A day of rest

5/19/18

            Today we honored the timeless tradition of sleeping in on Shabbat: our wake up call came at 8:30! 

            After breakfast we took a leisurely Shabbat stroll to the Israel Museum. In addition to posing for our iconic picture in front of the Ahava sculpture, the kids had a chance to tour some of the museum’s many exhibits. The Israel Museum is a great reminder that Judaism is much more than the world’s oldest Monotheistic faith. Judaism is history, culture, language, art, dance, and so much more. It’s important to remind the kids of this and for us all to remember that Judaism is a civilization. Jewish religious practices and traditions are a central part of Jewish civilization, but they are not the sum total of it.

            After a picnic lunch we came back to the hotel for another timeless Shabbat tradition: a nap. Eventually we met back up in the hotel lobby to wish Jordan a happy birthday and then headed to the nearby park where we celebrated Kabbalat Shabbat last night. There we let the kids hang out and do whatever they wanted. Some played soccer with some young Ethiopian kids who wanted to join in. Others practiced various cheerleading routines. Others still wrote in their journals and others still played cards. Lots of activities. Lots of Shabbat. Lots of Shalom.

            We returned to the park once again after dinner at the hotel. This time for a group reflection. Using a list of reflective questions that we’ve developed over the years, the kids engaged in some pretty high level conversation. Many shared, and all listened respectfully. It’s clear that they are not only experiencing Israel, but actively trying to make meaning of their experiences here. Topics ranged from, “Does the world still need Jews?” to “How is Shabbat different in Israel?” to the topic of technology. When asked if they were enjoying being disconnected from their devices, pretty much every hand went up. Something to consider for sure. While we were in our discussion we heard a loud bang. Yishay informed us that it was the sound of a canon declaring the end of the day of fasting for Ramadan.

            By the time we finished our group reflection, Shabbat had departed and Shavuot had arrived. We are very fortunate to be able to spend Shavuot here in Jerusalem and look forward to telling you about our experiences that will take place in the early hours tomorrow morning. In the meantime, Shavua Tov!