Parker Rosen Law Firm; Rabbi Joshua Borenstein, Head of Torah Academy in Minneapolis; Rabbi Joel Waxman, Head of Torah Academy; and Jacob Millner, Director of Public Affairs with JCRC.

The acronym stands for Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas. All in the party were Jewish except Representative Kohls and Congresswoman Bachmann, each of whom were handily re-elected in the recent November 4th general election.

The trip to Israel was sponsored by JCRC but Paul paid his own way because they’re a lobbyist group and such a gift would not be lawful.

Why did the Jewish Community extend such effort to two Minnesota politicians? Replied Paul, “They’re very concerned about Iran’s effort to develop nuclear weapons. We had speakers throughout the trip. The issues regarding Iran were front and center. The Israelis believe that Iran will have nuclear capability within six to nine months. They hoped we would gain a better appreciation for those concerns.”

Why didn’t Paul’s wife accompany the group as two other spouses did? “Because she was concerned about the security measures,” he replied.

The fellowship of nine left the Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport on Saturday, November 8th, arriving at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv via Amsterdam. Total air time was nearly 13 hours.

Paul informs, “Ben Gurion was the first prime minister of Israel in 1948 when Israel became a state. They’re celebrating their 60th anniversary this year.”

Considering travel and eight-hour time difference, the group spent only four days in Israel, a compact four days.

“We got in Sunday morning at 2:30 a.m. and were met by a tour guide,” said Paul in reply to detailed questions. “We got to our hotel in Jerusalem to sleep a little and our program started at noon.”

Did he have any time to wander off alone? “The nine of us spent all of our time together,” he said. “We had a fabulous guide. He was bright. He was a secular Jew but we had two rabbis with us and they never once said he didn’t have it right. He could talk about everything, including the Christian and Moslem sites.”

The Minnesota entourage spent the first two days in Jerusalem where the quarters are identified as Christian, Jewish, Moslem, and Armenian. “All have a presence in Jerusalem,” stated Paul, “and they butt up directly next to each other. There is no space between the Jewish Western Wall and the Moslem quarter, for example.”

Click here to continue “He Traveled Afar.”