Leaving Israel in a short while

We are leaving this awesome, complicated, sacred land in just a few hours.  I have had an incredible experience seeing Israel through the eyes of members of Beth Am/a reform congregation visiting a Jewish State that is just beginning to accept non-Orthodox Jews as legitimate.  Members of CBA Israel Trip 2011 now share a strong bond that has brought them close together--as good friends and as members of a congregation which strives to offer avenues to increase ones sense of connection to oneself, God and others.  I hope that we bring back to Beth Am some of the sacredness, ruach/spirt that we found along the way and in this land.   I am so grateful to have been a part of our CBA Israel trip.  This trip has been inspirational on both a professional level and also a personal level. 
I have not been to Israel since 1999 when Kyle and I helped chaperone a week-long trip for 60 eighth graders--needless to say, this has been a much different experience.  On this trip I was able to go to the Kotel--the Western Wall with my family and pray with my daughters.  (the fact that I could not pray with my son is another story, for another time).  In 1999 I was not married, I certainly had no children.  Placing my hand on the ancient wall last week felt like a homecoming of sorts--I found myself saying thank You to God for bringing me the children I had always wanted, for bringing so many blessings into my life.  I didn't expect to say "thanks"-- to say Modeh Ani over and over again--but indeed that was all that came from my lips, at first.   It was a great moment of Connection and one that I will forever feel and remember.  
This trip also brought me to old friends who have been with me through great challenges and as well as many simcahs/joyous moments.  The fact that these relationships blossomed while in the Holy Land is an important piece to our friendships.  The roots of our friendships seem to be for me, connected to a feeling of wholeness/a soulfulness that happens for me here. 
There is so much more to say about this connection to holy ground yet for now, I need to go prep the kids for the 10 hour airplane ride and make sure we have some Israeli bazooka bubble gum and bisli snacks to take with us on the plane.  
Looking forward to returning to Israel and to coming home to family, friends, routine and my congregational family, Beth Am.  With Love from a moshav on the outskirts of Jerusalem~'Til Soon. 

Thursday

Hi Everyone,


Yesterday was a "free" day to catch up on seeing and doing what we did not have time for... some went to the old city and explored, others shopped and relaxed. I had a chance to join a yoga class with one of my yoga teachers who lives in Jerusalem.  Diane Bloomfield is an amazing teacher--she began Torah Yoga many years ago and it is an amazing class to be a part of.


After a day on our own, the group met Gadi our guide at the Ticho house for dinner. Ticho house is a beautiful and historic place--see this website for its history, restaurant info etc.:
http://www.go-out.com/ticho/    Dinner was wonderful and we enjoyed each other's company in the beautiful surroundings of the Ticho Garden.  This was our last dinner together as a group--for after dinner a few of us headed off for Ben Gurion Airport to come home while others stayed overnight in Jerusalem to be picked up this morning for their trip to Eilat and Petra.  The Bellows family was picked up by friends who live on a Moshav 10 min from Jerusalem.  We will stay here until Sunday when we meet up with the rest of the tour and head home.  Blog will be quiet for a few days....I think.  we will see you soon! Boker Tov from Jerusalem!

Trees, Digs and Reform Judaism in Israel!

climbing down to our planting site at JNF Kennedy Forrest

Another glorious day in the Holy Land.  We started out at 8:30 for the John F. Kennedy memorial in one of the JNF forrest and planted saplings.  Our saplings will grow there for a few years and then be transferred to another site.  Most of the trees planted in JNF forrest are of the pine variety, but they need to plant additional types in order to stop diseases from spreading amongst the trees--we planted a type of oak.  

A prayer before planting

planting a tree to Honor Marion Mito! Go Team Marion!

After trees were planted we drove to an archeological site for a tour and learned how to dig for ancient relics.  On our ancient site, treasures from the Maccabean time had been found! Perhaps amongst the pottery pieces, animal bones, part of a wine jug and more that we found, one of us will have discovered a treasure!   As an aside, the owner of the Archeological Seminars, who hosted us, is the father of a school mate of mine from my Solomon Schechter days (see pictures below).  He stayed with us on the tour and helped us with the dig!  After the dig, some of us crawled through tunnels, others went on a tour of the caves and we all met up--dirty, covered in ancient dust and dried mud- and smiling. 

Learning how to use the digging tools.  oy. 

Gabi and Mr. Alpert of Archeological Seminars.  Look what they found!

Coming out of the Dig.  AKA Batman cave. 

Lunch was another falafel and schwarma place (like every other lunch!) and then we drove to the town of Mod’iin.  A newer community, Modiin was established in 1998 and it is half-way between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.  In Modiin, a town where the Maccabeas once lived, there is a reform synagogue, Yozma, and I am friendly with their pioneering and inspiring senior rabbi, Kinneret Shiryon.  Rabbi Shiryon spoke to us about Yozma--how they recently made history in Israel by becoming the first non-Orthodox community to receive a pre-fab building funded by the State.  This is a HUGE deal and the Yozma case about receiving funding  went all the way to the Supreme Court.  Before Yozma, only the orthodox religious institutions were given funding.  Today, because of Yozma’s successful court case, other liberal communities have been given funding and a small measure of equality has taken place.  Yozma began with a few pre-school classrooms 11 years ago in dilapidated temporary rooms and today, they have 6 classrooms, an elementary school and a great many caring partners activities, tikkun olam projects as well as worship services etc.  It was an inspiration to meet with Kinneret and we hope to forge a new, strong relationship between our two congregations.  

Rabbi Kinneret showing us the monumental plaque that notes funds were provided by the State to build the institution, 

Listening to R' Kinneret share the YOZMA story.  

Friends.

We arrived back at the hotel around 4:30 and said good-bye to our wonderful driver, Shaul.  Lucy and Nathan each hugged him and Nathan said loudly “I will never forget you, Shaul” We all agree.  

Lila Tov from Jerusalem! 

Monday at Masada!

Today We packed suits and a towel, sunscreen, hats and water and at 8:00 we headed for the hour or so drive to Masada, the ancient fortress where the Jewish Zealots chose death instead of slavery to the Romans.  After destroying the second Temple in the year 70 CE, it took the Roman army three years to finally reach the top of Masada to crush their rebellion only to find that the Jews had committed suicide, rather then surrender.   Before we left Jerusalem however, we stopped for a group picture and an amazing view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives.  See below: 

A camel at Mount of Olives!

All but three of us took the cable car to the top of the mountain, the three brave souls climbed Masada in the blazing mid-morning heat.  Their “we did it" picture is below: 

In this picture, Gadi our guide, is showing us an ancient cistern. The zealots could store nearly 60,000 gallons of water atop the mountain.  Incredible.  

We stopped for a moment of silence and reflection when we sat together in the ancient synagogue.  We noted that Rabbi Heschel teaches that Awe often comes before faith.  Indeed, there is so much to be in AWE of here in our ancient homeland.  We took a moment to connect with ourselves and our past and then we said together, the Shema--a statement of our faith.  

After lunch and a shopping visit to the AHAVA store, we headed for a quick drive down to a beach at the Dead Sea.  We floated in the dense salt water, a few opted to coat themselves with the rich mineral mud!  

An hour and a half later we enjoyed ice cream and water and headed off for the hotel.  Another beautiful, amazing day.  

Sunday in Jerusalem!

WOW. From 7:45 am until 5:00pm we were on the go.  Today was packed with more information about Ancient Israel than possible to absorb in one day... But we made a valiant effort!!  We began with a short visit to the wall where we could offer a “Modeh Ani” morning prayer--the prayer we say upon waking up saying “thank You” to God for allowing us this new day.  We then spent hours exploring the Old City--the ancient walls found underground that were part of the Temple.  In these tunnels, is the closest Wall we have to the Holy of Holies inside the Temple. See pic. below:  

After the tunnels we went for a tour of the Christian Quarter and the 14 Stations of Jesus/saw the Church where Jesus is said to be buried, heard beautiful gregorian chanting in the church which added depth to our experience of seeing a most holy and significant place in the Christian world.  There were people kissing the place where Jesus is said to be entombed, monks in robes--some hooded, some not walked around, and some lit candles.  The importance of this sight was palpable.  

After the Church we went through the busy corridors of the Arab/Christian market and made our way into the Jewish Quarter stoping to shop and sightsee at the Cardo-an ancient thoroughfare and shopping area that has been updated by thousands of years and is home to some of the most expensive stores in Jerusalem.  The cardo today:

The Cardo a few thousand years ago: we are still shopping....

We then sat for about 35 min. For lunch and then off to tour again!  We spent the remainder of the afternoon exploring the City of David, walked through an ancient waterworks system, walked through tunnels, did some climbing and walking, saw a 3800 year old spring and then stood for a “we did it!!” picture at the end of the day!!!

 a 3800 water spring:

Shabbat in Jerusalem

Hi Friends,

Today we had a relaxing/time on our own/shabbat kind of day.  Most of us (those who don't have kids on the trip at least) slept in a bit and had a late breakfast (!!) and some of us discussed this week's Torah portion--shelach lecha (which is actually now considered, last week's portion).  it is the portion where Moses sends out 10 spies to scout out the land of Canaan.  all but Caleb and Joshua come back saying it is too much for the Israelites, that they could not enter the land.  Caleb and Joshua believed that anything is possible if you have determination and faith.  it reminded me of Herzl's--if you will it, it is no dream and also of all the early pioneers building the State of Israel... It is really, a miracle that this State exists.  Problems, conflicts and all... we are Here.  I am pleased that Joshua and Caleb spoke up... :-)
in the late morning, some of us went to the Shuk in the Muslim/Christian quarter, some stayed at the hotel, by the pool etc.  we all met at 7:30 for Havdalah, on one of the veranda's at the hotel, walls of the Old City in the background.  It was interesting to offer the Havdalah prayers noting the separation from the holy and the ordinary.  when in Jerusalem, I/we feel nothing is quite "ordinary".   lots to think about.
well, once again i am writing this at a late hour... tomorrow promises to be a very another very busy, enlightening, awesome day.  we begin at 7:30 am.  Til Soon, Lila Tov from Jerusalem.

Pictures from Safed, Rosh Hanikrah, Acco etc.