![\"Jamie](\"https:\/\/ik.imgkit.net\/3vlqs5axxjf\/TW\/ik-seo\/uploadedImages\/All_TW_Art\/TWSTF\/T0831JBIESIADA\/Jamie-Biesiada.jpg\" "\\"Jamie")
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It had been years since longtime New Jersey resident Phyllis Goldblatt, who now lives in Delray Beach, Fla., used a travel advisor. But when she wanted to plan the trip of a lifetime to Israel, she turned to her old friend Sharon Rockman, founder of Sababa Travel in Fanwood, N.J.<\/p>\n
The two grew up together once Goldblatt’s family made its way to the United States.<\/p>\n
Goldblatt’s parents, Ruth and Michael Sien, were Holocaust survivors. Originally from Poland, each traveled on foot to a United Nations refugee camp in Germany, where they met. Goldblatt was born there, and the family came to the U.S. — specifically, Newark — when she was 1 year old.<\/p>\n
Many years later, Goldblatt said she wanted to plan “a spectacular trip” to Israel for herself and her husband, Larry Lazarus, who had never been to the country before.<\/p>\n
While she had used a travel advisor years before, with the advent of the Internet, she had taken to DIY travel. But for a truly special trip, she wanted to rely on Rockman, who specializes in FIT trips to Israel.<\/p>\n
That decision turned out to be a really good one.<\/p>\n
Originally, the trip was planned before the pandemic, but like so many others it was canceled. Finally, this month, Goldblatt and Lazarus hopped on a plane. They stayed in Madrid for a few days before heading to Israel, where they planned to stay for a month.<\/p>\n
The couple flew into Tel Aviv in advance of their tour, which was supposed to start on Sunday, Oct. 8.<\/p>\n
But when the war between Israel and Hamas broke out Saturday, that tour was a non-starter.<\/p>\n
It was a harrowing day for the couple. At their hotel, they kept hearing announcements to go to a bomb shelter — in this case, the stairwells of the property. It was also eerily quiet, especially with many staff members being called to fight. They ended up staying with a family member of Goldblatt’s that night.<\/p>\n
“We heard jets all night long,” she said.<\/p>\n
But at the same time, Rockman was at work getting them flights out.<\/p>\n
She did, sending them home via Rome. While there were long lines at the airport, everything was orderly and calm, Goldblatt said.<\/p>\n
“When I got home and turned on the news, I realized how lucky I was to get out,” Goldblatt said.<\/p>\n
Goldblatt was grateful to her friend and travel advisor, Rockman. Not only had she put together a “beautiful itinerary” before the trip, Goldblatt said, but she “worked all through the night to find flights for us to get out.”<\/p>\n
Asked if she will use a travel advisor again in the future, she quickly said, “I would only use Sharon.”<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Rockman has been working with her tour operator partner in Israel, Doron Harel of Har-El Travel, to send needed supplies to reservists in Israel. She is also collecting monetary donations. Anyone wishing to make a donation can email sharon@sababatravel.com.<\/p>\n