Jacob

By Jim Magwood

The Most Powerful Weapon On Earth Is The Passion Of A Devoted Man.

When Jacob Asch is born, the nation of Israel has just begun and his life becomes one of doing everything he can to ensure the survival of his beloved country. However, soon that passion has to refocus toward the world in general as it is being torn apart because of the evil that moves events.

As chaos develops in every land; as rockets fly; as madmen methodically tear apart every vestige of goodness; as whole countries are driven back to lives they grew out of hundreds of years before; what can be done to prevent the evil from succeeding and to enable the world to regain a semblance of peace?

JACOB is the story of one man, and a small group of friends, who live the events of today and who fight to keep the world from dying and falling into the hands of manipulators intent on changing and controlling it to fit their own agendas, agendas of evil and chaos.

Can one ordinary man be strong enough, dedicated enough, to face the forces we see around us today and bring about change? What weapon can be strong enough to face down the evil confronting the world?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jim Magwood
• Release date: Nov 7, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310262043

Jim Magwood

I was born too many years ago in Vancouver, Canada, and was dragged south across the border by my parents when I was too young to protest. I've lived in California the rest of my life.I entered the military right after high school, then attended college and began a career in business. My military work and years in various business management positions had me traveling to many parts of the world and I remember well the beauty (as well as the poverty and unrest) of so many places.I am happily married to Gayle.I retired early and moved from the city to our quiet country place in Twin Oaks, California. The loudest noises now are the few barking dogs, some howling coyotes, the wandering cattle and a million raucous birds. The rabbits, quail, coyotes and mountain lions have come to recognize that Shiloh (the ranch) is a sanctuary for them, so they hang around every day looking for handouts.I just hang around the ranch trying to be a hermit (at least that's what a lot of people think.) I do still manage to get shaved once in a while and can look half-way presentable when someone comes up the driveway (if given enough warning.)My work now appears to be writing. SANCTION took about ten years to finish, as it was written in bits and pieces. However, right after it was finished and sent to the publisher, what was left of the old mind began churning and there may be another few novels coming out in the future. Don't hold your breath, but... THE LESSER EVIL, COP, NIGHTMARE, JACOB, ONLY THE WATCHMEN WEEP and THEREFORE I AM are now out in the reading world waiting for you. More coming? We'll see...I'd love to hear from you, especially if you've bought a dozen or so of the books and passed them out to all your friends and neighbors. Give me a write some day, ask questions and swap stories. After all, I don't have anything else to do. You can catch me at [e-mail]. (And I do answer my mail.)

Book preview

Chapter 1

On September 13, 1935, Adolph Hitler ordered civil servants of the Interior Ministry to draft certain laws for him to bring to the floor of the Reichstag and on September 15 he presented the two laws—known as the Nuremberg Laws. The laws, among other things, deprived so-called non-Aryans of the benefits of German citizenship.

In his speech before the Reichstag, Hitler said: Bitter complaints have come in… citing the provocative behavior of Jews... we have no choice but to contain the problem through legislative measures… if this [law] attempt fails, it will be necessary to transfer [the Jewish problem]… to the National Socialist Party for a final solution…

Hitler's racist beliefs, which elevated pure-blooded Germans to the level of masters of the earth, quickly began playing out in vicious ways. Kristallnacht arrived on November 9, 1938 and by 1939 the ovens were being heated.

Chapter 2

On September 19, 1935, Hersh and Aliza Asch secretly fled Germany in the secondary emigration (the Aliyah Bet or Ha’apalah) and arrived on December 19 in the land eventually to be called Israel.

The family managed the grueling walk from Germany south through France to the coast, mostly hiding by day and walking at night. Much of their passage was taken up by scrounging for scraps of food and looking for places to safely hole up and sleep. When they finally arrived at the coast, they were put in touch with smugglers and eventually acquired passage on a boat that was secretly carrying escapees and they finally landed about twenty miles north of Haifa. They walked to the city with others in the dark of the nights, hid away with sympathizers for several days, and finally took up life in their new country. The trip took them three agonizing months. Their daughter Libi was born en route.

Hersh lived up to the meaning of his Yiddish name, deer, as he always seemed to be moving quietly from place to place gathering sustenance, whether food and other supplies or information. As a professor of languages, he was prized and he quickly advanced to the fledgling Tel Aviv University.

Aliza, joyful in Hebrew, always did seem to find joy in life. Even during the terrible purges in Germany when they were driven to escape, and having to make the grueling journey while pregnant and then carrying a new-born, she could be counted on to see the glass half full and to be thankful for it.

Aliza chose the name Libi, Hebrew for my heart, for their daughter who was born on their arduous journey from Germany. With so many things having fallen apart for them in the life they had begun, Libi truly was their heart and joy.

Adir, strong or mighty in Hebrew, was born in 1939 and quickly took up his job of discovering life. He was an inquisitive youngster and his name reflected his strong will. He did thoroughly enjoy life.

While the family didn’t put too much stock in the old Hebrew manner of naming children for something they hoped they would grow into, they did pick names they felt already expressed their feelings for the children.

When Jacob was born in June 1942, they certainly didn’t expect him to follow in his ancient forefather’s footsteps, but both Hersh and Aliza had a strange feeling that this child would be a warrior for his country. Thus Jacob started his life with a direction that was pointed out to him often, and his training from his earliest days prepared and guided him toward following that direction.

As the family lived through the turbulent times of the late 1930s and early ‘40s, they watched the progress of the tiny gathering of Hebrew refugees and the gradual growth of a new nation. As Theodor Herzl, David Ben-Gurion and others continued to press the world and the British for the establishment of a state that would be Jewish and that would encompass the ancient Hebrew homelands, they devoured the news every day and watched the developments.

At 4 P.M. on May 14, 1948, Jacob was sitting by the family’s tiny radio when he heard the news that David Ben-Gurion, standing under the portrait of Theodor Hertzl, the founder of modern political Zionism, meeting in the old Tel Aviv Museum of Art building on Rothschild St. in Tel Aviv, had declared the establishment of the State of Israel. The ceremony had begun with the singing of HaTikvah, the national anthem.

At first, Jacob sat stunned with the news for several moments. Then the six-year-old boy simply began screaming, and his family came running.

Ben-Gurion became Prime Minister of the new state. Both superpower leaders, U.S. President Harry Truman (despite the objections by Secretary of State George Marshall and the entire State Department) and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin immediately recognized the new state. And within days, war broke out with the Arabs as the armies of Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Iraq invaded, hoping to annihilate the new Jewish state.

As Jacob continued to listen to the news day and night, a feeling was welling up in him that he did not understand at the time. But, it could be expressed as he grew older in four words: My home. My country. Those words would continue with him throughout his life.

Chapter 3

When Jacob was four his parents enrolled him in a neighborhood pre-school. All the basic pre-school subjects were taught, as well as the beginnings of rich Jewish history and a solid religious background. At home, his parents taught him more of the same and he grew well in the knowledge the school and his parents gave him.

His parents placed him in a tiny yeshiva when he was five, located at the synagogue the family attended. The rabbi, of course, carried on the religious instruction that had come up through the ages, however, the chazzans, or instructors, of the modern age brought out the world and national histories, the sciences and mathematics and the rest of modern studies.

The new school system came into being around 1948, and when Jacob was eight his parents moved him into one of the new state religious primary schools. While religious studies were still a major influence in his life, the newer schools also brought in all the studies modern Jewish parents knew their children would need to succeed in the rapidly changing world.

Jacob learned his lessons well but did not seem inclined to move into serious religious training that would perhaps lead him to become a rabbi. He excelled in math, languages, science and history, and his knowledge of world events was fostered by long hours late at night listening to the little family radio. He often surprised the instructors with not only his knowledge of what was going on around the world but his real understanding of those events. His ability to link them together and, especially, to understand how they affected the development and future of Israel kept the instructors amazed and often caused them to make cryptic remarks in his school file.

Jacob always did well in most sports but it was apparent they were not a driving force for him. He was able to be very athletic when called on, but was usually a team player and never showed inclinations to be the leader or the victor over all. He could, though, read the actions of others, especially his opponents, and could often be seen giving ideas to the teams he played with which led to victories. Again, his instructors regularly made remarks in his files about his abilities and possible future directions.

When Jacob was ten, one of the instructors began a special exercise class for the school children. It was mostly basic stretching exercises and calisthenics, but every once in a while he added some more complex activities. The children were then paired off with each other and practiced the boxing-type movements that gradually developed into, unbeknownst to the children, the precursors of judo and karate. The instructor guided them slowly and carefully, never letting them get into any actual sparring. The actions were always described as exercise.

Jacob, however, took to the special exercises as if he had been born with the skills. After only a short time, his movements became smooth and precise and were automatic instead of having to be thought out. It was at this time the instructor took the few who were especially proficient aside and offered them a special class outside of school hours. Those who accepted met before school and rapidly became immersed in the study and practice of real judo and karate and eventually aikido.

At the age of twelve, Jacob was the top student of the instructor and he loved the activities. And another note was added to his school file.

One day when Jacob was playing soccer with some neighborhood friends, a much older boy from a local secular school, along with his three large friends, began to jeer at the younger religious school students. Look at the little girls dancing like fairies, he called. Hey, little girls, come dance for us. His friends burst into hilarious laughter and one threw a stone that hit Jacob’s friend in the head, causing a small cut and some flowing blood.

Jacob immediately walked over to the boys and said, Please don’t do this. We are not your enemies. We are all friends. Come; play soccer with us.

The big boy took a step over to Jacob and leaned into his face. He screamed out, You are never our friends. You’re nothing but little pansy girls and we have no use for pansy girls. Then he reached out and gave Jacob a hard push that drove him back several steps.

Jacob paused for a moment just looking the other boy direct in the face, then slowly turned and began to walk back to his friends. At that point, the four bullies began to shout evil taunts at the others, daring them to come over and fight. Jacob and his friends ignored them until the oldest of the bullies threw out a vicious taunt directed at the mothers of the other boys. That’s when Jacob stopped playing, turned and walked back to the others.

That you cannot say, he said quietly. That you must never say.

The oldest boy screamed the epithet at Jacob again and quickly threw a roundhouse punch at Jacob’s face.

Three seconds later, the bully lay on his back completely immobilized. His mouth was open following his initial action and scream, but the pain radiating through him made him realize be had better not say anything at all, even if he had the breath to do so. After beginning a belligerent display when the action started, the other boys now stood still, not daring to move. When Jacob backed off a couple of steps, the boys reached down and lifted their friend, then began to walk carefully away from Jacob, casting angry, yet frightened, glances back at him.

Jacob calmed quickly. His body language didn’t give any signs of the brief violence. It was as if he had just walked over to retrieve an errant soccer ball. One of his friends asked, Why do they always act that way, Jacob? They don’t like us but we’re just the same as them.

Maybe we’re not just like them, Rafael. Somehow, we’re different. There’s something in us that makes them mad, even though they are Jews like us. Maybe something they’ve been told about our history that they’ve come to hate? But we are all still Jews and we should try to be friends. We already have enough enemies in the land.

Then he said to his friends. Come. Let’s finish our game.

Chapter 4

Jacob, why are we always involved in these wars? I know what father says about our history and how so much of the world hates us, but don’t you think there’s any way for us to stop these things?

Jacob was relaxing with his best friend, Avril, after a day of hiking in the hills east of Haifa. Their families had joined together for a picnic and adventure time and the day had been great. Now, as was often the case for the two boys, it was time for earnest discussion.

Both boys were serious students and both were concerned with the history of their country and with the political and social science of the day. While they basically knew what was happening in the world around them, they still couldn’t get a good handle on the why.

It was 1956 and both boys were fourteen. In the past three years there had been many incidents along Israel’s borders as Arab terrorism resulted in Israeli counter-raids. Palestinian Fedayeen attacks, often organized and sponsored by the Egyptians, were made from Egyptian occupied Gaza. The attacks led to a growing cycle of violence as Israel launched reprisal attacks against Gaza. In 1955 the Egyptian government had begun recruiting former Nazi rocket scientists for a missile program. Rising tensions led to an increase in clashes on Israel’s borders and Israeli punitive attacks on Gaza, Jordan and Syria.

Avril, if you could do whatever you wanted about the wars, what would you do?

I guess I‘d just make them all leave us alone. Let us live in peace.

But where would you have them let us live? Everyone says this land is not really ours. You know that. And everyone wants it.

But other countries have gone through these things, Jacob. And they have their land. Why not us?

Maybe because we’re not big enough? We don’t have enough army and can’t fight big wars, only these little ones? I don’t know, Avril. I just don’t see anyone helping us get ahead or keeping us out of the wars. Even our own leaders, and certainly not anyone else in the world. All they do is talk.

Don’t you think our army could prevent these people from attacking us?

You know they are good inside our country, but these attacks mostly come from outside. From across the borders. In order for the world to stop the World War, they had to go to Germany and Japan. For us to stop the attacks, we have to go across the borders into their countries and everyone says we can’t do that.

But we just did that, right?

President Nasser of Egypt had earlier announced the nationalization of the Suez Canal, which was Egypt’s main source of foreign currency, and he also blockaded the Gulf of Aqaba, preventing Israeli access to the Red Sea.

Israeli forces, commanded by General Moshe Dayan, finally attacked Egypt on October 29. By November 5, the Israelis had overrun the Sinai. There was uproar in the UN, with the USA and USSR for once in agreement in denouncing the actions of Israel, Britain and France, all of whom were attacking Egypt. A demand for a cease-fire was reluctantly accepted on November 7 and the Israelis withdrew to the Negev.

Israel had proven again they were a force to be reckoned with and that they would definitely prevent anyone from destroying their way of life.

Yes. But we can’t do that all the time, Avril. There are too many of them: too many countries, too many tanks, and too many soldiers. We can’t fight them all.

But you know as I do, Jacob, Mossad is always finding secrets that help us keep ahead of our enemies. That’s why we do win as we do. Don’t you think if we expanded what they do, we could stop these people before they could get started?

"Yes, but consider this. America says they are our friend, right? Then Egypt says they are America’s friend. And so does Saudi Arabia. But they both hate us. And they have oil, Avril, a lot of oil. So, despite the claims, who does America support?

"Of course, if all the big countries got together they could stop these conflicts around the world. But there are too many conflicts, too many things one country wants from another, too many split loyalties for them to get together. So we have to do it ourselves. And no one is going to really help us. They are all going to try to keep us from doing anything, even in our own country. We will be condemned, no matter what we do. Because we are Israel. Just because we are Israel." The last was said slowly, with a tone of great sadness.

After a few moments of silence and deep thoughts, Avril replied softly, So what do you think you are going to do about it, Jacob?

Again several moments of silence went by. Then Jacob responded, I’m not sure yet. I’m not sure what I can do. But I have to help the people, Avril. I have to.

Chapter 5

Jacob saw 1957 as nothing but preparations for world destruction, and he pictured Israel as almost a spectator at a tennis match, heads whipping back and forth as they watched events unfolding around them.

Russia conducted several atmospheric nuclear tests, then the British did the same over Easter Island, then the first submarines capable of firing guided missiles were launched. This was all in the first half of the year.

The first rocket with a nuclear warhead was fired at Yucca Flat, Nevada, the USSR launched the first intercontinental multistage ballistic missile, and American B-52 bombers began flying on full-time alert in case of Russian attacks.

The USSR launched the Sputnik satellites and the United States successfully test-fired their Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile.

As he was sitting in his advanced social studies class mid-December, his instructor was droning on about how we have to respect all people and do our best to befriend them. Peace in the world will come about if we will all get over our fears and prejudices and work together toward that elusive peace.

Halfway through the class period, Jacob had had enough and spoke out.

Sir, what is peaceful about the destructive weapons the major countries have developed this very year?

Startled, the instructor asked, Define what you mean, Jacob.

Jacob enumerated the various achievements, and then asked, "With all these peaceful weapons flying back and forth over our heads, what ability do we have to promote peace? Wouldn’t Israel be better off either developing our own weapons to combat these when they come directly at us, or at least investigating to find ways to destroy the weapons before they can be used against us?"

Jacob, why in the world would you think the weapons would be used against us? We are at peace with the USSR and America, at least the last I looked. That brought a smattering of chuckles from Jacob’s classmates. They knew Jacob as a very serious young man who, though usually quiet, was known to speak out forcefully on subjects dear to his heart. He did not hold back, especially when the subject was Israel and its security.

We may be at so-called peace with them now, sir, but what about next year or the next? Or what about the next countries to develop these weapons? Perhaps they won’t be such friends?

Do I detect some sarcasm in your remarks, Jacob?

It is not my intention to be sarcastic, sir. It’s just that I read of these events almost daily, and I know of our enemies around us and across the seas and wonder how soon they will have these same weapons? How are we to be friends with people who have sworn to destroy us? How do we survive if we let them all get ahead of us in things like this, things we don’t even know about until too late? What can we do to protect ourselves? How can we know of these weapons, or the intentions of other countries toward us, if we just sit and talk about peace? Are we actually doing anything to ensure that peace?

Why do you think we are doing nothing, Jacob? I believe we have soundly defeated several large armies in our recent past. Why could we not do this in the future?

Sir, it would only take one or two of these new devices to destroy us. And it would only take minutes for one of them to be delivered into our cities. I don’t know that we have any way to stop them. And I don’t know if we have the information or intelligence to know what other countries are planning, countries that may be planning our destruction. These aren’t soldiers and tanks, sir, or even planes that we can see and track. These are rockets, possible carrying the new atomic weapons. I don’t know that we have any way to stop them or even know about them.

The instructor was silent for a moment, and then replied, Jacob, you make several good points. We don’t have the time to continue with them now as we do have a class to finish. But would you be able to meet with me later, perhaps after school, to discuss this further?

Several of Jacob’s classmates were chuckling at the thought that Jacob had really gotten himself into it now, but the instructor didn’t have any appearance of anger, just seriousness and perhaps curiosity.

When Jacob and the instructor met later, they spent well more than an hour discussing Israel and her security needs, and what the man could tell a young student about Israel’s war preparations and investigative abilities. He casually mentioned some of the IDF’s achievements and abilities, and hinted at the famous investigative service, Mossad. When Jacob heard that name, his eyes lit up. He had obviously learned something about the service through his own studies and was eager to learn anything more he could.

His instructor didn’t tell him anything more. Some things in his own background could not be talked about. However, after the two parted, he went to his office and phoned a special number. He had a quiet conversation in which he passed on Jacob’s name and the details of their discussions both in and out of class.

A file was begun that would follow Jacob through the rest of his schooling and into his later life. A file that was always current and regularly added to.

Chapter 6

Jacob, what are you going to do with your life? You are very good at all your studies, and your knowledge of the Torah and our history is good. But you do not seem to show interest in moving on with your religious studies. I’m sure there would be a position of rabbi available to you in the future. Are you really not interested?

Rabbi Yoffe was Jacob’s principal instructor in the high school and he had decided it was time to feel the boy out and try to get him decided on a life path. His nature was to expect that all good Jewish boys would want to be rabbis, and he was curious why Jacob, with all his abilities, did not show interest in that path.

Jacob was sixteen now and he simply didn’t have any answers to the questions posed to him. He knew he didn’t feel any calling to further religious studies and to a career in the synagogue, but other than that he didn’t have a view of the future. He enjoyed his other studies, but had no idea where they might carry him.

Rabbi, I do not mean to disappoint you, but…

"No, Jacob, you are not to be concerned about me. Of course, I would like to see you as a rabbi some day, but you must be right in where you are. Your life is yours, and you must be led by the things in your life that draw you.

We are a nation, Jacob, a very unique nation. We grow together. We help each other. We have the way of life that is only ours. It has always been this way from the earliest days. Each of us must learn to take our place in that life, that nation, if we are to survive as the special people we are. I believe you have a special purpose in life, Jacob. It may not be readily apparent at the time, and it may not turn out to be what many would call normal, but I believe you are destined to do things others cannot do. Very important things.

Jacob sat quietly for several moments, pondering this message from the older man. The rabbi wisely sat quietly also, letting Jacob use his mind to think things through. The words would stick with Jacob all his life.

Finally, Jacob said, Rabbi, if I said I wondered about leading in something like politics, would that be an acceptable way to live life?

The rabbi was not surprised at this question because he had been watching the young man for a long time. He did, however, want to answer carefully.

Why would you want to do that, Jacob? What would you want to get from that kind of a career?

"I don’t know that I want anything, rabbi. I don’t know what I want. But I do see our country struggling to move ahead, to become a great nation, and I think I want to be a part of that. I don’t know how, but something I keep thinking about makes me feel that way.

There are so many problems our nation faces. We’ve had several wars since 1948 and I know there will be more to come. I hear or read in the news about the people trying to lead our country and the struggles those people face. I hear about all the other people in the world, especially those close around us, who either are not helping us or are actually trying to stop us. Somehow, I don’t know how, I want to help.

So, the rabbi chuckled, you want to be another Ben-Gurion, do you? Perhaps a modern prime minister or president?

Jacob didn’t laugh, but said simply, No, rabbi. I don’t think I want to be a top political leader. There are only a few of them and they must think of all the many, many things to do. But they will always need people below them to get the jobs done. That is where I think I want to be, but I don’t know what that would be.

You have more in you than to be a secretary or assistant, Jacob. We have a lot of people capable of doing those jobs. You have other skills.

The rabbi thought back quickly over the many skills that Jacob had shown in the past few years, from academic to physical, and began to conjure images of a future. He did not see Jacob as a general of the military, for instance. That would be like Jacob’s statement of the men who had to plan everything. But he saw Jacob as more than just a soldier. He saw him as someone searching for answers, questioning, looking for ideas of what to do in different circumstances. He saw him developing plans for carrying out actions that those above him had dreamed. He saw him searching for ways to keep others from disrupting the plans of the military and political leaders, helping those working to advance the nation.

And then his mind flashed on the phrase, behind the scenes. That simple phrase, he thought, really did describe Jacob. A man with great intelligence and many skills but with no desire to be in the public eye. A man wanting to help but not to be noticed. A little inkling of an idea began to gel.

"Jacob, you will soon graduate and then begin serving your time in the IDF and perhaps many ideas will formulate as you see more of the world. There will be many paths presented to you as you move on and I know many of them could take you in the direction of which you have been speaking. We will talk some more about this subject later.

For right now, though, let us look at this paper you have written. I have some suggestions, and corrections, of course, which might direct your thinking in this topic.

The two spent a few more hours discussing schoolwork, but both their minds were whirling around the subject of the future. What would it bring?

Chapter 7

"But sir, how can anyone—any military, any country—simply lose an atomic bomb? And what if the bomb wasn’t really lost? What if it was stolen and is being placed in Israel at this very moment?"

I understand what you are saying, Jacob, and I don’t have any answers to your questions. But I’m sure our people know everything there is to know of this incident.

"But, do our people really know? They are saying they can’t raise the bomb, so is it really there or is it maybe somewhere else? Do we know?"

On that day after school in mid-1958, Jacob was having an agonizing discussion with Rabbi Yoffe about the things he saw going on in the world, so many of which he feared would end up affecting Israel.

The year before, on July 28, 1957, a U.S. Air Force C-124 was carrying three nuclear bombs over the Atlantic Ocean when it experienced a loss of power. The crew dumped two of the bombs to protect their safety. The bombs were never recovered.

Then, in 1958 on February 5, a 7,600-pound Mark 15 hydrogen bomb known as the Tybee Bomb was lost by the U.S. Air Force in an accident off the coast of Savannah, Georgia. No further word had yet been received in the news about how it was lost or what recovery efforts were being made, but the word coming out was that it would likely never be recovered.

What would you do about this, Jacob? What steps would you have taken before this happened, and what would you do now?

What do you mean, rabbi?

Just exactly what I said, Jacob. If you had some amount of power or control, what would you do?

Do you mean me, personally, sitting here in Haifa? A sixteen year old Jewish boy?

No, that’s not what I had in mind. If you were an adult, in some position of power, with the ability to control some people as you thought necessary, what would you do?

Jacob sat for several moments, and the rabbi sat without speaking, just letting him sift his thoughts. Jacob had been having many sleepless nights wondering—worrying—about incidents taking place such as the bomb losses. He wished he could physically do something about the events but recognized all he could do at this time was think and worry about them—which he was doing admirably.

Finally he replied, You know, rabbi, don’t you, of the Americans also accidently dropping an atomic bomb on one of their own towns a couple of months back, in March? I think it was in their state, South Carolina? It didn’t explode, at least the nuclear material didn’t, but at least one home was destroyed, I think, and it injured some people?

Yes, I do know of that, Jacob. What is your point?

The old rabbi, though now basically just a religious teacher, had a background that touched several leaders in the Israeli government and military, and he knew a lot more of what went on around them than anyone would guess. He was always quite amazed at the amount of material Jacob was gathering and pondering, and was seriously wondering where Jacob was heading in life. He knew that it would not be a religious direction, but what other course would he take? He guessed that Jacob was very likely going to be moving into some form of government work, and that it would probably not be in politics. Jacob was not going to be someone who stood up in the Knesset and made speeches or who would get his picture in papers. He would be a quiet one; one who made a difference.

"Do we really know what happened with those bombs, Rabbi? That’s three or four bombs gone missing or accidently dropped in just two years. I don’t know what abilities I will have, but I know I want to help protect my country and help her grow. I think if I had the ability to do so, I would want to know. I would want to know what was going on before it got to me, or Israel. I want to have some impact in finding and stopping people before they can cause destruction."

He stopped for a moment, then added, Rabbi, to be able to prevent things like these from hurting Israel, we have to have information. We have to know. If we are going to be sure this kind of event doesn’t happen here, or that we know about it in advance and can stop it, we have to know these things.

Again, he was silent. Then, quietly, he asked, How can I be involved in this, rabbi? What can I do to help in these things?

Jacob, have you thought about this? I hear more than a question in your voice. Is there a possibility you are thinking something specific about your future?

After another long pause, Jacob almost whispered, Mossad?

The rabbi put his hand on Jacob’s shoulder in a comforting move and replied, Yes, Jacob. That is a possibility. That is a good possibility.

***

Four days later, on July 15, the United States landed 5,000 of their Marines in Beirut, Lebanon, only about eighty miles from Haifa, supposedly to protect the pro-Western government there. While they only stayed for a short time, Jacob saw the unrest growing so close to home and concluded, again, We must know.

Chapter 8

In 1959, Jacob graduated from his regular schooling. He had high grades in all his courses and was immediately pressed to study privately with either the rabbis or with private tutors and to take the matriculation exams, or bagrut, so he could go on to university. He would start his compulsory military service beginning next year and that would last at least the required three years. Then university? He didn’t know yet.

On a whim, completely out of the blue, he decided to travel. Something told him to see some of the world he was going to be going into and to learn of places beyond his own city of Tel Aviv. The world was not yet a place of danger, even to a young, seventeen-year old Jewish boy, but it was changing quickly. The family had had some family members move to places like the United States, England and parts of Europe and Africa, so he had some contacts he could visit. His family had moved to Tel Aviv after about ten years in Haifa and his father was now a prestigious professor of languages at Tel Aviv University, so travel money was not a problem.

His first step of the adventure was to an uncle in America, which Jacob immediately recognized as a land of unbelievable miracles.

When his plane left Tel Aviv, Jacob’s last sights of his beloved Israel were many cramped neighborhoods of almost mud-brick houses, city streets that still had many sidewalk shops that moved to different locations each day, and seemingly millions of people walking through those streets. True, the cities he knew were quite modern with some moderate skyscrapers, the beginnings of modern public transportation, and the flashy, eye-catching imports from around the world. But his deepest memory was of ancient appearances, history still walking slowly forward, and modernism struggling to take hold.

When his plane landed in London, then New York, Jacob was shocked to see more modern, exciting, expensive things than he had ever dreamed of. Yes, he had seen or read of these things for years, but to actually see them personally, kaleidoscopes of images that screamed richness and luxury, different looking people, buildings, clothes, cars—he was astounded. Restaurants of every possible variety on every corner, and every street with seemingly unlimited varieties of food. And stores, stores, stores of every kind carrying every type and quantity of goods imaginable everywhere he looked. His mind could almost not accept what he saw.

His uncle helped him travel through New York City to all the major sights, then to the green farms, and even forests, of the northern part of the state and New Jersey. Indeed, Israel had places of beauty like these, but to have them all available whenever a person felt the desire to go—unbelievable.

And something unnerved him even though he didn’t recognize what it was for several days. Then unnerved him even more when he did recognize it. No armed soldiers patrolling every street, in every building, on every bus and train. Yes, there were a few policemen on a few corners, mainly directing traffic, but without sub-machine guns over their shoulders. Jacob was used to heavily armed soldiers patrolling regularly.

When it sunk in that he was walking streets that were basically unguarded, he actually became a little frightened, and began looking around and over his shoulders for signs of impending doom. His uncle noticed and laughed lightly. This isn’t Israel, Jacob. Or the Middle East. We are safe here. We don’t need the soldiers.

He continued his trip with a visit to an uncle in Singapore. The stopover in Hawaii again gave him a vision of an unbelievable place. Ocean everywhere. Green lawns and rain forests everywhere. And store after store full of people, many obviously tourists, rushing shoulder-to-shoulder gathering huge bags of expensive goods.

Singapore, though, was very different. His uncle explained the many places tourists and civilized people simply did not go. There were many dangers. And so much obvious poverty. Even the downtown was close, hectic, even chaotic, and it gave the appearance of a place still struggling to come out of the dark ages. And again, more people than Jacob was used to seeing moving around in one place at one time. It was a place that gave Jacob a feeling of desperation. The people seemed to be lost, fearful, even frantic. So many beggars; aimless, wandering children obviously not cared for; and so many frightened eyes. He was happy when his time to leave arrived. He had had enough.

Jacob’s last major stop was in Cape Town, South Africa. Another uncle had lived there since shortly after leaving Europe and had made good in providing supplies through several grocery and merchandise stores. The stores were mostly located in out-of-the-way neighborhoods or outside the city near the mining and agricultural fields and most of his clientele worked in those fields or were office workers nearby.

Cape Town, though being a large city, gave the appearance of also just rousing from a long, dark past and just beginning to see daylight. There seemed to be almost no middle class that Jacob could recognize. Poverty was everywhere, and where it gave way it was to people who seemed only a short step up the economic ladder. The next step up seemed to be directly to the rich.

As his uncle happily drove him around, Jacob recognized that he stayed in neighborhoods that were mostly upper crust. Homes, businesses, stores and people all seemed to be wealthy compared to virtually everyone else. The other people and places Jacob saw as they drove around were mostly ignored. Empty fields with decidedly different housing and ragged shops on the other side of the fields. Neighborhoods they skirted because they didn’t look safe. Dirt streets, hovels, and countless unwashed, undressed children looking shyly, or angrily, at the beautiful, air-conditioned limousine passing by.

When Jacob arrived back in Jerusalem, then Tel Aviv after his three-month journey, he saw his beloved home with changed eyes. The world beyond these borders was a very different place, both modern and exciting and expensive, and poverty wracked, destitute and dangerous. And even the modern places were becoming dangerous.

However, the thing he felt the most, with the most fear, was the reception he had received almost everywhere as soon as people learned he was from Israel. People scowled. They turned away from him quickly. Conversations ended. Words, while on the surface respectful, were almost cutting, abrupt, sneering. And Jacob felt danger. Threats did not appear directly, but he sensed forces around him that made him cringe. Often he had turned around for no reason but to see who he sensed was staring at him.

His uncles and their families were always treated respectfully because of their quite elevated status in their businesses and neighborhoods. But even they had given him small hints of problems and danger hiding just beyond their immediate view. Each of them had told him, casually, of being prepared to return to Israel at a moment’s notice. Bags could be readily packed; money was already banked in places where it could be easily retrieved from Israel; the homes, though very nice, could easily be left behind.

The trip had given Jacob a perspective he hadn’t dreamed of before. And, it had solidified the thoughts he did have. There was the world—and there was Israel. It was not likely the two were going to be on good terms in the future. And Jacob’s thoughts, ideas