Back Home

We got back home on Wednesday 8.13.
I found the experience thoroughly enjoyable and look forward to telling you all about it in person and ultimately repeating it all again soon.
Here are some random thoughts about Israel:

• Nobody knows the bus routes. Everyone knows the one bus they take to work. Other than that they will tell you to ask the driver. The driver knows two bus routes --the one he takes to work and the one he drives.
• You can't help but have a great time in Israel. Just be sure to bring plenty of money. Nobody wants dollars, by the way. Use you ATM card and get shekels.
• Take the time to talk to Israelis. You will learn more than you will from looking through a tour bus window.
• Visit all kinds of synagogues. They all have something to offer.
• In restaurants, order one meal and share it. Portions are unreal.
• Don't book a return flight at 5AM.
• Talk Hebrew to Israelis. They will be more than happy to help you learn.
• Shop in the Shuk. Buy something you have never seen before.
• Become an overseas member of my synagogue --Moreshet Yisroel. It is a beautiful synagogue that serves many of our children when they are in Israel. They struggle to sustain themselves with only Israeli members. It is not expensive. Contact me for information.

Mevareset Tzion/Mea Shearim

We were fortunate today to get a tour of the Ethiopian resettlement village at Mevareset Tzion. We were led by Dani Mor, Yossie and Sylvie's daughter and Saul Mindel's granddaughter. She is vice president for educational funding at The Jewish Agency. Here over a thousand recent Ethiopian olim are learning to live in Israel. They are learning a new life, really. They have no idea about such basics as the use of plumbing. They need to learn to speak and read Hebrew. Although they speak Amharic, they are illiterate. Here they are first taught to read their native language and then Hebrew. Instruction ranges from simple life skills to acceptable child discipline. In Ethiopia, families are adult centered. It is acceptable to hit children when they misbehave. Now they learn to use communication skills with them.
In the village, there is a hut just like back in Africa. It is used for meetings and is there to give the people a feeling of home.

The children receive instruction in language as well as help with academic skills. They also get religious instruction from local volunteers. Here is a young lady praying shacharit.

The children are so charming that you can't help but love them. Here I am with two new friends.

They really do not have much beyond the basic necessities. Of course they are far better off here than back in Africa. We were entertained by some kindergarteners. Their teacher accompanied their singing on a recorder. There is not a piano in the entire village. She promised to reward the best singer with a balloon. I noticed, for example, an unprotected electircal outlet in the classroom, something we would never see in the States. I thought about what a simple and life saving project it would be to supply the village with those little plastic plugs that are so common back home.

The project is working well. The new olim are getting educated and becoming part of Israeli society with decent jobs. Recently the first physician was graduated and there are already a number of attornies.

After this, we went shopping in Mea Shearim. This is a neighborhood of very religious Jews. There are lots of little shops with some bargains if you know where to look. What a busy place.

Here I am with another new friend.

It seemed like every other store sold sephorim (books). I could not help but notice that if this were an American street in a busy commercial area, every other business would be a bar. There were none in sight at all.
Sadly, this is our last night in Israel. Roz leaves mid-day on Tuesday and I am flying in the early hours of Wednesday. We shared a meal at El Gaucho and walked back to the apartment to start packing.

Tanks alot and Mini-Israel

we dicided to take an adventure and get ourselves to Latrun. Instead of a taxi, we went to the Central Bus Station and found a bus. We got there just fine. One attraction to see there is the Museum of the Israeli Tank forces. There are hundreds of different tanks including many that were captured from the Syrians, Lebanese, and Egyptians. Some of the Syrian ones were originally Nazi built, captured by the Russians, and given to Syria only to be lost to Israel. This one is a medical evacuation tank. The gun turret has been removed to make room for two stretchers. Notice the IV bag hanging.

Similar to the Vietnam War Memorial in DC, here is a wall containing the names of fallen members of the tank corps.

In the center of the arrangement of tanks is an old British police station. This building was originally built by the Turks and abandoned by the British in '48. It was occupied by the Jordanians untill '67. Inside are meeting and training rooms, a very beautiful synagogue, art exhibits, and a tribute to Jewish soldiers who have served in many of the world's militaries. The inside has been nicely restored and there is an observation deck on the roof.
Although this is a difficult picture to understand, I included it anyway. Inside the museum is a room called the wall of tears. The walls are made of tank steel. They are constantly wet to symbolize tears shed for lost soldiers. The floor is glass and reveals a pool of hope for peace.

As we walked through the displays and saw the cold, hard, heavy steel of the tanks, we kept thinking of how sad it was that we must keep sending young soldiers off to fight.
Also in Latrun is a display called Mini Israel. It is a model of interesting parts of the country that you can walk throug. It covers a few acres and we spent a few hours there. Many of the buildings reflected corporate sponsorship. I would not make a special trip there, but it was fun.
We took the Egged back to Jerusalem. Our bus was full of soldiers returning from some camp or other. I sat among them, some alone and some talking with friends but all looked very tired. As we got into Jerusalem, the one next to me, who had been sleeping, woke up and took out his phone. I heard him talking to his mother and telling her that he was back in Jerusalem. A little while later I heard the young girll in front of her call her abba to tell him the same thing. They are so young.

Last Day of school

Thursday was our last day of class. I was privileged to learn from many fine teachers here at the Conservative Yeshivah. Among them was one of the finest geachers I have ever had. That was Michal, my Ulpan teacher. In addition to having a thorough knowlege of both Hebrew and English grammar and vocabulary, she was also familiar with the classics of English, Hebrew, and world literature. She taught us about Israeli society, politics, and attitudes often using examples from language to make her point. She has a passion for her work and her country and represented the best Israel has to offer. I know I will think of her often and fondly.

Later that evening, Roz and I went off to find an all soup restaurant that Beth's friend John had recommended. It was a long walk but it was also a beautiful Jerusalem evening, we had nothing better to do so we set off to find Marakiah. Of course we walked right past it but after asking for directions a few times, we got there.
It was the most unusual looking place I was ever in. Nothing matched. Every table was different. Ours was an old sewing machine table. There was a chandelier made of spoons and ladles and no two soup bowls were the same either. The soups had the taste of home-made. I ordered the leek and Roz the creamy tomato but we ended up switching as hers was a little peppery for her. I later recalled that they offered free tastes prior to ordering which we should have done but it all worked out well.

After dinner we started walking along Jaffa St. with a goal of making it all the way to the Machaneh Yehudah Shuk which we did not think would still be open. It was a long but enjoyable walk. The carachter of the neighborhood seemed to change every few blocks from bistro to touristy to commercial. Suddenly we started to detect the aromas that could only be the Shuk. The Shuk smells like fruit, vegetables, fish, and most of all bakeries. There are a number of bakeries right there complete with ovens. Our doubts about whether it was open ended quickly. It was around nine and the place was a mad-house. People were jammed into the aisles. These were very serious shoppers. Merchants were calling out there prices with barely intelligible song-like pitches. Shoppers were grabbing up bargains frantically. Shopping carts were flying behind wild shoppers. This scene is typical only of Thursday night and no other night as people were buying for Shabbat. Where else is shopping such an adventure?

Friday morning we took an Egged tour to Masada and the Dead Sea. This was my third trip to Masada but it is always awesome. Here is a picture of one of the food storage areas.

I have a number of other pictures including one that I had never noticed before. On the mountain are the ruins of a Byzantine church. The church was built there as it was felt that the area was somehow sacred. They soon realized that they could not live up there and abandoned it. I can understand why they did not want to stay. It is a difficult place to be. It is hot and dry. Water and food have to be brought up with great difficulty.

Next we went to the Dead Sea. The last time I was in Isreal, 2000, we rode past the Sea and it was said that the Sea was shrinking because of global warming. The problem was made even more dramatically clear this time. When I first came here, in 1977, the lake was right outside the spa. Today, bathers need to take a tram from the spa to the Sea. Here is a picture from the Sea back towards to spa which is so far away you can barely see it. There are signs along the former Sea bed warning visitory not to walk in it as there are sinkholes in the mud.


There are a number of activities at the spa. Inside, ther are sulphure baths, you can imagine how the building smells. Out back ther is a swimming pool and, of course the tram to the Sea. A traditional favirite activity here is to cover yourself with mineral-rich Dead Sea mud. We did not try this but here is a picture of some people who did.


Another fun, although exhausting, day in a country with so much to offer.

Drug dealer at Ulpan

In Ulpan we read a great story full of Hebrew slang about the benefits and drawbacks of being an international drug dealer.
Rabbi Goldfarb taught about the High Holiday amidah. We compared its structure and content to the amidah during the year. We spent a while talking about the k'dushat Hashem paragraphs. I got some great ideas for teaching to the Junior Congregation this year.
In halacha class we talked about permitted marriages for kohanim. The sources deal extensively with the definition of "zpnah" which I always assumed was undisputed.
After class we had a dinner meeting of the Legacy Fellows. We talked about what we were bringing home from out experience. I said that I was able to put a face on Israel by living here and interacting with the people rather than just touring around as I had done in the past. Earlier in the day, Michal, my Ulpan teacher, talked about culture differences between Americans and Israelis. Americans who donate money to Israel also want to be able to tell Israelis what to do. Israelis, naturally, resent this. Culture clash often shows up in subtle but real ways. We don't always correctly interpret what to us seems to be apparent anger but mey not be. Communication can break down as we depend on culturally bound non-verbal signals. Nevermind our inadequate Hebrew does not always provide us with the right word.
After the meeting, a few of us went to a poster shop hidden in a court yard behind a building on King George. After that we went to Ben Yehuda as some of us are leaving for home tomorrow and wanted to get some gifts for friends and family.

Pictures this morning

We got to the Fuchsberg Center a half hour early this morning for group and individual pictures of the Legacy Heritage Fellows. We are starting to talk about the end of the session and I just don't want to see it end.
This morning in Ulpan we read a story about the changing face of the modern Israeli. The original settlers cut themselves off from the rest of the world. Although they were almost all European immigrants, they thought of themselves as "born from the sea." They shed the studious image of Torah scholarship in favor of the strong farmer and soldier. They did not recognize any differences among themselves and maintained a single image of the Sabra. The Eichman trial marked the change in Israeli society. For the first time Israelis were able to place the blame for the Holocaust where it belonged and not on their European ancestors. Interest in researching their family trees was revived. They sought an answer to the question of who were my grandparents. Moreover, they started recognizing the value of their diverse society. The thinking person rose to the level in society previously held exclusively by the laborer.(I hope you remember that we read this whole story in Hebrew!) It was my reaction that this was a very good change. The laborer was perfectly suited for bringing the nascent country to maturity. Now, however, a widely diverse nation of talented people can compete globally.
The passion whith which Michal, our Ulpan teacher, spoke was evident today more than I had ever noticed. This is not an intellectual exercise for Israelis but rather a matter of survival. It should touch us all because I firmly believe that the futures of Israel and of the Jewish people are firmly bound together. Do you know that within the next ten years, the majority of Jews in the world will live in Israel.
In our Midrash class we read a series of Midrashim that told of God's creation of the world and stressed that he created the world after looking in the Torah much like a builder consults architectural plans. Also, that God created the world all alone with no help, even from angels. The Midrash proves this by asserting that angels were created either on the second day when water was created or on the fifth day with the creation of the birds. The Midrash proves these assertions by bringing quotes that associate angels with either water or flying. Regardless of which day it was, it most certainly was not day one proving that God was acting alone. All this is important because ultimately the creation story is used by the Jews to respond to their neighbors in Canaan when they are accused of stealing the land (who would have thought that would ever happen?). The Jewish people can answer that the One God made the universe and He can decide who lives where. This story is echoed by Rashi in his commentary in Beraishit.
In our last Teaching Israel class we got to summarize our personal feelings about Israel. We had decided that in order to bring other people closer to Israel, we had to come to terms with our own feelings first.
When I started thinking, I realized that for me, my attachment is all about the little things. For example, just last night we took a cab from the Kotel back to the apartment. As we had four people, I sat up front with the driver. He asked me a question that I realized had been asked many times. The driver asked me how long I was staying here. When I told him that I was here for a month, I also said I was studying at a yeshiva. Then he wanted to know which one. I told him and coincidentally we were just about to pass the Agron St. address. Here's the point of it all: Where else would a cab driver want to know about your yeshiva? How is it important to him, and to so many other strangers, how long I am staying. These are the kinds of questions family members ask eachother --not cab drivers. One of my classmates told me that Israelis were nosey --but in a good way. There is a closeness among these people that shown itself in subtle ways. Even the rudeness, the horn blowing, and the cutting in lines are things that you would never do to complete strangers. That's because there are no complete strangers here. No, the people on the street are not all my friends. But they are not strangers either.
Roz is up north with Sandra and Moshe so I have some time to reflect and to write.
I called Rabbi Moshe Aranov who co-officiated at our wedding and has retired to Israel. I am not sure he recognized who I was. His wife passed away and he sounds a bit depressed about his own failing health. It reminded me of the Adon Olam which we sing wth so many unusual tunes. This week we learned that although it begins by talking about our universal and infinite God, it ends with a personal God who is there when we feel alone and afraid. Along with the Shema, it is recited at bedtime and with a person near death.
I made my supper and enjoyed it on my mirpeset listening to the periodic roar of the number17 bus and cooled by the evening Jerusalem breeze.

Generations Center

This afternoon Rabbi Goldfarb's tefillah class covered the Aleynu and Adon Olam. Two parts of the service we have done so many times but do we have any idea what they mean? In Adon Olam, the focus of the poem starts with God as universal and infinite and ends with God watching over the poet on a personal level.

In our halacha class we had a guest speaker. Rabbi Miriam Berkowitz has written a book about Mikvah and is leading the movement to encourage use of the mikvah by Conservative Jews. We discussed the Biblical laws of purity and some Talmudic discussions of nida.

During the day,, Roz visited Mt. Hertzl where Theodore Hertzl is buried.

After class, Roz, I, Sandra, and Moshe went to meet Yossie and Sylvie at a restaurant in Machaneh Yehuda called Simas. We enjoyed a number of Israeli favorites in cluding a sour soup with dumplings and pumpkin called kubbe. It was especially good to go out with the Pinhasis who can tell us what the unfamiliar dishes are.

After tea and baklavah, we went to the Kotel to walk through an exhibit called Generations. This is a multi part glass sculpture built into a 900 year old house. The glass sculpture tells the history of the Jewish people from Temple times to today. Throughout the exhibit, Jewish names are featured. It begins with our forefathers and progresses through Moses, the prophets, the Rabbis, and finally the founders of modern Israel. Not only are the glass sculptures dramatically presented but the building itself, including an ancient mikveh displayed below a glass floor, is a fascinating feature of the tour. At the end, there is a holographic presentation of the story of an Israeli freedom fighter.

After the tour, we walked slowly past the Kotel. This powerful place has a center-of-the-world quality to it that never ceases to amaze me.

Eating Sabra fruit, writing to you

Well I am sitting at the computer, enjoying a sabra fruit that we got at the shuk today and writing to you. If you are having half as much fun as I am, you are lucky indeed.
Lots of grammar in Ulpan today. I find it to be quite intense and demanding of a lot of concentration. Michal, our teacher has great patience. We start each session with conversation. She asks us what we have been doing. Her love for Israel and pride shows in her descriptions. She is a true scholar of the language and is conversant with grammatical terms for both English and Hebrew. I only wish I could spend months with her instead of only a few weeks.
In the afternoon, we learned a midrash that explained what Cain and Abel were really fighting about. Just like today, people fight about property, power, and women. The midrash first says that they divided up everything in the world. One got all the land and the other got all the things. The one that got all the things demanded from the other that he give him his clothing. The one that got the land told the other to fly up off his property. In the fight over power, they divided up all the land between them. They then fought over which one should own the land that the Temple would be built on. This would mean that he would be able to make all the decisions about religion and thus have all the power. In the third midrash, they argued about who would posess the first Eve. We learned that Adam's Eve was actually the second one that God made. This is taken from the language that describes how Eve was created. That midrash said that when God made the first Eve, Adam watched and was "grossed out" by what he saw. God then put Adam to sleep and made him another one. Anyhow, the first one was on the sidelines and Cain and Abel argued over which one would get her.
While I was at school, Roz toured around the Davidson Center. This is an archeological park aroung the southern part of the western wall and the southern wall itself. You will recall that the southern part of the Western wall is also known as the Masorti Wall and is the place where egalitarian services may be safely held.

Here is a picture of Roz on the old city wall leading up to the southern wall of the Temple mount:

There has been considerable excavation done in this area. A number of beautiful and fascinating objects have been found. Of particular interest is this picture of a mikvah.

In this picture the staircase leading down into the mikvah can be seen. On the left there is another set of stairs used to leave the mikva after purification.

Roz's sister and brother-in-law, Sandra and Moshe, arrived here today. They had just visited the Ukraine where they were able to locate the grave of Moshe's grandfather.

In the evening we waked to Ben Yehuda for supper.

There was something I forgot to write about that I saw for the first time on Friday. You may recall that we went to a Yerushalmi synagogue in Ramot for Friday night services. What I did not mention was that as we left the sanctuary one of the men was standing in the lobby with a potted fragrent plant. The men all went up to the plant and breathed in the aroma. It was a pungent lemon-like bouquet unlike anything I had ever smelled. Sylvie told me it was called "lou-ee-za." Some of the men also said the "borey miney besamim" that is said at havdallah. I will long remember the joy in the room and the broad smiles this sensual exercise produced.

The weekend

Friday Roz and I went to Yad Vashem. The main exhibit hall has been redone since the last time I was there and is very impressive. The exhibits are on both sides of a long triangular shaped hallway. At the end of the hallway, when you are thouroughly depressed by the holocaust, you come out to a splendid view of Israel. The message needs no further explanation.

Also at Yad Vashem is one of the box cars used by the Nazis to transport Jews to extermination camps. It is displayed high up on a trestle.

There is a unique area which I had seen before but wanted to show Roz. It is called the valley of the lost communities. Here, the names of European communities where Jews lived are inscribed on tall stones. The stones are arranged like a map of Europe. The exhibit is large and maze-like. You can easily get lost in it. The paths are all gravel with nothing growing there. It is hot, dry and dusty. To me it is reminiscent of a cemetary. It truly feels like the valley of death. It does not have a future for Jews, that is in Israel. I found the stone with the village of Riminov. Supposedly that is the village where a number of Etras came from.

In the evening we returned to Ramot for kabalat Shabbat and a Shabbat dinner with Yossie and Sylvia Pinhasi and Dani, Shlomie, and Arielle. One of the dishes Sylvie made was a stew which included dried Persian lemons. These extra tart dark colored little fruits start out like little stones. When cooked they taste like sour lemons. They are used in a variety of dishes. I plan to look for them in the Shuk.

Shabbat morning Roz went to the Great Synagogue to hear the cantor and choir there. Since today was Rosh Hodesh, she also was treated to Hallel. She felt that the sky was about to open for the Shehina to shine through. I went to Moreshet Yisrael at the Fuchsberg Center since Rabbi Frank had offered to let me do the Haftarah. We had a large crowd of young people on Summer tours, yeshivah students, and older members of the congregation. Tal Ben-Yehudah, a student in my program and the great granddaughter of the original Ben Yehudah (Street) davened the Shacharit. Mussaf was done by a rabbi/cantor who was formerly the rabbi of Moreshet Yisrael.
For Shabbat lunch, we went to the home of the daughter of Roz's cousin Brana Shayna Deitsch. Rivka Marga and her husband Shloimie Gestetner live down the block and around the corner in a lovely old Jerusalem home which. We enjoyed lunch, singing, and learning along with about 15 other guests. Four of them, including Shloimi's brother were from Australia although not all were living there now.

After Shabbat, we walked down King George looking for a restaurant that had been recommended. We found it but it was not open. We went accross the street to a Schwarma stand and sat out on the sidewalk just like a couple of Israelis.

Lost my phone in the market

Roz had most of the fun today while I was in school.
First she was at the Kotel attempting to take the Tunnel tour. Her guide changed the appointment and she had to come back later. Meantime, since it was Thursday, the Kotel was hopping with Bar Mitzvoth.




One tradition has the family escorting the bar mitzvah under a chupah.


After watching the Bar Mitzvoth, she wandered away and wound up on the Temple Mount.


Interestingly, while she was wandering around lost in the Arab quarter, we were getting a security warning about staying away from unguarded areas.

She then went to Ein Kerem for a tour of the Hadassah Hospital.


She finally got back to the Kotel for the Tunnel tour. Below is the base of the Western Wall.



I volunteered to do the Haftarah at the shul at the Fuchsberg Center. By the way, I joined this shul as an overseas member. I was talking to the secretary in the office, a South African olah, and she noted that their membership is small and growing smaller. As few Masorti Jews as there are in Israel, not too many can afford to live near the Fuchsberg which is in a very expensive area. She said that they depend heavily on overseas memberships so I joined. Anyway, the Rabbi wanted to make sure I could do a decent job so he asked me to chant a few lines from the haftarah which I must have done well enough.

In the afternoon we did a midrash that looked at the language God used when He told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Instead of just saying "Isaac", He says "Your son, your only son, the one you love, Isaac." The midrash suggests that God is building up the love that Abraham has for Isaac to make the test more difficult. This is much like if I wanted to test my friendship with someone by asking to borrow their car. Instead of just asking for the car, I might say "Can I borrow your favorite car, the one that has not a single dent, the one you paid so much money for... ." Another darshan compares the request to the one God made earlier when he told Abraham to leave Ur Kasdin. He told him to leave his land, his birthplace, and his father's house. The parallel language suggests a similar structure to the command. It is interesting to note that God uses the word "Please" when he asks Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. It is suggested that by saying "Please" God is making a request which Abraham could refuse. God also gives Abraham a three day trip during which Abraham might change his mind about the sacrifice. There are also numerous plays on the word "Moriiah," the land Abraham is sent to to make the sacrifice. These word plays make reference to Torah and Jerusalem.

Instead of going to the nursing home today, I attended Rav Lewis' parshat ha'shavua shiur. He gave a brilliant explanation of the laws ragarding murder, manslaughter, and the cities of refuge.

After class, I went over to the Machaneh Yehudah shuk for a few groceries. While I was there, I apparently lost my cell phone. Fortunately I bought the insurance so thqat softened the blow. It also gave us an excuse to take a trip to Guvat Shaul to visit the Talk 'n Save folks to get a new phone. On the way back, we had the cab drop us off at Ben Yehudah Street for a little shopping.

Tomorrow there is no school. Check back to read what happens.

Concert and a trip to the desert

On Tuesday, we took a walk from the Fuchsburg Center to the Western Wall. Although it was quite hot, it was an enjoyable walk. At the Wall, we prayed and Roz distributed some of the charity that friends gave her to bring to Israel.

At night after school Roz and I went out to a little restaurant next to the Great Synagogue for a quick supper. After that we walked back to the apartment to change and went out to the Israel Museum for a concert by the group Givatron. This group of about 14 singers ranged i age from middle age to people who were in their twenties when the State of Israel was founded. There were a few thousand Givatron fans there. I had found out earlier that my friend Yossie Pinhasi was going to be there. We asked him to save us some seats. He called ans said we would be in the front row. When we arrived, moments before the show was to start, the guards would not let us into the front. Suddenly, Yossie ran up to them saying that these are my friends from the States, you must let them in, and so they did. The show was great. Many of the songs were familiar to the Israelis in the audience. After the show, we went to a restaurant on King George for coffee. On the way, we met a friend of Yossie's who is the deputy attorney general of Israel. It seems like everyone knows eachother here.

Today, we were privileged to hear Rabbi Joel Roth of the RA Law Committee speak on halacha and the Conservative movement. I mentioned to him that I felt that when we describe Conservative Jews as between Orthodox and Reform, we are doing ourselves a disservice. He agreed.

I stayed for a part of Rabbi Goldfarb's class on tefillah. Today we were discussing the brachot of the amidah.

I left early to meet up with Roz and we were picked up by a tour guide who took us for a Jeep

trip into the Judean Desert. This was quite a trip indeed. We bounced along what passed for roads up hills and along cliffs.

On one of our first stops, we met Abdullan and his donkey. Abdullah is mainly in the sheep business but he was gracious enougn to let Roz take a ride.

We went up the mountain that is believed to be the one from which the kohein gadol tossed the sacrificial goat in the Yom Kippur ritual. From here one can see the Dead Sea and all the way into Jordon.

Here is Roz drawing water from a desert well. Our guide suggested that she was like Rivka who drew water for Eliezer and later became the wife of Isaac.

In a desert town, ther e is a spring where water pours from a mountain all year long. Local families gather here to take a dip and have a picnic. I found it to be rather untidy with lots of litter. There was also a sign forbidding swimming. It did not seem to stop anyone though.

On the way out, there was an old tank on the side of the road to play with.

Finally, here's Roz test driving the ship of the desert. Behind the princely mount is not the camel driver but our tour guide and Jeep driver, Sholem.

Later at night we went out for a Jerusalem grill at a little restaurant off of Agrippas St near the Machane Yehuda market.

Roz arrives

In Ulpan this morning we translated a song by Hanoch Levine. He was a very angrry writer who was not afraid to use sarcasm. The lyrics bitterly described a non-caring Israeli society. Ironically the music, sung by Chava Alberstein, were very upbeat.
I left Ulpan a little early and cut my afternoon classes for an Egged experience. I took a cab to the central bus station and a bus to Tel Aviv. The Jerusalem station, similar to the one in Tel Aviv but a little cleaner and newer, is within an enormous shopping mall. Shopping malls in Israel are called kanyon. A combination of the word for to buy and "canyon." At the Tel Aviv station I met up with Shlomo Cohen. He is now retired from teaching High School Hebrew and dividing his time between his coffee business and chazzanut. He is also learning to sing opera and sang Granada for me in his living room.
The reason I went to Tel Aviv was to meet Roz who arrived 2 and a half hours late but none the worse for wear. She took a cab to Shlomo's apartment and then we all went out for a walk and a little dinner. Shlomo showed us around his neighborhood and drove us back to Jerusalem. He pointed out the German-style architechture of Tel Aviv that was brought here by pre-WW II immigrants to Israel. We also drove along the beach and through the old city of Jaffa.
I never really enjoyed Tel Aviv as it seems more like any European city and not particularly Israeli. Shlomo said it was very hard to find kosher restaurants. He does like the town, though. He walks early in the morning to the beach and excercises on the gym equipment that is there for anyone to use. He has his coffee roasting business in the Tel Aviv shuk. He sells custom roasted and ground coffees. Now that he is retired from teaching, he is considering opening up a coffee shop too.

Sunday, actually a little chilly

In Ulpan today we read a satire by Hanoch Levine. He is an Israeli playwright known for his sarcasm. His style of writing has made him a controversial figure. He does not seem to be afraid to violate the Israeli version of PC.
I brought my lunch from home and sat on a shaded balcony on the grounds of the Fuchsberg Center. After eating, I stretched out for 20 minutes of relaxation. It occured to me that if I were at home and was asked where I would most like to be, this would be it. I consider myself very lucky.
We learned a midrash about the Akeida that, by using a pair of similar sounding words, associated the test of Abraham with a flag mentioned in the Psalms. As a result, Abraham's response becomes a verification of the judgement of God in choosing Abraham and furthermore for all God's judgement. In another similar midrash, using the test of Daniel, we are led to understand that even though we could never take the same test that Abraham did, we are tested often in everyday life by withstanding the temptations to violate the commandments. When we choose to live according to Torah, we communicate the truth of God to the nations as an ensign on a ship sends out a signal.
Sally Klein-Katz's class on teaching Israel continued to explore ways we can bring Jews closer to Israel. It is generally agreed that depending on the Holocaust and depicting Israel as a victim are not successful anymore. We discssed other programs such as the shlichim, and the many programs that get youth to visit Israel. The better programs seem to be the ones that put Israelis in tough with diaspora Jews.
After class we had another meeting of the Legacyy Heritage fellows. Today we were supposed to discuss the use of Hebrew to increase interest in Israel. None of us really thought it would work although anyone who had participated in such programs enjoyed them. We felt that people who wre willing to try to learn Hebrew are already inclined towards Israel. My group included a retired dentist who is now a synagogue administrator in Minnesota. His synagogue is large and very active. Many of his members visit Israel regularly. A few years ago they ran a trip during Passover.
This town does something to you. I found a box of left over sandwiches in the Beit Midrash from a lunch program today. They were headed for the pach ashpa (trash can). I took one and thought of the frail, tiny, woman who sits on the shaded side of King George St begging for coins. Before our afternoon meeting, I went down the street, found her and gave it to her with a few shekels. I don't know who felt better about it afterwards.

The Great Synagogue

I attended Shabbat services today at the Great Synagogue. I surely lives up to its name.
Very near the Fuchsberg Center, this large building is both synagogue and museum. The walls of the main lobby are lined with shocases displaying thousands of mezzuzoth. They vary in size, material, and design.
Upstairs the main sanctuary is round and several stories high with a women's section above. There are some stained glass windows above the ark and towards the rear.
The service is lead by a magnificent cantor and a men's choir. They combined to produce an awesome experience. The singing was worthy of any concert. Today was Shabbat mevorchim Av and the Rosh Chodesh bentshing was a pleasure to hear.
Unlike many orthodox synagogues that I have been to, they do not seem to mind repeating a few words during the davening for musical purposes. The ending of the Rosh Chodesh bentshing was also a little different than I am used to. Notably too, they said Anim Zemirot just before taking out the Torah rather than at the end of Musaf.
During the afternoon I took a well needed Shabat nap. In the evening I took a walk to Ben Yehudah St. When I got there at about 9:00 it was pretty quiet. Soon buses lined up as far as the eye could see bringing young people who filedl the street. There was dancing, music, and lots of crowding. When I left at nearly 11:00 the party was just beginning.
I sensed a contrast between the mostly American youth who were in the street acting silly and the Israelis, not much older, working in the stores and wearing army uniforms carrying rifles.

Jerusalem in miniature

No classes today, Friday. We did have a little bus trip to the Israel Museum, however, to view the model of the city of Jerusalem from Temple times. We were guided by Dr. Rosenbaum.

This model was moved to the museum from it's original location at the Holy Land Hotel. In it's recreated setting it is much easier to view.

It was pointed out that it is probably very inaccurate. There is considerable disagreement about even such major items as the location and size of the Temple. For certain, the locations and nature of the houses is pure speculation. This is a very worthwhile experience as it is, but going with a scholar as we did adds greatly to it all.

Here are a few pictures:

This is roughly where today's Jaffa Gate is. To the right is the so-called Tower of David. It was at one time a monastary and at another a prison but never a home for King David.

If you recall on Wednesday, we had shacharit services at the southern end of the Western Wall which is in the Davidson Archeological Park. At that end of the wall is evidence of what is called Robinson's Arch. in this view of the southern wall around the Temple mount, the recreated arch can be seen extending from the corner with the west wall at the left.

For those of you who have been wondering if I am really in Israel, here are two pictures that include me. In the first one, I am in front of the Dome of the book. The building, which houses Dead Sea Scrolls, is designed to resemble the cover over the jars in which they were found.

Although the museum is closed for major renovations to provide handicapped access, this building remains open.

TheTemple Mount is at my left, viewed from the north.

Shabbat Shalom.

End of week one

This morning I spoke to Shlomo Cohen who lives in Tel Aviv. Those of you from Norwich will recall that he was our High Holiday cantor for a number of years. We have kept in touch. I plan to take off after Ulpan on Monday and take the bus to Tel Aviv to meet with him. Roz arrives that afternoon and he offered to drive us to Jerusalem.

Today at lunch, we had the second meeting of the Legacy Heritage Fellows. We divided into small groups of similarly situated people to talk about solving our mutual problems. We were supposed to discuss the use of sacred texts to increase people's connection with Israel. I was paired with Chanah who lives near Hamburg Germany. She relates that in Germany, synagogues are either Orthodox or Liberal with no significant Conservative representation. Chanah did not feel a part of the Orthodox and when she tried to get the Liberals to read Torah, they asked her to leave. Now she is struggling to create a Conservative synagogue with a small group of older Jews. They have no place to meet and no funds. Interestingly Hebrew literacy is minimal and she meets with resistance when trying to recruit learners. Consequently, she is looking for a transliterated siddur. I suggested that she contact the Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs for their Siddur Hebrew program. If anyone of my readers has a suggestions for her let me know and I will be glad to relay them.

In our midrash class, we discussed a midrash which deals with Abraham's journey out of Ur Kasdim. In the story, a man was traveling and passed a burning building. The man speculated that there must be no acaretaker of the building since it is on fire. The caretakerthen appeared at the top of the building. The traveller is Abraham, the building is the world, and the caretaker is God. Even though this world is on fire, it does not mean that ther is no God. I see this as an allegory for Tikun Olam. Not God but people have the opportunity to put out the fire that is consuming the world.

Speaking of Tikun Olam, this afternoon a group of us went to a nursing home to visit with the residents. One of the students brought an accordian and we sang with the residents and danced for them (well some of us danced). We also had a chance to practice our Hebrew skills. The woman I first sat with was born in Turkey. She also wanted to talk French. I had a surprisingly difficult time shifting code to French but I was able to tell her how my mother used to talk about my barely passing French grades with my H.S. French teacher, Mr. Furman, in Yiddish.

Here we are dancing. Chasha, the accordian player and Cantor from Chicago is seated on the left. Chana, my friend from Germany, is the taller woman standing on the left and Sharon Astor is facing the camera on the right.

I have worked in many nursing homes and found this one to be a bit above average. The residents, as well as the facility, seemed clean and well cared for. I was told that this was a government facility with all or most of the patients on public assistance. As our visit went on, this room full of bubbies got warmer and more lively with singing and clapping from qquite a few.

After I got home, I went back to the Shuk and this time I brought the little wheeled basket that came with my apartment. Now I realize what it was for. As it is Thursday, the pace of things there is a bit more hectic and the crowd a little bigger. I got a little more brave and picked up a few staples and delicacies.

Wednesday at the Kotel Masorti

I noticed this sign on my walk along Rechov Rambam. What do you suppose they are tying to tell me?


I got up early this AM as we had shacharit at the Kotel Masorti. Walking through the quiet, cool streets of the early morning felt like a privilege that I do not know how I ever earned.The southern end of the Western Wall is a place where egalitarn minyanim are held. The Masorti movement was granted this place of its own from the government afte suffering countless indignities while trying to pray in a Conservative minyan at the Western Wall. It is located at the Robinson Arch which is still on the west wall of the Temple Mount. During davening we heard construction and shouting by Arab working doing unauthorized construction on the Temple Mount. Most of us know what happens anytime Israel tries to do even the simplest work in the area. Interestingly, this Arab project, without the authorization of the Antiquities Authority, involves extensive digging at this rich historical site. Israel never attempted to dig there so as not to disturb what is historically the site of the Second and the First Temple. The Arabs are wantonly digging and instead of following established archeological practices, are just tossing what they dig up into the dump. Some of the students and youth at the Fuchsberg Center have been sifting through the debris and have found artifacts. Unfortunately wighout systematic uncovering of the finds, dating and identifying them is next to impossible.

Here is a picture of the Kotel Masorti and the elevated pathway seperating it from the traditional Western Wall:

We had a very inspirational service led by two student cantors who are in our classes. Here is a picture of Rabbi and Sharon Astor:

After returning to the Fuchsberg Center it was back to work. This Ulpan class is the most challenging activity I have done in years. I find it both exciting and exhausting. Amazingly, afte only one week, I am feeling much more fluent and am starting to be able to understand conversations that I hear on the street.

At lunch we had a special speaker on Zionism. It was Dr. Amy Hall-Shevitz, American Jewish University. Her topic was America’s Historical Relationship with Israel. We explored differing views of Zionism in Israel and the diaspora.

Rabbi Goldfarb's tefillah class concentrated on the P'sukei D'zimrah. We talked about the reasons that they are included in the service and their structure. Although I have, usually sleepily, said this part of the service, I never noticed that it begins with a bracha, Baruch She'amar and ends with another one, Yishtabach.



Instead of halacha, I chose to go on a walking tour to the Italian Synagogue. Pictures were not permitted inside but I do have one of the entrance:





As you can see from the sign, it is both a synagogue and a museum. The building was originally a Christian school and later a public school. The maple wood sanctuary with rococo style ark was originally built in the 1700s in a town north of Venice. In 1951 it was disassembled and moved to Israel. It is actively used and retains the Italian nusach whic is related to the original Yerushalmi nusach and not the one used today. The museum had a number of artifacts relating to the lives of the Italian Jews including many ketuboth and the elaborately decorated wall panels of a sukah which had painings of Moses on Mt. Sinai and the Hebrews dancing at the Reed Sea. I noticed on the ketubot that many of the wedding took place on Friday. I thought that it was Thursday night but was told that it was popular to hold weddings on Friday so as to combine the wedding dinner with Shabbat dinner as it was too expensive to serve meat twice in one week.

After I got home I tried another walking adventure. My landlord revealed to me that the apartment is a short walk to the Shook --if you know the little alley that serves as a shortcut. I had a great time looking and shopping:

Although I didn't buy any of these lovely dagim, I did fill my backpack with a few snacks and supplies. This place really defies description and is a multisensory experience worth the price of the plane ticket. Next time I go, I will bring the rolling shopping basket that came with the apartment. I remember being there a few years ago and it hasn't changed a bit.

On this trip I did a little favor for a friend of the Schwells and brought a package for Arlene who lives just outside Jerusalem on a moshav. Tonight she came to pick it up and we had a nice conversation. Israelis, while sometimes seemingly cold, are some of the warmest, loving people I know. I am constantly seeing little acts of kindness between even complete strangers, on the bus, on the street, and in stores. I have been here a week and cannot believe how quickly the time has passed.

First set of pictures

Here are a few pictures. There will be more to come.
Go to:
http://pictures.aol.com/ap/myAlbums.do?includeReceivedAlbums=true&albumId=29675.2292.1216756851163.3

Tuesday --bulldozer driver makes hearts skip a beat

Another intense day in the Ulpan. I have a new feeling for my language delayed students as I realized that they struggle with vocabulary and grammar just like I do. I can see why they would rather be doing something easier and why the work so exhausts and frustrates them.
I am wandering further from my familiar places and today walked to a newly built dairy restaurant for lunch. I don't know what it is but as soon as I come in a place, the staff starts talking English. Maybe it's the hat. Anyway, I enjoyed a bowl of onion soup and an iced coffe. On the way out, I found Sharon and Carl sitting at a table outside so I sat with them for a while and walked back with Sharon.
After Mincha, Rabbi Diamond informed us that a Palestinian bulldozer driver decided to plow into a bus and some other vehicles and injured almost twenty people. It was suggested that we call family back in the US who are just getting up and may be frightened by the news. We were never in any danger although the incidend occurred less than 5 minutes from the Fuchsberg Center. I went out to get a bottle of water later and King George Street was still closed with many police directing traffic on the corner. The biggest danger to us was that they turned off the traffic lights and the little red and green men were unavailable to suggest when it might (just might) be safe to cross the street.
The Midrash class featured the midrash about Abraham smashing his father's idols and later walking out of a furnace. The midrash was written to explain how Abraham's brother Haram died "before [the eyes of] his father.
Our Teaching Israel class continued exploring what makes it easier and harder to bringJewish people closer to this wonderful land.
After classes, I continued to bravely expand my horizons. I decided to find Ben Yehuday street. Sure enough, it was not so difficult to do. I also found out that Ben Yehuda is continuous with Betzalel which connects to Ussishkin with only about a three block walk.

Monday --thats the Second day of the week. Get used to it!

Ulpan is getting a little harder. We are spending lots of time on grammar. Our teacher offered us the opportunity to go to level 2 where there is more basic conversation. I decided to stick with it at level 3.
I had my first Supersal experience today. It is a beautiful supermarket with legendary high prices. No worse, though, than the makolet around the corner from my apartment.
I also found a falafel stand across the street and enjoyed a pretty good lunch.
In the afternoon, Rabbi Goldfarb taught a class on tefillah. He started with the birchat hamazon. We learned that the opening paragraphs are attributed to different people. The second one, about the Exodus to Moshe, the third, about the land of Israel to Joshua, and the third, about the Temple (you know the one that was right down the street from us) to David and Solomon. Also, the original bracha ended with “Yerushalayim, Amen.” Did you ever wonder why the Amen? The next paragraph which is about rejoicing even when times are bad was added later and is halachikly the end of the bracha and all one needs to say.
In our last class today, Rabbi Shlomo Zacharow taught modern halacha. We discussed the mitzvah of redeeming prisoners especially in light of the prisoner trading that Israel does with Hamas. While Jewish law requires redemption of prisoners, many insist that an exorbitant ransom is prohibited because it puts an unfair burden on the community and also encourages more kidnapping. It is stated that the ransom must match the value of the person. You can see how that opens a can of gefilte fish.
At 5:30 we had a meeting of the Legacy Grant students. We will be attempting to maximize the value of out experience by working together in small groups to discuss ways to accomplish our goals with what we gain from the program. The group is very impressive with much experience. We have a number of foreign students including ones from Germany and the Chech Republic.
After the meeting, I decided to attend a Rotary meeting at the Dan Panorama. I walked out to the road and stopped a cab. I think I got the most honest driver in Jerusalem. He refused to take me to the hotel. Pointing behind him he told me just walk that way, in two minutes you will be there. Sure enough I was. The Dan is what used to be the Moriah where I stayed with Roz in 1977 and again with Uncle Sonny in 2000. The West Jerusalem Rotary club has only 19 members. There were about 11 people there but only because the Rotarians bring their wives. They do allow women but have only one as a member. Most of the members are older and the membership has declined severely in the past few years. Cost of the meeting was 60 NIS ($20) for fruit, cheese, crackers, juice, coffee, and cake. There was no lack of warmth and fellowship and I was invited to present my banner and tell about the Norwich Rotary. There was no singing but when I told them about Norwich they invited me to sing. I plan to go back next week and maybe lead them in Yom Huledet Sameach.
So today noticed that my phone did not work. I borrowed one and called Cellcom who offered to deliver one tomorrow or replace it at their offices which were open until midnight. My plan was to take a cab there after Rotary. Rotarians being what they are everywhere, a ride was arranged for me and I was brought to the office in Givat Shaul. On the way I got a great view of the new “string bridge” which was illuminated. It seems a little out of place and dwarfs the Jerusalem stone buildings beside it. The bridge will eliminate congested city traffic and also carry the new light rail.
Cellcom is in a very nice office on the -3 floor. It is run by kippah and tzitzit wearing young men. They handled my problem with efficiency and surprising courtesy and friendliness.
On my trip home I got a Hebrew lesson from my singing cabdriver who just seemed to be so happy to be driving a cab in Jerusalem –as I was to be his passenger. I gave him a 10 shekel tip for the 40 shekel ride –not required but worth it for the education and entertainment.

First day of class

Today was the first day of class and also the 17th of Tammuz. So, the schedule was a bit unusual. We started with some orientation and introductions. After that we went to ouur first classes. Mine is the Ulpan. I was placed in level three which is actually the fourth level as there is an aleph and an aleph plus --it's Isreal, everything is just a little more complicated. My Ulpan teacher is very good. There are 16 students in the class many said they thought they were in too high a level but our teacher said that we will only learn if it is a little difficult. Today we practice conversations and learned about noun-adjective agreement.
After Ulpan, we all went to the Beis Medrash for a shiur by Rabbi Goldfarb on fasting. He quoted a number of sources and discussed minor and major fasts and their meanings for modern Jews. He is a good teacher and I hope he takes the opportunity to teach us often.
We then had mincha which included a very beautiful chanting of the hatarah for fast days.
My next class was on midrash. Rabbi Mordechai Silverman discussed a midrash about Rabbi Akiba which among other things may have been written to convince wives to let their hisbands go off and study while they stay home and raise the children.
My last class of te day proved far more interesting than I imagined, Sally Klein-Katz on Teaching Israel. This class explores people's relationships with Israel and how we can best draw them closer.
On the way home, I managed to recruit the help of Sharon Astor to gang up on the ATM machine and as we had it outnumbered, I finally won.

Hitting the ground running --July 16, 17,18, 19

I arrived in Tel Aviv at 2:30 PM and was met by a friend of a friend who took me to Jerusalem. We found the apartment at 61 Ussishkin St. where I will be staying as of this Friday. We parked the car and walked around the neighborhood. There is a tiny grocery store that seems to have much of what I will need. Then we walked towards Agron St and the Fuchsberg Center. It is about 15 minutes away and very hilly.
I met Esther who runs the office at the Yeshivah and also met Rabbi Goldfarb, the director.
Wednesday and Thursday nights, I am staying with friends Yossie and Sylvie Pinhasi in Ramot. They have a beautiful apartment high on a hill where a cool breeze makes it very comfortable.
With all our walking about I did not get to the Pinhasi’s until 6:00. Yossie invited me to attend a lecture and concert so despite the jet lag, I went along. On our way there, after parking a few blocks away, we passed what must be an old newspaper and magazine stand with the front boarded up. The side door was open and hanging on the door were great hanks of multi-colored shoelaces. Sitting at the door was an ancient fellow who turned out to be a shoemaker. From inside the tiny, crowded, brightly lighted shop could be heard a radio with what I thought was news in Hebrew. This stopped Yossie who went up to talk to the cobbler. As it turns out, it was the Voice of Israel that broadcasts news in Farsi directed towards Iran. Iranians often call the station to talk vent their dissatisfaction with their government.
The event was at a beautiful new cultural center on King George St. called Bet Avichai (www.bac.org.il). This place hosts lectures, art exhibits, and a reading room. The event I attended was about hazzanut. The large theater-style auditorium was filled with cantorial music lovers of all ages. The lecture, and the entire program, were in Hebrew so I did not quite understand everything but I could figure out what they were talking about. There was a professor lecturing and about half a dozen cantors sang –some better than others. But all were very interesting. Most engaging were a pair that did Sephardic music. They did selections of tefillah from Morocco, Turkey, and Syria accompanying themselves on an oude.
Afterwards, Yossie took me on a private tour of the Jewish Agency. He was the engineer who designed the lighting systems that illuminate the exterior as well as the large meeting spaces inside. I am very impressed with his work. The building is very impressive and filled with pictures of Israeli notables. At one time, this building housed the major government office and was the site of many meeting at the formation of the state of Israel.
At 11 o’clock we got back to the Pinhasi’s apartment when I finally got a shower and a great night’s sleep.
I spent Thursday relaxing at the Pinhasi’s while they were at work. Thursday night I attended a wine tasting outside the Israel Museum which is closed for renovation. There were hundreds of different Israeli wines and cheeses to taste and buy. There was also a food booth serving very generous portions. I went with Sylvie as Yossie took his mother to a concert. To get home, we took the bus through downtown Jerusalem. Even that was fun.
Friday was moving day . After picking up some groceries in the tiniest of stores, Yossie took me to Ussishkin St. This upstairs apartment is very nice with everything I could need, even a mirpeset. Interestingly, the water heater is on a timer. You have to start it before you take a shower and set it to turn off after no more than 120 minutes.
Friday night was mincha, kaballat Shabbat, maariv, and a dinner at the Fuchsberg. Services were beautifully led by young men and women. The 200 or so participants sang with spirited harmony to produce a near magical experience. After dinner we sang zemirot and benched. I sat with the Astors who were kind enough to walk me half way back home to make sure I did not miss my street.
Shabbos, I had a rare experience. I went back to Ramot and shul with Yossie. He attends the Beth Aaron synagogue where the Yerushalmi nusach is used. They started at 8 AM and said absolutely every word of the davening aloud. Pesukei d’zimrah were done by members of the congregation sitting around the wall of the round sanctuary. Just before Shochein Ad, a tag team of two cantors took over still saying every word out loud. The singing was enchanting. The Kohanim duchan at both shacharit and mussaf. During the duchaning, sons stood before their fathers and received a blessing much like Friday night. After the child received his blessing, he kissed his father’s hand. There was an auction for aliyoth, all of them including carrying the Torah and the rimonim. Yossie bought me an aliyah and reminded me to bench gomel for my trip which I did. I also bought some mi’sheberachs for my parents, wife, and children. The ba’alei keriah did a flawless job.
At the end of the service, before aleynu, they did the barchu again. Also, they do not stand for kaddish excepet the mourniners who stand for the mourners kaddish.
After shul, we went to visit a member who Yossie noticed was not in shul. We spent about an hour and a half in his back yard talking and enjoying some fruit. Then we went back home for a Shabbat lunch with the Pinhasis, and their children and grandchildren.

Anticipation

I am eagerly anticipating my flight to Israel. I depart on the evening of July 15th and travel through Zurich arriving in Tel Aviv in the afternoon of July 16.