July 11, 2006
Beaches and Zionists and Dreams
By Rabbi David Nelson-Associate Director of ARZA
For an hour and a half I walked on the beach in south Tel Aviv. I watched and listened, so carefully, trying to figure out how Jews go to the beach. Do they tie tzitzit onto their bathing suits and towels? Or recite a berakhah before building a sand castle?
Are they particularly concerned about the kashrut of the ice cream being sold by the guy who trudges along with a cooler slung on his shoulder? Perhaps they discuss the Talmud's response to seeing the sea, or stepping on a jellyfish? But no, they do none of these Jewish things.
Instead they smooth suntan lotion all over, and work on their tans. They nap, and chat, and snack, and wade into the water when the sun gets too hot. The muscular boys eye the bikini-clad girls while the little kids squeal and chase each other and dig holes and tunnels and they all spend endless, endless hours smacking a little rubber ball back and forth, and back and forth, and back and forth, with wooden paddles at the edge of the surf.
I saw all this and came to the conclusion that Jews go to the beach pretty much like everyone else. But then I looked out to the sea, out to the endless expanse of calm, green water, and then up and down the beach at the soft, hot sand. I was struck by how similar this beach, and this surf, and this ocean are to every other beach, every other surf, every other ocean. Then I turned around and saw an endless parade of high-rise elegance, concrete and glass, asphalt and steel hotels, office towers, stores, and traffic, so much traffic, and people and city noise and city tumult, and business and pleasure, and life!
I tried to imagine what it was like for the early settler-builder-pioneers to stand on this beach, not quite a century ago, and dream Tel Aviv. I tried and tried. I failed.
But now I understand how Jews go to the beach, sometimes. Sometimes, we go to the beach, and we stand among the dunes and the gentle waves, and we look out at the beach-scape, and we dream that one day we will build a home.
Posted by ARZA World Team at 05:47 PM | Comments (0)
April 01, 2006
Moments that remind one that occasionally a group trip to Israel can change your life. Every day.
By Rabbi Keith Stern
I am exhausted. Up and down Masada. Ein Gedi Springs. Just wrote a long blog entry that disappeared. But...I have to report on the amazing moment that my group shared on Masada. Way up on top of this mountain in the middle of the desert...
Way up on top of this mountain in the middle of the desert where Herod built his winter palace and 1000 Jews committed suicide rather than surrender to the Romans is an ancient synagogue. It was built by the Zealots in the 1st century. In that synagogue is a room double locked and in that room is a safe with an ark cover over it. With the right keys I opened it and pulled out a Torah. Can I tell you what it's like traipsing across Masada with a Torah in my hands? The overwhelming feeling of somehow continuing a process? Of doing a bold new thing?
Rabbi Keith Stern
I can't describe it. It was too new, too intense, too over determined... Walking into the room where the Temple Beth Avodah group was waiting, and seeing their eyes as I entered with that scroll. It could've been a thousand years ago -- 2 thousand years ago. To see the excitement and the joy in their faces.
We made a ceremony honoring our most recent Bat Mitzvah, Monique and our next Bat Mitzvah, Halley. Standing on one side of the room were all those who already had a Bar/t Mitzvah. On the other, those kids and adults who never had one. I had all the Temple Beth Avodah post Bar Mitzvah celebrants line up and pass the Torah to Monique, who then gave it to Halley who held it as all the younger kids touched the Torah. Talk about symmetry and a perfect moment.
I then asked the non-Bar/t Mitzvah adults a question: Is anyone ready to declare that they are ready to commit to the next adult B'nei Mitzvah class? No pressure, really. Just 2 thousand years of history swirling through the air. Reesa, Suzanne, Deborah and Michele and John stepped up. How amazing was that?
These are the moments that reminds one that occasionally a group trip can change your life. Every day.
Posted by ARZA World Team at 12:01 PM | Comments (0)
January 04, 2006
Practical Reform Zionism: Ten things you can do now
1. Sponsor a congregational Israel day, week, or year. Devoting congregational time in support of Israel raises awareness of its accomplish-ments and challenges, and builds connections between North American Reform Jews and the Jewish state. For resources visit www.arza.org.
2. Establish an Israel or ARZA Committee. A vibrant Israel or ARZA Committee can ensure that Israel-related programming plays a significant role in congregational life. For more information visit www.arza.org.
3. Create a congregational trip to Israel. First-hand experiences in Israel can be spiritually inspiring, emotionally transformative, and great fun. ARZA World will work with your congregation to tailor a Reform pilgrimage to Israel; for more information contact ARZA World at (888) 811-2812.
4. Build the next generation of Israel supporters. Consider sending teens in your community on one of NFTY's summer or semester Israel programs, pre-college students on the Carmel program, and college students on the Kesher Israel Connection. Visit www.nfty.org/israel or www.keshernet.com.
5. Join ARZA and Hineini. A significant portion of ARZA membership dollars go directly to the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism and the Israel Religious Action Center; dollars for the Hineini initiative help fund the building of Progressive synagogues in Modi'in and Mivaserret Zion. For more information visit www.arza.org and www.urj.org/hineini.
6. Enhance Yom Ha'Atzmaut. Israel Independence Day provides opportunities for communal discussions of Zionism, interactions with Jews of other denominations, and explorations of new congregational initiatives dedicated to Israel. For more information visit www.urj.org/holidays/haatzmaut.
7. Bring a Reform Israeli to your community. Israeli-based speakers and scholars can offer personal insights on the challenges and successes in the Jewish state. For a list of speakers visit www.arza.org.
8. Deepen your knowledge of Israel and Hebrew. Read Israeli newspapers and magazines written in English (visit www.haaretzdaily.com, www.jpost.com, or www.ynetnews.com). To improve your Hebrew skills, consider the URJ Press' Aleph Isn't Tough! series, the Learn Hebrew Today book and CD-ROM for adults, or the Mitkadem program for youth, all available at www.urjpress.com (click on Hebrew).
9. Fund an Israel project. Funding a project in Israel is a vital way of investing in our common future. The World Union for Progressive Judaism (www.wupj.org) raises funds for Reform congregations and educational programs in Israel that are nurturing modern Jewish identity. Discuss options with your rabbi and/or contact the World Union at 212-452-6530, wupj@urj.org.
10. Move to Israel. Immigrants from our Movement have joined our 25 congregations and two kibbutzim (Lotan and Yahel), ensuring that our values are represented in everyday Israeli life and within the political process. For more information call 212-650-4280.
-Rabbi Andrew Davids, Executive Director, ARZA
Posted by ARZA World Team at 04:25 PM | Comments (0)
July 22, 2005
Commission on Social Action/ARZA | Mitzvah Corp in Israel
A brand new program just ended that brought together the resources of the Movement's Commission on Social Action and ARZA - the Tzevet Mitzvah adult Mitzvah Corp trip to Israel. Over the past two weeks, the participants of this trip have been learning about social action issues in Israel as they travel the country and meet with activists and Movement leaders.
Experiences have included painful visits to childcare centers for foreign workers, gleaning fields and speaking with a range of committed leaders who are bringing the values of our Reform Movement to the State of Israel. Each member of this group is gaining a deeper understanding of how Israel is still striving to reach its potential as a Jewish and democratic state that fulfills the vision of both prophets of the bible and of modernity. For a firsthand perspective on how the group experienced last week’s bombing in Netanya click here. For more information on participating in a future program such as this, contact Rabbi Feldman at mfeldman@urj.org.
Posted by ARZA World Team at 03:43 PM | Comments (0)
Israel, Again!
By Rabbi Jeremy Barras (Temple Beth El of Chrlotte, NC)
Yes, I know. I go to Israel a lot. And on August 1st, Susan Jacobs and I will embark on our 2nd Temple Beth El Teen trip to Israel with fourteen 10-12th graders. While we are one of the very few congregations who offer these incredible opportunities to our teenagers, this year we have added a new wrinkle, which as far as I know, is unlike any other program in the country. To learn more about ARZA's new NOAR program in cooperation with NFTY for confirmation classes and Reform youth please click here.
Last year on our inaugural trip, we toured the country with eight participants who experienced Israel for the first time. This year five of them are returning as part of this year’s trip. However, this time they will have a much different itinerary. Although they will fly over and back with Susan and I, and the nine first-timers, when we get to the airport in Tel Aviv, we will then part ways. Our group will meet our guide and begin our tour while the "veterans" from last year’s trip will meet their new friends from Congregation Ohr Chadash in Haifa. Through a connection that was cultivated by our congregant Stephanie Block (who recently spent a summer studying in Haifa), we have worked out an exchange program with Ohr Chadash. Our students will stay with families of their congregation who have students their age. Under the supervision of Ohr Chadash’s talented and innovative Rabbi Edgar Nof our students will have the opportunity to live as Israelis for ten days. In addition, they will take daily trips to various parts of the country that they did not see last year and spend quality time in Haifa getting to know their hosts families.
In the future, we hope that each participant who experiences the Israel trip will opt to return for the Haifa exchange. I know that it is going to be a very positive, educational and transformative experience for our students. Last year’s participants returned from Israel with a renewed love for Judaism and a heightened awareness of their own Jewish identity. There is only one place in the world that can create that type of impact – and that is why I keep taking people there!
Posted by ARZA World Team at 02:35 PM | Comments (0)
July 12, 2005
Israel does something to the soul
(Rabbi Richard Steinberg is the senior Rabbi at Congregation Shir Ha-Ma'alot in Irvine, CA. Rabbi Steinberg returned on July 9th from Israel. Seventy three members of Congregation Shir Ha-Ma'alot experienced the magic of Israel with Rabbi Steinberg!)
Wow, wow, wow..., what a great trip! I can't express in words how magical and moving this trip was for all of us.
The bus drivers, the guides, the participants, the sights, and the experiences were truly something special. Israel does something to the soul and you all helped to make that happen. I am most grateful for all of your efforts and hard work. I could go on and on, but suffice to say, thank you so much for helping to make it happen.
Posted by Rabbi Richard Steinberg at 07:51 PM | Comments (0)
Israel does something to the soul
(Rabbi Richard Steinberg is the senior Rabbi at Congregation Shir Ha-Ma'alot in Irvine, CA. Rabbi Steinberg returned on July 9th from Israel. Seventy three members of Congregation Shir Ha-Ma'alot experienced the magic of Israel with Rabbi Steinberg!)
Wow, wow, wow..., what a great trip! I can't express in words how magical and moving this trip was for all of us.
The bus drivers, the guides, the participants, the sights, and the experiences were truly something special. Israel does something to the soul and you all helped to make that happen. I am most grateful for all of your efforts and hard work. I could go on and on, but suffice to say, thank you so much for helping to make it happen.
Posted by Rabbi Richard Steinberg at 07:51 PM | Comments (0)
July 02, 2005
Naples, FL to Israel with the Permans
(Rabbi James Perman delivered this report to his Congregation, Temple Shalom of Naples, upon his Temple mission's return from Israel on May 20, 2005. Thirty people participated in this 12-day trip. This was the first trip we planned with ARZA, and we would definitely do it again.)
We just returned from Israel three days ago, with little time to reflect. I don't want to go into a "we went here, saw this, did that" presentation, but rather a sense of what is happening there and how it touched us.
Thirty pilgrims from Temple Shalom went on a quest for the very essence of Israel, both ancient and modern. We came back reasonably healthy, still speaking to each other, in fact, still friends, jet-lagged, with heads swimming with sounds and sights and smells and ideas yet to be sorted out. We were a group of congenial, terrific people of all ages who had a great time, enjoyed each other’s company, and watched out for each other.
My message is that Israel is well. It is fraught with problems, many of which are about to be solved, some of which are unsolved, and a few that are probably unsolvable. But the plusses outweigh the minuses, just as in America you’d conclude that a host of sticky issues exist but on the whole, life is good. Well, let me tell you that life is good there, too.
When we started our planning for this trip, I had some specific ideas, and Jane had a wealth of experience to draw from, having done many Israel conferences in her work. We got help from many people both here and in Israel. We all wanted our Temple people to have a unique experience, and we thank many people for their help.
The challenge on this kind of trip is to not overreach and do too much, even though it is tempting to do as much as you can. The idea was to enjoy Israel, not wear out the participants. So, we planned only two hotel changes before we arrived in Jerusalem: Tel Aviv, where 20% of Israel's population lives, and Kibbutz Kfar Bloom, with access to the entire Galilee and the Golan Heights. We were also able to go into parts of the West Bank that were under Israeli control. And yes, we got to see the amazing high tech Fence running through the countryside. We decided that if that’s how to eliminate terrorist attacks, then so be it. There’s been a 93% drop in terrorist incidents.
Being in Israel is like riding an escalator that goes back and forth through time. What serves for 'old' in Naples, say, the 12th Street Dock, or Olde Naples, is utterly insignificant in Israel's time line where the last four hundred years is considered 'new.' We saw archeological excavations that zoom back through layers of civilization, one built atop the ruins of another. You reach the conclusion that nothing in the world is permanent. Every settlement in Israel since the Canaanites rose and eventually died. Even stone, the most durable of materials, is but a temporary medium there. Just as a river meanders through a valley so civilizations flow back and forth.
The past is always being discovered. Everyone knows what the Western Wall - what used to be called the Wailing Wall - looks like. But imagine a tunnel that runs the entire length of the wall - hundreds of feet in length -- called the Rabbinic Tunnel. Just imagine four-hundred ton [!] stones placed along the sides. You wonder, how did they ever move them? It makes you question the notion of progress, as we understand it.
There are so many things one does not expect, things that surprise, that amaze, that compel one's reflection long after the image has faded. One has a sense of a country on the move. There is an energy, an excitement of constant building, development, expansion. Here, it felt a little like Collier County, where housing tracts, instant palm trees and malls out of nowhere appear almost overnight.
Despite the diversity of the land, I have always felt that Jerusalem is the central core of Israel's life. It was fully half our trip. You see the whole country, and you see Jerusalem, and you understand why it has to remain Israel’s capital, even if Tel Aviv is bigger. Our tradition tells us that the very air of the land of Israel quickens the spirit and contributes to vitality, and so it does. When you see the shimmering golden stones of Jerusalem, especially in the warm late afternoon light, you understand why this place is timeless.
We used the Israeli Reform movement as a useful perspective for understanding the country. It really worked. Israel is a vast social experiment, drawing our people from all over the globe, and creating a new kind of society that reflects both the past and the present. That is the mission of present-day Israel. To the extent that it succeeds in creating a home with open arms to all Jewish people, not just the traditional Orthodox, it also succeeds as a country. So we visited the Israeli institutions of Reform Judaism, and spoke with their leaders. We visited a nursery school run by the Reform movement. We saw the cutest little kids you ever saw, preparing to celebrate Shabbat just as our preschoolers do here at the temple.
We explored the whole religious landscape of Israel. We attended Friday night services at a famous Reform congregation in Jerusalem called Kol Han'shama. We arrived a little early. There was plenty of room. Yet, when the service began it was like Naples in high season. The place was packed. The service was beautiful. Our people were surprised that the service and the rabbi’s comments were entirely in Hebrew. "This is a Reform service?" But they quickly realized that if a principle of Reform is that you pray in the language that you speak, what language should an Israeli Reform congregation use?" The service was very beautiful and very elegant and very musical. It was just gorgeous. A real treat was seeing Rabbi David Wilfond, son of one of our members, who joined us for Shabbat dinner at the hotel. He is the one working to restore the isolated communities of the Former Soviet Union. He’s helping us with the Temple's Hineni Project.
Saturday morning we went to services at the Hebrew Union College Chapel, where the students led the prayers. Our Rabbinic, Cantorial, and Education students all spend their first graduate year in Israel.
It became clear that, while Israel is a country that used to be viewed as a charity, today it is a modern day puzzle. There are more cell phones on the street than you see here. I am still trying to understand why it was funny to see a black robed Armenian Christian priest in our hotel lobby speaking Hebrew on his cell phone! In many places you can pay in dollars or shekels. In some ways, it feels so American it is scary: MacDonald’s, Ben and Jerry’s, Blockbuster. Turn on the TV and you see that they’re getting the best and the worst of our civilization. But on the other hand, it remains essentially Israeli, and when you understand the history of Israel, you realize that this is nothing new because Jews have never lived apart from the popular culture, whether it was Babylonian, Greek, Roman, Turkish, British or American. Jane and I have had the opportunity to live outside the United States, and we know the difference between what is American and what is American veneer. Israel will always be Israel.
In the meantime, it was our privilege to witness the miracles we saw in Israel, as well as feeling our joy in coming home to Naples. The best things I can share with you are the observations of our participants. Here they are, in their own words: (It doesn’t cover all 30 of us. It can't, or we'd be here for a very long time. But these are all representative ideas.)
Mike and Carol Levy wrote: "What an exciting opportunity to be in the land where it all started, with old and new Temple friends and with our Rabbi and Jane. Spending ten days in Israel has given us an understanding of our roots while filling us with a new and deeper understanding of Israel today."
The Friedmans wrote about sitting in services and hearing the familiar melodies sung with such enthusiasm. [At the services we attended] the worshippers sounded like giant choirs. Myra pointed to the "renewal of my faith and pride as a Jew."
Chris and Max Frank wrote: "We received a great education in the geopolitical, historical, and religious realities of old and modern Israel. In the process we were exposed to the local cuisine that is enriched by the tapestry of origin and culture…every person works hard to achieve success, peace, prosperity, freedom, and progress while defending the small sliver of land from all its enemies..."
Margaret Schmit especially enjoyed seeing the Hadassah Hospital Center for Emergency Medicine and the Mother and Child Pavilion. She wrote "The Western Wall was a very emotional experience for me, and the entire trip just kept unfolding new feelings."
Phyllis Seaman was moved the most by the experience of Independence Hall in Tel Aviv at the beginning of the trip. It really put many things in perspective. Michael Seaman saw enormous symbolism in walls – "we examined walls in detail. Walked on them, saw them at every turn and from every outlook. Some built in antiquity, other raw, keloidal scars of lifesaving surgery. He wrote this verse: They say you can see the Great Wall of China from the Moon with the naked eye. But the Walls of Zion are seen with the vision of the soul."
Bonnie Moskowitz wrote "In 57 years the Jews of Israel have reclaimed the desert, revived the language, grown to 6.9 million, built cities, culture, economic and military might. We saw these things first hand as we heard the stories of generations past. The struggles remain palpable as we found a citizen army and armed citizens at every door of every place we went." She correctly pointed to the internal strife among Jews as the most dangerous threat to Israel’s security.
The Moecklers wrote: "There were people we knew only by face. After our time together, we were a temple family sharing the experience of a lifetime."
Iris Bland wrote: "I have summed up my feelings about the trip. It was really GREAT! Prior to going to Israel I had knowledge of the Jewish experience but upon returning I feel I have lived it! She expressed her personal identification with for all of Israel wherever they are, but particularly for those who live in Israel:"
Sandy Parker "The trip strengthened my Jewish identity, and awakened my interest in the challenges of modern Israel. How will Israel deal with the challenge of remaining both a Jewish and a democratic state? Will she succeed? I've already subscribed to The Jerusalem Report."
Howard and Janet Solot wrote "We also have finally recovered from the jet-lag, the physical exertion of the trip, and we've caught up with the mail and messages. We feel that you and Jim were great leaders. Beside the planning, explaining and herding, your caring for everyone was very evident. The trip was not only great from a learning and emotional perspective; but it also allowed us to bond with other members of the Temple. It was a great trip, with great memories and it was lots of fun too."
Finally our participant, Ryan Warner, radio host of WGCU. Ryan filed a report on his experience with us on the radio this morning. At first he wondered about safety, but this faded quickly as he got absorbed in the country. Ryan wrote:
"This was a very powerful time to visit Israel. Not only did we arrive on Yom Hashoah… Holocaust Remembrance Day... not only did we witness Memorial Day and Independence Day shortly thereafter… we also got a sense for the fierce national debate on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s plan to vacate Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip... Israel is an intriguing place where today’s headlines mix with ancient soil... where place with names like "Nazareth" "Bethlehem" and "Jericho" are as common to Israelis as "North Fort Myers" and "Bonita Springs" are to all of us in southwest Florida.
Visiting those places is a life-changing experience... for Jew and non-Jew alike..."
This is pretty much what happens to everyone who visits Israel. It changes people's lives. And it happened to us as well.
Posted by Jane and Rabbi James Perman at 10:55 PM
