CarolC.

first of all, when were you last in Israel and know what is really going on there? Rabbi-Sol is an orthodox religious man who I am sure has been to Israel on more than a few occasions and I would not be surprised if he knows real people there, not Internet sites.

You think that you are close to the situation. rural Alabama is far away from anything that probably resembles a Jew who can communicate with you face to face about Israel. The south is most known for it's bigotry over most any other region in this country. There is a reason very few Jews live there.