Guest Blogger, Rabbi Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik: More Than the Eye Can See

This fall my family took a trip to Sequoia National Park, where we hiked through Crystal Cave, one of the marble caves found in the park. The cave is about a million years old, and filled with beautiful stalactite and stalagmite formations. On our hike we learned about a new cave recently discovered in the park; it is called Ursa Minor, named for an ancient bear skeleton that was found inside. It?s likely that the new cave will never be open to the public -- too precious for the constant wear-and-tear of human visitors.
What struck me was that these caves have been forming for tens of thousands of years, silently growing underground undisturbed by human beings. These amazing works of natural beauty are just there, whether we discover them or not.
The Torah tells us God gives human beings dominion over the earth. Some have interpreted this to mean that the earth is ours to use as we see fit; others understand this to mean that we have a responsibility to care for the earth. The unexplored cave system in the Sequoias is a part of creation that most human beings will never see; the cave our guide told us about has only been viewed by about 20 people so far, and the park is committed to protecting it from the public, going so far as keeping the exact location a secret. And Ursa Minor is surely not the last such cave system in the world; no doubt more lie underneath the surface of our planet, never to be seen by people.
In a world that we have explored from the tops of mountains to the bottom of the ocean, it is amazing to me that there remain such undiscovered places. As stewards of creation, sometimes the best thing we can do is act like the world was not created solely for our enjoyment.

[Posted by Rabbi Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik]

Guest Blogger, Rabbi Brynjegard-Bialik:Elul and Rock and Roll Etiquette

The first time I saw Ben Lee in concert he did something that I had never seen before. Ben Lee is one of my favorite singer/songwriters, and this concert was mostly him and his guitar on a stage decorated with flowers.

Throughout the show he offered the audience tips on “Rock and Roll Concert Etiquette” (you could almost hear him saying it with capital letters), and at the end of the show he told us that it was customary at the end of a Rock and Roll Show for the band to leave the stage and for the audience to clap and yell and demand an encore. However, he added, the audience knows that the band is coming back, and the band knows they are coming back -- but they miss all the accolades while they’re milling around backstage waiting to come back.

Ben Lee said he wanted to enjoy our cheering, so instead of going backstage he would stay on stage and just turn around to face away from the audience; that way we could enjoy the praise while waiting the appropriate interval before an encore.

He said all this very tongue-in-cheek, but that’s exactly what he did -- he turned around, and we clapped and cheered and yelled for one more song. I was in the front row, and I could see his smile when he turned back around, thanked the crowd, and started playing again.

This week the month of Elul begins. In “Jewish time” this is the last month of the year -- the time to get ready for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We spend this month reflecting on the past year. Our liturgy focuses on slichot –- asking for forgiveness -- and on recognizing our mistakes and trying to do better in the year to come. We do a heshbon nefesh, an accounting of the soul. we take stock of who we are and how we are living up to our values. This process can be somewhat self-critical; the focus tends to be recognizing where we have missed the mark and asking for forgiveness -– from others, from God, and from ourselves. Elul is the time to start saying “I’m sorry”.

Can we also prepare our souls by saying “thank you”? How often do we let the people in our lives know that we appreciate them?

The Ben Lee concert reminded me that it is just as important to listen to praise and thanks, to accept it graciously, and to allow ourselves to enjoy our accomplishments. How often do we blow off a heartfelt “thank you” from a friend or colleague by responding, “it was nothing”? We do a disservice to ourselves when we diminish our actions and a disservice to others when we say that their acknowledgement is unimportant. What are we saying to the person offering us a compliment if we brush it off like their words do not matter to us?

We have a month to prepare for the Days of Awe, a month of self-reflection to prepare for the year ahead. Use this month not only to say “I’m sorry,” but also “thank you.” As you reflect on the things you want to change in the coming year, take some time to reflect on the things that worked in the past year -– the positive changes from previous years and the best parts of yourself that you want to nurture. Take the time to acknowledge thanks and compliments, as well as offering them freely.

[Posted by Rabbi Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik]

Guest Blogger, Rabbi Brynjegard-Bialik:What do you remember?

Ten years ago I had just moved back to California. I was a new mom, and we three were living with my parents while we looked for a house. I was sitting in my parents’ bedroom, playing with my infant daughter and watching television when the news broke in to regular programming. There was a shooting at the JCC, I heard; someone was targeting Jews. I was stunned and horrified.

My first thoughts were, admittedly, self-centered; I was worried about myself and my family.

The JCC was supposed to be a safe place. I went to preschool there as a child, and I was a camp counselor there in college. If the JCC was not safe, I thought, what was?

I was still at that new-parent stage of checking my daughter every ten minutes while she slept to make sure she was still breathing; I could barely begin to imagine how terrified the parents of those children at the JCC were. I was years away from sending a child to preschool, but as I watched news footage of the line of children being led out of the JCC I wondered if I could ever feel safe sending my daughter to a Jewish school.

I was a rabbinic student at the time, and spent most of my time in buildings easily identifiable as Jewish -- the very thing that drew the gunman to the JCC; I wondered if I would ever feel safe at school again. I was scared to go to temple for fear of copycats, and I was not sure I would have the courage to walk into any Jewish building again.

This was not the world I was used to; violent anti-semitism was something I read about in history books not something that happened in Northridge. It was two years before the events of September 11, and it was the first time I felt really, personally, threatened.

Shabbat services on August 7 will commemorate the tenth anniversary of the shootings at the JCC in Granada Hills. Ten years ago, we all gathered as a community -- stunned by a tragedy that affected our temple members and friends. This Shabbat our service will be filled with hope for the future; please join us.

What do you remember about that day?

Guest Blogger, Rabbi Brynjegard-Bialik:God Does Not Exist(as a Gender-Neutral Entity)

How would you describe God? Powerful and all-mighty? Or perhaps loving and supportive?

Newsweek’s science column this week was about how language shapes the way people think, based on the work of Dr. Lera Boroditsky, a researcher in cognitive linguistics. The main point was that grammatical gender in language has a big impact on the way we see the world. Recent studies demonstrate that in languages which assign gender to their nouns, the way people describe the world around them is affected by gender. The Spanish word for “bridge” is male, and native Spanish speakers defined “bridge” with stereotypically male terms, such as sturdy, strong, and towering. Native German speakers, whose word for bridge is female, used more feminine words such as beautiful, elegant, and slender. The testing was done in English, and yet these native speakers of gendered languages continued to use masculine or feminine descriptions based on the gender of the noun in their native language.

This led me to think about Hebrew, and our language for God. Hebrew is a gendered language, our the words of our Torah portray God as decidedly male. Yes, there are feminine names for aspects of God, like Shechina, but the overwhelming majority of Jewish language about God for worship and study is masculine. In most prayers and in the Torah, God takes masculine adjectives and verb forms -- so even when the name of God seems gender-neutral, the rest of the sentence about God is overtly masculine.

Consider the Shema. Even if we say that the words used for God -- Adonai and Eloheinu -- are gender-neutral, the word “one,” echad, is masculine. There is no gender-neutral word for “one” in Hebrew -- it is either masculine (echad) or feminine (achat). And as in most prayers, the gender is the masculine.

In recent years Reform Judaism has been careful to use gender-neutral God language. Where words like Adonai used to be translated as “Lord” or “King,” remain untranslated or a gender neutral term is used such as “Sovereign.”

But does that solve the problem (assuming there is one)? Is gender already built into our prayers because it is built into Hebrew? When we talk about God, even in English, “He” is considered neutral, whereas referring to God as “She” still has an element of surprise to it. And “It” is just too impersonal for a people that have such a personal relationship with God.

We can resort to metaphors. In the Reconstructionist prayer book, instead of using “Lord” or even “Adonai,” each prayer has a context-sensitive metaphor to refer to God. (For example, “Blessed are You, the Awakener, who removes slumber from my eyelids.”) But even the most creative English translations can not escape the masculine Hebrew.

We have over 3000 years of masculine God language that shapes our understanding of God and of Judaism. Can we change the way we think about God and prayer? Should we even try?

[Posted by Rabbi Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik]

The 11th Commandment

One of my favorite books asks children to list their 11th commandment! We all know the first 10 (or we think we do ...) but what just missed out in making the top ten? Add your reply and join in the conversation. Let's have some fun ...

The Gaza Conflict '09

The current conflict has been described as “One big, gigantic, humungous conundrum.” Read my comments @ http://www.tasnorthridge.org/sermons/thegazaconflict09.pdf and then share your thoughts here.

TAiSrael 2008 Travel Blog

Writing this blog is tiring work!

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Our final day has arrived.

An early start so that we could make an 8:30a.m. appointment in order to tour the Supreme Court. It is a beautiful and striking building that plays such an important role in Israeli society.

It is a short walk from there to the K’nesset where we took a group picture at the large and well known menorah that sits outside its gates.

After a brief return to the hotel in order to work on packing, many of us took off once again for a VIP tour of the Hadassah hospital and the Chagall windows. No picture can do justice to these beautiful works of art. They are truly striking in person.

Looking up at he mother and children's wing at Hadassah hospital.

Then, with a little more shopping it was back to the hotel to prepare our luggage and head off for our final dinner together before returning to the airport.

This will be my last blog of this adventure. Once again, it has been a most sacred privilege to lead this journey. Now the greater challenge is how we take this life changing journey home. How will what we have learned about the importance of this place and our connection to it change our connections to our own community? How we will strengthen our bonds to both our people Israel and our State of Israel?

We have learned a great deal. Now in the greatest of Jewish traditions, we must turn our learning into action bringing healing, repair and blessing to our world.

I hope you all have enjoyed traveling with us as I bid you shalom v’lhitra’ot!

Shabbat, July 12, 2008

Ah, the day of rest. It was certainly needed by all. Many took advantage of the day of rest to … rest! Sleeping in, hanging out at the pool. A few of us attended a wonderful service at the Hebrew Union College – the headquarters for world Jewry. We were treated to a wonderful d’var Torah by Rabbi Michael Marmur, dean of the Jerusalem campus. Some others attended services at the Great Synagogue – where they experienced a very traditional Shabbat morning service.

Following lunch it was time for a stroll with Hillel around the old city. I use the word ‘stroll’ loosely. A month ago our tour guide Hillel was visiting Turkey where, in jumping down from a jeep (or something) he hurt both his knees. He was delighted to report that he discovered during our little stroll that the accident had now slowed him down. Indeed he proved this by losing for a few moments a few members of our group as he sped away from the old city and back to the hotel!

Shabbat ended with a beautiful havdalah service in Gan Hapa’amon (Liberty Bell Park). Each shared some of the blessings they had gathered along the way. There were many tears as this havdalah separated not only Shabbat from the new week, but our sacred journey from our return home.

Dinner following havdalah Saturday eve.

Friday, July 11, 2008

A very difficult and emotional today as we visited Yad v’Shem, the Holocaust memorial. No matter how many times one visits this site – it is always an emotional and draining visit. No matter how many times I visit, it is hard to grasp what happened in those horrific years. How did the world stand by and let this happen? Today’s visit was just one more affirmation, among many we have had, as to why this nation must exist. It is just one more affirmation of the words we read each Passover of our obligation to do all we can to make sure no one ever suffer the indignities and horrors that we have experienced throughout our history. As one confronts room after room of German documents and victim testimony it is beyond belief that there are those who adamantly insist this event never happened. And one must ask, “What would our community look like today had these 6 million survived?” “What would our world look like?” What innovations? What advancements?

Our visit began with a memorial service at the location of the name of the town of Kolin, the Czech city that was the home for almost two centuries for the small blue Torah that now rests in our ark. We recalled our connection to that town through our Torah … and the obligation we each take on to honor our family from that once thriving – now extinct – Jewish community.

lighting memorial candles at the "Kolin" site in the Valley of Communities

Yad v’Shem was followed by a brief visit to Har Herzl: Israel’s Arlington Cemetary. Here lie those who have given their lives in defense of the state of Israel. Here, also is buried Theodore Herzl and every prime minister of the State of Israel except David b. Gurion, who asked to be buried at his kibbutz, Sde Boker, in the Negev and Menachem Begin.

For lunch we traveled to the always bustling Machaneh Yehudah, the main outdoor market of Jerusalem where Friday afternoons are always a frenzy as Jerusalemites make final preparations for Shabbat. We walked up and down the aisles of vegetables, breads, candies and more – being jostled almost every step by individuals whose sense of personal space is very different from our own.

It was then back to the hotel to rest up for Shabbat.

A short bus ride took us back to the Western Wall where we experienced the arrival of Shabbat in a way that can only happen in Jerusalem. We watched Chasidic Jews from many different sects descend upon the wall as the sound and energy of prayers rose from the wall.

We then gathered together to join in our own welcoming of Shabbat with the singing of Shalom Aleichem, Lecha Dodi and other Shabbat melodies. Our informal gathering naturally formed into a circle of community at the back of the Wall plaza. While we thought we were far enough removed to avoid offending any religious Jews, our celebration was interrupted by the ‘Wall Police’ who told us that it was forbidden for men and women to ‘dance together at the wall.’

Yep, we were busted at the wall!

So, we left to return to the hotel and continue our Shabbat celebration with a lovely Shabbat dinner. We joined with a tour from Connecticut led by Rabbi Craig Marantz, a colleague and classmate of Rabbi Lutz. Another in a series of serendipitous meetings in our journeys through the Promised Land.

Dinner was followed by a spirited song session and then the chance to hang out a bit and just enjoy each other’s company as our trip quickly approaches its conclusion.

Tomorrow we get to enjoy Shabbat in Jerusalem.
Thursday, July 10, 2008

Another early start to an eventful day. By 7:15a.m. we were on the bus and heading towards the old city where we explored the fascinating archaeological dig going on underneath the Arab Quarter. Here, workers are uncovering the ancient Jewish past of this city … revealing the long hidden secrets of Herodian Jerusalem, and even earlier. It is remarkable to walk the length of the wall and witness the massive stones that created the retaining wall on which stood the ancient Temple … and upon which today rests the Dome of the Rock and the El Aqsa Mosque.

The tour of the wall brings you out onto the Via Dela Rosa, directly in front of the ‘new’ church (only 100 years old!) built at the 1st station of the cross. Then we walked the streets of the old city, buying various ‘tzatkes’ along the way as we made our way to the ‘small kotel’ – the only place where, prior to 1967 Jews could approach the Western Wall. Located next to the Muslim entrance to the Temple mount this very small space, capable of holding maybe 200, was where Jews were allowed to pray. It was, in a sense, a place of some humiliation. Located next to the Muslim entrance this restricted space sent a message: your site is now ours, you have been relegated to this small piece of wall and are forbidden from even approaching the holy mount that once was yours.

Politics and religion are always messy stuff in this place.

our kids with some Israeli 'kids'!

Walking back to today’s Kotel we marveled at the dozens of b’nai mitzvah celebrations going on today. (Thursday is, of course, a Torah reading day). The wall was literally jammed with young boys surrounded by a community of men as they celebrated becoming b’nai mitzvah. Likewise, people were scurrying all over the plaza with all sorts of baked goods and sweets as celebrations seemed to spring from every corner of the Kotel plaza.

We made our way to the Davidson Center where we would celebrate our own, more egalitarian, b’nai mitzvah. The Davidson center is located on the southwest corner of the old city wall. Here all of the non-orthodox community gathers to celebrate. Indeed the area was packed with communities from across the world who were gathering to celebrate their own b’nai mitzvah. We took our own sunny place next to a conservative congregation from Rockville, Maryland. Voices of song and prayer intermixed with the sounds of shofars as all made their way heavenward. It was a very emotional experience to stand in that place where pilgrims used to first enter the city. Here they would bathe themselves in mikvaot before making their way up the massive steps to the Temple mount. We stood in that place as a TAS congregation, joining together in morning prayers. More that a few tears were shed as we sang the Shema in that very sacred place. Jessica and Amanda led us in the v’ahavta, Tori carried the Torah for us. Jeremy and Allison removed the ornaments and then we listened as Daniel and Noah each beautifully read a section of Parashat Balak.
Most fittingly they read a story which speaks so eloquently of this land. The story of King Balak, most worried about the Israelite nation who, making their way to the promised land, had camped on his doorstep. King Balak called on the magician Balaam to utter words of curse – chasing them from his kingdom. How many King Balak’s have there been in our long and difficult history? But, instead, each time he opened his mouth, the magician Balaam could utter only words of blessing, some of which we had sung to begin our service. “Mah tovu ohalecha Ya’akov, mishkenotecha Yisrael.” How lovely are your tents O Jacob, your dwelling places O Israel.

This dwelling place of ours, here in this promised land, is indeed most lovely, most precious and most important in a world where there continue to be too many King Balaks.

Our service concluded with Harvey lifting the Torah and Benjamin and Jonathan redressing the Torah for us.

There was the compulsory showering of sweets, shehecheyanu and many private words of blessing and congratulations. It was, all and all a wonderful event.

After some touring and learning more the history of this city, it was off to lunch and a little shopping.

Finally, a tour of David’s citadel completed an overview of the history of Jerusalem and a walk through Hezekiah’s tunnel. This ancient waterway was constructed as a way to bring water into the old city without having to go outside the city gates.

Tonight is a free night to enjoy the many great restaurants of Jerusalem and, what else (?!) … do a little shopping.

Tomorrow: Yad v’Shem, a memorial service for the city of Kolin, a visit to the open air market of Machaneh Yehudah and Shabbat. Oh my, gosh, this is all coming to an end much too quickly!

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

On to Jerusalem … but first a hot and busy, busy day on the way north.

Our day began bright and early with a 5:30a.m. wake up call. By 7:15 we were on our way.

sunrise at Eilat

40 kilometers later we arrived at our first stop: Yotvata! Where else? You can not drive by this most delicious place in all of Israel without stopping in for some ice cream and goodies … even at 8a.m.! Thanks to Don’s initiative we taught the workers at Yotvata about a new drink: Ice blended cappuccino. Only one problem: ice is a rare commodity in this country. So, when the woman making my drink ran to another part of the store to get some ice, she came back with exactly 3 ice cubes! Not quite enough … but it was still quite good.

A three hour drive followed as we made our way north to Masada. On the way I read part of my blog and most of your comments.

We arrived at Masada mid-morning. Not quite in the heat of the day, but close enough. The site was quite crowded with Birthright travelers and youth missions of all kinds. It is so wonderful to see you many young people enjoying this country and learning about their heritage.

What is there to say about Masada? It is as impressive every time you see it. How did King Herod build it in the first place? What must it have been like to look down the steep cliffs that surround the plateau and watch, for three years, while the surrounding Roman army made steady progress towards your capture? How to imagine the decision not to stone the Hebrew slaves building the ramp that will bring you the same ultimate fate? And how to make peace with the fact that not killing the Jewish slaves would bring, ultimately, death to you and your family? What an amazing story of strength, courage and ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom.

After a lunch of (what else?) hummus, falafel and drink … we continued north: first to the Ahava Factory and then the Dead Sea for Mud Baths. Covered in black mud we floated in the Dead Sea enjoying extra sun protection at 1400 feet below sea level.

Stopping briefly for an overview of Qumran and the Dead Sea scrolls, we watched a brief presentation and gazed up the hill where two young Arab shepherds found scrolls written by the Essene community almost two millennia earlier.

Unfortunately there was not time to stop at the springs of Ein Gedi as camels urgently awaited our arrival on the ascent to Jerusalem. Stopping, literally, for 20 minutes many enjoyed a very brief camel experience before reaching our final destination of Jerusalem.

What is there to say about this magical city? It is a thrill to enter it every time. Our arrival from the west brought us to Har Hatzofim: the Hebrew University campus for an overview of the city. We shared in blessing our arrival with Kiddush, shehecheyanu, an Amichai poem and singing “Sisu Et Yerushalayim”.

After a brief stop to change and shower, we were off again to Anna Ticcho’s for a wonderful dinner. Here we shared in a uniquely Jerusalem experience. While enjoying wonderful salads and pastas in a beautiful outdoor garden, we shared in a Chasidic wedding taking place at the adjoining tables. We clapped and cheered for the bride and groom, singing ‘siman tov u’mazal tov’ as the glass was broken.

By now it was 10p.m. We had been on the move for over 14 hours. Exhausted we made our way back to our hotel for a short night’s sleep. For tomorrow is a 5:45 wake up call for a 7:40a.m. visit exploring the foundations of the western wall under the arab quarter, a visit to the Davidson Center where we will celebrate the b’nai mitzvah of Daniel and Noah … then our first chance to explore the Old City.

Tuesday, July 8, 2008


Barry and Debbie enjoying Eilat.











While most of our group headed off for a day of adventure and exploration at the ancient ruins of Petra in Jordan, nine of us stayed behind for a little rest and relaxation on the beaches of Eilat. We visited the underwater aquarium and Jordan, Debra, Debbie and Barry swam with the dolphins. This was an especially delightful experience. Swimming in the Red Sea among the dolphins in their natural habitat was an great experience and a refreshing relief from the heat of the desert.






In this enclosed space Debra, Jordan, Debbie and Barry enjoyed the company of Israeli dolphins and the cool temperature of the Red Sea.









A report from Petra will be added to this space upon the return of our other 35.

Tomorrow it is off to the north. We leave Eilat at 7a.m for the 3 hour drive to Masada. Then the Dead Sea works with cosmetic shopping and enjoying the black mud of the Dead Sea Works private beach. A tour of Ein Gedi and a camel ride follow before climbing the mountains to Jerusalem, our final stop on this great journey.

Monday, July 7, 2008

It is hard to believe we are now beginning our second week! The days are flying by! I hope that you are all enjoying our trip!

The day began for some, with an early swim around the coral reef or a visit to the underwater acquarium.

Then we journeyed to the ancient (and modern) copper mines of Timna. Just north of Eilat, this area served as a copper resource for the Egyptian over 4,000 years ago … and continues to serve in that capacity today. We climbed among impressive rock formations and learned the story of the valley.






















The TAS gang in Timna Valley.



"The Carols", Cheri and Jann keeping the canyon from fallen down on us.
























Don showing that all that hard work at the gym is worthwhile!











Jordan creating sand art at Timna.




















Believe it or not, there is water in the Arava desert. This natural lake in the dry Timna Valley has an underground spring as its source.










This was followed by a trip highlight: a visit to the store of Kibbutz Yotvata. This Kibbutz, one of the wealthiest in Israel, is renowned for its dairy products: great cheeses, better ice cream and the best chocolate milk and milk shakes on the planet. We all enjoyed a very nice lunch – which was simply an excuse to treat ourselves to ice cream.

Then it was on the Kibbutz Keturah. This very interesting Kibbutz was founded by a group of idealistic Americans following the 6 Day War in 1967. Clinging to the Zionist communal idealism which was the foundation of the Kibbutz movement in its early days, the Kibbutz is supported today by a variety of both traditional and modern industries. There is the large date palm plantation and the ‘refet’ (dairy farm, whose milk is sold to Kibbutz Yotvata for the creation of their yummy dairy products). There is also an algae farm, creating red algae from which is harvested for important health byproducts for vitamins and food supplements. We had a wonderful tour led by David and Bill, two American ex-patriots who were most articulate and entertaining.







If you look carefully you can see nine small 'notches' on the top of this hill. During each night of Hanukkah children climb up this hill right outside the Kibbutz and light this cannisters. They create a chanukkiah that can be seen almost all the way to Eilat!









We also learned of our own TAS connection to Kibbutz Keturah. You see, our own TAS member Marc Herman is the 1st cousin of former Kibbutz Keturah member Alon Tal. Alon founded the Arava Institute, an ecological research and education foundation on the kibbutz. Alon is one of the leading environmentalists in the country and is one of the founders of the newly formed Green Party here in Israel. Our tour guide Bill, is one of Alon’s closest friends. More than that, Marc and Alon’s grandfather, Isaac (Yitzchak) Kohler posthumously donated his entire library to the Kibbutz. On the night it was dedicated at the Kibbutz, we dedicated our own plaque on the Wall of Memory in the Temple’s sanctuary. This is a wonderful connection that gave special meaning to our visit and will, hopefully, lead to future connections between Kibbutz Keturah and TAS.

The day ended with some visiting the Eilat stone factory to seek out more jewelry – especially that highlighting this stone unique to this part of the country.

After another night of leisure, most of the group is off very early tomorrow to Jordan to experience the fascinating archaeological site of Petra.

Returning to the Hotel.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Before departing Tel Aviv, we visited the Ayalon Institute where we learned how a group of young pioneers, under the watchful eyes of the British – and unbeknownst to many of their kibbutz compatriots, produced bullets for the Hagganah’s struggle to defend the “Yishuv” (Jewish settlement) and battle for the independence of the State of Israel.

The ingenuity that was involved in creating this factory, located under the kibbutz laundry and bakery is truly amazing. They had to think about how to get the materials for the bullets (they used brass brought to the yishuv for the producing of lipstick), how to make themselves look like kibbutzniks who were working in the fields -- as they supposedly were (they had perhaps the worlds first tanning salon). And much more. The only thing more impressive is the courage of these young people, who knew, if caught they would certainly have been hung by the British. One can not be left but with great admiration and awe for the commitment, courage and determination of those who defied every possible obstacle, defeating the British, overcoming local Arab militias and surrounding Arab nations in order to create a homeland in this very tiny and insignificant plot of land.

After a quick drive through the Weitzman Institute (Israel’s MIT – and one of the leading scientific research institutes in the world), we made our way to Dov airport for the 45 minute flight to Eilat.

“Welcome to Palm Springs” our tour guide declared as we loaded on the bus for the two minute drive to the hotel. Indeed, the relatively cool 98 degree temperatures did feel a bit like a nice summer day in Palm Springs.

A leisurely evening to ourselves ended the day.


Shabbat, July 5, 2008

Friday night began with a circle of blessings as each of us shared some of the blessings we had gathered during our first week here.

















Then it was off to an overwhelming Shabbat buffet served up by the chefs of the Dan Panorama.
































Enjoying our Shabbat Meal





















































For some dinner was followed by (more) shopping or a stroll down the ‘tayelet’ the board walk along Tel Aviv’s coast line.

Saturday a few of us ventured to Beit Daniel to experience a Bar Mitzvah at a Reform Synagogue. Yes, the service was all in Hebrew! We were warmly welcomed by the rabbi and the congregation, whom we joined for Kiddush.

Then it was back to the hotel were many had already settled down on the beach, or around the pool for a day of enjoying the beautiful sun, sand and sights of Tel Aviv.















And then an evening out to enjoy the great restaurants of Tel Aviv ...
















Tomorrow, after concluding the story of the fight for independence with a tour of the bullet factory at the Ayalon Institute, we leave the heat and humidity of Tel Aviv for MORE heat – but a lot less humidity – in the Arava desert and Eilat.

Friday, July 4, 2008

Happy Independence Day! We celebrated Independence day by learning of the struggle of this tiny place to become a nation.

Our day began at the Palmach museum where through (another) multi-media experience we learned of the role of the Palmach in the establishment of the State of Israel. There were several military groups in the pre-state period. The Irgun, the Hagganah, Lechi to name a few. The Palmach was one of the major military groups, formed initially to fight with the British against the Nazis in World War II. The men and women of this force took the brunt of the losses in the war for Independence as they were regularly placed on the front lines in this 18 month battle.

Natan Alterman wrote a beautiful tribute to the young soldiers who gave their lives for this land:

The Earth grows still.The lurid sky slowly palesOver smoking borders.Heartsick, but still living, a people stand byTo greet the uniquenessof the miracle.

Readied, they wait beneath the moon,Wrapped in awesome joy, before the light.-- Then, soon,A girl and boy step forward,And slowly walk before the waiting nation;

In work garb and heavy-shod They climbIn stillness.Wearing yet the dress of battle, the grimeOf aching day and fire-filled night

Unwashed, weary unto death, not knowing rest,But wearing youth like dewdrops in their hair.-- Silently the two approachAnd stand.Are they of the quick or of the dead?

Through wondering tears, the people stare."Who are you, the silent two?"And they reply: "We are the silver platterUpon which the Jewish State was served to you."

And speaking, fall in shadow at the nation's feet.Let the rest in Israel's chronicles be told.

After a great shwarma lunch we then moved on to Independence Hall. This very non-descript building in the middle of Tel Aviv was first the home of Mayor Dizengof – one of the founders of this city that will celebrate its centennial anniversary next April. This sprawling, busy metropolis belies its simple beginnings on two sand dunes outside of the port of Jaffa.

It was here that David Ben Gurion called 350 people together by private and ‘secret’ invitation to announce the establishment of the state of Israel on May 14, 1948. Why here? Simply because it had a bomb shelter large enough to hold all those that had been invited. The entire ceremony took 32 minutes – from 4p. to 4:32 p.m. on that Friday afternoon.

Were relived that moment through the eloquent and emotional presentation of our guide, through the actual broadcast of Ben Gurion’s proclamation, the blessing of Shehecheyanu by the chief rabbi and the playing of HaTikvah by the Israeli Philharmonic.

As we joined together in singing HaTikvah at the end of a very emotional day, tears began to fill many eyes. As our guide told us, it is hard for anyone who has come to know the story to understand how the Israelis survived. No one expected the State of Israel to exist more than a few days. Or, as someone in our group said, “We celebrate that a light lasted for eight days. This was a much bigger miracle.” In the experiences of this very powerful day everyone on the trip had come to understand the importance of this place for the Jewish people.

After such an emotional journey what else was there to do but support the Israeli economy with a bit of …shopping. So we headed off to the open air market of Nachalat Benyamin where many artisans sell their wares. Among the ‘tzatkes’ there are some rare finds, some beautiful Judaica and wonderful art work. We walked through the fair and made our way to the hotel to rest up and prepare for Shabbat.

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Note: Be sure to scroll down as new pictures are added from time to time.

Today we left Haifa heading south for a three night stay in Tel Aviv.

Our first stop was the Druze village of Osifiyah on the Carmel. There we met with a representative of the community who had just recently returned to Israel after living for 2.5 decades in Florida. The Druze are a fascinating and very handsome people: Arab by descent but non-Muslim. Their religion remains a bit of a mystery for outsiders, but it is a monotheistic religion that is based on the idea that everything is done by, for and eventually returns to God. The Druze are strong supporters of the State of Israel and have fought side by side for with Jews since the inception of the State. They can be found in all levels and ranks of the Israeli army as well as in every aspect of Israeli society. After some questions we were treated to some delicious breads and sweet tea.

We then returned to the bus and took a trip back in time to the period of the Roman conquest. Our journey began with a walk through the aqueduct built to bring water to the Roman capital of Caesarea. The aqueduct is truly an amazing feat of engineering. Built over 2000 years ago, this water system, consisting of tunnels and an above ground channel brought water from the hills to the Mediterranean shore over 28 kilometers away. Using slave and military labor the entire system was built in 6 months. We traveled through one of the water tunnels for about 300 yards … sloshing through ankle, knee and sometimes waist high water.

Following the general path of the aqueduct we then made our way to the ancient port of Caesarea. Here we participated in a multimedia presentation that explored the history of this port – the largest and busiest port on the eastern shore of the Roman empire. It is truly a beautiful place, and is, today, home to the most expensive real estate in the country (and the only golf course.)

I had one of those Israel ‘a ha’ moments as I sat waiting for the group to complete their tour. Looking at the ‘bench’ that had provided me a resting place, I realized that I was sitting upon a column, originally carved and prepared for some building in this ancient port over 2000 years ago! The cave we had walked through earlier in the day, likewise, had been created over 2000 years ago. It is hard to comprehend the span of time that one casually encounters here.

My favorite Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai once wrote of this place:

“…the numbers are not of bus routes
but: 70 after, 1917, 500
B.C., Forty-eight. These are the lines
you really travel on.

We have arrived tonight in Tel Aviv. It is a festive evening called the “White Night.” Can’t say that I know for sure what this is all about, but tonight this city that never sleeps truly will not sleep. There are free concerts up and down the beach. (Some have already left for a free David Broza concert that is sure to draw hundreds if not thousands …) The museums are open all night as is the artists colony in Jaffa.

So, we are not expecting to get a whole lot of sleep this evening! But, there will be a whole lot of fun to be had. So, time to head out to the board walk and check out the scene … more tomorrow.

The old city of Jaffa at dusk.

Tel Aviv at night

Wednesday, July 2, 2008


Hi Everyone, it is great to see so many comments! Keep on writing ...

Tzefat … finally, after two years of waiting we finally made it to the mystical town of Tzefat. There we visited the Caro Synagogue, reputed to have been the place where Rabbi Joseph Caro, author of the Shulchan Aruch and great mystic as well, studied, taught and prayed. After spending some time learning from Hillel about Jewish mysticism and Rabbi Caro it was off to shop. We wandered to old city quarter, finding wonderful artwork. After purchases of jewelry, hand made tallitot and beautiful micography our wallets were and little lighter and I am pretty sure that we gave the Israel economy a good boost today.

After a wonderful lunch we watched in amazement as our bus driver (“Bambi” – hey would I make that up?) maneuvered our huge bus through narrow streets and around cars. He gets our bus in and out of places that I would be nervous to try in a smart car. He is truly amazing.

From Tzefat we travelled to the Golan. Along the way we heard about the history of the Golan and its strategic importance to the state of Israel. I know that there are noises made that Israel must give up the Golan, but having visited there several times it is hard to imagine how this would happen. We watched a wonderful media presentation on the history and natural wonders of the Golan. Followed by … more shopping: olive oils, wines, jams, honey, soaps, beer and more … all manufactured in the Golan.

Then the real fun began as we ventured down to the headwaters of the Jordan river for some ‘river rafting’ – it was pretty gentle stuff really, but, the water felt great and the scenery was beautiful. If not for the rowdy splashing, shouting and silliness of about 80 ‘yeshiva buchers’ and other Israeli youth who, at times, made the gentle float more like a wet trip down the 405 at rush hour, it would have been a most relaxing and calming time. But, instead it turned into rowdy, wet and silly fun!
Les, Mel and Paula brave the Jordan rapids!














Dinner was served at “Decks” in Tiberias on the shores of Lake Kinneret. Without a doubt one of our favorite places on both Israel trips. The food is bountiful and delicious. The hospitality was amazing. Our b’nai mitzvah kids were all congratulated and recognized with specially made t-shirts and hats. The meal concluded with a relaxing boat ride around the kinneret. As night settled in we could see the lights of the distant cities and villages of the Golan – and I wondered once again … how could Israel ever secede such an economically beneficial and militarily strategic piece of land.

It was a quiet and sleepy bus ride back to Haifa for late night packing. We leave early tomorrow to meet with the Druze, walk an ancient Roman Aqueduct and visit the Roman city of Caesarea.




Tuesday, July 1, 2008

















Wow! An incredibly full first day in Israel.

But before describing the day I must start with Israel connections. Here there are the most amazing chance encounters. All you have to do is get on the plane. Sitting in front of me on our flight to Israel was our beloved former assistant rabbi Ron Stern! He has come to Israel to study and then, later in the month, to lead his own congregation’s (S. S. Wise) tour. And sitting in front of him two former TAS students, Rebecca Washton and Ashley Feinstein who were on their way to participate in a Jewish Federation Young Leadership mission.

Today, Sherry Lucks went into a little shop to buy ice cream and ran into a former student from VBS. Tonight, walking into the hotel, I was approached by an former HUC classmate who is in Haifa for a meeting of the Wexner foundation.

Finally, there was the program we participated in this evening at Congregation Or Hadash, a wonderful Reform congregation here in Haifa, where we were treated to a concert by two Cantors from Massachusetts, one of whom attended the University of Miami with Cantor Linsky. After the program I had the pleasure of meeting Pesach Shapiro who sends his regards to the Cantor as well.

Now for the day’s activities of which the theme was: a group of committed volunteers can make anything happen:

The day started out in an exciting way as we strolled to the Baha'i Gardens, overlooking the harbor of Haifa. As our tour guide Hillel explained some of the history of the city, there was a loud explosion followed by a cloud of smoke in the distance. Images of standing in this very spot in July, 2006 and hearing that same sound came to mind. Luckily it was just a planned test of some munitions at the large weapons making factory here in Haifa! Oy!

We had the very special and unique treat of touring the gardens of the Baha’i Temple here in Haifa. This is such a rare experience that our tour guide, Hillel, who has been a guide in Israel for over 40 years, had never been in the gardens. We started at the top …and in very hot and humid weather walked through nine terraces and over 700 steps to the middle level of the grounds. They are truly spectacular! And, they are tended completely by volunteers who come from all over the world to spend anywhere from a month to a year volunteering to upkeep the Temple’s garden and grounds.

Baha’i itself is quite an interesting religion only about 150 years old … but that is a subject for another time.

Following our visit to the Baha’i gardens we trekked to the Lebanese border where we explored the amazing grottos of Rosh HaNikra. Here the soft limestone rock has been worn away by the constant crashing of waves to create beautiful grottos.















Then it was off to the crusader capital of Acco. Here we toured the ancient fortress and were entertained with a multimedia experience of an old Turkish bath house. In the years of the British Mandate, the fortress was a notorious prison, where members of the Jewish underground were held, and 8 were hung. We saw where Menachem Begin and members of the Irgun exploded a carful of dynamite in order to free many of the prisoners. (All of this can be seen in dramatized form in the movie Exodus …)




And then, finally, an hour and a half late, we arrived at congregation Or Hadash, where we were welcomed by their most amazing rabbi, Edgar Nof. We were treated to a brief tour of their bomb shelter (which was in full use, unfortunately, on the day we were to visit the congregation in 2006). They have done miraculous things to create, if you can imagine, a warm, welcoming, calming and safe environment … that became their school and sanctuary for many months during the war in 2006. Among all the other challenges of running a congregation (that conducts over 200 b’nai mitzvah a year, by the way) imagine having to worry about bomb shelters and air filtration systems and the like. All I can say is amazing …

After a quick dinner we then delighted in a beautiful presentation by the children of Or Hadash, which concluded with a concert given by the two cantors mentioned above. In between we were introduced to the first president of the FIRST sisterhood in Israel. This group, soon to become official members of the WRJ are truly pioneers. Our own sisterhood ladies quickly connected and I think you can expect to see some future programs bringing the two groups together.

Rabbi Nof and his congregation are involved in some amazing social action projects in the community. (24 to be exact) Rabbi Nof’s vision of a congregation doing all they can to bring repair to individual’s lives and to the community is truly inspiring! My hope is that our community will strengthen the bonds with congregation Or Hadash in the coming months and years.

Finally, we returned to the hotel where, after a brief outing for ice cream and coffee (they DO have the best coffee and ice cream here …) it is off to bed. It was an exceptionally busy day for a group still recovering from jet lag. And all were troopers to the extreme.

And so, my friends another busy day … and an early one tomorrow … off to Tzfat, the Golan, rafting on the Jordan and dinner on the shore of the Kinerret. I’m sure that there will be much more to write about tomorrow.

Monday, June 30, 2008

Shalom from Israel. Exhausted but exhilarated, ready for the big adventure, we have arrived. It is now fully 27 hours since our travel day began back at TAS.











It was a long day’s journey into night and back into the day as we lost a full day on our travels here. Our plane left at 1:45p Sunday, escorted down the runway with a police escort (because we are SO loved in the world!) … and we landed 2p, Monday, at Ben Gurion International airport. There we were joined by families who had made their own travel arrangements, including Jeff and Carol Hirsch who arrived without luggage! (Oops on American Airlines)

El Al is definitely the way to fly to Israel, offering service that hearkens back to the days when flying used to be fun!

We were greeted at the airport by tour guide extraordinaire Hillel who took us to the top of the Carmel where we joined together in a blessing for our adventure as we looked out over the Jezreel Valley. It is here, on the top of this mountain that Elijah is said to have challenged 450 priests of Ba’al to a duel of gods. When Adonai won out and the 450 had been killed, Elijah found himself in a heap o’ trouble. He fled the Carmel for the south, eventually making his way to a cave on Mt. Sinai were he hid out. There he encountered the ‘still, small voice’ of God calling out to him. My prayer is that somewhere along the way, in our travels of this miraculous land, we will all encounter that voice.












Well, it is hard to keep my eyelids open, even though it is only lunch time back on the Pacific Coast. Here in Haifa on the Mediterannean coast it is 10p and time for bed.

Tomorrow we tour the Bahai Gardens, travel to Akko and Rosh Hanikra on the Lebanese border. More about that to come.

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