The final countdown is well on its way. I have less than a month in this holy land. What has it meant to me and what will it mean?
In many ways, Israel as a country has shattered my expectations, for good and for bad. It is a land that is a leader in science and technology, with a military that attempts (note the word attempt) to wage war as humanely as possibly. Israel is a country where people walking by someone giving you directions will argue about those directions (if they don't just say yashar yashar (go straight)). While Babylon/Iraq may be called the cradle of civilization, Israel is the cradle of religion, serving as a nexus for many different peoples who struggle with themselves and each other in attempts to find meaning and Gd in this world. In this quest, it has been conquered and reconquered by Jews, Christians and Muslims and has had members of those three religions and others living in its lands virtually continuously since the creation of each of those religions.
As such it is a very holy place, but being a real country it cannot always live up to its desire of being an or l'goyim, a light unto the nations. It struggles daily with neighbors that would prefer that it not exist, some of which often work to bring about its destruction. It is a country founded on the ashes of the Shoah/Holocaust, that struggles to share the light of truth, justice and human rights. It is a place where the post office can run out of stamps and where government offices and schools can be on strike for weeks and months (note--this has not happened while I've been here!). It's very democratic government allows everyone to have a voice, but also allows small parties to hijack the government in demanding money for programs (ie Shas and other religious parties demanding 1 billion NIS to be in the government). The party that won the most seats in Knesset might not even be IN the government (as in this case).
In my time here, I've visited museums old and new, seen many ancient ruins, as well as modern new structures (mostly outside of Jersualem--but a few here, too). I have studied traditional texts, yet often with a modern spin, using traditional and non-traditional methods to find a connection to Gd, Israel and the Jewish people (in our past iterations as well as our modern versions).
With all this tsurris, as much as I struggle with being here, missing those I love and the home and city I love, Israel is a holy and wonderful place. I will look forward to coming back here--on vacation--and continuing to visit its history/archaeology and its technology/innovation, its past and its present. While some people hate the new bridge in the Jerusalem skyline, I think it is striking and beautiful. It is out of place, yet in place. It offers a bold, new future, yet in its blinding whiteness, also reminds one of the Jerusalem stone to which it is anchored, and which all buildings in Jerusalem have at least a facade of. In many ways, it truly represents Jerusalem and Israel, a place rooted in the past, yet struggling to face the future.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
quick link
Some good coming from all the unemployment--now if only the agencies could afford to do more with the surplus of volunteers:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/16/nyregion/16volunteers.html?em
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/16/nyregion/16volunteers.html?em
Friday, March 13, 2009
discomfort
Today I went to Hebron with Breaking the Silence. While acknowledging the problems of Palestinian terrorism, their focus is on the Israeli official response to such problems, especially during the second intifada. From their website:
"We demand accountability regarding Israel's military actions in the Occupied territories perpetrated by us and in our name."
The trip to Hebron was very interesting, starting with how close it is (less than 45 minutes). I was impressed with our guide, who encouraged us to return to Hebron and hear its story from different perspectives (ie Encounter with Palestinians or with the settlers of the area). It was wonderful to speak with individual Palestinians to hear their stories and very troubling to hear the difficulties of their lives, many of which are due directly to the settlers and the protection they require/demand.
As an American Jew, I am used to being superficially annoyed at the American justice system, but overall feeling that it is doing its job, that with notable flaws, the system works. It was very frustrating to hear about a system that seems not to be working. One of the Palestinians noted poignantly that the settlers are the ambassadors of the Jewish people and the ones in Hebron are not ones for which I ever voted.
It was a very troubling day. Viscerally, I am uncomfortable with Jews not living up to their expectations--purity of arms, light unto the nations, etc., etc. How can we do better?
Eek, time for Shabbat, more another day.
"We demand accountability regarding Israel's military actions in the Occupied territories perpetrated by us and in our name."
The trip to Hebron was very interesting, starting with how close it is (less than 45 minutes). I was impressed with our guide, who encouraged us to return to Hebron and hear its story from different perspectives (ie Encounter with Palestinians or with the settlers of the area). It was wonderful to speak with individual Palestinians to hear their stories and very troubling to hear the difficulties of their lives, many of which are due directly to the settlers and the protection they require/demand.
As an American Jew, I am used to being superficially annoyed at the American justice system, but overall feeling that it is doing its job, that with notable flaws, the system works. It was very frustrating to hear about a system that seems not to be working. One of the Palestinians noted poignantly that the settlers are the ambassadors of the Jewish people and the ones in Hebron are not ones for which I ever voted.
It was a very troubling day. Viscerally, I am uncomfortable with Jews not living up to their expectations--purity of arms, light unto the nations, etc., etc. How can we do better?
Eek, time for Shabbat, more another day.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
also
YAY. It rained in Israel while I was in the US. I'm very grateful that the water crisis is slightly ameliorated. The Kineret is still ridiculously low, but it is slightly higher than it was. Hallelujah. Now, we just need more rain. Tal u'matar l'vracha. Mashiv ha-ruach umorid hagashem/hageshem.
I'm back
After a rather extended hiatus, I return.
Here are some of the things I've done in the last few weeks:
They were:
Susanart/Yuval Susan foundation (www.kys.org.il)
This is a really interesting project to help at-risk youth by providing gainful employment and artistic skills to help them move forward in their lives. By creating some of the demands of a job with extra psychological support, they help teens get off the streets and back into school/army/etc. For me it was fun, since I got to try my hand at cutting glass. I hope to go back and learn to make glass beads! It looks like so much fun. We met with the director who afer a little prodding spoke about Judaism, tikkun olam, about all of Israel taking care of one another and how they have amazing conversations over book-binding or setting up the kiln.
Ethiopian National Project (http://www.ujc.org/page.aspx?id=99007)
We went to a high school and met a bunch of entertaining teenage girls in this after-school program. By providing tutors/teachers, role models--Israel and Ethiopian-Israeli, this program helps increase the number of Ethiopian teenagers who pass high school and go on to college and better army jobs/real life.
Ulpan Etzion/Beit Canada Absorption Center
Here we met with a couple new olim and learned about a nice absorption center. Who knew you could get set up with an apartment, food, Hebrew classes? Why don't other countries help out their new immigrants this way? It would make for a much better transition for so many people!
Ok, now to look at an application for a little bit.
Here are some of the things I've done in the last few weeks:
- finished my first semester in Israel
- went home to Atlanta
- finished semester again by writing an exam
- went to New York to see fiancee and my grandparents
- finished semester again by finishing the last paper
- looked into internships for next year
- began preparation for this summer
- picked 2 invitation choices for my wedding
- returned to Israel
They were:
Susanart/Yuval Susan foundation (www.kys.org.il)
This is a really interesting project to help at-risk youth by providing gainful employment and artistic skills to help them move forward in their lives. By creating some of the demands of a job with extra psychological support, they help teens get off the streets and back into school/army/etc. For me it was fun, since I got to try my hand at cutting glass. I hope to go back and learn to make glass beads! It looks like so much fun. We met with the director who afer a little prodding spoke about Judaism, tikkun olam, about all of Israel taking care of one another and how they have amazing conversations over book-binding or setting up the kiln.
Ethiopian National Project (http://www.ujc.org/page.aspx?id=99007)
We went to a high school and met a bunch of entertaining teenage girls in this after-school program. By providing tutors/teachers, role models--Israel and Ethiopian-Israeli, this program helps increase the number of Ethiopian teenagers who pass high school and go on to college and better army jobs/real life.
Ulpan Etzion/Beit Canada Absorption Center
Here we met with a couple new olim and learned about a nice absorption center. Who knew you could get set up with an apartment, food, Hebrew classes? Why don't other countries help out their new immigrants this way? It would make for a much better transition for so many people!
Ok, now to look at an application for a little bit.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Shabbat
Once again, Shabbat is coming--very, very soon! The rhythm of the week is such that we run and we run and we run and then we stop.
This week one of my roommates and I took a day off from this cycle. Yesterda
y, to start the day, we went to the Rockefeller Museum, which is now run by the Israeli Antiquities Authority, but was founded under the British Mandate and was under Jordanian control between 1948 and 1967. Interestingly, the biblical period was pretty lacking. Historical objects from time periods before and after were much more extensively cataloged and displayed. Later, we hiked the Mt of Olives and Mt. Zion. We saw tombs of Mary and King David, as well as some Christian holy people. We visited churches magnificent and tiny, reminding ourselves that Jerusalem is more than the Angl0-Jewish neighborhood in which we live. We had a tour guide who was an interesting character, getting us into places that might or might not have been open, but the price was a little steeper than we expected. Oh well, it was an awesome day. Lots of great photos and vistas. My roommate discussed how much he liked to hike. We definitely covered that yesterday! Looking for a specific church, we walked up the Mt of Olives twice. Going down a rather treacherous path. (No pictures of that.) We literally walked up the side of Mt. Zion--our tour guide said it was a short cut. Overall, lots of fun and great exercise!
Today I did my weekly nursing home visit. This week there was no singing at all, but some interesting conversations; I also read the entire parsha with one of my friends there. Following that I got a 1.1 k swim in. I'm trying to get back into the exercise cycle; we'll see how it sticks!
In other news--this week's parsha--Moses gets called again. You might say he wasn't listenening at the burning bush? I think it just shows the humanity of Moses--he needs to be asked a couple times. How often do we need to be asked to take upon large tasks? Often it is more than once. We do not want to rearrange our priorities, we fear that we are not up to the task. How great a Torah do we have, that we learn that even our greatest leaders had some of the same problems?? From this we can learn that even if we fail to be ready the first time, it just allows us to be more ready the next time the call goes through.
Shabbat Shalom.
This week one of my roommates and I took a day off from this cycle. Yesterda
y, to start the day, we went to the Rockefeller Museum, which is now run by the Israeli Antiquities Authority, but was founded under the British Mandate and was under Jordanian control between 1948 and 1967. Interestingly, the biblical period was pretty lacking. Historical objects from time periods before and after were much more extensively cataloged and displayed. Later, we hiked the Mt of Olives and Mt. Zion. We saw tombs of Mary and King David, as well as some Christian holy people. We visited churches magnificent and tiny, reminding ourselves that Jerusalem is more than the Angl0-Jewish neighborhood in which we live. We had a tour guide who was an interesting character, getting us into places that might or might not have been open, but the price was a little steeper than we expected. Oh well, it was an awesome day. Lots of great photos and vistas. My roommate discussed how much he liked to hike. We definitely covered that yesterday! Looking for a specific church, we walked up the Mt of Olives twice. Going down a rather treacherous path. (No pictures of that.) We literally walked up the side of Mt. Zion--our tour guide said it was a short cut. Overall, lots of fun and great exercise!
Today I did my weekly nursing home visit. This week there was no singing at all, but some interesting conversations; I also read the entire parsha with one of my friends there. Following that I got a 1.1 k swim in. I'm trying to get back into the exercise cycle; we'll see how it sticks!
In other news--this week's parsha--Moses gets called again. You might say he wasn't listenening at the burning bush? I think it just shows the humanity of Moses--he needs to be asked a couple times. How often do we need to be asked to take upon large tasks? Often it is more than once. We do not want to rearrange our priorities, we fear that we are not up to the task. How great a Torah do we have, that we learn that even our greatest leaders had some of the same problems?? From this we can learn that even if we fail to be ready the first time, it just allows us to be more ready the next time the call goes through.
Shabbat Shalom.
Monday, January 19, 2009
funny how things work
As I mentioned in my last post, I've been a little stressed recently. I'm definitely ready for finals to be over (well, first to start and then to end). I'm very much looking forward to being back in the United States, however briefly. I have also noticed a pattern recently. Overall, I'm quite happy here. I learn, I sleep, I eat poorly. I try to swim/exercise a little. Attempt to do homework periodically. Walk up and down hills. Do laundry. Communicate with USA. Repeat. When I discuss this, I often sound a little bitter. My soul is yearning for more, for something else. Periodically I find reminders of some of those yearnings--for example, enjoying the company of little ones at Shabbat meals--a reminder that this world is not made up entirely of rabbinical students and their teachers--or on the other side, volunteering at a nursing side and speaking with people of another generation or three. Tonight, I dragged myself to a class taught at http://www.shlomoyeshiva.org It was absolutely beautiful. Studying the parsha through the eyes of a Hasidic commentary, feeling no pressure to cover material, but merely to learn, to discuss, to hear insights from the teacher and each other. Would I want to do this all the time? I don't know. Do I want to integrate more study such as this into my life--absolutely yes!
Friday, January 16, 2009
quick update
,
This has been a busy/stressful couple weeks. At the same time, it has had its nice moments.
Last week my fiancee's grandmother passed away. She was a wonderful woman who I will always remember with love and fondness. She was always lovely to me, from our very first meeting at her great-grandson's birthday party. It was tremendously difficult to be in Jerusalem, knowing that I could not be with my love and her family in such a difficult time.
I think that may have been one of the triggers for some of my actions this week, going on an extra field trip with the Masorti Movement, visiting different parts of the country. Since I could not be where I wanted to be in America, I wanted to offer my support here, to those that needed it.
Thursday was a trip to Tel Aviv, seeing Van Gogh's impact upon artists here. If you click the link, it gets you to an article about the exhibit. The photo that is attached is a photo of Reuven Rubin's painting of Van Gogh's chair, with the tour guide holding up Van Gogh's chair. Rubin transformed the scene by bringing the chair to Tel Aviv, flipping it so it would read right to left, putting a window to a Tel Aviv street scene, and adding flowers to bring your focus out the window (at least according to my reading). You can decide for yourself. He added more color and life, while copying Van Gogh's brush stroke style.
Today was and will be a good day. I went to the nursing home, read through the entire parsha with one resident, met a 101 year old woman from New Zealand (so I actually could communicate with her), sang some Shabbat songs and had an overall nice time. I didn't sing on 2 of the floors this time, choosing instead to talk with individuals there. (I didn't really want to shut off a tv of pretty music to replace it with my voice, no matter if my voice teacher says it is a decent one!) This afternoon I went swimming and tried to swim very slowly. (I haven't gone in far too long, since my health has been up and down lately.) I managed to swim 1000m, which is a decent amount. It's far more than I've otherwise done recently. It also doesn't make my feet sore.
Anyway, time for Shabbat, so must conclude. Shabbat Shalom!
This has been a busy/stressful couple weeks. At the same time, it has had its nice moments.
Last week my fiancee's grandmother passed away. She was a wonderful woman who I will always remember with love and fondness. She was always lovely to me, from our very first meeting at her great-grandson's birthday party. It was tremendously difficult to be in Jerusalem, knowing that I could not be with my love and her family in such a difficult time.
I think that may have been one of the triggers for some of my actions this week, going on an extra field trip with the Masorti Movement, visiting different parts of the country. Since I could not be where I wanted to be in America, I wanted to offer my support here, to those that needed it.
Thursday was a trip to Tel Aviv, seeing Van Gogh's impact upon artists here. If you click the link, it gets you to an article about the exhibit. The photo that is attached is a photo of Reuven Rubin's painting of Van Gogh's chair, with the tour guide holding up Van Gogh's chair. Rubin transformed the scene by bringing the chair to Tel Aviv, flipping it so it would read right to left, putting a window to a Tel Aviv street scene, and adding flowers to bring your focus out the window (at least according to my reading). You can decide for yourself. He added more color and life, while copying Van Gogh's brush stroke style.
Today was and will be a good day. I went to the nursing home, read through the entire parsha with one resident, met a 101 year old woman from New Zealand (so I actually could communicate with her), sang some Shabbat songs and had an overall nice time. I didn't sing on 2 of the floors this time, choosing instead to talk with individuals there. (I didn't really want to shut off a tv of pretty music to replace it with my voice, no matter if my voice teacher says it is a decent one!) This afternoon I went swimming and tried to swim very slowly. (I haven't gone in far too long, since my health has been up and down lately.) I managed to swim 1000m, which is a decent amount. It's far more than I've otherwise done recently. It also doesn't make my feet sore.
Anyway, time for Shabbat, so must conclude. Shabbat Shalom!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
wow! This is amazing.
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'Are human rights for some, but not for others?'
Liraz Madmony, a 23-year-old law student from Sderot, addressed the UN Human Rights Council Special Session on Gaza in Geneva on behalf of the European Union of Jewish Students (EUJS) on Monday, before the vote by the council that condemned Israel's military offensive in Gaza and resolved to send a fact-finding mission to investigate alleged Israeli abuses against Palestinians.
Liraz Madmony of Sderot addresses the UN in Geneva, Monday.
Photo: Courtesy
Here is the text of her speech.
Thank you, Mr. President.
I come from Sderot, the city in Israel that for eight years has been terrorized, by 10,000 rockets fired against us from Gaza.
As a law student, I learned - and I believe - that all human beings have the right to peace and security.
But when I see today's resolution, I ask: Why is the United Nations ignoring my suffering? When the terrorists committed these 10,000 violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, why was the UN silent?
Are human rights for some, but not others?
The constant assault on Sderot has destroyed our ability to lead a normal life. The warning before each attack gives us only 15 seconds to run for shelter. Fifteen seconds that will decide, life or death.
Mr. President, who will protect our right to life? My family does not have a bomb shelter, so we run to the most protected room, which is the shower.
There is one attack I will never forget. We heard the siren at seven in the morning. We ran to the shower. The rockets fell next to my house. My little brother, who was 14, went to see if anyone needed help. He found a man whose legs were blown off, and a woman blown to pieces.
My youngest brother is six. The rockets have been falling for eight years. He knows no other reality.
Everyone suffers in Sderot. Fathers and mothers are afraid to go to work, creating poverty. Kids are afraid to go to school. I have missed many of my law classes. My friends are afraid to visit. The streets lie empty.
I dream of the hometown that I remember. When the park near my house was filled with happy families and children playing. When people enjoyed life.
I still dream of peace. It will come when the rulers of Gaza choose humanity over hate, when they stop firing on our children while hiding behind their own.
We refuse to grant victory to the terrorists. We choose to live, staying strong with our faith, family and love of country.
Mr. President, who will protect our most basic human rights? My country is now trying its best, and all who love life and desire peace should pray they succeed.
Thank you, Mr. President.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
ideas?
Working on a bulletin article for shul in NY. Here's what I have so far:
I’m sitting on my couch in Jerusalem, watching the sixth season of the West Wing, where the writers solved the conflict in the Middle East in just a couple episodes. Unfortunately, real life is not so easy. For the last two weeks, Israel has been fighting Hamas in Gaza. The Israeli Defense Force has been working to stop Hamas from firing rockets at Sderot, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Beer Sheva and all of the other areas around Gaza. They began after the “cease fire” ended. For six months, Israel has not responded to the rockets and missiles that Hamas fired in increasing numbers as the “cease fire” was winding down. Multiple times a day, residents in Sderot, Ashdod, Beer Sheva, race to bomb shelters. Online are videos of children running from the playground to a bomb shelter. They literally must run for the lives multiple times a day. What must that be like for a child? What goes on in a child's psyche who must endure this day in and day out for weeks, months, years? What is there understanding of danger? of the value of life? of the joy of life?
See http://www.sderotmedia.com/
In the first chapter of the book of Exodus, we read "8 A new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, "Look, the Israelite people are much too numerous for us. 10 Let us deal shrewdly with them, so that they may not increase; otherwise in the event of war they may join our enemies in fighting against us and rise from the ground."
We see that with a new king, who did not know the people individually, who knew them only as a faceless mass, they were scary; they were a threat; they were a potential enemy. When Pharaoh knew Joseph, he knew that he had a partner in peace; he knew the potential good that could come from cooperation.
Right now, we are lacking those faces. Hamas does not see the faces of the children whose lives they shatter. They do not see Israelis as men, women, and children, but see all as the enemy. The IDF, even as it works to avoid civilian casualties, to prevent "collateral damage," sees only the masks of Hamas' terrorists and not the faces behind them. How can we make peace when the other wants only to destroy us? How can we find the faces and the partners when the other is not willing to see ours?
These are not easy questions. They will not be solved today or tomorrow. We know that many other peoples and nations have fought wars and made peace, have been mortal enemies and now work in cooperation. Godwilling we may join them at some point soon. Shalom, Salaam, please.
I’m sitting on my couch in Jerusalem, watching the sixth season of the West Wing, where the writers solved the conflict in the Middle East in just a couple episodes. Unfortunately, real life is not so easy. For the last two weeks, Israel has been fighting Hamas in Gaza. The Israeli Defense Force has been working to stop Hamas from firing rockets at Sderot, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Beer Sheva and all of the other areas around Gaza. They began after the “cease fire” ended. For six months, Israel has not responded to the rockets and missiles that Hamas fired in increasing numbers as the “cease fire” was winding down. Multiple times a day, residents in Sderot, Ashdod, Beer Sheva, race to bomb shelters. Online are videos of children running from the playground to a bomb shelter. They literally must run for the lives multiple times a day. What must that be like for a child? What goes on in a child's psyche who must endure this day in and day out for weeks, months, years? What is there understanding of danger? of the value of life? of the joy of life?
See http://www.sderotmedia.com/
In the first chapter of the book of Exodus, we read "8 A new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, "Look, the Israelite people are much too numerous for us. 10 Let us deal shrewdly with them, so that they may not increase; otherwise in the event of war they may join our enemies in fighting against us and rise from the ground."
We see that with a new king, who did not know the people individually, who knew them only as a faceless mass, they were scary; they were a threat; they were a potential enemy. When Pharaoh knew Joseph, he knew that he had a partner in peace; he knew the potential good that could come from cooperation.
Right now, we are lacking those faces. Hamas does not see the faces of the children whose lives they shatter. They do not see Israelis as men, women, and children, but see all as the enemy. The IDF, even as it works to avoid civilian casualties, to prevent "collateral damage," sees only the masks of Hamas' terrorists and not the faces behind them. How can we make peace when the other wants only to destroy us? How can we find the faces and the partners when the other is not willing to see ours?
These are not easy questions. They will not be solved today or tomorrow. We know that many other peoples and nations have fought wars and made peace, have been mortal enemies and now work in cooperation. Godwilling we may join them at some point soon. Shalom, Salaam, please.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Life in wartime?
Speaking to family and friends in America, it seems there is great concern about the situation in Israel. Living in Israel, it seems we are much more comfortable! Since 2001, Palestinian groups and Hamas have fired over 10,000 rockets into Israel. For the most part, these rockets are crude, and mostly do little damage. This is not always the case--in the last few days, several Israelis (as well as a few Palestinians working on an Israeli house) have been murdered by these rockets. For the last six months (ending last Friday) there had been a "truce" between Israel and Hamas, brokered by Egypt. While Israel had followed the truce and had not retaliated in Gaza, Hamas has fired hundreds of rockets into Israel. Towns and cities near Gaza such as Sderot and now Ashdod and even Ashkelon have had their schools, hospitals, playgrounds, pizza places, empty fields, hit by rockets. Those cities are almost moving underground, as they need to remain close to shelters! Hospitals have moved entire wards to bunkers/reinforced cellars under the hospitals.
Jerusalem is 78km/48miles from Gaza and Tel Aviv is 71km/44miles from Gaza. The farthest missles have gone is 18miles from Gaza--they usually go less than 5miles. Either way, we are a long distance away!
Jerusalem looks pretty much like it did last week. People are shopping, working, going to school (except for Hanukkah breaks!). Security seems slightly more alert, more soldiers wandering (patrolling?) around the old city. At the same time, life is basically normal. As long as one stays away from Gaza, there seems to be no reason to change any other routines. We had been in Eilat for Shabbat and literally had no idea that anything was going on until the dean called to check in with us! After wandering the Old City to find the old ladies selling red bendles (they were apparently on vacation the last few days), we went back towards Ben Yehuda for kosher Burger King and discovered this store: www.gans.co.il They have beautiful things, almost all made in Israel--90 Israeli artists, 89 of whom make everything in Israel, 1 of whom makes some of her materials in Bulgaria. I bought some beautiful presents for my parents, which they will hopefully receive in a couple weeks.
MSNBC map of Gaza "crisis"
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28423775/
MSNBC's title is appropriate. The current situation is a crisis for Gaza, not for Israel (Thank Gd!). Israel is working to stop the continual rocket attacks, to create a truce that truly means a normal life for those in rocket range of the Gaza Strip. It is fascinating to see how Israel is blamed for the lack of aid to the innocent Palestinians, when the border between Gaza and Egypt requires Egyptian soldiers to shoot and kill Palestinians trying to leave. Egypt is an Arab country. On the other side, Jordan is 3/4 Palestinian. Why does the UN define refugees as the first generation worldwide, but for Palestinians "refugee" status can be conferred on descendants. Why are the Palestinian refugees not citizens of Syria or Jordan or any of theother lands where they are living in terrible conditions in refugee camps? Where is the outrage that their Arab brothers and sisters are treating them so poorly. Why are they not allowed to vote or get a decent education or integrate into society? Why are they told that it is all Israel's fault?
There were several hundred thousand Jews who were forced out of Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, etc. etc., all of whom were absorbed and made to be citizens of Israel. Were they always treated perfectly, no? Yet, they were citizens, created new politcal parties, voted, helped to create and change the state of Israel.
That's all folks (other than a bunch of articles I recommend):
Below is a selection of news stories from Israeli and other papers/websites that discuss different aspects of the situation.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3647296,00.html
From ynet (article linked above):
3) “It’s all because of Israel’s siege. Israel should allow aid into Gaza.”
Israel has allowed goods into Gaza regularly throughout the “siege”. Palestinians have been able to complement these deliveries with supplies smuggled through hundreds of tunnels (of course, they would likely be able to bring in even more food had they not used the tunnels to smuggle in missiles.). The day before operation “Cast Lead” got underway, Israel allowed dozens of trucks carrying aid to enter the Strip. On Tuesday, another 100 trucks – double the normal number –are expected to enter Gaza after Defense Minister Barak approved the move.
http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1051235.html
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1230456534488&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
From fox:
Jerusalem is 78km/48miles from Gaza and Tel Aviv is 71km/44miles from Gaza. The farthest missles have gone is 18miles from Gaza--they usually go less than 5miles. Either way, we are a long distance away!
Jerusalem looks pretty much like it did last week. People are shopping, working, going to school (except for Hanukkah breaks!). Security seems slightly more alert, more soldiers wandering (patrolling?) around the old city. At the same time, life is basically normal. As long as one stays away from Gaza, there seems to be no reason to change any other routines. We had been in Eilat for Shabbat and literally had no idea that anything was going on until the dean called to check in with us! After wandering the Old City to find the old ladies selling red bendles (they were apparently on vacation the last few days), we went back towards Ben Yehuda for kosher Burger King and discovered this store: www.gans.co.il They have beautiful things, almost all made in Israel--90 Israeli artists, 89 of whom make everything in Israel, 1 of whom makes some of her materials in Bulgaria. I bought some beautiful presents for my parents, which they will hopefully receive in a couple weeks.
MSNBC map of Gaza "crisis"
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28423775/
MSNBC's title is appropriate. The current situation is a crisis for Gaza, not for Israel (Thank Gd!). Israel is working to stop the continual rocket attacks, to create a truce that truly means a normal life for those in rocket range of the Gaza Strip. It is fascinating to see how Israel is blamed for the lack of aid to the innocent Palestinians, when the border between Gaza and Egypt requires Egyptian soldiers to shoot and kill Palestinians trying to leave. Egypt is an Arab country. On the other side, Jordan is 3/4 Palestinian. Why does the UN define refugees as the first generation worldwide, but for Palestinians "refugee" status can be conferred on descendants. Why are the Palestinian refugees not citizens of Syria or Jordan or any of theother lands where they are living in terrible conditions in refugee camps? Where is the outrage that their Arab brothers and sisters are treating them so poorly. Why are they not allowed to vote or get a decent education or integrate into society? Why are they told that it is all Israel's fault?
There were several hundred thousand Jews who were forced out of Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, etc. etc., all of whom were absorbed and made to be citizens of Israel. Were they always treated perfectly, no? Yet, they were citizens, created new politcal parties, voted, helped to create and change the state of Israel.
That's all folks (other than a bunch of articles I recommend):
Below is a selection of news stories from Israeli and other papers/websites that discuss different aspects of the situation.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3647296,00.html
From ynet (article linked above):
3) “It’s all because of Israel’s siege. Israel should allow aid into Gaza.”
Israel has allowed goods into Gaza regularly throughout the “siege”. Palestinians have been able to complement these deliveries with supplies smuggled through hundreds of tunnels (of course, they would likely be able to bring in even more food had they not used the tunnels to smuggle in missiles.). The day before operation “Cast Lead” got underway, Israel allowed dozens of trucks carrying aid to enter the Strip. On Tuesday, another 100 trucks – double the normal number –are expected to enter Gaza after Defense Minister Barak approved the move.
In short, Israel is allowing aid into the Strip (but guess who has kept Gaza crossings mostly closed thus far? That’s right, Egypt.)
4) “Why didn’t Israel just agree to renew the Gaza truce?” First, what truce? Terror groups continued to fire rockets throughout the lull, even if somewhat infrequently, and even if the world didn’t seem to care too much. Nonetheless, Israel clearly declared that it is interested in extending the truce. Our top officials made it clear time and again. Yet Hamas leaders clearly declared that the truce has ended on December 19th, and proceeded to bombard southern Israeli communities with dozens of rockets daily. In short, it is no wonder that even the Egyptians are blaming Hamas this time.
Hamas Credo Led It To End Cease-Fire
RAMALLAH, West Bank — On the wall of the Israeli government press office in Jerusalem on Monday was a stack of yellow Post-it notes pasted one on top of the next, with the number 10,048 scrawled on the top one. That was the number of Palestinian rockets and mortar shells fired into Israel from Gaza since 2001. . .
http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1051235.html
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1230456534488&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
From fox:
From 2000 to 2004, Hamas was responsible for killing nearly 400 Israelis and wounding more than 2,000 in 425 attacks, according to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
From 2001 through May 2008, Hamas launched more than 3,000 Qassam rockets and 2,500 mortar attacks against Israeli targets.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Kol Isha (Woman's Voice)
I'm here (the fiancee) writing on my boy's blog. I figured I'd share some for all those following. I do not have quite the words of talmudic wisdom that he has, but at least I can share our past week's adventures.
After a few hours of delay, without any actual acknowledgment, explanation or reason for the delay, I took off and landed without any difficulty. I was able to meet the boy easily, and ironically bumped into another friend's brother in the airport.
Food is not quite that different- as my first meal was pizza and have had italian food other times during the trip. (Surprise, surprise).
We've been very stereotypical tourists- visiting Ben Yehuda Street, Emek Refayim, Malha Mall, KFC, etc. I am finding that people are just as stubborn and willing to walk into you as previously, but people are still very much willing to learn where you are from and why you are visiting Israel. People are also very willing to help in most ways- pointing the direction, talking in English (or Hebrew slowly, or Hebr-ish- a combination of English and Hebrew) and just making light conversation. In fact, one day I went into a store and spent a good 30 minutes talking with the store owner since he spent a good part of his life in the same town as me. I've had fun just being in Israel during Chanukah- no true signs of Christmas anywhere, just the chanukiot in apartment windows, in shop stores, and even being lit up high in the windy sky by the Jerusalem Chabad on a fire truck (pictures to follow upon my return to the states).
Over Shabbat, I adventured with my sweetie to Eilat. Unbeknownst to my parents, we rented a car and drove through the Negev. We did not drive through the West Bank, like the bus does, if we had gone with that mode of transportation. While Eilat is beautiful, it is extremely commercial, and was not quite as much fun as my previous experiences- as in 90 degree weather upon my return from Jordan where the temperature was even higher. We relaxed along the beach, walked through the silly kiosks/stalls/stands, the mall, and just walked. We also visited the aquarium- which was a true delight. While it probably is a lot more fun for kids- it was beautiful.
I do have to say that jet lag is not an easy thing to deal with, and I am still, almost a week later, having difficulty adjusting.
It was not until we received a call from the Dean inquiring as to whether we were safe and sound that we were even made aware of the latest news in Gaza.mJust a word- nothing was really made aware here. We have felt completely safe, and have not had any issues so far. We will continue to be safe as we have been, and hope to make another trip to the Kotel, and then a last trip to Tel Aviv before my flight leaves Thursday morning.
Anyway, a belated Chag Orim Sameach, Merry Christmas, and a soon to be Happy New Year, and to all a good night (really, it's time to go to bed here).
After a few hours of delay, without any actual acknowledgment, explanation or reason for the delay, I took off and landed without any difficulty. I was able to meet the boy easily, and ironically bumped into another friend's brother in the airport.
Food is not quite that different- as my first meal was pizza and have had italian food other times during the trip. (Surprise, surprise).
We've been very stereotypical tourists- visiting Ben Yehuda Street, Emek Refayim, Malha Mall, KFC, etc. I am finding that people are just as stubborn and willing to walk into you as previously, but people are still very much willing to learn where you are from and why you are visiting Israel. People are also very willing to help in most ways- pointing the direction, talking in English (or Hebrew slowly, or Hebr-ish- a combination of English and Hebrew) and just making light conversation. In fact, one day I went into a store and spent a good 30 minutes talking with the store owner since he spent a good part of his life in the same town as me. I've had fun just being in Israel during Chanukah- no true signs of Christmas anywhere, just the chanukiot in apartment windows, in shop stores, and even being lit up high in the windy sky by the Jerusalem Chabad on a fire truck (pictures to follow upon my return to the states).
Over Shabbat, I adventured with my sweetie to Eilat. Unbeknownst to my parents, we rented a car and drove through the Negev. We did not drive through the West Bank, like the bus does, if we had gone with that mode of transportation. While Eilat is beautiful, it is extremely commercial, and was not quite as much fun as my previous experiences- as in 90 degree weather upon my return from Jordan where the temperature was even higher. We relaxed along the beach, walked through the silly kiosks/stalls/stands, the mall, and just walked. We also visited the aquarium- which was a true delight. While it probably is a lot more fun for kids- it was beautiful.
I do have to say that jet lag is not an easy thing to deal with, and I am still, almost a week later, having difficulty adjusting.
It was not until we received a call from the Dean inquiring as to whether we were safe and sound that we were even made aware of the latest news in Gaza.mJust a word- nothing was really made aware here. We have felt completely safe, and have not had any issues so far. We will continue to be safe as we have been, and hope to make another trip to the Kotel, and then a last trip to Tel Aviv before my flight leaves Thursday morning.
Anyway, a belated Chag Orim Sameach, Merry Christmas, and a soon to be Happy New Year, and to all a good night (really, it's time to go to bed here).
Monday, December 22, 2008
she's almost on the plane!
The last two months have been a fantastic learning experience. While I've lived in graduate housing, this is the second time I've been in a "real" apartment, and the second time that has been in Israel. Thank Gd, this experience is a heck of a lot better than the last time. In the last two months I have not left Jerusalem much, but I have gotten into a routine of school, sleep, west wing, and occasional eating and exercising (if you don't count the twice daily walk up Schechter's mountain). I probably should work on the latter two more!
This week has many exciting possibilities:
1) My fiancee is almost on a plane to the Holy Land. While I have done ok in this country, it will be wonderful to have my love at my side, exploring together.
2) I'm hopefully having more voice lessons this week.
3) My fiancee is coming tomorrow!
4) I may get confirmation to begin my volunteer project.
5) My fiancee and I will explore this wonderful country--trying to get under Israel's skin and see all of its glory (and less beautiful parts, too).
6) She's coming here in less than 12 hours.
Note: for those outside Israel, there is much more to this country than concrete. It is full of greenery, life, color, children, adults, etc. In very few areas have I seen barbed wire--I see more in New York City! It is one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world. [While at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the BFL leadership conference, we heard a lecture about how those outside of Israel view the country. In focus groups around America and Europe, most non-Jews thought that Israel was concrete/barbed wire. In virtually all cases, the participants in the focus groups did not mention any colors when describing Israel (as opposed to many colors when describing other countries). To help demonstrate my point, I'm attaching some of Israel's greenery. It is fascinating to see forests on one side of a mountain and deserts on another--and yet to see green even in the desert!
With that pithy post, I conclude. I need to clean a little more and then sleep!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
testing 1 2 3
(Sorry parents and future in-laws for the repetition.)
Attached is a photo from yesterday morning's leadership program. We went to Neot Kedumim the biblical landscape park near Modiin. This Thursday-Saturday was the last of 3 leadership training Shabbatot that I have attended/participated in. In previous weeks we have heard lectures, attended museums, compared leadership styles of Herzl and Begin, collected food at the shuk for poor Jerusalem families. This Friday we went to Neot Kedumim for outdoor training. One of the activities was herding goats and sheep. My group was most successful. The last part of this activity was getting all the sheep to one side and the goats to another side of a field (in marked circles). One little lamb thought he/she? was a goat. After chasing him around a bit, we cornered him and I carried him to the correct circle so that we might complete our time. Overall a really entertaining experience! Remind me and I'll send more photos and more of the story soon.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
another day, another dream
I woke up this morning, hit snooze and had a dream that I slept too late to go to class. In my dream every clock I looked at had a different time. Strange.
Friday, December 12, 2008
2 minute update
Everything that's going on with me in 2 minutes or less:
Machon Schechter is great. They are working really hard to make sure we are learning and satisfied with our education and experience. I know that last year was very rocky and they seem to be making efforts to fix past problems and prevent new ones.
I'm a bit petrified of my halakha exam. I hope that I get some good studying done before Shabbat.
I'm curious as to who/what package is at the post office for me.
I'm amused at how complicated it is to try to volunteer in this country. I've been in touch with tons of people at various hospitals and nursing homes. I've now met the second person at a place I think I will be volunteering and will need to meet a third person before I will actually get to meet any residents. At least I should know where it is by then!
Google maps for Israel is annoying. I'm glad that it exists but I don't understand why sometimes it finds streets and addresses and sometimes it is totally clueless--regardless of whether you are writing in Hebrew or English. The walking directions are decent (and a fantastic idea)--when it works! Now if only they made a bus map, since Egged doesn't seem to.
Things I'm confused about with this country:
lines/lack thereof
post office
government in general
rude waiters
lack of bus maps or schedules on bus stations
drivers/moped--how do these people not expect to kill themselves or others??
That's all for today.
or not--It was awesome to see my sister for lunch. It was great to work out a little at the gym (although no swimming today). My legs this evening decided that I'd walked enough which made getting the last block home a bit challenging. Finally, I'm really excited to babysit this Sunday!!!
Machon Schechter is great. They are working really hard to make sure we are learning and satisfied with our education and experience. I know that last year was very rocky and they seem to be making efforts to fix past problems and prevent new ones.
I'm a bit petrified of my halakha exam. I hope that I get some good studying done before Shabbat.
I'm curious as to who/what package is at the post office for me.
I'm amused at how complicated it is to try to volunteer in this country. I've been in touch with tons of people at various hospitals and nursing homes. I've now met the second person at a place I think I will be volunteering and will need to meet a third person before I will actually get to meet any residents. At least I should know where it is by then!
Google maps for Israel is annoying. I'm glad that it exists but I don't understand why sometimes it finds streets and addresses and sometimes it is totally clueless--regardless of whether you are writing in Hebrew or English. The walking directions are decent (and a fantastic idea)--when it works! Now if only they made a bus map, since Egged doesn't seem to.
Things I'm confused about with this country:
lines/lack thereof
post office
government in general
rude waiters
lack of bus maps or schedules on bus stations
drivers/moped--how do these people not expect to kill themselves or others??
That's all for today.
or not--It was awesome to see my sister for lunch. It was great to work out a little at the gym (although no swimming today). My legs this evening decided that I'd walked enough which made getting the last block home a bit challenging. Finally, I'm really excited to babysit this Sunday!!!
Saturday, December 6, 2008
time to go
Shavua tov. Another week, another Shabbat.
Had a lovely evening with 3 out of 4 of the roommates for Shabbat dinner. Lunch was with an amazing prof. and his 6 children and wonderful wife. We had good food at all the meals and great company, too.
I also wanted to second my sister's comment this week about having an urge to go home. After thinking that I did not know any Hebrew grammar, I took some time off and walked to the Old City. I realized I did actually learn some Hebrew in the last few years (as well as this one), which was reassuring-as was Hebrew the next day, when my Hebrew teacher took time to talk to each of us about our strength and weaknesses.
Anyway, it was a busy week. Some was very difficult, some was fantastic. I hope this week will be even better. Time for some kosher KFC and looking for a pillow. I've been sleeping on a Mogu star, which is really comfy, but it isn't a real pillow!
Had a lovely evening with 3 out of 4 of the roommates for Shabbat dinner. Lunch was with an amazing prof. and his 6 children and wonderful wife. We had good food at all the meals and great company, too.
I also wanted to second my sister's comment this week about having an urge to go home. After thinking that I did not know any Hebrew grammar, I took some time off and walked to the Old City. I realized I did actually learn some Hebrew in the last few years (as well as this one), which was reassuring-as was Hebrew the next day, when my Hebrew teacher took time to talk to each of us about our strength and weaknesses.
Anyway, it was a busy week. Some was very difficult, some was fantastic. I hope this week will be even better. Time for some kosher KFC and looking for a pillow. I've been sleeping on a Mogu star, which is really comfy, but it isn't a real pillow!
Monday, December 1, 2008
more time
I want more time. I want to reorganize days to include more than 24 hours and weeks to include 8 days. I think it would make life better. It might also require the adjustment of laws of physics and of the universe, but I'd be happier. Is that a good enough reason to change the world?
Today was a very long day. I have tons of homework. I managed to do a bit of it. There is always tomorrow! Also, had some cooling off time in the old city--although I was overheating at the wall! In the sunshine, it felt like it was in the mid 80s, but I don't think it was quite that warm.
Perhaps tomorrow I will learn more Hebrew and will not be so frustrated with this arduous process.
Tomorrow will be better. Isn't it always?
Today was a very long day. I have tons of homework. I managed to do a bit of it. There is always tomorrow! Also, had some cooling off time in the old city--although I was overheating at the wall! In the sunshine, it felt like it was in the mid 80s, but I don't think it was quite that warm.
Perhaps tomorrow I will learn more Hebrew and will not be so frustrated with this arduous process.
Tomorrow will be better. Isn't it always?
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Torah, Sag Harbor, Toldot, BFL
If I haven't already mentioned what BFL is, here is a link:
http://www.masaisrael.org/Masa/English/BFL+Seminar.htm
Masa Building Future Leaders (BFL) is a program to build leadership skills. We have gone on various trips and programs to look at different models of leadership and thinking about how to integrate them into our own lives.
Here is what I spent much of my afternoon on. The formatting got lost when I pasted from Word, but the gist should be clear.
What I’ve been up to. . .
Since I last saw you all on Yom Kippur, I have had a very busy few weeks. From Sag Harbor I went briefly back into Manhattan to spend one last Shabbat with my NY friends before going to my fiancee’s family on Long Island. There I spent the first days of Sukkot with my fiancee, my sister, and my fiancee’s parents. We had lovely meals in the Sukkah that my fiancee’s mom had beautifully decorated, with a structure I had helped build with my fiancee’s father earlier in the month. Immediately after Yom Tov was over, we went to JFK, which is conveniently located near my fiancee’s home town.
From JFK, I had a lovely El-Al flight where I managed not to figure out my video screen (I didn’t realize that bulkhead seats had any!) Also on that flight, I discovered that it is possible for a 15-month-old to kick the back of my seat and cry for virtually the entire flight while his parents can ignore the screams (and requests of passengers) and sleep. Thankfully, with the aid of music and exhaustion, I managed to sleep a little bit, too.
Once I managed to get to Israel, I celebrated Simchat Torah and have then enjoyed some time without holidays. It is incredibly exciting and beautiful to celebrate holidays for the month of Tishrei, but it is also wonderful to have the regularity of Shabbat and the rest of the week.
The schedule of the week in Israel is just a bit different than in the United States. Since there is not a Christian majority in Israel, Sunday is actually the first day of the week. For me, it is actually my busiest day—if I go to my extra halakha lecture, I am in class or traveling to class from 730AM to 11PM. At the same time, we do not have class on Friday, so we can prepare for Shabbat. Thursday we have tiyyulim (trips) around Israel, learning about history, culture, and appreciating the very pleasant weather here.
While we do desperately need rain, it is beautiful to have the sunshine and warm weather. It’s still regularly in the upper 70s (F) during the day.
Regarding my classes, I’m very much enjoying my learning. This year is focused on text skills, so we spend much of our time on Talmud and halakha (of course in Hebrew). Most all of my classes are taught in Hebrew. While I am certainly not fluent, I think that my Hebrew has definitely improved in the last few weeks. I hope that my progress over the next months will be even greater.
Enough about me, I’d like to share some thought about Parshat Toldot, this week’s parsha/Torah reading. It talks about the struggles of Jacob and Esau. From the very beginning of the parsha we find that Jacob and Esau do not get along. They fight in the womb. Gd tells Rebecca in 25:23 "Two nations are in your womb,/Two separate peoples shall issue from your body;/One people shall be mightier than the other,/And the older shall serve the younger."
There is a midrash that says that whenever Rebecca walked by a pagan temple, Esau started kicking and moving and whenever she walked by a synagogue, Jacob started to move. From the very beginning Esau and Jacob seemed to have very different paths!
In Bereshit Rabbah 63:12 there is a very interesting midrash, which my classmates and I studied this week. (My midrash professor teaches a midrash from the parsha each week.) [The translation comes from the Soncino Midrash.]
We discover that Abraham lived a few years less than Isaac, since he did not want to see his grandson misbehave so grossly. Of course, this causes us to wonder, why would Isaac want to see his own son behave so terribly? The order is also strange. After accusing Esau of adultery (rape?) and murder, why would they then speak about theft? Is it not more efficient to make a case with the smaller crimes first, to make the theft seem integral rather than extraneous? Perhaps by using this order, it demonstrates just how awful Esau’s character is. Rape and murder are so trivial to him that they seem unimportant and thus can be listed first. The midrash seems to raise as many questions as it answers!
Overall, it seems the rabbis are very concerned about how our ancestors appeared. By condemning Esau, by demonstrating his vile character, Jacob’s actions seem justifiable. He simply received the blessing that Gd promised to his mother—again, “Two nations are in your womb,/Two separate peoples shall issue from your body;
One people shall be mightier than the other,/And the older shall serve the younger."
Even if Jacob acts at best callously and at worst terribly when he buys his brother’s birthright, he is doing the right thing if he is fulfilling Gd’s promise. When Rebecca and Jacob work together to get Isaac’s blessing, again tricking Esau, they are acting with Gd’s blessing, AND ensuring that Esau does not receive an undeserved blessing. If Esau did all of these miserable things, how could he possibly be our ancestor? It would not be fit for us to descend from him. Jacob and Rebecca HAD to ensure that Jacob received the blessing, to ensure that from him the Jewish people would eventually come.
At the same time, was Esau really that bad? He certainly was not an angel. He is a hunter and trapper (which violates Jewish law); he intermarries with the enemies of the Jewish people; after losing his blessing, he plots and attempts to kill his brother (which seems like a bit of an overreaction to the modern reader). Were these actions not enough to demonstrate his negative character? It seems not. If we knew only of the actions in the Torah, we would probably not love Esau, but we would still be uncomfortable with Jacob’s actions. Yet, after reading this midrash, we might be more comfortable. In this way, the rabbis ensure that we are proud of our ancestors. By sharing the stories of Esau’s misdeeds and Jacob’s virtuous character, we might be more excited about our ancestor, our forefather.
I would like to offer another possibility. The midrash demonstrates our concern about the actions of Jacob. We are glad that Gd’s prophecies were fulfilled; we are glad that we are Jewish, yet we are uncomfortable with the fact that our ancestors were imperfect, that they, too can make bad choices. They act in their own interests and even hurt others in the process. They demonstrate through their trials and tribulations that even those who Gd spoke to directly had difficult lives.
Seeing our ancestors make mistakes may actually be a good thing. It reminds us that we are not perfect, that even after Yom Kippur, we still have more tshuva, more repenting to do—to Gd, to our friends, and even to ourselves. In this parsha; in this midrash, we are encouraged to give ourselves a little more credit. We are reminded that even as we are not perfect, neither were our ancestors.
In the next weeks we will read more about Jacob and his sons. We will discover that Jacob’s trickery comes back to him. The mistakes his parents made (that Isaac favored Esau and Rebecca favored Jacob) are repeated in his actions (Jacob favors Joseph, causing jealousy and Joseph’s sale into slavery—after his brother’s decided not to kill him). Yet these same people do great things, Joseph becomes a great leader in Egypt, allowing him to save his brothers when famine returns to Israel. With self-awareness, with self-forgiveness, with hard work, we too can do great things. Perhaps we’ll make mistakes, but we, too can atone and continue onward and upward—always learning and growing.
May the coming weeks continue to be filled with love, Torah, and good health.
Shabbat Shalom.
http://www.masaisrael.org/Masa/English/BFL+Seminar.htm
Masa Building Future Leaders (BFL) is a program to build leadership skills. We have gone on various trips and programs to look at different models of leadership and thinking about how to integrate them into our own lives.
Here is what I spent much of my afternoon on. The formatting got lost when I pasted from Word, but the gist should be clear.
What I’ve been up to. . .
Since I last saw you all on Yom Kippur, I have had a very busy few weeks. From Sag Harbor I went briefly back into Manhattan to spend one last Shabbat with my NY friends before going to my fiancee’s family on Long Island. There I spent the first days of Sukkot with my fiancee, my sister, and my fiancee’s parents. We had lovely meals in the Sukkah that my fiancee’s mom had beautifully decorated, with a structure I had helped build with my fiancee’s father earlier in the month. Immediately after Yom Tov was over, we went to JFK, which is conveniently located near my fiancee’s home town.
From JFK, I had a lovely El-Al flight where I managed not to figure out my video screen (I didn’t realize that bulkhead seats had any!) Also on that flight, I discovered that it is possible for a 15-month-old to kick the back of my seat and cry for virtually the entire flight while his parents can ignore the screams (and requests of passengers) and sleep. Thankfully, with the aid of music and exhaustion, I managed to sleep a little bit, too.
Once I managed to get to Israel, I celebrated Simchat Torah and have then enjoyed some time without holidays. It is incredibly exciting and beautiful to celebrate holidays for the month of Tishrei, but it is also wonderful to have the regularity of Shabbat and the rest of the week.
The schedule of the week in Israel is just a bit different than in the United States. Since there is not a Christian majority in Israel, Sunday is actually the first day of the week. For me, it is actually my busiest day—if I go to my extra halakha lecture, I am in class or traveling to class from 730AM to 11PM. At the same time, we do not have class on Friday, so we can prepare for Shabbat. Thursday we have tiyyulim (trips) around Israel, learning about history, culture, and appreciating the very pleasant weather here.
While we do desperately need rain, it is beautiful to have the sunshine and warm weather. It’s still regularly in the upper 70s (F) during the day.
Regarding my classes, I’m very much enjoying my learning. This year is focused on text skills, so we spend much of our time on Talmud and halakha (of course in Hebrew). Most all of my classes are taught in Hebrew. While I am certainly not fluent, I think that my Hebrew has definitely improved in the last few weeks. I hope that my progress over the next months will be even greater.
Enough about me, I’d like to share some thought about Parshat Toldot, this week’s parsha/Torah reading. It talks about the struggles of Jacob and Esau. From the very beginning of the parsha we find that Jacob and Esau do not get along. They fight in the womb. Gd tells Rebecca in 25:23 "Two nations are in your womb,/Two separate peoples shall issue from your body;/One people shall be mightier than the other,/And the older shall serve the younger."
There is a midrash that says that whenever Rebecca walked by a pagan temple, Esau started kicking and moving and whenever she walked by a synagogue, Jacob started to move. From the very beginning Esau and Jacob seemed to have very different paths!
In Bereshit Rabbah 63:12 there is a very interesting midrash, which my classmates and I studied this week. (My midrash professor teaches a midrash from the parsha each week.) [The translation comes from the Soncino Midrash.]
R. Phinehas said in R. Levi's name, and the Rabbis in R. Simon's name: You find that Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years. Isaac, one hundred and eighty. God withheld these five years from Abraham's life because Esau outraged a betrothed maiden and committed murder. Thus it says, AND ESAU CAME IN FROM THE FIELD, which means that he violated a betrothed maiden, as it says, But if the man find the damsel that is betrothed in the field, and the man take hold of her, and lie with her (Deut. XXII, 25); while AND HE WAS FAINT signifies that he committed murder, as in the verse, For my soul fainteth before the murderers (Jer. IV, 31).
R. Berekiah and R. Zakkai the elder said: He also committed theft, as you read, If thieves came to thee, if robbers (shodede) by night (Obad. I, 5). 1 Said the Holy One, blessed be He: ‘I made a promise to Abraham, assuring him, But thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age (Gen. XV, 15): is this a good old age when he sees his grandson practising idolatry, immorality, and murder! Better that he quit this world in peace! ' Hence it is written, For Thy loving-kindness is better than life (Ps. LXIII, 4).
We discover that Abraham lived a few years less than Isaac, since he did not want to see his grandson misbehave so grossly. Of course, this causes us to wonder, why would Isaac want to see his own son behave so terribly? The order is also strange. After accusing Esau of adultery (rape?) and murder, why would they then speak about theft? Is it not more efficient to make a case with the smaller crimes first, to make the theft seem integral rather than extraneous? Perhaps by using this order, it demonstrates just how awful Esau’s character is. Rape and murder are so trivial to him that they seem unimportant and thus can be listed first. The midrash seems to raise as many questions as it answers!
Overall, it seems the rabbis are very concerned about how our ancestors appeared. By condemning Esau, by demonstrating his vile character, Jacob’s actions seem justifiable. He simply received the blessing that Gd promised to his mother—again, “Two nations are in your womb,/Two separate peoples shall issue from your body;
One people shall be mightier than the other,/And the older shall serve the younger."
Even if Jacob acts at best callously and at worst terribly when he buys his brother’s birthright, he is doing the right thing if he is fulfilling Gd’s promise. When Rebecca and Jacob work together to get Isaac’s blessing, again tricking Esau, they are acting with Gd’s blessing, AND ensuring that Esau does not receive an undeserved blessing. If Esau did all of these miserable things, how could he possibly be our ancestor? It would not be fit for us to descend from him. Jacob and Rebecca HAD to ensure that Jacob received the blessing, to ensure that from him the Jewish people would eventually come.
At the same time, was Esau really that bad? He certainly was not an angel. He is a hunter and trapper (which violates Jewish law); he intermarries with the enemies of the Jewish people; after losing his blessing, he plots and attempts to kill his brother (which seems like a bit of an overreaction to the modern reader). Were these actions not enough to demonstrate his negative character? It seems not. If we knew only of the actions in the Torah, we would probably not love Esau, but we would still be uncomfortable with Jacob’s actions. Yet, after reading this midrash, we might be more comfortable. In this way, the rabbis ensure that we are proud of our ancestors. By sharing the stories of Esau’s misdeeds and Jacob’s virtuous character, we might be more excited about our ancestor, our forefather.
I would like to offer another possibility. The midrash demonstrates our concern about the actions of Jacob. We are glad that Gd’s prophecies were fulfilled; we are glad that we are Jewish, yet we are uncomfortable with the fact that our ancestors were imperfect, that they, too can make bad choices. They act in their own interests and even hurt others in the process. They demonstrate through their trials and tribulations that even those who Gd spoke to directly had difficult lives.
Seeing our ancestors make mistakes may actually be a good thing. It reminds us that we are not perfect, that even after Yom Kippur, we still have more tshuva, more repenting to do—to Gd, to our friends, and even to ourselves. In this parsha; in this midrash, we are encouraged to give ourselves a little more credit. We are reminded that even as we are not perfect, neither were our ancestors.
In the next weeks we will read more about Jacob and his sons. We will discover that Jacob’s trickery comes back to him. The mistakes his parents made (that Isaac favored Esau and Rebecca favored Jacob) are repeated in his actions (Jacob favors Joseph, causing jealousy and Joseph’s sale into slavery—after his brother’s decided not to kill him). Yet these same people do great things, Joseph becomes a great leader in Egypt, allowing him to save his brothers when famine returns to Israel. With self-awareness, with self-forgiveness, with hard work, we too can do great things. Perhaps we’ll make mistakes, but we, too can atone and continue onward and upward—always learning and growing.
May the coming weeks continue to be filled with love, Torah, and good health.
Shabbat Shalom.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
another BFL
Another nice Shabbat with BFL.
We began Thursday with unexpected photos for the brochure that will advertise our programs/projects to federations worldwide. After that, we heard from Bogy, who accidentally stayed in the IDF for 37? years and became chief-of-staff. Of course, there is more to his story, but he told it that way. We had a beautiful tour of the Monetfiore neighborhoods. Find more info at:
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/montefiore.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moses_Montefiore
I'll put up some photos shortly.
Time to meet my sister for some birthday ice-cream.
More later.
We began Thursday with unexpected photos for the brochure that will advertise our programs/projects to federations worldwide. After that, we heard from Bogy, who accidentally stayed in the IDF for 37? years and became chief-of-staff. Of course, there is more to his story, but he told it that way. We had a beautiful tour of the Monetfiore neighborhoods. Find more info at:
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/montefiore.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moses_Montefiore
I'll put up some photos shortly.
Time to meet my sister for some birthday ice-cream.
More later.
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