Saturday, May 20, 2023

Take It With You- Israel 2023

Hat, Water Bottle, Sunscreen, take it with you. 

Lanyard, watch, shekels. 

Be mindful of your surroundings, take it with you. 

Pay close attention, engage your senses. 

The sand in your hair, take it with you. 

The sand between your toes. 

The taste of ice cream, familiar yet exotic, take it with you. 

Chocolate croissants and rugelach piled high at breakfast. 

The sound of Hebrew being spoken in the streets, sometimes shouting, take it with you. 

The warm embrace of a synagogue in Tel Aviv with a rabbi from Brazil. 

Kids just a little older than you, sacrificing their lives to create the State of Israel, take it with you.

David Ben Gurion doing headstands on the beach. 

Sand dunes turned into the first Hebrew city in 2,000 years, take it with you. 

Shopping carts full of Israeli snacks. 

Pillow fights in the hotel hallway, take it with you. 

Logistics, logistics, logistics. 

"What am I doing here?" and "Why does it matter?", take it with you. 

Birds pooping on your head while you stand on ancient stones. 

Life without your cell phone, fully present, take it with you. 

Overcoming fears of the unknown. 

Playing soccer in the sand, take it with you. 

Putting on nice clothes to welcome Shabbat. 

Watching the sunset over the Mediterranean, take it with you. 

Small children wondering what you're up to. 

Thanking IDF soldiers for their service, take it with you. 

Talking to strangers everywhere you go. 

Seeing something that you never knew existed, take it with you. 

Being reminded of home. 

Wandering through market places, people pushing and shoving, take it with you. 

Boarding busses quickly on a busy street. 

Singing Bim Bam at the top of your lungs, take it with you. 

Dancing with a heart full of joy. 

Praying at the Kotel, take it with you. 

Seeing the destruction that should've ended it all. 

Eating freshly baked bread with zatar, take it with you. 

And ice cream. Yes, I know it's been mentioned before. 

Hearing more than 20 languages in a single day, take it with you. 

Riding elevators with nuns, monks, priests, chaperones, and sadhus. 

Floating down the Jordan, take it with you. 

Realizing that your teachers are people just like you. 

Opening your heart to the idea that there are things we cannot see that are true and real, take it with you. 

Letting your rational mind take the backseat for awhile. 

Sailing on the Kinneret, take it with you. 

And dancing the whole way back. 

Knowing that things are complicated, take it with you. 

And that there are paths to peace but stumbling blocks as well. 

Hearing the sounds of Arabic being spoken, take it with you. 

And seeing the face of everyone you meet. 

Protest signs and street art and Jews with tattoos, take it with you. 

And Orthodox, holding fast to their ideals. 

Chance meetings with counselors, friends, family, and teachers, take it with you. 

Meeting someone your age and exchanging contact info. 

Walking through the sleepy town of Zichron, take it with you. 

And the quiet holiness of the Bahai Gardens too. 

Singing songs you've known since you could know a song, take it with you. 

Opening to the possibility of prayer. 

Crying happy tears because you know it in your heart, take it with you. 

Realizing the treasure has been yours the entire time. 

Your regrets, your choices, your proudest moments, your doubts, take it with you. 

Let all that's been enlighten your path forward. 

Understanding that nothing that is real ever ends, it just changes, take it with you. 

Knowing you have a home in a desert made to bloom halfway around the world. 

Knowing you are here because of love, take it with you. 

Knowing you are love and you are loved.   

Take it with you, hold it tightly, but without clinging. 

Knowing that sometimes love means letting go. 



Friday, May 19, 2023

A City So Alive- Israel 2023

     Today we stayed within a 15 mile radius as we explored Tel Aviv- Jaffa. Within that 15 mile radius we saw and experienced such vibrancy and diversity that it's really impossible to summarize. If you've been to Tel Aviv- Jaffa then you know. If you haven't, then you one day must. 

    Jaffa is an ancient port city at the southern end of Tel Aviv. It's history goes back further than most of us can fathom. It's associated with the biblical character of Jonah and so much more. The view of Tel Aviv from Jaffa is beautiful and Jaffa itself is an unforgettably enchanting place. Narrow alleyways built during the Ottoman period, chic cafes and storefronts along the waterfront, thousands of years of history around every corner. For the most part Jews and Muslims co-exist peacefully in Jaffa. We toured, spent a bit of time wandering in the Jaffa flea market, and had a very special visit from our beloved shinshin, Nave. Boy were the kids happy to see him! 

    From Jaffa we headed to the south Tel Aviv neighborhood of Florentine. A rapidly gentrifying area, Florentine is famous for its graffiti and street art. Touring with local street artists we learned how to interpret different examples and also delved into the general mindset of street artists. Far from simple obscenity vandalizing local business, the street art in Florentine is alive with political, ethical, and social messaging. As one guide, Ari, pointed out: in the overly curated echo-chamber that social media has become, encountering street art is a chance to explore multiple and diverse points of view. And creating street art is a way of participating in social growth and change. 

    From Florentine we headed to Shuk Hacarmel and Nachalat Binyamin. Simply stated, this bustling market place and arts and crafts fair offers something for everyone. There are musicians busking in the local squares, vendors doing everything humanly possible to get your business, and more delicious food than a person could eat in a lifetime. Knowing that our kids had gifts to buy and shekels to burn we gave them ample time to experience the sensory overload of the market and also make thoughtful (and in some cases quite interesting) purchases. 

    By 3:45 we were back at the hotel to freshen up before heading back out at 5pm for Kabbalat Shabbat services at a local Tel Aviv Reform style congregation called Kehillat HaLev. Rabbi Rodrigo (who moved to Israel from Brazil 8 years ago) was very excited to get to know our group. He welcomed us 30 minutes before the service started. Together we sat on mats on the floor of the very modest congregation space (which during the week is a senior citizen center). He helped us understand how Reform Judaism (and liberal Judaism more generally) function in Israel, including many challenges and opportunities. The service itself took place in a beautiful courtyard. The rabbi was warm, inclusive and gracious, as was the community. A few of our favorite songs from Davis were actually part of the service and we once again found ourselves dancing as we prayed. Members of the community read poems that they had written based on the weekly Torah portion and many intimate moments were shared. As you'll see in the videos, it was a truly "Tel Aviv" Shabbat. 

    Driving back to the hotel as the sun was setting over Tel Aviv we saw literally hundreds of restaurants, each of them overflowing with people sitting down to enjoy Shabbat in Tel Aviv. So very different from Jerusalem and yet, in other ways, the same. A shift of energy, a communal deep breath, a chance to put down our devices and our worries and focus on things that refresh and renew us. 

    By the end of dinner the kids were ready to head to their rooms to shower, do some packing, and get some rest. Tomorrow is our last full day in Israel (this elicited a strong negative reaction from the kids) and we want to make the most of it. 

    For those of you that have been following along with the pictures and this blog, you likely know that the magic of The Davis Academy Israel Trip has been felt in every step of our journey. With this being my 12th Davis Israel Trip I can affirm that the magic is real. When your child comes home they will be transformed. But they'll be transformed in a very unique way. They won't be transformed into "someone else." Instead, somehow, by spending this time in Israel, at this poignant moment in their lives, after all their years at Davis... they'll be transformed into a more full and realized version of their authentic selves. And whether we've said it explicitly or not, that's been our goal all along. 

    Shabbat Shalom from Tel Aviv. 

Thursday, May 18, 2023

Detours and Destinations- Israel 2023

     The first portion of our day was spent in Zichron Ya'akov. More specifically, at the Nili School. As far as I know, The Davis Academy is the only group that regularly includes a  annual visit to the Nili School as a key stop on the itinerary.  

    Like most deep and enduring things in life, our connection with Nili emerged out of personal ties between some of our teachers and some of their teachers. From there it blossomed into an annual "encounter." The day that our 8th graders visit Nili is one of the most anticipated days for the Nili students. And we've never concluded our time with Nili with anything other than petitions from both sides to extend the visit just a few more hours (or days). 

    On the one hand, the magic of the Nili visit is predictable and familiar-- they're meeting face to face with kids their age that they've corresponded with and gotten to know. On the other hand, it is sacred, profound, and deeply moving. One can't help but wonder if the ease with which they embrace one another has something to do with the fact that we're all part of one big Jewish extended family? During their time together the kids completed a series of activities, ate lunch in a local park, and had some free time in the town center. Much contact info was exchanged and there were smiles all around. 

    From Zichron we travelled a short distance to Caesarea. Did I mention it was another picture perfect day? Exploring Caesarea and getting more familiar with Ancient Roman culture is infinitely more enjoyable when there's a cool sea breeze at your back. While Ancient Rome had its charms and certainly had its share of distinctive cultural practices, I think we're all glad to be alive today rather than during those days. Having said that, the kids enjoyed sitting on 2,000 communal Roman toilets-- not a daily occurrence. 

    Before heading back to Tel Aviv we had a brief but very special visit with Omer Noy. Some may recall that Omer was our shinshin when the kids were in 4th grade. He remembered them very well. And many of them remembered him too. Omer was eager to meet us and update us on his life journey over the last five years. He did so wearing his IDF uniform that clearly marked him as a commander in the IDF and an aspiring captain. At the young age of 23, Omer is responsible for 80 IDF soldiers in his platoon. Pretty incredible. While he has certainly matured, he's still the same youthful presence we all knew during his time at Davis. Evidence: the pull up competition he had with some of our kids. It was close, but he may have been edged out. Who knew our kids could crank out 15 IDF approved pull ups on demand?

    Beach time in Tel Aviv is happy time. Our hotel is just a block or two away from the beach, making it a very comfortable journey to the Mediterranean shore. Due to a municipal strike there were no lifeguards today, so the kids could only go in to their knees. We didn't hear a single complaint. They sure do love the beach! 

    After dinner we headed back out to Golda via an evening stroll along the promenade overlooking the sea. Having had such a pleasant time there last night we decided to relocate our "hotel visitations" there and bring the rest of the kids with us. It was another beautiful evening of connecting, reconnecting, and intentionally nurturing relationships that are strong enough to withstand the fact that they are all half a world apart from one another most of the time. 

    I chose to call this post detours and destinations because we had a few of each today. As we know, sometimes the detours are where life really happens. For most American Jewish communities, Zichron Yaakov is a bit of a detour. And the Nili School is 100% a detour. For us it was a destination. Caesarea is a destination for many, but for us it honestly felt a bit like a detour-- it was great, but it wasn't the highlight of the day by any stretch. Meeting Omer in a small town outside Caesarea literally on a grassy knoll next to a traffic circle-- detour. But a beautiful detour that allowed us to connect with our past and also put a name and a face to the IDF, to make it personal. The beach-- a much anticipated destination that feels like a detour in the best of ways. And time with family and special guests-- that doesn't really fit the detour or destination category, but it sure is special. 

    May we all merit to experience days like today, full of beautiful detours and destinations, bookended by the power of relationships, and all in the context of true community. There's so much more that could be said about today, but sometimes blogs just can't capture it all!