Shabbat in the Garden of Eden

Shabbat in the Garden of Eden

Monteverde, Costa Rica, 5/18/24

When word began to spread that The Davis Academy Class of 2024 was headed to Costa Rica instead of Israel, a question arose: Would there be anything Jewish about the trip?

It’s an understandable and, I believe, well-intentioned question, even if it is predicated on a few potentially flawed assumptions. After all, how could The Davis Academy class of 2024’s culminating travel experience NOT have a Jewish component? In fact, I think there’s an argument to be made that the destination of a trip has little correlation to the Jewishness of a trip. Our trip would be deeply Jewish even if we’d gone to China or Vatican City. That’s because Jewishness isn’t to be found only in the settings in which we find ourselves (think synagogues, schools, summer camps), rather Jewishness is something much more vast, pervasive, and ever-present. Jewishness resides more in the ways in which we experience a place than in the place itself. Part of the inheritance of each and every Davis graduate is that they’ve been given the tools through which they can live each moment of their lives as Jews. And that certainly extends to traveling here in Costa Rica. 

In terms of settings, Costa Rica is, in many ways, an ideal place to travel as a Jew and with a sense of Jewishness. Today’s activities, all of which took place against the backdrop of Shabbat, are a good example. Big picture: Today we found ourselves in the Garden of Eden. Rather than viewing the Garden of Eden as outsiders, we immersed ourselves and made ourselves at home in this paradise. What could be more Jewish than spending Shabbat in the Garden of Eden? It’s kind of a dream come true. 

Zip lining. I’ll take a moment of personal privilege here to say that prior to today, I’d been zip lining exactly 1 time (on an Israel trip many years ago). Today I, along with the majority of our group, completed no fewer than 14 zip lines on a lengthy tree top course through the Monteverde cloud forest. I could say A LOT about zip lining, but I’ll simply mention that the final zip line was exactly 1km long (for the uninitiated that’s LONG). Since none of the kids wanted to buddy up with me (buddies were required) nor I with them (good boundaries are important), I had the joy of zip lining with a British man named Andy whilst Andy’s legs were wrapped tightly around my core. We’ll chalk it up to “Love Your Neighbor as Yourself”. And, I can honestly say that I wish him well! 

What’s Jewish about zip lining on Shabbat? Depends who you ask, but maybe it’s the way that zip lining requires the full presence of your being. It’s hard to be somewhere else when your whizzing through the air and wondering if this is going to be the first line of your obituary. Judaism cares deeply about the quality of our presence. For those that are familiar with the term kavanah, that’s really what it means. 

After zip lining we all set out for a guided walk through the cloud forest via a series of hanging bridges. Walking on a hanging bridge several hundred feet about the forest floor, it’s hard not to think of Rebbe Nachman’s famous teaching: The whole world is a narrow bridge, and the most important part is not to be afraid. Being in the midst of such overwhelming beauty helped easy any fear that we might have been experiencing. During our walk we came right up to the Continental Divide. What’s Jewish (aside from the pretty low hanging fruit of Rebbe Nathan’s obviously having visited Costa Rica in the 1800’s) about walking through a cloud forest on Shabbat? Again, it depends who you ask, but many Jews would argue that a Shabbos stroll with no particular destination in mind is one of the most beloved ways to spend a few hours on Shabbat. And we’ve even got a term for such a walk but it’s in Yiddish and it’s too late at night for me to figure out how to spell it correctly. 

Before leaving the cloud forest we had lunch (pretty sure I don’t have to explain what’s Jewish about that!) and visited both a sloth and a butterfly sanctuary. What remarkable creatures we share this planet with! In a Jewish text that every Davis Academy student studies in 6th grade Judaics, there are a series of questions posed by an ancient rabbi. One of those questions is, “Who is deserving of honor?” The answer, “One who honors all creation.” I think that pretty much sums up the first 2/3 of our day. 

Returning to the hotel we quickly threw on swimsuits and headed to the pool. Here I’ll confess that I feel pretty badly for the 10-15 hotel guests that were enjoying their Shabbat in the Garden of Eden prior to our arrival. One by one, they slowly and good-naturedly packed up their belongings and continued their moments of Zen elsewhere. Probably a wise choice on their part. 

Post swimming we freshened up, put on nice clothes and headed to dinner and our evening activity: Havdalah. As you know, our 8th graders clean up nicely! 

Havdalah, the short prayerful moment that separates Shabbat from the rest of the week, is a wonderful example of how Judaism brings shape and structure to the element of time. Time is a funny thing— sometimes it passes too quickly (vacation), sometimes too slowly (carpool duty), seldom just right. One of Judaism’s greatest gifts is that it constantly, daily, hourly, calls our attention to the passage of time. That’s why we “count rocks” at school. Havdalah is the perfect Jewish framework for empowering our 8th graders to think about this liminal moment in their lives. 

I promised the kids that what was shared and expressed at Havdalah would remain a private matter for them and for those of us who were privileged to be there with them. In exchange, they put their cameras and go-pros away. As parents and trusted adults I know we’re all adjusting to the sometimes frustrating but ultimately incredibly healthy reality that there are aspects of our kids’ experiences, thoughts, and feelings that are meant to be their’s alone. So we don’t need to make a list of who shared their creative writing, or who shed a tear, or who finally reconnected with their inner child and joined in with the singing. Those moments (and there were many) belong to them. As Mr. O’Dell pointed out, it’s a gift that they’ve given to themselves. 

But speaking of gift giving, we all know by now that we too have given our 8th graders a most incredible gift. Many gifts really. Too many to count. Among those gifts, perhaps most salient and top of mind, is the gift of knowing who they are and where they come from. I promise you, and you already know, that this gift of knowing who they are and where they come from will make all the difference in those confusing moments that life inevitably brings our way. In those moments, knowing who they are and where they come from will help them find their north star, their way forward, their way back to the garden, and, if they should ever need, their way home. 

On a different and more somber note, before singing Eliyahu HaNavi to conclude Havdalah, we shared with the kids that the remains of 4 hostages had been recovered in Gaza. Together we took a moment to think back to the wall of the hostages faces at the Costa Rican Jewish center. In that moment we prayed that the next 4 hostages and all remaining hostages be reunited, in life, with their families. To be a Jew is to always remember that there is a broader context through which we might gain an even deeper appreciation of the uniqueness of our own experience. Though we are not in Tel Aviv, witnessing first hand, the families that continue to hold on to the hope of seeing their loved ones again, we are indeed so very much closer to Tel Aviv than our longitude and latitude might suggest. 

May it be a week of peace. 

Awe and Wonder

Awe and Wonder, 5/17/24

Greetings from Monteverde, 4,300 feet above sea level. Outside a steady rain is falling. The sound of the rain and the insects and rainforest critters is a perfect soundtrack for a Shabbat evening blog post. As advertised in the title of this post, today was a day filled with awe and wonder. 

Those of us who woke up early were treated to pristine views of the Arenal volcano. Those who woke up a little later found the volcano already enshrouded in whatever the technical name is for the vapor that emanates from active volcanoes. I could look up said term, but it’s Shabbat and I don’t feel like it. 

After yet another hearty breakfast, we took a short drive to a beautiful waterfall. While waiting for the group to disembark, many of us caught our first glimpse of a Costa Rican monkey. 500 steps later we found ourselves at the base of the waterfall. Many took off our shoes so we could wade in the refreshing water. When it comes to hiking, what goes down must come up. Huffing and puffing, we made our ascent. It wasn’t easy, but as luck would have it, humans are fairly well designed for going up and down stairs. 

Everyone was happy for a long bus ride, once again filled with majestic views of the sprawling Arenal lake, many mountains, hills, and valleys, and so much more. We grabbed a quick bite from a German owned cafe along the way, and eventually made it to the town of Santa Elena, in the Monteverde region. A bit of shopping took place before we finished our journey and arrived at our hotel. The hotel is more Kibbutz than it is hotel, with many buildings spread out over a vast area and also many amenities. For example, our night hike took place on the premises of the hotel. 

We delayed the start time of our night hike to try and avoid some anticipated rain. We should’ve known better, because the rain came just as we were setting out. Equipped with flashlights, we journeyed into the rainforest. Along the way we saw tarantulas, poisonous vipers, different types of frogs, and much more. It was a hit and it was a thrill to be out there, in the dark, stumbling upon creatures great and small. 

Awe and wonder are two emotions that Judaism has emphasized for thousands of years. The Hebrew word for awe encompasses not only a sense of jaw dropping amazement, but also a sense of fear, trembling, and recognition of our smallness and finitude in the presence of something much greater and often mysterious. As for wonder, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel joined a long line of Hasidic rabbis in recognizing that the experience of wonder is one of the most sacred gateways that a person can, with a little practice, regularly access on their spiritual journey. Awe and wonder. In a world full of screens, Amazon packages, and more than a little fear mongering and discord, we might do well to up our quotient of awe and wonder. 

If yesterday was a day full of appreciation for our own kind, aka human beings, today was a day full of appreciation for the natural world and our non-human friends. It was awesome and wonderful to witness our 8th graders absolutely delighting in seeing the creatures of the rainforest. You’d think they’d never seen a frog before. In fairness to them, it’s pretty darn special to see a venomous snake in the middle of a could forest while getting drenched by a downpour on Shabbat in Monteverde. At the same time, it’s not a bad idea for all of us to point out to them that the awe and wonder we experience in seeing a frog, a snake, or a millepede in the rainforest needn’t be reserved only for such rare and exotic encounters. We can experience that same wonder and awe when we look in the mirror. We can experience that same wonder and awe when we encounter (truly encounter) a classmate, teacher, friend, or parent. When we cuddle up with a family pet, admire in a flower in our garden, or see a beautiful Atlanta sunrise. How awesome and wonderful life could be, if, even just once in a while, we reserved some awe and wonder for the miracles and blessings that have become so familiar to us that we often forget how awesome and wonderful they are!  

One of the benefits of travel is that we gain perspective and often want to bring some of that perspective back home with us. If this post resonates with you, then awe and wonder might be a great place to start. 

Humans Being

 La Fortuna, Costa Rica, 5/16/24

    There's nothing like an easy wake up and on time departure to make a great first impression on your local guides. Mission accomplished. As mentioned, pastries demolished. 

    Our first stop of the day was a few hours outside of San Jose. After passing through several small towns and cities and more than a few stunning vistas we eventually started seeing signs for "Land in Love." Intriguingly, some of these signs were written in... you guessed it... Hebrew. Turning off the main road, we were active participants in some remarkable bus maneuvering before we reached said "Land in Love." 

    There we met, Alon. Alon is one of the 18 Israelis who, 16 years ago, left Israel with the goal of establishing a community that reflected the values that he and his comrades wanted to manifest in the world. Among those values, hospitality, and most importantly, no cruelty to animals. The community they've built is stunning. They shelter thousands of animals, offer many and varied activities, and serve only vegan food. It was somewhere between weird and deeply inspiring to find ourselves in the midst of this utopian alternative community, deep in the Costa Rican rain forest. 

    While at Land in Love we did a small service project that involved helping clear some of their trails, not of trash, but of large fern leaves. Having said that, our saunter was light on leaf duty and heavy on beautiful scenery all with the soundtrack of the jungle ringing in our ears. The hiking was more rigorous than anticipated and midway through a steady rain began to fall. But we were treated to waterfalls, suspension bridges, and the sense of accomplishment that comes with hiking through a Costa Rican rainforest in the rain while being guided by vegan Israelis. Lunch was delicious, complete with Breadwinner size chocolate chip cookies. 

    From there we continued on to a tour of a cacao plantation at the foot of the Arenal volcano (one of Costa Rica's most active volcanoes!). Along the way we had a few nice views of the volcano, which was exciting for our guides who say it's often covered by clouds. The cacao plantation was actually quite fascinating. Our guide emphasized the fact that most of the chocolate we consume is sadly and troublingly produced from Cacao that is harvested in West Africa in an industry that essentially enslaves more than 1.5 million children. This was new and upsetting information to many of us. While it certainly requires further research, it's all too easy to see how such inhumane circumstances can continue to exist even to this day. Our guide raised big questions and it was clear that many of our 8th graders were willing to listen with open ears and open hearts. 

    The cacao plantation wasn't all doom and gloom late stage capitalism. In fact, the main event was learning how cacao is processed and turned into something we all enjoy. And enjoy we did. If you're lucky, some chocolate may find its way back to you. 

    Our final stop of the day, after checking in to our beautiful hotel, was a dip in some thermal hot springs followed by dinner. The water was a perfect 96 degrees and the setting was idyllic. The kids did their thing and so did the chaperones. We were touched that some of the kids wanted to spend their hot springs time chit chatting with us adults. We don't take that for granted! 

    When we sat down for dinner my heart sank. There was a young woman who was setup in the dining area with her guitar. Oh no, I thought. This poor musician is going to get eaten alive by our kids. Thankfully, I couldn't have been more wrong. Stop reading and check out the photos. The minute she started singing "Royals" by Lorde (don't get me started on Lorde, but it IS a good song), it was clear that she had them. Next thing we know, they were all singing, dancing, hugging, swaying, taking pictures, stuffing bills in the tip jar, bonding, and doing their thing. It was a testament to the power of music. And it was a moment that I promise you our kids will remember for the rest of their lives. And so will that young lady with the guitar. We were so spirited that the venue did something I'm sure they never do... they politely asked us to leave so the overnight guests could get some peace and quiet. 

    Now everyone is back at the hotel resting up for tomorrow. 

    As I reflect on the day, I'm struck by the humanity of it all. I think about those Israelis setting out to build the kind of community that they wanted to live in, manifesting their vision for how human beings should be in this world. I think about our kids trekking through the rainforest, huffing and puffing up the hill, soaking wet, smiling, complaining, praying for it to end, savoring every minute. I think about our guide at the cacao plantation, using his platform to call out the injustices in the world but without casting too much blame or guilt. I think about our kids, who thought they were just hopping of the bus to eat some chocolate, clearly thinking about what this young man had to say. I think about how good it feels to soak in hot springs and how touching it is for a teacher when a student comes up with no agenda but to chat for a bit. I think about that young woman with her guitar. I think about Lorde, who refuses to play in Israel but who writes good songs that our kids like. I think about what that young woman must have thought when she knew that she had our kids totally figured out. I think about what Chris Martin from Coldplay must have felt when he wrote Viva La Vida.  I think about our kids singing about "Jerusalem bells are ringing" and hoping with all my heart that they hear those bells sooner rather than later. I think about why I got choked up watching the kids singing, smiling, arms around each other. I think about the first person to make panna cotta and say "at last, I've created a dessert that jiggles."

    We're a strange species. We've got all the answers and we create all the problems. Maybe we're just not asking the right questions? Or maybe we're not listening? Or maybe we've just forgotten that we're the source not only of folly, but of wisdom? Or maybe we're just humans being human and everything is exactly as it should be. But that can't be right. Or maybe it can. 

    I'll end with a few facts that I find inspiring: Costa Rica dismantled its army in 1948 and reallocated the entire military budget to public welfare. And there's a young man working on the cacao plantation who has something to say. And there's a singer with a full tip jar. And there are Israelis living in Costa Rica who refuse to hurt animals. And there are our kids turning in for the night, dreaming about whatever it is that dreams are made of.