My friend, Jonathan

Jonathan had made aliyah as soon as he left school after his 'A' levels. He joined his family, who had preceded him by a few weeks and were living in a small ropy apartment in Tel Aviv. Small beginnings, but this was the land, after all! Sacrifices were expected for pioneers; four bedroom semi in comfortable Woodford Green to three bedroomed flat with shared amenities; family run butcher's shop in the Jewish shopper's paradise of 'Becky's Broadway' to an uncertain future among the multi-cultural markets of Israel's second city.

His father eventually established a felafel bar in a strategic position adjacent to one of the main army thoroughfares. His tasty morsels were highly thought of, mainly due to his sauces, created in a backroom laboratory by Jonathan himself. Jonathan often thought how he could have wasted his life at University, followed by a comfortable career path in the country of his birth. He rejoiced that he was now in eretz Israel, whatever his circumstances or future. He was happy and fulfilled. Such was his Zionism.

This was to be his first trip back to England for twenty years. We had kept in contact all these years, which was amazing in itself, making the transition, effortlessly, from high school friends to pen pals. And he had promised to visit me at this Passover time, indeed as the guest of honour at our family Seder night. I was rightly excited, though not just at seeing Jonathan after all these years. Of equal importance was to be the presence of our other school friend, Gerald, at the Seder night.