3/11 to 3/20/05 RP Mission and Private Visits
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Introduction
Commencing Erev Shabbat/Friday evening, March 11, 2005 members of the Religious Pluralism Committee of the United Jewish Communities of MetroWest, New Jersey will participate in a mission in Israel. We will conduct a shabbaton on Shabbat followed by four days of visits to programs sponsored in part by our Jewish community. MetroWest is located in the New Jersey counties of Essex, Morris and Sussex. It also includes the northern tier of Union county. These counties are located in the north/central section of the state due west of NYC. Historically it is the area of Jewish migration from Newark to the suburbs although today its residents come from a wide variety of areas. The MetroWest United Jewish Communities (MW/UJC) is the operational arm of the Jewish community's communal charitable distribution. The United Jewish Appeal of MetroWest, NJ (UJA) is the fundraising arm. MW/UJC distributes funds raised in an annual UJA to local Jewish services agencies (Eg.. Jewish Family Services, Daughters of Israel (geriatric and rehabilative extended residential care), Jewish Vocational Service), to national Jewish agencies and to agencies which are in Israel and overseas.
In 1996, in response to the "who is a Jew" controversy that arose in Israel, MW/UJC responded by creating a Religious Pluralism committee, allocating funds to that committee and directing the committee to fund agencies and programs which would advance religious pluralism in Israel. Over the course of those years the committee has provided millions of dollars to further its mission. During the 2004-2005 fiscal year the committee has or will allocate $400,000.
This blog will journal the coming visit to the agencies and programs funded by MW/UJC by members of the committee and guests. Since I will be staying in Israel a few days after the mission I may also add observations and reflections on my travels after the mission. I hope to entice other members of the mission to enter their thoughts as well.
Participants
Gary Aidekman, Barbara Drench, Dan Drench, Marty Fox, Hannah Goldman, Ellen Goldner, Joyce Goldstein, Rosalyn Hollander, Sandy Hollander, Ava Kleinman, Marvin Rosenblum, Jane Susswein
Staff
Mandy Kaiser-Bluth, Arthur Sandman, Amir Shacham
Those who view the blog are welcome to comment. However, I control the blog and will remove comments I believe are inappropriate, superfluous or in bad taste.
Gary A
About some the programs we support
I leave for Israel in one week. By way of introduction to the trip here are some examples of programs funded by UJC/MW that our group will be visiting. UJC MetroWest promotes tolerance of diverse Jewish thought and practice in Israel by working with Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and independent programs. For the 2004-05 fiscal year, $400,000 has been allocated to 32 programs. Some are directed towards adults, others are for children. Some focus on formal education, while others involve participation in synagogue services, Shabbat retreats, and other activities. Some examples of the religious pluralism programs supported by UJC MetroWest:
Independent
Alma Hebrew College Alma, a liberal arts college for the study of Hebrew culture, has been a leader in reviving the Kabbalistic tradition of Tikkun Leil Shavuot – an entire night of learning that includes history, poetry, philosophy, Talmud, film, music, and the connections among them all.
Oren-Shdemot Batei Midrash Russian-speaking immigrants become engaged in a learning process involving Jewish texts, beliefs, ceremonies, and other creative activities of modern Judaism.
Progressive(Reform/Reconstructionist)
Beit Midrash in Mevasseret Zion Approximately 40 participants, many from secular backgrounds, take part in bi-weekly sessions on Talmud, Jewish Thought, Bible, Kabbalah, and basic ritual skills.
Ra’anana Congregation A vigorous outreach to the community includes Jewish content and leadership programming with the TALI Megged School, MetroWest High School, and the Democratic School.
Masorti (Conservative)
NOAM Youth Group There are 20 chapters of NOAM, the youth group of the Masorti movement, throughout Israel, with weekly activities based on Jewish values, Masorti Judaism, holidays, scouting skills, and fun.
Amitai Congregation Comprised mainly of immigrants from South America, the congregation assists new immigrants and has many activities, including social justice programs, a newsletter, a bi-monthly congregational Shabbat dinner, Bar/Bat Mitzva courses, and a special youth group.
Modern Orthodox
Yeshivat Ma'ale Gilboa Cooperating with all streams of Judaism, Yeshivat Ma’ale Gilboa has a unique smicha (ordination) program that includes, in addition to Halacha and ritual studies, art, literature, music, history, and philosophy.
Yesodot This two-year program, in effect in several schools in Rishon LeZion and Ra’anana, involves working with faculty in each school to develop a special curriculum dealing with issues of democracy and tolerance.
Gary A
Day 1 – Friday, 3/11
We landed around 9:30 a.m. This was my first time at the new Ben Gurion terminal. I think I like the old terminal better. The walk from the plane to Customs & Immigration is long…very long. Once we got our bags (Hannah, Marty and Marvin were on the flight) I turned over my large duffle to the others to bring to the hotel in Jerusalem.
I headed out the door to look for Dalya and Ra’anan Nuttman. Dalya stayed with Susan (my wife) and I a couple of years ago. She is the “den mother” for the Rehevot Youth Orchestra and travels with them as a chaperone when the come to the United States. I wanted to touch base with her again so she and her husband were kind enough to pick me up at the airport.
We drove to Jaffa, the old city that was near what was to become Tel Aviv and now has become part of the new city. 
It is an old Arab city with winding streets and old narrow alleys. Ra’anan stopped at the Abilaphiha (that’s the best I can make out the Hebrew) a bakery shop open to the street. He picked up what looks like an elongated sesame bagel with a salty cream cheese for me to try. It was pretty good.
We drove up a hill to a section of the city that had an open plaza, a church, restaurants and galleries. 
The weather was cool but sunny…a delightful day. I enjoyed our stroll which took us to a spot that overlooks Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean…a magnificent site. (It was the same location where a group I took to Israel last May enjoyed our first lunch after arriving. It was a funny coincidence to be eating again (this time a bagel) in the same location on my first day back in Israel.)
My conversation with Dalya revolved mostly around family. She continued to insist that I come back with Susan and the kids and stay with them in Rehevot. One day I’ll take her up on it. Dalya has 13 grandchildren for whom, despite her protest to the contrary, she willingly provides food, money and gifts all the time.
She said that once a week she and her husband go to a restaurant and invite the family to join them. She never knows how many will show to the consternation of the management.
Of course we spoke of politics and the Matzav. My sense was there is renewed hope but it is very cautious optimism. They believe that it will take an extended time to work toward peaceful relations. The hope is that violence will remain light. The fear is that impatience will cause an increase.
Following our stop in Jaffa Ra’anan drove to a gas station. I must have missed it on prior visits but I discovered that the stations (at least in Tel Aviv) have attendants to pump the gas. More importantly, in a brilliant marketing move, the attendants are generally very attractive women in their twenties. Ra’anan said that most of these ladies are college students working their way through school. They are paid to pump gas and get tips for washing windshields. Two of the attendants were happy to pose for some pictures.
From the gas station Ra’anan and Dalya took me to my next get together. They dropped me off at the south end of the shore promenade at a restaurant called Manta Ray. There I was to meet the Nachmana and Lobel families. Gal Nachmana and Nadav Lobel are students at the MetroWest High School in Ra’anana, just north of Tel Aviv. They stayed in our home about a year and a half ago when a group of students from the high school visited our community. Now I was following up on their parents’ invitation to meet them in Israel.
I spent a little while walking near the restaurant as I waited for them to arrive. Because of the wind off the sea it was a little cool but otherwise a beautiful day. Again I had nice views of Tel Aviv and Jaffa.
Around 12:15 the Lobels and Nachmanas and we went inside the restaurant for lunch. The restaurant sits about 20 yards from the water and is very popular with Israelis. During the summer it is very difficult to get a table. We sat down at a table overlooking the sea.
This was the first time I had met either set of parents. Steven Lobel was a restaurant owner and now does consulting in that field. Eli Nachmana works for Agrexco, the Israeli produce and flower exporter. Fanny Nachmana works for the town of Ra’anana setting up cultural events. I never learned if Ilana Lobel works outside the home. They are all very nice people. All made aliyah: Steven from Zimbabwe, Ilana from South Africa and Eli and Fanny from Romania. Both Steven and Eli had been paratroopers in the army. Eli served in the Six Day War and thereafter. Steven was in Lebanon.
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Steve & Nadav
Ilana 
Eli 
Fanny
Gal & Nadav
Of course the conversation turned to politics and the Matzav. One gets a real sense of people in Israel just wanting relative peace…not an end of terror but just a substantial reduction (not that they want any terror). It is almost a fatigue. They seemed to say, “We just need peace.” There was a consensus that the Palestinians are not ready for real peace…long lasting based on mutual respect and cooperation. There is still too many who insist on return and want the Jews in the sea. But they hope for a respite…an extended break. They all favor the security fence and say the two peoples just need to be separated for an extended time.
I’m always fascinated by the stories of cooperation with the Palestinians despite the situation. Some how the business world just goes on. Eli told the story of getting a call from a Palestinian produce shipper. The produce is shipped through Agrexco. The shipper ran into trouble at a Gaza checkpoint by not using the right containers. Eli had to make arrangements and calls to get the shipment through.
There are also the terrible stories. What troubles so many Israelis is that it is the terrible nature of the situation that soldiers have to make awful decisions in a split second. They told me of the son of a friend who was at a Gaza checkpoint. A car came speeding towards the checkpoint. The soldier son waved for the car to stop. It didn’t. Procedure then took over…warning shots and then fire into the car. They killed the driver who was taking his wife to the hospital to deliver a baby. It was not the first time I heard Israelis say the situation forces their soldiers into these terrible actions.
We changed the subject and spoke of happier things…family, friends and vacation plans. Steven is taking Nadav to the Italian Alps to go skiing. It’s Nadav’s first time and I told him he’ll fall a lot but he’ll have a good time. Also, Nadav is just getting his driver’s license so I got to exchange horror stories about teenage drivers. Lunch was great. We said our good-byes and I took a cab to Jerusalem. More later. Gary
Day 1 (continued) March 11, 2005
I think I was a little long winded in my last email. I’ll try to keep it a little shorter.
Arrival at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem was uneventful. A quick shower and a change of clothes got me ready to go out for Shabbat.
Four members of our group, Joyce Goldstein, Marvin Rosenblum, Martin Fox and I, joined Amir for a ride to Mevasseret Zion, a suburb west of the city. There we attended services at the Kehillat (congregation) of the same name. Services are held in the entry hall of a junior high school. The congregation has a new building under construction (unfortunately it has been under construction for a long time). Unlike the Orthodox synagogues in Israel, the Reform and Masorti (Conservative) receive no public funding for construction, operational expenses or salaries. Liberal congregations must depend on donors and, frankly, there are few very wealthy Israelis who can make such donations or are willing to. Thus most of the capital fundraising and some of the operational fundraising is done in the Diaspora, primarily the U.S. The liberal movements are fighting in the courts to get state funding but it has been a continuing struggle. Each time they get a ruling in their favor, the Government changes the rules of the game to appease the Orthodox political powers.
The service was filled with ruach (spirit/spirituality). This was my third visit to Kehillat Mevasseret Zion. It is a Reform/Progressive congregation with 160 member families. For an American Reform Jew the service might be a little surprising. Obviously it is all in Hebrew but the music might be unfamiliar. The style of the service would feel more Conservative to most of us but in the (new) Reform approach there were two guitars and lots of participation. I think all of us who visited were moved.
The service was led by one of the great pioneers of the Reform movement in Israel. Maya Leibovich, is Israel’s first Israel born women rabbi. In establishing the congregation in Mevasseret she has faced prejudice and worse. She fought to get land from the municipal government to build a synagogue. She established a Reform nursery school which while under construction was set on fire. She continues to press for the rights of Reform Jews in Israel to equal treatment and acceptance.
After services and the kiddush I spoke with Gusti Braverman with whose family I spend Erev Shabbat last year. She works for the Israel Movement Progressive Judaism and had just returned from Australia. We caught up on family and she offered her hospitality should I need anything while in Israel.
Our little group then joined Aviva Schneider who led us on a walk to her home for Shabbat dinner. I had been to Aviva’s home once before for Shabbat dinner but I’m afraid they host so many visitors (and I leave a small impression) that they had forgotten me. I decided to try to make a bigger impression.
We walked through the area where new olim (immigrants) reside. It is now exclusively for Ethiopian Jews. These areas are known as absorption centers and they are for short-term residency. The olim move to different areas after they learn Hebrew and are introduced to Israeli life. Unfortunately, these centers are often quite poor and rundown. Also, well intentioned people leave bundles of old clothes for the olim on the street. The clothes are picked through and what ever is left is left on the street. There were clothes scattered all about. This was one of the rare times I thought Israelis could do much better.
At Aviva’s home we met her husband, Tsvi, and several of her children and at least one boyfriend. We also met Ayelet Heyman, another member of the congregation and her daughter. Ayelet’s husband, Shemuel, would join us a little later. He was on his way back from taking cousins he had not previously met on a tour of the Dead Sea and Ein Gedi.
Aviva and Tsvi work with antiquities; he as librarian and she as staff of the government agency overseeing digs and research. They are both Canadians who met in Israel and stayed. Tsvi talked a bit about archeology and finds in the Mevasseret area.
When Shemuel arrived we sat down for dinner. Shemuel is a doctor specializing in liver disease. He does research and is considered a leading expert in his field. We talked a bit about differences in medical practices in the U.S. and Israel.
At some point the conversation moved to why American Jews should support liberal forms of Judaism in Israel. Ayelet spoke of the absence of alternatives for non-Orthodox in Israel. Those who are looking for spirituality outside of Orthodoxy are left to non-Jewish choices. She herself had traveled four times to visit the Dalai Lama in Tibet. She was simply unaware that Judaism had a range of expression that could meet her needs until she met Rabbi Leibovich. There was talk about how the help of American Jews was necessary to establish a fledgling expansion of choice.
We spoke of many things and then it was time to go. Ayelet drove us back to the hotel and we called it a night.
Gary
Eppie, who works for MetroWest in our Jerusalem office writes: Gary, just wanted to say something about the clothes scattered all over the streets in the Mevasseret Absorption Center. It is not due to the fact that the Israeli's don't worry about them and try to provide the olim with clothes etc...but quite the contrary. Because of the excess, the Ethiopian olim throw half of what they recieve out and the other half put under their mattresses. It is true that we, as a whole, can do much more for the Ethiopian olim, which is what the Federation of MetroWest is doing in Operation Atzmaut in Rishon Lezion, but clothes - they have. My response: I didn't mean to suggest that Israelis don't care or that the Ethiopians are not from a third world country. Rather, my concern is that treating them with dignity should lead to finding a better way to distribute clothes to them than leaving clothes on the street. Eppie, whose husband tells me always gets the last word, says: Actually, we tried doing that a few times. We gathered a rather large group of veteran Mevasseret Israeli's and a large part of the absorption center's population and had a couple of 'cleaning days'. It was nice while it lasted, but not for too long.... My reply...I concede.
Day 2 – Shabbat/Saturday 3/12/05
Following breakfast (the King David puts out quite a spread) I went to services at Hebrew Union College just down the street from our hotel. On this campus are facilities for the college, the World Union of Progressive Judaism (WUPJ) and the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism. The Reconstructionist Movement is also a member of the World Union and uses the campus for its rabbinic program and other programs. At the behest of Jane Susswein, a member of our delegation and a past lay president of the national Reconstructionist body I attended their service. (The nice part about being in favor of religious pluralism is you get to experience other approaches.) It was a young group and they davened (prayed) with plenty of kavenah (enthusiastic spirituality).
Around noon several of us met Uri Regev, the head of the WUPJ, for a tour of the campus and lunch. The campus is simply beautiful and has perhaps the best view of Jerusalem bar none.
View of Jaffa Gate from HUC campus (note Dome of the Rock)
Uri told a story about how the site was selected. Despite the availability of then safer locations, land just up the hill from “no man’s land” (the ceasefire line in Jerusalem) because it was nearest the Old City.
Uri Regev & Yanatan Livney
This was a dangerous spot since Jordanians would frequently take potshots across the line. This all took place in the 60’s before the Six Days War. When the war was won in ’67 suddenly the property was the best real estate in the city. It was like the joke about buying property in Nevada and waiting for an earthquake to have a view of the ocean…but this was no joke.
At lunch Uri spoke to us about the Reform Movement’s efforts in Israel. He started talking about the weekly portion which relates how the Israelites in the desert would follow the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, both provided by God. Today, however, we are not so fortunate to have clear guidance from above. How we as a people deal with each other as we try to discern the direction we should take has become a critical issue for our ability to maintain our community.
Uri Regev
Uri spoke of the successes and challenges of the Movement. Last year the Reform congregation of Beit Daniel in Tel Aviv provided programming for 10,000 Jews, school children and their parents, in an effort to make Judaism more accessible to secular Israelis. Over 1000 wedding ceremonies were performed by Reform rabbis even though those weddings are not recognized by the State and the couples have to be married civilly outside of Israel. Six hundred children attended Reform camp in Israel last year. The number of bnai mitzvah has grown and grown with one congregation providing over 200 ceremonies last year.
Uri and Yanatan Livney, an Israeli lay leader, talked about the Beit Medrasha program. This is an adult study program in which Jews of every stripe from non-religious to Orthodox come and study Jewish texts at the campus. It has been a great success and has greatly advance respect and pluralism. Yanatan made the case for what he called “affirmative action”. The liberal streams, unlike the Orthodox, receive no government support. Without support from Diaspora Jews to help level the playing field pluralism and choice will wilt. He frankly called on us to weight our support in favor of the liberal streams.
Uri likewise pushed for favoring programs that either included participation by members of the non-Orthodox streams or contained discussion of all streams in the curriculum. Uri also spoke of the Reform approach to Jewish education in the schools. The movement has focused on training teachers in the secular schools to present Judaism in creative and meaningful ways. It has also focused on congregation based pre-schools and kindergartens. My sense is that the while the movement applauds alternative religious schools and programs such as the Massorti’s Tali schools, it has concluded that there will always be state schools and that these students can be best reached by their teachers with the assistance of congregational rabbis.
A couple of hours later we met with a group of teens from the MetroWest High School in Ra’anana. There were about 20 of them all around 16 years old. This group was in Jerusalem for seminars and to attend liberal religious services in preparation for their visit to our community. What a great group of kids…attractive and smart. They are coming to visit our day schools and Hebrew schools. We talked about what to expect when they come to the U.S. I told them about my family’s hosting of Gal and Nadav and what a good experience it was for all of us. Our group told them to expect the “parents” with whom they stay to be more concerned about where they are at any given time. (Kids in Israel go in and out much more as they please than here.) We told them to expect that kids their age in the U.S. may be a little less mature since Israeli kids will soon go into the army and their parents treat them as being more responsible. We were asked about anti-Semitism. Generally the kids were told that it was not an issue. I, however, said that they would not experience it but that it does occur in schools…usually by a wise guy who just thinks he’s funny but sometimes an intended hurtful comment. I believe we helped to set their minds at ease.
Students from Ra'anana MetroWest High School
Later that evening we met with a group of teens from Noam, the Conservative Israeli youth group. We joined together in a havdallah service. (The fresh spices they used smelled great.) 
We then discussed their program. What sounded special is that they bring Jewish thought and values into almost all their programming. This is not the case in most secular youth groups. The group also read a fable that taught about the importance of a people remaining connected. The rest of the evening was for dinner and shopping. We walked to Ben Yehuda and walked around the area. I lead the group to the French restaurant I was at in May and we enjoyed a great meal. From there we did some shopping on Ya’el Solomon which is off Ben Yehuda and has some nicer shops. And then, back to the hotel and my weak attempt at sleep. Gary
Day 3 – Sunday, 3/13/05
On Sunday, the beginning of the work-week in Israel, we took the bus to Machon Schechner, the campus for the Masorti/Conservative Movement in Israel. It is in the same area as the Knesset in Jerusalem. We met first with David Golinkin, the President of the Schechner Institute. MetroWest provides funding for an Israeli student to participate in the Institutes rabbinic program.
Rabbi Golinkin
Rabbi Golinkin told some personal stories to get across the current state of non-Orthodox Israel. Story 1: He needs a havdallah candle (used in the ceremony to mark the end of Shabbat and the beginning of a new week) and goes into a small local grocery. There is a young man behind the counter and Rabbi Golinkin asks him for the candle. The clerk asks what is a havdallah candle and the Rabbi describes it and its purpose. The young man then leads the Rabbi down an aisle and points out the yarzeit (memorial) candles. Remember…this is in Jerusalem. Story 2: A Jerusalem public secular school has a Hanukah party every year. Each year a new party theme is chosen. This year the theme is Christmas. When challenged, the school’s principal cannot understand what all the fuss is about. According to Rabbi Golinkin most Israeli children and adults receive no Jewish education. Bible is taught as history and literature. Otherwise very little teaching of Jewish values and tradition is done. His institution tries to address the issue in several ways. They run a graduate school for teachers in order to influence the public secular school system. (MetroWest provides funding to help teachers attend from the Megged school in Ra’anana.)
Another Masorti response is its rabbinic school program. The dean of the school, Harvey Rabine (sp?) spoke to us about the program. First he told a story. His daughter, who had been in the Masorti Noam youth group, went into the army in a Noam unit. During her basic training an Orthodox officer addressed the group. At one point he stated that Hitler had killed 6 million Jews but that the liberal streams of Judaism would destroy 8 million. The daughter stood up and stated that if this was what an officer in the Army believed and would publicly state then this was not her Army and she left the room. The story hit the press and, to the Army’s credit, the officer was dismissed. Rabine went on to say that the Israel is faced not only with an external threat but also an internal one…the threat that the various factions within Israel will tear the country apart. The rabbinic school educated 60 rabbis during its first 20 years. Currently there are 25 rabbinic students in the 4 year program. Clearly there is a growing interest by young people to study and become Masorti rabbis. The school has realized that congregational rabbis are not the only way to influence the society. They are providing programs so that their students can become chaplains, educators and Matnas (community center) staff.
The Masorti movement is also the force behind the Tali education system in Israel. The Tali program, according to its director Eitan Chikli, is a response to the old Zionist need to destroy the traditional Judaism. Dr. Chikli describes the founders Zionism as having created Hebrew speaking gentiles. Tali now has programs in 52 elementary schools and 75 kindergartens. It touches 22,000 people, students and parents. The Government has accepted Tali and has developed criteria for approving Tali programs and schools. Tali’s challenges are to expand the program at the lower schools, add more junior and high schools and develop a network so there can be more school to school cooperation.
A little more later... Gary
From Hannah
Today, Tuesday, March 15th, we met with organizations whose vision and leadership offer the potential for altering the character of the classic (yet elusive) Israeli Jewish identity. At Hamidrasha, the passion that drive the efforts to reclaim the Israeli Jewish identity from the ultra orthodox establishment was articulated with an eloquence that cannot be conveyed here. Being an Israeli is hard, hard work, and it is even harder to do without knowing or understanding the depths of one’s connections to a land where survival can be such a challenge. The toxic relationship between religion and politics in the government has defined the parameters of “authentic” Judaism for so long, that the average secular Israeli regards the vast treasure of sacred Jewish writings and tradition as the sole and exclusive province of “them.” Years - indeed decades of State sponsored school curriculums that have been “sanitized” so that they are free of the identity-building connections between Israeli citizenship and Jewish peoplehood have taken their toll –most secular Israelis no longer even know or understand that they have ceded over to “them” such a precious part of their lives. Those among the 30,000 or so people who are involved with Hamidrasha programs do know, and it is our obligation to support them. --Hannah
Latrun & the Army
Day 3 (part 2) Sunday, 3/13/05
We left the Masorti campus and Jerusalem for the Latrun Museum, the home of the Israeli tank corp.’s memorial and museum. We entered the grounds to see an impressive array of tanks used by the Israeli army from the War of Independence to the present.
The museum is operated by the army and the officer that oversees it spoke to us about the history of Latrun (it was a former British police station and a key battle site during the War of Independence) and the tank corp. Ellen Goldner and Hannah Goldman laid a wreath before a memorial wall which displayed all names of all those who fought to win and defend Israel.
We went into the museum/memorial for a quick tour. One room was made of tank steel which had been hit by anti tank fire. It is frightening to think that a tank can tear through thick steel.
Following the tour we went into a conference room to meet with officers and soldiers who participate in programs sponsored by Beit Morasha, a modern Orthodox institution which promotes Jewish identity and values. We provide funds for a training program for officer candidates. Professor Beni Ish-Shalom is the dean of the program and he spoke to us. He discussed how the Army’s chief of command was concerned about the weakening sense of Jewish identity and values of the military and wanted to develop a program which would ultimately reach all levels. Beit Morasha is an attempt with the IDF education staff to train officer candidates so that they have a thorough understanding of these values as they move up the chain of command.
We then met with about 12 soldiers (men and women), all but one were either officers or officer candidates. Each soldier introduced themselves and spoke about the program. As always these young adults are very impressive. They described their process, issues they faced and what they get out of the program. They are appreciative of the program because it helps them understand the soldiers under their command so that they can work with them. It also helps build the teams that are necessary for successful missions.
As Professor Ish-Shalom pointed out, during the Matzav, when split second decisions are necessary in circumstances no Israeli wants, the issue for Israeli soldiers today is why do we do what we do? To communicate the answers it is necessary to teach the history, values and traditions of Judaism. For the prospective officers it helps with command leadership and mission success.
We ate lunch with the soldiers and folks from Beit Morisha. The big, big issue in Israel, the issue that has quite frankly has pushed terrorism to the side, is the withdrawal from Gaza and the potential for violence between Jewish Gaza residents and Jewish soldiers or police. As someone said it takes Jews in America about six months to get a sense of what is going on in Israel. Terror is not gone but the sense in Israel is that terror is now and will be “under control”; not ended but infrequent and less “substantial”.
Soldiers in Beit Morisha program
The concern about potential civil war, Jew against Jew, is palpable here. Over and over people I have met have expressed true and deep worry. The divide between religious and secular (terms which poorly describe the parties to a great rift) goes back to the founding of the State. Now chickens that have been feeding on bitter seed and angry steroids have grown large and are coming home to roost. All the years of distrust and dispute are focusing their force on the Gaza withdrawal.
Beni Ish-Shalom (R) Paul Wimpfheimer (C)
How the army or police (it is not clear yet which) handles the evacuation may well determine the future of this society for years to come. And of course this is all in the hands of young men and women, many of whom, if they were American kids, would be staying up late in their dorm rooms having late night conversations about what to major in. In this critical time Jewish values, how to treat each other with respect and seeing the other as tselem eloheim (made in the image of God), will be necessary to holding the society together. The soldiers are being taught they will be confronting not an enemy but a brother. This is what the Beit Midrasha, Rabbi Ish-Shalom and the army education corp are focused on. Frequently, spending on Pluralism and Jewish Identity in Israel is questioned and called a low priority. I believe the spending by MetroWest on these programs will be proven to be high priority and of the greatest value to Israel and the Jewish world.
(As an aside but an important one – Prof. Ish-Shalom has also been very involved with the “conversion issue”. Thousands of olim from the FSU who are not Jewish by religious law live in Israel. Bringing them “in” has been a difficult process made more so by a negative religious establishment. In the Army however, which has its own chief rabbinate, conversion has been more open and more successful. Gesher has been an important player in improving the situation in the Army.)
There were two more stops on Sunday which I’ll describe in the next email.
Gary
Day 3 (part 3) Sunday, 3/13/05
I’m woefully behind so I’ll try to make this brief.
Upon finishing at Latrun we headed for Tel Aviv to visit Alma College. Alma was started by Ruth Calderon as a post graduate school for Israelis looking to re-establish their Jewish roots through study of traditional Jewish texts. It is part of what has been called the Israeli Jewish Renaissance. On Shavuot (a holiday celebrating the giving of the Torah) each year Alma runs all night study sessions for the residents of Tel Aviv. Thousands come to study and participate in a wide variety of programs. The attendants are generally secular Jews. The turn out is indicative of the thirst for Jewish learning that has grown and has not been satisfied in the secular society. Alma provides more formal classes as well.
We spoke with Orit Ilan and other Alma students. They talked about their search for a more meaningful non-religious Jewish identity. There is a need in these folks to reclaim their heritage and share ownership of Bible, Talmud and other Jewish texts. It tends to be a very personal exploration. Our delegation asked questions about the students understanding of community and where they saw their connection. (A personal observation made with the prejudice of a Reform Jew…the students seems to have such an intense need to discover a very individual and unique connection that they fail to avail themselves of the history of prior experiences of reformation. I don’t mean to suggest that they should not take their own journey but I fail to see the harm in learning from and about the Reform and Massorti experience. I also worry that the search is so individual that community, a critical Jewish value, is overlooked.)
Following our time at Alma we took a brief walking tour of the area around the school. Tel Aviv is known for its Bauhaus architecture and the subsequent International school of architecture. I really enjoyed see some beautiful building. Bauhaus in Israel was an attempt to show Tel Aviv’s high culture by following the German school after WW I. But as Nazism grew the International school started. Tel Aviv is really an exiting and beautiful city. I still have not had the opportunity to spend enough time here…maybe next time.
From Tel Aviv we drove back toward Jerusalem and stopped in Modi’in to visit the Yozma congregation and school, part of the Reform movement. We met at the school with Rabbi Kinneret Shiryon.
Rabbi Kinneret Shiryon
Rabbi Shiryon is the first women ordain in the US to become a women rabbi in Israel. The congregation and especially the nursery school have been very successful. They are now trying to have a continuation of their program in the grammar school age group. Also, they are trying to build a synagogue with municipal support. Unfortunately they are having difficulty getting support from the municipality. (Remember that Orthodox congregations regularly get government support and in Modi’in the municipality has provided land and funds for building synagogues.
The mayor of Modi’in and some council members and other local government members joined our meeting. There was “interesting” discussion but the municipality still does not appear to be anxious to help Yozma. We finished the day with dinner at the home of one of the congregants.
Gary A
Jerusalem, the South and Haifa (all in one day)
Day 4 – Monday, 3/14/05
So today really is Thursday 3/17 and I’m on a train to Be’ersheva. I don’t think many tourist use the train in Israel. It is really very comfortable and efficient. I think the line runs from Naharyaia north of Haifa to Be’ersheva in the south. They’ve added a line to the airport and they will add to that line all the way to Jerusalem.
Back to day 4...I got up early (new?) and walked by myself to the Kotel. Outside the hotel the security was heavy. There were lots of dignitaries coming in because of the dedication of the renovated Yad Vashem memorial museum. I had only a little time so I walked fast and got to the Wall in 20 minutes. In the early morning (before 7 a.m.) it is very quiet there.
I enjoy going there but, as I’ve mentioned before, I don’t find any spiritual feeling coming over me as I look upon it. And yet…I had to go there before we left Jerusalem even if it meant getting up much too early…so the gravitational pull of the place (the rabbis called it the navel of the world) must have its hold on me. I only spent 20 minutes there but I did it for everyone who gets this email…now you know it is still there and in Israeli hands.
On the way back the security had increased if that is possible. I was stopped, had my passport checked ( I still look like the picture) and questioned. At one point I saw a pile of weapons on a street corner waiting for troops to hold them.
After breakfast we checked out and headed south to Emek HaElah. This is a national park which contains the tomb of Samson and his father. (Is Samson really in there? There was no souvenir stand nearby so maybe it’s the real thing.) We met with a group of FSU teens who were in Israel on the Na’ale program.
Jewish teens come to Israel for 3 years to study and, hopefully, decide to become citizens. If they do stay often their parents then join them. We spoke to the kids while we walked and studied the story of Samson. MetroWest funds the Jewish educational piece of the program for these kids.
Ellen Goldner with Na'ale youth
On the drive out of Jerusalem I got to see spring in Israel for the first time. This time of year there are fields of yellow where ever you go. There are also a wide variety of wild flowers blooming.
We then traveled to Merkaz Hertzog which is in the south somewhere near Ashqelon and Ashdod. The Merkaz (Center) is in an Orthodox kibbutz. We visited the Beit Midrasha Mabua study group.
It consists primarily of woman most of whom are involved in education, social work and similar fields. They give meaning to the term Pluralism as the group, while under Orthodox auspices, is broadly representative of the range of Orthodox and non-Orthodox approaches. The participants study for 8 hours per week. At the end of their program they engage in social action activities using their studies and discussion to help provide strategies.
We broke up into small groups to study Megillat (Book of) Esther with our task being to find the point at which fate becomes destiny (where events act upon Esther change to Esther, understanding her role, acts to influence events). We then entered discussion of when such turning points had occurred in our own lives. As a catalyst photographs were placed around the room and we selected two that represented fate and destiny. Each of us talked about the photos we chose. The program helped us to get a sense of the method the Mabua group used to use text for discovery and learning and how people with very different backgrounds can share experiences and come closer.
We retired to lunch which was prepared by the Mabua participants. I can state categorically that it was the best lunch of our stay.
Our delegation returned to the bus for the long drive to Haifa where we would stay the next two evenings. On the way we stopped at a Druse village for shopping. The store contained a mix of junk and treasures. Some of the weaving and ceramics were very nice.
Following check-in at the hotel we had dinner with a group of Israelis from the FSU who participate in a Beit Midrasha which is a joint project of Oren and Shdemot.
As a means to get to know each other we were led in an exercise to tell and discuss a story about one of our grandparents. It was not long before we learned that we all had similar histories and that important values had been passed down to us.
The evening concluded in the German Colony of Haifa. There our group found a café where we ordered drinks and some plates of cheese and humas.
A. Sandman, Party Animal
We unwound a little, telling stories and kidded each other…a natural process of coming together after the experiences we shared.
Bahai Gardens, Haifa
Gary A
From Bahai to Moti
Day 5 Tuesday, 3/15/05
I’m still running three days behind. At the moment I’m at Kibbutz Hatzeriem outside of Be’er Sheva in the Negev. I spent a full day yesterday touring the region which is stark but beautiful…more later.
On Tuesday morning I took a walk near our hotel in Haifa. There is a small park with a zoo nearby. I couldn’t get in that early but I peaked over the fence to see a camel and some goats. Haifa really is a beautiful city. I only wish I had more time. I see there are plenty of galleries and museums. The views of the bay and ocean are very nice and some of the modern architecture is amazing.
After breakfast we me with Meir Yoffe of Panim, an umbrella organization for many of the non-profits dealing with Pluralism and Jewish Identity education.
Panim’s primary function is to push for government funding of Identity programs and implementation of the government sponsored Shenhar (sp?) report which laid out the needs and recommended government actions. The report has been out over ten years but not much progress has been made. Panim also advises the non-profits on advocacy and how to obtain government funds.
According to Panim’s statistics only 20% of the population identify themselves as Orthodox or Religious. Nevertheless, the vast majority of government “religious” spending goes to Orthodox institutions. The Shenhar report recommended that 45 million NIS be spent on non-Orthodox education annually. This year arguably 7.5 million NIS will be spent. In short the Ministry of Education is not implementing the report.
From that meeting we walked to the Bahai Gardens.
It has become one of the new wonders of the world. This religious sect believes it must have a home in Israel. On the side of a great San Francisco type hill the sect’s temple, library, meeting center and archives were built. From near the top of the hill to near the bottom runs a long run of stairs as well as gardens and fountains…truly a sight to behold.
From the Gardens we left for Oranim College, about half an hour east of Haifa. It is a teachers college where HaMidrasha B’Oranim is located. HaMidrasha is the brain child of Motti Zeirra and Saraleh Shadmi-Wortman.
Moti (L)
HaMidrasha is another attempt started by secular Jews to reclaim their heritage and also to engage in dialogue with the religious community. Over 100 study weekly and another 400 participate in other programs. Like the program at Herzog groups with varied backgrounds from secular to Orthodox. We briefly met with a women’s study group called Niggun and later engaged in text study (this time a secular poem) led by one of the facilitators, an Orthodox women.
Programs such as this encourage us to believe that common ground can be found, especially by sharing Jewish texts, both secular and religious.
We had lunch at the college where, by chance, we ran into David Wakstein. David teaches art and runs programs for kids all the way down in Ofakim, one of our MetroWest partnership cities. He operates in Ofakim out of the famous art igloo which was renovated with funding from Steve & Lori Klinghoffer. David took us to a new gallery on the Oranim campus just before we left.
Moti is known as one of the leading lights in the Israeli Jewish Renaissance. He spoke eloquently about the growing need for Israelis to connect to their Jewish roots. The Zionist who helped create the state rejected almost all things traditionally Jewish, except the land. Eretz, settling and working the land, was the basis of their Jewishness and they needed little else. They had no problem with identity. The world told them they were Jewish and they recognized their Jewish being through their attachment to the land.
Following his service in the ’73 Yom Kippur War Moti began to feel that his parents’ identity through the Zionist movement was not enough for him. He knew that there were deeper roots and questioned why the tradition was being hidden from him. Something was missing spiritually. He knew the Orthodox Judaism was not for him and that for most Israelis there is a sense that Judaism belongs to others. There became a need to invent ceremony and ritual. He began to study Jewish texts and to bring other like-minded people together to study as a way to reclaim his heritage.
Later he saw the growing division in Israel and needed to find a means of bringing the religious and non-religious together. He had learned from experience that text study led not only to intellectual development but to emotional and spiritual development. More importantly those who studied together created deep relationships. He established study groups that pulled in all levels of observance. There are now over 20 such study groups around the country.
Recently his organization sponsored a conference on Shabbat in which 800 people participated.
Moti remains concerned about the divisions in Israel. He described it as a return to Twelve Tribes. He has been working with the movements and others to find ways to open dialogue. Clearly he feels Israel has reached the point where it needs to seriously deal with concept of community.
From the college we drove to Ein Herod Old Cemetery.
It the burial place for many Zionist settlers (Halutzim) from the early aliyot. Moti joined to describe the hardships; most of those who came to Israel in the early days did not stay. They often gave up due to the hard life required to settle the land. Their rejection of Judaism was evident on their grave markers…no religious markings at all.
Moti described how they knew the traditions but would not follow them. There were silent funerals and Seder-less Seders. The need to break with the past was all controlling. It was this rejection which has been deeply ingrained in the secular society and makes it difficult for them even today to explore tradition and spirituality. In their minds if a program has anything to do with religion, texts, the old ways, etc. it must contain what they have been conditioned to reject and so quickly turn their backs.
More later… Gary
Ma'ale Gilboa
Day 5a Tuesday, 3/15/05
From the cemetery we drove to Ma'ale Gilboa and the yeshiva there, about 10 minutes away. On the way up the mountain we stopped in part of the park to walk among the wild flowers. There is an iris, Gilboa Iris, that blooms only for 3 weeks in March, that we were luck enough to see. It has a black, purple flower.
At the yeshiva we met with Rabbi Yehuda Gilad and Rabbi David Bigman who run the yeshiva as well as several students. MetroWest funds a rabbinic ordination program for this modern Orthodox school. Rabbi Gilad described the school the programs.
Rabbi Gilad had served in the Kenesset. He pointed out that his school is one of the few moderate institutions that have ongoing contact with the Ultra-Orthodox. If the community is to be maintained there must be communication. Rabbi Gilad also expressed great concern about disengagement from Gaza. The gap between left and right is very wide and the voices on both sides have become harsh. He has led an effort to express concern on behalf of the Jewish residents of Gaza while asserting the need to follow the will of the majority in a democracy. He talked about the need to understand the settlers and their deeply held beliefs. In essence his approach is “hugging and evacuating”. He believes most settlers will either leave peacefully or resist peacefully. Nevertheless, there is a significant likelihood of some violence.
Gary A
Email From Hannah
Gary:
It is ridiculously late and I have just finished packing for our early departure tomorrow. (What am I talking about - it is early now") During these last few hours in Israel, I wanted to share an experience that I had in Jerusalem on Thursday, which you may or may not include in the blog as you wish. After a tour of the new Yad Vashem museum, I of course, made a mad dash to begin my shopping marathon. I stopped at the Michal Negri store in the Inbal hotel and ended up in a conversation with the owner and his wife, both "secular I told her what we had been doing in Israel, she immediately started talking about how important it was, "because the schools don't give them anything." She said that she has three children, 29, 18 and a high school teen, and that she could see that the levels of Jewish identity have steadily decreased in her own children. She noted that her older children had the benefit of the influence of their grandparents, who were able to pass along to them some knowledge of tradition. However, the youngest child did not have the same opportunities for interaction with the grandparents and so, knew very little.It may sound like these stories are anecdotal, but they are not, because these concerns are repeated over and over again by parents all over Israel. At the Gordon School, which is a fairly well known ( and somewhat elite) public secular school in Tel Aviv, the parents themselves bear the full cost of enrichment programs which include holiday celebrations and kabbalat shabbat every Friday. Might one have ever imagined that teaching Israeli elementary school kids in a public school about kabbalat shabbat would only be available to those who can pay for it?
Hannah
Jumping to the Negev
Days 7 & 8 Thursday & Friday 3/17 & 3/18/05
I’m skipping a day and jumping to the Negev. I’ll get back to Ra’anana eventually…probably tomorrow (Sunday) or soon there after.
On Thursday morning I left my hotel (The Carlton in Tel Aviv) after breakfast and took a cab to the train station to catch the 8:08 train to Be’ersheva. Along the way the I talked to the driver. He told me business was better but that he hasn’t seen a big pick-up in tourists; mostly there have been more business people. I got his opinion on the withdrawal from Gaza. He is against it…he’s not against leaving but against giving it up without getting something in return.
At the station security made me open my bags but it was mostly just going through the motions. I got my ticket without much language trouble and managed to get my bags down the stairs to the platform. I found a seat and waited for the train. As I suspected there were a lot of soldiers using the train to get back to their bases. One was sitting next to me The Da Vinci Code in English. I asked him if I was in the right place for my train. He said yes and I asked to make sure I got on the right one. He just laughed.
Will sitting at the station I called Amir and Hannah. I had read the Jerusalem Post at breakfast and discovered that MetroWest was in a front page article concerning our meeting with the mayor of Modi’in. It looks like we stirred things up.
The train was comfortable and fast. I was able to work on the computer without any problem.
In Be’ersheva Iri Kassel met me outside the station. I had met Iri just a few days after he had become the director of the Israel Reform Movement about three years ago. Since then we’ve been in contact off and on. When I saw him last he invited me to visit him at his kibbutz. I took him up on his offer.
After getting a cup of coffee we took off on a tour of the Negev. Iri is an old fashioned labor Zionist of the Ben Gurion school. He lives in one of the remaining true kibbutzim and believes deeply in the need to settle the Negev. His love for the region was clear in everything he told me as we drove.
Here is evidence of a settlement in Be’ersheva going back to 5000 b.c.e. After the British took control from the Turks there were three Jewish settlements existing. Then on Yom Kippur in 1946 the Hagannah and the Jewish Agency directed the illegal establishment of 11 new settlements over night. This began to serious settlement of the Negev.
As we left Be’ersheva Iri jokingly apologized. He had wanted me to see the desert but it was spring. This time of year there are often lots of wildflowers, fields of them, everywhere. It is a bit disconcerting to have a picture of desolate sand and rock in your head and then see the reality of greens, yellows and reds.
From Be’ersheva we headed to Sde Boker, the site of Ben Gurian’s home and resting place. Israel’s first prime minister became devoted to the idea of settling the Negev and when he left office he moved to the dessert. His home is very simple and it has been preserved as he left it.
Ben Gurian's bedroom
There is also a small museum that tells the story of his life and the history of the Negev’s development. Being there with Iri was a special experience. He told me his story of meeting Ben Gurian at Sde Boker. Iri had grown up in the North but while in a youth group had been challenged to become one of the new pioneers. This lead him to becoming a resident of Kibbutz Hatzerim, one of the first kibbutzim established near Be’ersheva. I could tell that Iri saw Ben Gurian as an heroic guiding light and Iri continues to speak of the need to bring more people to this area.
We drove to Mitzepeh Ramon, a large geological site about an hour south. It is one of Israel’s great natural wonders.
Iri Kassel at near Sde Boker and the Ben Gurion grave site
Although not the scale of the Grand Canyon the crater is quite vast. From the top it looks like a moonscape.
At some point I’ll be able to post pictures again and one will go here.
I can’t describe it in words. One contrast to the Grand Canyon, here a major north/south road runs through the crater so that it is easy to get a wide variety of views. Some day I hope to get back here and hike in the crater.
On the way back north we stopped at Avdat, an archeological sight with Nabatean and Roman ruins.
The Nabateans populated the region from Petra to Egypt and worked the trade route.
Most of the ruins are Roman from the period following Jesus. There are two churches with great columns and arches.
There is also a complicated system to collect and preserve water using spillways and cisterns. Interestingly there was agriculture going back to the Nabatean period which suggests that they had found ways to grow food even in difficult conditions…a precursor to the Israeli effort to make the desert bloom.
On the way from Avdat to Iri’s kibbutz he received a call from his younger son. He was on a military post in Arad and had just completed his pre-entry screening for an elite unit. We made a detour and pick him and two friends up. There are several special units and my experience has been that the best and brightest readily volunteer for them. Here the army is an experience shared by almost all and the desire to be in these units stems from both patriotism and the status received which lasts well beyond service. To get into these units following high school teens go for a two day extreme workout at the unit’s base. I learned from Iri’s son that about 170 were invited to participate and about half dropped out. From the remaining group a smaller number will be selected by the officers. Some of the torture they endured included doing repeated push-ups with full packs on, running and hiking all day, having officers yell at them, being awoken in the middle of the night and forced to exercise, etc. I could see that Iri’s son was exhausted and that his body was sore from the way he walked.
More later…
Gary
Kibbutz Netzarim
Days 7 & 8 Thursday & Friday, 3/17 & 3/18/05 (Part 2)
We arrived at Iri’s home in Kibbutz Netzarim, a little west of Be’er Sheva, in the early evening. There I said hello to his wife, Saralee, and his younger daughter. I met his wife when I met Iri in 2002. She is originally from Jacksonville, Florida but has been in Israel 30 years or so. His daughter is headed to Vancouver as a shiliach next week. We a light snack before leaving for dinner at the kibbutz dining hall. Netzarim is the traditional style kibbutz, seemingly a dying breed, where most members dine in a common room and serve themselves cafeteria style. Everyone shares responsibilities for the work of the kibbutz including working in the kitchen on a scheduled basis. At one point someone approached Iri to remind him that he had guard duty coming up.
Following dinner Iri took me for a tour of the kibbutz’s factory where drip irrigation systems are produced. The kibbutz is a world-wide leader and an early developer of these systems. The factory has sales of over $350 million annually; it ships around the world and runs 24 hours a day. It really is quite an operation.
After the tour we returned to Iri’s home, a comfortable condo-like unit with 3 bedrooms and a open dining, kitchen and living room area. We talked of this an that and I retired for the night.
The following morning we had breakfast at the dining hall and then I received the grand tour. First Iri stopped at the kibbutz business office to make a cash withdrawal from the account maintained for him (his salary and other earnings go into the general funds of the kibbutz). He also mentioned to me that he had already reserved a care for his use…the kibbutz owns a fleet of cars and kibbutz members reserve a car for their use when they need one. Unless you get a car from a job outside of the kibbutz you do not own your own. We then walked near the kibbutz dairy farm. We passed the farm and went to the kibbutz grocery and then the common laundry (you drop off laundry and members wash and iron). The kibbutz has its own kindergarten and grade school. Upper level classes take place outside the kibbutz.
We also visited the kibbutz synagogue which I found interesting on several levels. The synagogue is a pre-fab unit that is put in place by a crane. It was given to the kibbutz by the Ministry of Religion before the ministry was disbanded during the Sinui/Likkud coalition. Apparently they had ordered these units that are like mobile homes and needed to get rid of them. It was offered to the local regional government which did not want it and offered it to the kibbutz which was glad to have it.
Typically secular kibbutzim are seen as almost violently secular but Nitzarem is different.
There has been a reasonably long tradition (not from the start but for quite awhile) to hold a kabbalat Shabbat service. It would not be recognized as a typical religious service but it has the basic elements supplemented by the kibbutz’s own printed sidur booklet. Thus tradition is kept alive on the kibbutz.
We walked part of the perimeter of the kibbutz where Iri pointed out the fence that he believes Bedouin cut through to steal his office provided car. Crime by the Bedouin community appears to be a growing problem. On the one hand Iri feels these Arabs need to move out of their hovels and into approved Bedouin cities. On the other, the cities tend to lead the Bedouins to give up their nomad way of life, they don’t find other work and crime increases. Also, these cities have become hotbeds of radical Islam. Both ways the situation is not good and the Israeli government is slow to address it.
Along the perimeter road one of the kibbutz elders kept busy cultivating an extensive cactus garden and using castaway items to create a fantasy land.
We got in Iri's car for my ride to my next host family. Just a few yards outside the kibbutz Iri made a little detour to show me a hidden treasure. A local women had pestered the local government and the JNF to provide fields to create a sculpture park. We drove along a dirt road and with each turn discovered large works along the way.
Iri drove me to my next stop, the Ohanna family in Mabboim, about 20 minutes away in the Merchavim/Ofakim area of the Negev. When I was here in May with my family and some friends my wife, Susan and daughters, Sage and Dana, stayed with the Ohannas.
We contacted them before this trip and they invited me to stay.
There are five Ohannas plus one puppy named Slash. Yakov, the father, is a truck driver and his family came from Morocco. Raya, the mother, is a beautician with a shop in her home. Her family came from Iraq. The boys are Meni, Oz and Adiel. Meni is 18 the oldest and speaks very good English. Oz, the middle son looks to be about 14 or 15 and Adiel is in grade school. Oz understands English and speaks a little as does Raya. Yakov and Adiel speak only Hebrew (but we made due).
When I arrived on Friday about mid-day I was expecting to have to jump in a car and be taken to this site or that. Fortunately, the first thing Meni said was that on Friday (the start of the weekend) he usually “chills”. So after the enormous lunch Raya prepared we sat around for awhile and then I took my first real nap of the stay.
More later…
Gary A
Erev Shabbat
Days 7 & 8 Thursday & Friday, 3/17 & 3/18/05 (Part 3)
I awoke from my nap and spent some time talking with Meni (short for Menasha). He is a very bright teen, tall and darkly handsome. He was in the U.S. last summer as part of a youth group visit. He will be returning this late this summer as a Rishonim (or Shinshin) to spend a year in MetroWest working at our day schools and Hebrew Schools and with youth groups. This means he is postponing his military service one year. Some at his school say he is a “friar” (sucker) for delaying his service. They prefer to get their service over so they can get on with their lives. They also don’t get public service, especially going to the U.S. to serve. This is a shortcoming in Israeli society. Concepts of service, charity and tzedakah are not always held in high regard. There is also a growing attitude that you don’t want to be seen as a “friar”…you should get all you can get with as little effort as necessary…doing something for nothing is foolish. Fortunately there are forces at work trying to change this attitude. Among them are the initiatives supported by MetroWest’s religious pluralism funding. A strong self-image and some courage are required to overcome this group-think peer pressure and fortunately Meni has what it takes.
Meni & Oz Ohanna
Adiel Ohanna
I joined the family for Shabbat dinner. Having seen lunch I anticipated quite a meal and I was not disappointed. Candles had already been lit. The Ohannas are a Sephardic family and the Shabbat traditions differed from those I am use to. In addition to the two Shabbat candles there were 30 or 40 little tea candles lit. Meni told me his mother and grandmother hold the record for lighting these candles. According to Meni, these candles are lit to help the spirits of deceased friends, relatives and holy people rise to the world to come.
Raya Ohanna
Meni said the blessing over the wine. The cup was filled to the brim and there was a saucer beneath it to catch the overflow. Yakov drank first from the cup and then Meni. I followed and handed the cup to Adiel, the youngest…a faux pas for which I was corrected…the cup is passed down by age.
Next was the Motzi, the blessing over the bread. There was a short introductory prayer which I did not follow. During the prayer there was a choreography that was unfamiliar to me. The family members touched their eyes and lips and then held up their hands. I believe it is a psalm they read but I’m not sure of the movements’ meaning.
Dinner was, like lunch, exceptional. We ate and talked. I learned more about the family and a bit of politics. They have cousins living in Hebron. They are not particularly happy with the withdrawal from Gaza.
A little later Raya’s brother-in-law stopped in. He is a lively guy in his late 20’s or early 30’s. I think he came to see the American because he would like to move to America. He installs fire sprinklers and is willing to do anything is America. He was tired of Israel. He said he use to be a patriot and was willing to die for the state but no more. He wants to get away from the Arabs. I’m not sure what was making him unhappy in Israel but obviously the pressure had gotten to him. Unfortunately for him his wife is tied to the family and unwilling to move.
Following dinner Meni and I walked to the home of the Artovs. I had a package (hats) to deliver from Jim Rubenstein who was with us on our May 2004 visit and had stayed with the Artovs. When I met Shabbatai and Ilana I was warmly welcomed. We sat and talked for about an hour. They are both social workers. Shabbatai provides services to jailed prisoners and tries to rehabilitate them. Most of the Jewish prisioners are guilty of drug crimes or financial crimes. Generally rehabilitation works with these prisoners.
I delivered the hats in the package and then went home. By then I was very tired and went directly to bed.
Shabbat
Days 7 & 8 Thursday & Friday, 3/17 & 3/18/05 (Part 4)
Someone asked me for a little more information about how and why I was visiting the Ohannas and Iri Kassel. Regarding Iri, I had met him a few years ago. Although MetroWest does fund projects and synagogues that are part of his institution, the IMPJ, we developed a nice non-business relationship. He offered his hospitality and I accepted. We talked very little about the Movement during the 26 hours we were together. It was really an effort on my part to learn about Israel and to build personal relationships with Israelis.
As to the Ohannas, when I took my family and a group of friends to Israel last May, Amir Shacham, the director of the MetroWest Jerusalem office recommended “home hospitality”. The hotels in the south are not great but more importantly Amir believes strongly, as do I, that there is a great need to develop strong connections between Israeli and Diaspora Jews. My wife and two of my kids were guests of the Ohannas in May and really hit it off. Susan urged me to visit them and with Amir’s help I did.
When I woke up early on Shabbat morning I got dressed and headed out for a long walk. I walked to the edge of the Ma’aboim development and saw the new homes under construction. Most of the housing was attractive middle class single family homes. In the area where the new construction was, there were several very large homes; one actually took up two lots and was quite impressive.
I walked through an empty lot to the field beyond. The development is bordered on three sides by farmland. I took the tractor path along the edge of the field and headed west. I stopped from time to time to take pictures of flowers and the view. Again there were lots of yellows with some reds and purples. Further on I turned on a tractor path that headed into the fields and found myself in the midst of a lemon orchard.
The trees had both ripened fruit and new blossoms and I stayed busy with my camera. As I started my return I sighted white birds with long necks walking in the fields. I tried to get close enough to take pictures but I didn’t do a very good job. I caught a few shots of the birds in flight but I can’t say they are keepers.
Looking at the fields reminded me of part of my conversations with Iri just two days before. He talked about settling the land and the intensive work it took. When we were at Sde Boker he mentioned Ben Gurion University and its focus on finding ways to make the desert productive. At Avdat we looked down from the Roman and Nabatean ruins to see an experimental farm where they were trying to learn the secrets of agriculture in this region as it was farmed over the millenniums. Even the walk through the drip irrigation factory showed the focus on making the land bloom while conserving precious resources.
The mythology (in its denotative and not connotative meaning) of the Negev is that of pioneers taking arid desert and miraculously turning it green. The image is large in the mind of both Israeli and Diaspora Jews and along with the images of draining the swamps and images of strong, handsome and beautiful soldiers plays a role in the romantic perception of Israel. I try hard not to be a romantic but the facts are that a portion of our people has performed miracles. Iri, a couple of days prior, reminded me that for all the conflict and problems facing Israel has truly accomplished great achievements. My early morning walk confirmed the reality of miracles.
I returned to the Ohannas’ home to find Yakov sitting on the porch playing with the puppy, Slash and drinking Middle East coffee from a glass.
On Yakov’s feet were slippers in the shape of puppies so Slash was having a good time playing with pretend friends.
Raya joined us and offered me food and drink. I accepted coffee and we sat outside enjoying the morning. I went in and took a quick shower. Later the boys were up and we went in for breakfast. Every meal thus far had included small bowls and plates in the center of the table. In the plates were various salads, tehina, babaganouch, cucumbers, peppers, etc. For breakfast I was served a cross between a pita looking bread and pastry that was rolled up. It was sweet and I think it had soft cream cheese baked into it. I was given its name but I failed to retain it. (The name is Jachnoon) All I can say is that it was delicious but a steady diet of it will kill you.
.After breakfast we got ready to visit Eshkol Park which is just outside of Ofakim, about a 20 minute drive. Meni had read that there would be a shuk, market, there with food and crafts for sale. First we had to borrow a second car since there were six of us going and the family car was not large enough. We walked around the corner to Meni’s maternal grandmother and grandfather’s home. I met the grandparents, a cousin, an aunt and assorted other relatives. Everyone was very warm. Meni borrowed the car and we met up with his family.
Meni has had his license for only a few months but he is a good but perhaps overly cautious driver (but better overly cautious than hurt). We stopped for gas (no female attendants…pump your own) and then headed to the park. It was busy as it was a beautiful day, not too hot with a light breeze. The park reminded me of county parks in New Jersey, pleasant but nothing special. The shuk was small with modest crafts, some toys and clothes and some food items. In one corner some Bedouins had set up a tent and were baking Bedouin pita. There were rugs and pillows in the tent and people were lounging and eating. I got a pita which was rolled up with spices and soft cheese inside. Very good.
The Ohannas set up in an area near a pond. They had a cooler with drinks and food. Oz had a fishing pole and fished in the pond. I took a walk around the park. It was much larger than I expected and I found myself walking quite away. I heard talking and laughter and decided to investigate. I discovered that there were adults and kids standing along a stream which had been hidden from view.
I don’t know if the steam runs year round or if it is a wadi that dries out but the kids were wading in it while the parents watched and talked. As I got closer to the stream I looked into the distance. Far off there was a desert mountain range, a surprising view in what I had discounted as a run of the mill park.
Returning to the Ohannas I observed families picnicking all around the park. They were cooking al ha-aish (barbeque) and enjoying the day. There were Arabs and Israelis throughout the grounds.
Upon my return I was given some water and sat for awhile just watching the crowd. We decided to leave the park. Meni had made inquiry and had learned that there was a nearby dirt road that followed the river I had found. The stream is called the Nahal Besor. The road winds around the backcountry. It has beautiful views of the desert, fields of flowers and the stream below.
So this is the desert!!!
There is an ancient quarry which we looked at (sorry but it just looked like rocks to me) and at the end there is a narrow rope-style bridge over the small gorge created by the steam.
It is a popular local attraction because it’s hard to keep your footing when you cross it. After driving and walking the length of the road we headed back to the Ohannas.
The Ohanna Men
Just a little more later…
Gary
Final Dinner & Good-bye
Days 7 & 8 Thursday & Friday, 3/17 & 3/18/05 (Part 5)
Now that we were back at the Ohannas there was time for a quick shower before dinner. At dinner there again was a plentiful array of salads along with various main dishes. One topic of conversation was different practices between Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews. Earlier Meni had proudly shown me the family’s complete set of the Zohar, a multi-volume set of Kabalistic teachings. He also referred to his grandfather as being very knowledgeable about Kabalah. During dinner I asked about how they celebrated Passover. Meni told me that before the start of the Seder several members of the family would wrap themselves in blankets and go outside. In effect they were playing the role of down-trodden slaves. The slaves would go to the front door, knock and call out asking to come in. The first two times they would be ignored. On the third attempt to gain entry those inside respond we will let you in and the door would open and the slaves would enter. I his telling I heard echoes of the line in the Hagaddah, let all those who are hungry enter.
The Seder is conducted with a complete reading of the Hagaddah in Hebrew and Aramaic. Participants take turns reading. Meni said that by chance participants would often end up reading portions that they had read the prior year, thus adding to the mystical nature of the gathering. Meni, for example, seemed to always get the reading about the Wise Son. Unlike our experience there is no special reading of the Four Questions by the youngest; the person whose turn it is to read reads that portion regardless of their age. Also, in addition to Elijah having a cup of wine set aside, he gets a reserved chair and place at the table.
We compared typical Seder menus. They ate chicken soup but without matzo balls. Their charoset was made from dates instead of apples. One delicacy I would not miss was the traditional serving of goat’s head. (The head fortunately does not appear at the table but that only helps a little.) They serve fish but not gefilte fish.
Following dinner Roni Alon, the women who hosted my daughter Alix and I in her home last May stopped by.
It was nice to see her again. We talked about the purpose of my trip this time. She inquired about my family and I inquired about hers. We spent about a half hour catching up but I’m afraid I was fading fast. We said our goodbyes and I went to bed so that I would be ready for the drive to the airport the next morning.
On Sunday morning (a work and school day) I said goodbye to Yakov before he had to go for the day. Meni took a picture of us together and through Meni Yakov invited me and my family to visit again. The goodbyes and photos were repeated with each family member. Then we packed up the car and Raya drove me to the airport and Meni accompanied us. I thanked Raya for her hospitality and good food as I gave her a kiss. I shook Meni’s hand and left them to go into the terminal. Thus, I ended a very meaningful visit to Israel.
Gary A
From Marvin Rosenblum
I'm so very grateful to all of you for permitting me, as an interloper and MetroWest greenhorn, to join the Pluralism sub-committee's Israeli mission.
The memories will be everlasting; the companionship and rapport enjoyable, and the education fulfilling.
Individual plaudits go to:
1) Amir, for being the stoical Israeli shepherd,
2) Mandy, for being so responsive and organized,
3) Arthur, for having endured we woeful secularists,
4) Jane, for her humanity and smile despite proselytizing reconstructionism ,
5) Ava, for her Israeli cultural and knowledge of Hebrew,
6) Sandy, for his commanding presence and his derriere as a bus isle obstruction,
7) Rosalyn, for being the worrisome Jewish mother,
8) Joyce, for her commitment to the cause and camaraderie,
9) Ellen, for the spark, the catalyst, the leader that only Ellen could be,
10) Hannahila, for her experience, knowledge, uncanny intuition and leadership,
11) Marty, for being the "grumpy sage" who could not see Judaic Humanism as part of the main stream but evidenced its characteristics in his understanding of humanity and pluralism and who even beat me with physical prowess,
12) Dan, after whom the word "mensch" was coined,
13) Barbara, whose infectous smile and gregarious nature belied her expansive vocabulary, and who nurtured the team as a genteel farewell hostess,
14) Gary, whose romaticism overshadowed the facade of an erstwhile pragmatist, and whose individualized writings cataloged a week of accomplishment for all of us.
I'm proud to know y'all.
Marvin
Return to Ra'annana (out of chronological order)
With this posting I go back to cover the last day of our mission. I left chronology to focus on my trip to the Negev...this and a following post close out our delegation's visit.
Day 6 Wednesday, 3/16/05 Ra’anana
This turned out to be a whirlwind day; not that the others were not. We left Haifa early and headed south for Ra’anana, the Israeli Boca Raton. This is a prosperous town with many Anglo Israelis. It is a MetroWest partnership city going back many years. In the early years of the relationship MetroWest funded a variety of programs related to social needs. As the town prospered the focus of the relationship changed. Places like Ofakim, a Negev settlement town for poor olim became the object of our “needs” funding. Ra’anana became an important locus for our pluralism efforts.
An argument can be made that Jewish charitable dollars should be sent only on the neediest in terms of shelter, food and education. However, if you are going to address issues that are affecting the social fabric of a society, you must also spend where basic needs are less of a concern. An experiment in building a pluralistic environment has a greater chance for success where the residents have resources to start new institutions and the time and desire to influence the municipality to make changes. Ra’anana provides fertile ground for advancing a pluralistic agenda because with a little bit of outside help the residents can take over and build. Starting a non-Orthodox synagogue, an alternative kindergarten or a new independent school will find support in financially stable, well educated communities. In addition, a modest strategic investment helps maintain a long and meaningful relationship between our two communities that both sides desire.
We started our visit to Ra’anana at the municipal building where we met with Mayor Zeev Bielski and members of his administration.
Waiting for me in the municipal building was Fanny Nachmana, mother of Gal, with whom I had lunch on my first day in Israel. Fanny is the director of the cultural affairs department and I had let her know we would be in town. It was nice to see her once again.
We were ushered into a conference room where the Mayor spoke of the municipality’s efforts to be welcoming to all and to support the programs we were promoting. Hannah Goldman, our Chair and head of our delegation, talked about the positive steps the municipality has taken, praised the mayor for his support and expressed our hope for continuation of that support. I recalled for the mayor that when I first met him he had provided me with a valuable education in the Israeli conflict with the Palestinians and my behest we went off agenda for a few minutes. I asked the mayor for his insights on current events and he discussed the coming evacuation from Gaza and its effect on Israel. The mayor recited some history regarding Gaza. Then he eloquently spoke of the need to understand the legitimate concerns and beliefs of the Jewish residents of Gaza but also referred to the need to follow the direction of a democratically elected government.
From the meeting with the mayor we headed to the TALI Megged school, a pluralistic pre-school program. We presented the school with a new boom box that was much appreciated. The children were preparing for Purim so we saw lots of costumes. There was a musical program followed by a brief repast of Persian dishes.
From TALI we headed to the Bilu School, a Modern Orthodox grammar school. The kids were lined up outside the school and we heard a choral presentation.
Also, new olim carrying the flags of their countries of origin were introduced.
Inside we met with the schools principal, Chana Zweiter, as well as representatives of two programs conducted in the school, Rosh Pina (Kaleidoscope) and Yesodot, both of which we support. Rosh Pina provides a mentoring program for teachers in both the municipalities religious and secular schools. The program promotes education pertaining to tolerance and pluralism and influences the teachers to incorporate those lessons in their own teaching. Yesodot, under Orthodox auspices, provides similar programming emphasizing democratic values in Judaism and is working with Rosh Pina in the Ra’anana schools. Shlomo Fisher, of Yesdot, spoke of the conflict that can arise between religious values and government/legal systems. The potential for violence from these conflicts (the Rabin assassination and the situation in Gaza) is great. His organization is trying to bridge abate that conflict.
Next we went to MetroWest High School to participate in the Meitar Jewish Israeli Culture class. This is an elective class that does provide credit toward matriculation. The program serves about 24 students. Usually kids take more “useful” classes for their concentration but the popularity of this programs indicates the growing desire of teens to learn about Jewish values. Meitar, headed by Martin Ben-Moreh, is focused on providing a common language of Jewish culture and values that will allow all elements of Israeli society to communicate better. Our group broke up into smaller units and joined two or three students to discuss the class and the subject matter.
We left the high school to join the municipality’s head of education for lunch at a local restaurant. (Although food was not the focus, I enjoyed sweet potato soup and an oriental style salad.) The education minister (I did not record his name) spoke of the municipality’s commitment to pluralism and its efforts to provide pluralistic curriculum at the earliest stages. The elementary schools have a bar/bat mitzvah project. There are yiddishkeit programs. He spoke of a program called 100 Concepts of Heritage that is given in the junior school and which includes an exam. All high school students take one hour per week of Jewish Identity education in a program created by the Hartman Institute. His goal is to have all the schools operate in the spirit of the TALI program. Unfortunately he could only be with us for a short time so we did not have much opportunity for dialogue.
To be continued…
Gary A
Ra'anana part 2
Over the next few weeks I’ll edit photos and post them on Clubphoto.com. I’ll send out a notice when they are all uploaded. Gary
Day 6 Wednesday, 3/16/05 Ra’anana (part 2)
After lunch we had two meetings with alternative programs/schools from Ra’anana. Conflicting forces of financial requirements, independence, program integrity and control are at work as these programs move from their initial founding to maintenance and growth. TALI has the opportunity to become the main track in one of the municipal schools but is struggling with issues of independence and control. The Meitarim School is an independent, truly pluralistic school serving grades 7 – 10. It is struggling to obtain funding from the government and may need to be incorporated into an existing public (Mamlachti) school. We discussed the current status of these organizations in Ra’anana with their representatives.
We left the restaurant and took the bus to the Samueli Center, the home of the Ra’anana’s Reform/Progressive congregation, Kehillat Ra’anan. Several years ago our committee did something that was then considered quite out of the box. We funded some of the initial costs for the design and approvals needed to construct the Center. Generally, we fund programs but the committee understood that to establish a viable non-Orthodox congregation a real home is necessary. Although I usually look askance at “build it and they will come” thinking, I have found that a strong alternative congregation needs a physical home to become viable. (In Mevasseret Zion the synagogue has been under construction several years but will at long last open its sanctuary this fall. They anticipate strong membership growth when they open the doors. In Modi’in, you will recall, the struggle with the municipality was about funding for a synagogue. For that community to become strong it needs an attractive physical presence.) The facility in Ra’anana is beautiful thanks to a major American donor and it is being fully utilized. Remember that government money is usually available for synagogue construction in Israel but has generally been denied to non-Orthodox congregations.
At Kehillat Ra’anan we met with their dynamic Rabbi, Tamar Kohlberg.
I met Tamar on my first MetroWest visit to Israel back in 2001 and have maintained contact since. She, almost single-handedly, has put Reform on the map in her city. She is often in conflict with the local establishment but perseveres and works tirelessly. (I often wonder how she finds the time to correspond with so many others and me.) There is extensive programming both in the facility and around Ra’anana. The congregation has two kindergarten classes as well as programs for olim and those with special needs. Rabbi Kohlberg is in the schools constantly providing Jewish education and often those programs continue at her facility. She runs bar/bat mitzvah programs not just for the kids but for the whole family and thus brings the richness of our tradition to Israelis for whom “Jewishness” has long lied dormant.
At our meeting with Rabbi Kohlberg, we met with the Reform Movement’s director of education (Maki ? – I don’t recall her last name although I’m ashamed to admit I met her once before in 2003). She spoke of the need to establish alternatives by means other than prayer communities. Secular Israelis tend to be suspicious of synagogues where the sole focus is prayer…they associate them with the Judaism they have long rejected. Over the last 10 years the Movement has provided other paths to Jewish renewal in Israel through study, holiday programming, programs for teenage girls and their mothers, youth groups, etc. Her stated goal is to simply help secular Israelis be able to say I know what it means to be a Jew. Her other focus is the public school teachers where she hopes she can influence growing numbers of kids.
We met with parent representatives of Ra’anana’s Democratic School, another alternative school (you may be picking up on a “trend” here…there is deep dissatisfaction in Israel with public education but I’ve gone on too long already).
Democratic School parents with Sandy Hollendar
They have been working with Rabbi Kohlberg in an effort to bring Jewish learning to their children. The parents, who described their fiercely secular backgrounds, attested to the Rabbi’s non-threatening approach…”Rabbi Kohlberg is not making us “Reform Jews” but knowledgeable Jews.” They also describe to us the great need for such programming with one example. When their kids play-act a wedding it is not a Jewish wedding. The pretend wedding takes place in a pretend church with a pretend priest or minister. Why? Their kids never see a Jewish wedding and most movies and American re-runs show Christian weddings on TV. These parents are realizing that their heritage is in jeopardy and are turning to Rabbi Kohlberg for help.
Rabbi Kohlberg described the issues that confront her. There is such great suspicion among secular Israelis about anything “religious”. She gave an example. She has been running programs with the MetroWest High School in Ra’anana. As part of her program she invites the kids to visit her synagogue to see ritual objects including the Torah. It took five months before any of the students would visit. They needed that much time before they could overcome their aversion.
That suspicion carries into the municipality’s government and cultural establishment. There have been repeated struggles to obtain needed cooperation. The latest travail is an attempt by the city to impose heavy taxes on the congregation, taxes that would effectively put the congregation out of business. Imposition of such taxes does not occur with Orthodox synagogues (quite the opposite since they receive government funding). To an American, the idea of taxing a religious facility is so alien. The situation makes one wonder about the true motivation. Obviously there is a “disconnect” between the municipalities view of its level of openness and the Rabbi’s perception of that openness.
We left Rabbi Kohlberg once again impressed with her incredible energy. Our bus took us to Tel Aviv for our delegation’s final dinner before we went our separate ways. Dan and Barbara Drench hosted us at their beautiful home not far from the Rabin memorial in Tel Aviv. The Drenchs made aliyah from MetroWest a few years ago and spend about a third of the year in Israel and the rest in the U.S. or traveling. The evening was spent talking about the preceding days. We toasted our hosts, Hannah Goldman, our committee Chair, as well as Mandy Kaiser-Bluth and Amir Shacham of the staff.
Hannah with Joyce Goldstein
Mandy - a wonderful job organizing and directing our delegation
With that our band broke up to go back to the States or to other destinations. I headed to a hotel to rest up for my trip to the Negev (previously reported).
This is my penultimate email (I always look for an excuse to use penultimate in a sentence). Hopefully the last email will go out in a few days and then you are done with me for a while. The last one will recap some general thoughts…if I have any thoughts left.
Gary A
I thank those of you who have commented on my emails and postings (usually with kind words). You are welcome to add comments here as well...just click "Comments" at the bottom of each posting. Also, if there is anyone you think might enjoy or get something out of these postings you are welcome to forward them or to pass along the blog address.
Concluding thoughts
I’ve been back a little over a week. At last I’m caught up and almost past my jetlag.
Some concluding thoughts…
·I’ve received a number of kind comments regarding these emails. Some say that it was just like being in Israel. Although I truly am grateful for the kind words, the only thing that is “just like being in Israel” is being in Israel. One of my goals in writing these emails was to convince you that you should go if you haven’t been in awhile or at all. I have no family tie to Israel and my deep interest is of relatively recent vintage. I’m concerned about my safety just as you are but I’ve found that Israel is safe; so much so that I did not hesitate to bring my wife and three daughters last May. One of my thoughts in writing to you was, if you saw me go and learned that it is safe and rewarding, you might be induced to say, “To hell with it, I’m going.” If I’ve provided a virtual trip to Israel that provides a substitute for going, then I’ve failed to attain an important personal goal. My words are no substitute; only the real thing provides the experience you and Israel need.
·On this visit I felt a clear change in attitude in Israel. There has been a move from dealing with terror to trying to figure out what happens next. Terrorism remains a concern but it has moved well away from center stage. As awful as this may sound, terrorism is at a controllable “acceptable” level. (I heard no one talk about “real peace” with the Palestinians but rather a time of relative peace that hopefully will lead to peaceful interaction.)
·The focus has shifted to Gaza and possible internecine conflict. This in turn has shed a light on the long standing rifts in Israeli society between religious and non-religious, Secular and Orthodox, Right and Left, etc. Those divisions have existed a long time but as external threats recede the internal issues assert themselves.
·Although there is great fear that the evacuation of Gaza will involve violence between Israelis, my personal take is that any violence will not be significant. I could obviously be very wrong…it is just a gut feel. However, even if there is no violence the rifts do exist and will not be easily mended. To be strong Israel will require facing up to these divisions and the Diaspora, which has some experience finding ways to overcome disparate views in order to maintain solidarity, can be of assistance to the Jewish state. And, somewhat to my surprise, we are not seen as meddlers but as needed partners who can be catalysts for improvement.
·I realize that my writings tend to be one-sided in favor of non-Orthodox religious streams. This is where I come from and I am naturally supportive of “my own”. I come to this endeavor carrying baggage. I have no problem pointing out my baggage but I admit I can’t check it with the bell captain. I did try to show positive activities of Modern Orthodox programs and leaders. To a lesser degree I showed the contributions of the non-religious secular leaders and programs. Both ends of the pluralism and identity spectrum have contributed greatly and I’m sorry if I did not adequately present them.
·The part of the religious continuum that is to the right of Modern Orthodoxy is not represented in my emails. Frankly, not just I but seemingly all the more liberal programs we visited seem to have written them off. Only the Modern Orthodox (and to some degree Beit Morasha at Oranim) talked about finding ways to bring the “less modern” Orthodox into the discussion. Maybe through experience those who promote pluralism have it right that there is no point trying to engage with the “super frum (religious)”. Our mission made no attempt to engage them. We probably would not have succeeded with engagement had we tried but we’ll never know. Maybe I just need direct rejection to accept that there is little point in meeting with them. Nevertheless, part of me says we should have explored the possibility.
·It is easier to portray a society on the verge of disintegration even if that is not the reality. There are difficult stresses in Israel but I don’t think it is at the point that the Zionist experiment is doomed to fail.
·I relayed stories that indicated the level of non-Orthodox Jewish identity in Israel is very low. That may not be fair. It is easier to portray the secular as being essentially atheistic and spiritually disinterested and disconnected. The fact is that the term “secular” has a different connotation in Israel. It doesn’t mean the opposite of religious. It covers the whole range of observance that constitutes whatever is not Orthodox. Thus, a Masorti rabbi is secular in Israeli terms even if he davens (prays) every day, keeps kosher, doesn’t drive on Shabbat, etc. There is no question in my mind that Jewish Identity is a significant issue but the lack of identity is by no means universal in the secular community.
·Although I’ve repeated stories that indicate part of an Israeli generation lost to Judaism the fact is that many are searching and know that something is missing. They are exploring and finding their tradition in terms that they are comfortable with. There really is an exciting Renaissance occurring and it is rewarding to know our community is playing a role in an important renewal.
·Expanding on a theme above concerning visiting Israel, I worry about the connection between Diaspora Jewry, especially liberal American Jewry, and Israel. Now that Israel is strong the basis of the relationship changes. At the same time our sense of universal Jewish peoplehood and community has dissipated as we American Jews have gained acceptance into American society. Why should I feel a tie to Israel and a need to support her not just with money but with my physical presence? I’ve found answers (theological, historical and social) to that question but I do not think many of my contemporaries have, if they even ask the question.
·I enjoy traveling and seeing new places. Usually, I can visit a place, get a good sense of it, and say I’d like to return but not feel terribly disappointed if I don’t make it back. Israel is different. In these last five visits, to use a simile I don’t particularly like, Israel has been like an onion. I keep peeling layers but find more and more. In a place the size of New Jersey it is amazing that it is nearly impossible to exhaust the sense of discovery. I’ll not beat this poor horse any more but you really should go.
This will conclude my emails. I’ll send one more when I finish editing the photos and put them on the Clubphoto web site just to let you know they are available for viewing.
Thank you for taking the time to read these posts and I hope they have been of interest.
Gary A
posted by Gary A at 1:32 PM
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