On and Off the Beaten Track

NOTE: This blog post was started a few days ago, but the hectic nature of the trip, while leading it and parenting prevented me from being able to post it until now…. 

We’ve made it to Jerusalem, not far from where Rachel and I lived 19 years ago when we studied at HUC’s Israel campus.

Getting here, we explored the North of the country, staying extremely active and bringing the group to sites I’ve been with groups before, such as excavation site Tel Dan, rafting down the Jordan river at Kfar Bloom, jeep tours of the border with Syria through the Golan Heights … but there are the places and people you don’t hear about unless you get off the beaten track. We visited a joint Jewish-Arab venture to empower Arab women through making olive oil and zatar. Women who otherwise would be only in their homes, not able to contribute to the family’s well-being and stuck barely getting by on her husband’s income are gaining tools to work and support their children and themselves in ways we all wish to be able to do. The Sindayanna Center of the Galil (Galilee region), near Kafr Kanna, took us in to learn about how their partnership is working and gave us a little zatar mix-making workshop. It was educational, inspirational and tasty!

We also went to an animal rescue, where we not only got to pet wolves and feed recovering animals, but we spoke with a former special ops warrior turned animal rescuer. He shared with us that he could no longer breathe in Tel Aviv, so he moved north, meet a blind horse who taught him about riding and about life. He has since dedicated himself to animals - he taught us how he communicates with them by observing their behaviors and interacting with them in kind. To care for the animals, they hire individuals who have special needs or are recovering from traumas, and so the people and animals help one another. One inspiring story was of a goat who broke her neck in a goat farm. She got it stuck in wire fencing … And it is probably the reason she’s alive. This group took her in, helped her to stabilize, and though her neck is still severely distorted, she has since become a mother and son to be grandmother due to their loving care. 

Finding the restaurant that Rachel and I both live in Jerusalem, T’mol Shilshom, requires one to duck through a small opening in a wall, into n alley courtyard before finding it. If you weren’t looking, you’d easily miss it - it’s where we met up with Danielle Wolff, who grew up at Or Shalom and is now starting her first year at HUC to become a Jewish educator. 

Through these winding paths, we get to know the people and the land in deeper ways, we find inspiration we didn’t know we needed, and we bring complexity and nuance to our understanding of a region and a people. I was able to have some wonderful conversations with our bus driver, Yakov, about politics and demonstrations in Israel. We might not have seen eye to eye, but we could each understand where we are coming from, and we could still be in relationship and connection and even kinship. We shook hands with respect and heard where we each stand - neither one with a party-line, but each of us with our own nuance and perspective that doesn’t fully align with the loudest political opinions. We wrestled, not to defeat, but to understand - and it was a good reminder of something I want to bring back home with me. It’s important to get off the beaten track, literally and figuratively. I want to spend more time wrestling with people, those I may not always see eye to eye - but not to defeat, rather to draw closer, to understand better and to be in connection with, rather than opposed against.

Running Into People

 One of the most amazing things I experience when I come to Israel has to do with the chance encounters that you could not plan. It seems like every time I come here, I run into someone at the most unexpected and yet totally natural places. But that’s kind of the entire experience of being here - we run into all kinds of unexpected things - places that strike us with the weight of history, societal challenges that are filled with complexity, stories that become our own. Traveling to Israel becomes a surprise encounter with ourselves.

Speaking of chance encounters … Last night, I joined a few people from the trip in going to the big Democracy demonstration in Tel Aviv. Over 120,000 people came to the streets in a peaceful, organized, spirited fashion - filled with Israel flags and hope and camaraderie. 

Among those 119,996 other people were Gil and Maya, former congregants from Raleigh. Gil had seen I was in town, and said to his brother, “what are the odds we run into rabbi Ari?” … well, whatever those odds started at, they became 100%

It was amazing to see them and learn more about the organizations supported by Gil’s niece. She mentioned the vast number of Israeli organizations who are part of these demonstrations, which is incredible, since usually any three Israeli organizations have trouble agreeing on anything. They gave me my own bamboo pole flag and made me a demonstrator as opposed to an observer. The only conflict we experienced was the awkward moment when my current and former congregants started a light-hearted “come back … you can’t have him” debate, though it was way less awkward then if it had been a “you can have him … we don’t want him” argument.

These demonstrators oppose the current government’s attempts to weaken the judiciary branch, allowing it to essentially become a pawn of the executive and legislative branches of government, as opposed to a partner/check-and-balance. The courts have been the protectors of the minority in this country, ensuring their rights alongside those who are in a majority. It was inspiring to see young, old, families, lgbtqia+, Jewish, Muslim … almost all demographics in Israel (except for religious right  - as expected, I didn’t any of see them). It was inspiring to see how much passion and care the people have over these issues. And as a speaker at the rally said (I’m doing my best to translate) “Each one of us” … from the academics, to the street vendors, to the medical professionals to the teachers … “We are the hope, the hope of two thousand years.”

Here are people leaving the rally:

In addition to the street encounter, I also got to reconnect with a friend from high school, who happened to be in town 5 minutes from my hotel. Funny thing is that last time we saw each other was 18 years ago, when he was in Israel, visiting from Shanghai, and I was studying to be a rabbi in Jerusalem… so great to catch up, Eric!! Here’s your #selfiewiththerabbi

Other highlights and visits included:

 The special Ayalon institute, home of the secret ammunition factory created before Israel’s war of independence. Check out this picture on the wall, right-most person … is it possible that Laila was one of the Hagganah youth recruited for the resistance?

We saw birds in nature

Murals in Tel Aviv

Ancient ruins in Caesaria

(Along with ancient toilets)

Here was a new experience for me: the Sindayanna Center of Galilee - a joint Jewish and Arab venture to empower Israeli-Arab women, give them skills to work and support themselves, and to make olive oil and zatar to distribute. Not only was it fun to make our own zatar, it was inspiring to hear from the women in charge and who are being empowered. The stuff we just don’t get to see on the news that shows glimmers of hope that peace can be possible.

There’s so much more interaction and coexistence than is ever written about in the media.

While at the bird observatory in the Hula Valley with our Israeli-Arab guide, we also saw some metal birds and heard the explosions of military battery (and saw the smoke from over the ridge) -a busy day for military exercises in the area.

And the trip is filled with fun, as well. Here’s a group singing “Doody Wiper” coming back from seeing the birds and the turtles and the water Buffalo and donkeys

Getting Ready for Shabbat

 Touring Yaffo and going to an art fair in Tel Aviv, we really started our exploration while also getting ready for Shabbat.

Our guide, Dr Doron Wilfand, shared a great visual understanding of the historical periods of Israel’s land and the various conquering rulers throughout history. It was a good thing I told people to bring hats today! Thanks to his volunteer prop, Adaya, too!

I know these are history lessons we can learn by reading books, but it’s far more interesting when standing in it and having the beautiful view of the Mediterranean Sea behind.

While strolling down one of the fanciest neighborhoods in Yaffo, we took the first #selfiewiththerabbi - it’s wonderful to be in this place with Or Shalom family and my family, as well!

Going to the market in Yaffo, I learned something new about the art of negotiating in Israel … kids make fantastic partners! 

Adaya was looking at a little yellow mezuzah, and of course the shop keeper came up to us and started shoving all kinds of things at her. She looked and listened but felt like he was too pushy, so she started to walk away. At that point, the guy turned to me and lowered his price from 80 shekel to 30, without me even having to say a word. . . I bought it more for the memory of it, and Adaya is happy to have a new mezuzah for her room!

From there, we went to an art festival in Tel Aviv, and discovered another great thing about being here: they have things on the shelves with my name! Growing up with the name, Ari, I never found a souvenir that had my name on it. No keychain or snow globe or bottle opener, and believe me, I looked!  But here, at the art fair, maybe 5 booths in, there was a puzzle on the shelf with my name! It was in Hebrew, but still - ready-made!! Finally, I feel so seen.

We also went through the shuk, and I discovered a little stand in the middle from the Marzipan bakery in Jerusalem! IYKYK! Their chocolate rugalach is divine. I bought enough to share with the whole bus as a special Shabbat treat, so they let my shopping buddy try some … I got a picture of her first bite of it. When I asked her what she thought, she replied, “I never want to leave here…”

Then it was time to get ready for Shabbat! We joined reform congregation Bet Daniel for an outdoor service, similar to our Shabbat in the Park at Or Shalom - right along Nahal Yarkon, the river Yarkon. I learned this outdoor series was actually being funded by the Israeli government as part of the strides made by the progressive movement in Israel. It was a lovely, musical Shabbat with familiar tunes and a special concert with Israeli musician and composer, Shem-Tov Levi. I recognized some of his songs made famous by Arik Einstein. 

Shabbat Shalom from Tel Aviv!!