5/12/14
It wasn’t easy getting up at 4am but we were highly motivated. A cup
or two of Bedouin sweet tea helped but we were still groggy as we boarded the
busses and headed through the pre-dawn desert to Masada. AMAZINGLY, nothing was left behind in the tent! We made it to the top of mountain just in
time to find the perfect spot for sunrise. The sunrise was…
Majestic and inspiring.
While other groups around us chatted
idly or fell back to sleep our kids took it all in. When the sun broke through
the clouds we didn’t cheer or applaud; instead we simply and lovingly accepted the
gift of another day—another day in Israel, another day with one another, another day to learn and love and celebrate.
Our tour of Masada was physically, intellectually, and
spiritually challenging. As we stood at the very spot where the Roman army
finally breached Masada’s fortress like walls we asked ourselves what we would
have done if we’d been there? Would we have let our families been captured and
enslaved or would we have made the ultimate sacrifice and broken the
commandments against murder and suicide? Typical pre-breakfast conversation!
We also stopped by the synagogue at the top of Masada so
that we could stand with Ms. Hegarty as she recited Kaddish in honor of her
father’s yahrtzeit. We were honored that Ms. Hegarty allowed us to share this
special moment with her.
Breakfast at the Bedouin tent wasn’t quite as eventful as
dinner the night before but it was a respectable follow up to say the least. So
much so that we were able to visit the grave of David Ben Gurion and complete another strenuous hike
before eating lunch at a hippie vegetarian outpost in the middle of the Negev
desert.
David Ben Gurion is considered one of the greatest leaders
of the 20th century with the rebirth and reestablishment of the
state of Israel being one of the most miraculous events in the course of human
history. His simple grave in the middle of the Negev is a testament to his
integrity and conviction and his belief that the cause is greater than the individual. His dream and vision was to “make the desert
flourish.” He meant it quite literally but the idea of making the desert
flourish is also a spiritual one. Each of us has deserts—areas in our lives
that, at first glance, seem to be harsh and inhospitable. A closer look at the
Negev reveals that the desert sustains all kinds of life—both plants and
animals. Today we saw Egyptian vultures, a Persian deer, ibex, and many kinds
of plants and trees—all in the desert. What might we discover about the deserts
in our souls if we look a little closer? Hiking in the Negev gave us a chance
to consider these and other lines of thought.
The Negev hike, called Ein Avdat, concludes with a vertical
ascent up the side of a cliff. At first it seems impossible but an even pace,
lots of water, and the desire to reach the top are all that it takes. In addition to being a place of contemplative silence the Negev also
serves as a training site for Israeli pilots. Every couple of minutes the
serenity was punctured by the roar of an Israeli fighter jet. The strength and
courage of the men and women of the IDF gave us the strength and courage to
make our own journey. Ben Gurion would’ve been proud.
Amazingly, all the kids ate well at the aforementioned
hippie vegetarian outpost. I think it was Charlie R. who remarked that the
watermelon dessert was “meaty.” Our carnivorous kids fell upon the watermelon
with great delight! Next time you eat watermelon mention that you find the
consistency to be meaty and see if your kids have deja-vu!
Machtesh Ramon, where we are spending the night, is a unique
geological formation that exists only in Israel. I can’t tell you how many
times we told the kids, “It’s not a crater!” but to all of you I’d say--- it’s
basically a gigantic crater (please don’t tell them I said this!). After lunch
we rested for a few hours, worked on our Israel journals, and SHOWERED. Then we
took a pre-dinner stroll along the rim of the crater. Standing on the cusp of such grandeur is joyfully humbling.
There are many things that make The Davis Academy Israel
Trip such a transformational experience for our kids. But visiting Israel with
71 of your closest friends and teachers isn’t sufficient to make it so. In
order to really make an impact on our kids we have to help them reflect along
the way. We have to use Israel as a vehicle for individual and group
reflection. In that spirit we had our first formal group session tonight. We
gathered in the social hall of our hotel and passed around a bag of questions.
Each kid drew a question and had a chance to think about how they would
respond. We then opened it up, inviting
anyone who wished to read their prompt/question aloud to do so as well as to
share their thoughts in response. The whole point is to generate meaningful dialogue based on cavod and active listening. Over the course of an hour we discussed a
variety of topics such as:
“What do we think about the Kotel being separated by men and
women?”
“What is one experience on this trip you wish you could have
shared with your parents?”
“How are Israeli teens different from American teens?”
“What is one thing you’ve learned about one of your
chaperones?”
“How do you connect to things that are larger than yourself?”
“What would you say
to someone who has never been to Israel?”
We laughed, we listened respectfully, and we shared some of
our individual insights with one another. Then we had a quick bite of dessert and went
to bed. Tomorrow we explore Beersheva and then head to Jerusalem. The time is
flying by. In response to the question, “What would you say to someone who has
never been to Israel?” Aaron R. offered, “Two weeks isn’t enough.” What he was
really saying, on behalf of everyone of us, is that we feel blessed to be here
and that we are grateful to everyone who has made this experience possible. Know that your kids are saying thank you in both word and deed each and every day. They're making the most of their time here and Israel is very happy to enjoy their company for these two weeks.
Shalom,
Rabbi Micah
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