Michal Gray-Schaffer

Despite the mounting political unrest between Israel and Palestine, Michal Gray-Schaffer did not regret her recent trip to Jerusalem.

Gray-Schaffer, whose name is Michele but she often goes by her Hebrew name Michal, is the cantor at the Congregation B’nai Abraham on North Main Street. She attended the American Conference of Cantors, which hosts its annual convention in Israel about every seven years.

She returned to her home in Pittsburgh last week.

“The trip for me kind of started in the JFK airport,” Gray-Schaffer said.

“I was in one of the wings where there aren’t any seats, so you’re either waiting in line or you’re watching the television overhead. And while I was at the airport, the news came on that they had found the three boys, that they had been murdered,” referring to three Israeli teens who had been kidnapped and missing for two weeks last month.

“All of us had prayed for their safety,” she said. “It came as a real shock to me. And I thought, this is not going to be a good time to go to Israel.”

However, aside from a few noted differences during her trip, she tried to keep things positive. Israelis, she said, tried to live as normally as possible, even with escalating violence.

“There are always shellings. It just depends where you are in Israel. There’s been shelling for 60 years … It’s just the increase,” Gray-Schaffer said.

“I did not experience any sirens or running into the bomb shelter. It kind of followed me.

“I was in Tel Aviv three nights, and as soon as the convention moved to Jerusalem, that’s when Tel Aviv was shelled.”

The conference was for 100 cantors from all over the world to pray, share ideas and experience the culture. While in the city, there was a tourist advisory not to go to the Old City of Jerusalem.

“My (convention) roommate and I went anyway. Even ended up being lost, and it was no problem,” she said.

The conference lasted a week, and after that, Gray-Schaffer did some exploring in Eliat, the southernmost city in Israel, and went to Jordan. On the highway between Jerusalem and Eliat, she saw two large iron domes on both sides of the road. She guessed that Israelis might be launching missiles from there.

“I thought it was interesting that it was visible, and not hidden at all, she said.

This was her third trip to Israel, and she said she would definitely do it again.