5/16/15
This morning we walked to
Moreshet Yisrael, one of Jerusalem’s Conservative Synagogues. As we approached
the synagogue a man called out to us, “Go Hawks!” That was the kids’ first introduction
to Rabbi Adam Frank. Rabbi Frank is originally from Atlanta, attended GHA, and
even has nieces at Davis. He welcomed us to his congregation with open arms.
Highlights of the service were the parts where our kids were invited to play an
active role, including Audrey K. who chanted the Aliyah blessings beautifully.
As a gesture of good will, The Davis Academy sponsored the Kiddush reception so
our kids were able to help themselves to some delicious treats as they mingled
with the members of the congregation.
One of the gifts of Shabbat is
the gift of rest. In that spirit we tacked on an additional hour to lunch back
at the hotel so the kids could put their feet up and enjoy a few moments of
simple quiet. They were very appreciative.
The Israel Museum, our next stop,
is a remarkable place. Among the many priceless artifacts housed at the museum
are the Dead Sea Scrolls. One of the recurring themes of the Dead Sea Scrolls
is the idea that there always has been and always will be a cosmic battle between
“Bnai Or” (“The Children of Light”) and “Bnai Hoshech” (“The Children of
Darkness”). It was true 2,000 years ago and unfortunately it’s true today. Some
of us might even be willing to acknowledge that such a battle rages within our
own soul. To be a Jew is to cling to the belief that Bnai Or will eventually
and conclusively triumph. The kids had a good time completing a scavenger hunt
in the museum before taking our iconic group photo at the Ahava statue.
Across the street from the Israel
Museum are most of the government buildings of the State of Israel including
the Knesset and Supreme Court. A lovely park overflowing with rose bushes
separates the buildings. While looking for a shady spot to do a group
reflection we passed many birthright groups and families enjoying the beautiful
Jerusalem weather. To help the kids reflect, our tour guides placed various
creative maps of the Israel in the center of the circle. Kids were asked to
pick a map that helped them speak about an aspect of the Israel trip that was
important to them.
Before dinner we paid a quick
visit to the famous Menorah that stands outside the Knesset. Because the
Menorah contains the prophetic verse, “Not by might and not by power, but
through spirit alone,” we sang the Debbie Friedman song. In yet another moment
of connection the Birthright group next to us joined us in singing this
familiar song.
After enjoying pizza in the park
we made our way to the busses. As we walked the kids burst into a spontaneous
version of “Big Trip.” Mr. Barry took it upon himself to modify the lyrics to
reflect what we’ve actually done here in Israel. One of the themes of our group
reflection was how much more vivid and personal our connection to Israel is now
that we’ve actually visited here. The modified version of Big Trip captures
this theme perfectly.
Havdallah overlooking the Old
City was full of spirit. It’s bittersweet that the Ruach for Jewish music and
tefillah that the kids have when they’re younger but then kind of tuck away
during Middle School comes back in such full force on the Israel trip. It’s
bittersweet because there are only a few opportunities left for us to join our
voices in song and prayer. But the main thing is that we make the most of these
opportunities and that our kids leave Davis with the ability to access this
place of spirit and song whenever they want or need to.
The David Citadel Light Show
tells the history of Jerusalem in a compelling and memorable way. It’s a
perfect activity for a Saturday night in Jerusalem. If you haven’t studied the
history of Jerusalem there’s no way you can appreciate the narrative that the
Light Show tells. But our kids totally got it. They know their stuff.
Looking back on our Shabbat in
Jerusalem I’ll simply call our collective attention to the simplicity of the
day. We woke up, walked to shul, had lunch, rested, visited a lovely museum,
spent some time together in a park, made havdallah, and enjoyed a cultural
experience in Jerusalem. It was a perfect, simple day. Ahad Ha’am, an important
Zionist philosopher said, “More than the Jewish people have kept Shabbat,
Shabbat has kept the Jewish people.” I hope that this Shabbat in Jerusalem will
be one that the kids keep in their hearts and souls. I suspect that they will
and also suspect that for most, if not all, it won’t be the last they’ll
celebrate in this magical place.
Shavua Tov!
No comments:
Post a Comment