Reminiscent of the photo on the cover of Counterpoint, the letter opened with a scene at Ben-Gurion. As Dresner recounted, “Any visitor to Israel knows that special feeling—the surge of emotion—which races through you as your jet touches Eretz Yisrael.”70 She consistently used biblical terminology to describe the land throughout the piece. As the couple
disembarked from the airplane, she recalled how they were swept into a circle of dancers on the runway, although they were “not national heroes or celebrities”, and in fact “were total strangers to these people”.71 However, in an observation that would reflect the theme of her essay, “within a very short time—a bond—a love developed which could never be contemplated by two teachers looking to enjoy a summer vacation.”72 At least initially,
the couple’s early goals for participation in Operation 1000 were modest, noting that on this second trip to Israel, “we wanted a visit which would now let us meet and live with Israelis—to understand them and ourselves better.”73 In particular, the West Bank program interested them as “it could provide the opportunity to live in a settlement town where a certain spirit
pervades and life seems to take on greater meaning.”74