Rain and Renewal

My past few posts have all touched on the weather, and how the weather serves as a marker of time. I find that particularly intense here in Jerusalem. This past Shabbat the winds that had been blowing for the previous few days brought rain along with them- the first rain that Jerusalem has seen in months, and the first rain that I have seen since my arrival at the end of June. It was amazing seeing and feeling the rain. Speaking to fellow students, it seems that many of us felt inclined to run outside and play in it, and offer up some sort of prayer recognizing its import. The High Holy day season, beginning tonight with Rosh Hashanah and going through Yom Kippur and Sukkot, are actually very much founded on Israel's need for rain. Looking at Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot as a unit, one can interpret the period of forgiveness inscription in the "book of life" as being a period of preparation for a shift in the seasons so vital for survival here in Israel. We tend to under-value Sukkot, putting much of our emphasis on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, but in many places here Sukkot is still referred to as "He-Chag", "The Holiday". Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are preparation for the harvest, and Sukkot is the time for bringing in the harvest, and praying for a strong rain season so that the coming year's harvest will ensure that all are inscribed in the Book of Life. High Holy Day prayer, as understood in this context, is very grounded in the influence of us on our place and our place on us.

With the start of the High Holy Day/rain season/winter comes the theme of renewal- renewal of the harvest cycle, renewal of ourselves, of our relationships, renewal of our goals for the coming year. This past Friday night I attended (with friends Sara and the Stillman family) my first Jewish Renewal Kabbalat Shabbat service with congregation Nava Tehila, led by Rabbi Ruth Gan Kagan. Jewish Renewal is a type of Judaism that incorporates Hasidic, meditative and musical practices into an egalitarian service/approach. The service was quite beautiful, taking excerpts from various Psalms and putting them to music using guitars, drums, a viola, a digeridoo, and, of course, all of our voices. This singing set a meditative though uplifting tone for the evening, and led up to an energetic Lecha Dodi welcoming the Shabbat bride. Unfortunately, at one point in the service a random fellow from outside (perhaps someone from the neighbourhood), stormed in and denounced the service as being loud/inappropriate/etc, etc. (it didn't make all that much sense, though he was very angry- this would never have happened in a "traditional" synagogue, as he would not have had the chutzpah to storm in). The community and the rabbi dealt with the man in a remarkable way- they let him say his piece, and then a couple of congregants gently escorted him outside and let him calm down. His interference and anger was not met by anger. Rather, Rabbi Ruth addressed the incident by asking the congregation to pray for the best for the man, as it is very difficult and sad to see someone so consumed by anger, especially around the Shabbat and the time of the High Holidays (when we are all supposed to be seeking forgiveness). The service wrapped with a traditional recitation of the ma'ariv, or evening prayers. Following the service I returned to the Stillman's, where we talked and reviewed and drank Jameson's and enjoyed dessert, all parts of weekly renewal.

Shana tova u metukah (have a happy and sweet new year!!),

Dara ;-)

the galilee, the golan, seudat shlishit, slichot and shivers

So much happening!! What follows is a brief summary of the past week, with more in-depth writing on some topics hopefully forthcoming...

We spent a good part of last week up north in the Galilee and Golan Heights region, on a learning trip about the "New Jew". En route I had the opportunity to swim, both at the lovely Gan Sachne, Israel's largest natural swimming pool, as well as in the wonderful Kinneret, or Sea of Galilee, Israel's largest freshwater lake and the lowest freshwater lake on Earth (209M below sea level). We traveled to Zichron Ya'akov, Kiriat Shmona, Metulla, Tel Hai, Tel Dan and more, and learned all about the first waves of immigration to Palestine/Israel in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. We looked into Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, and contemplated the issues regarding what to do with the Golan Heights. We visited the Kinneret Cemetery, where key figures in the Zionist movement and Israeli culture are buried (such as Naomi Shemer, Rachel, Moshe Hess, Nachman Syrkin, Ber Borochov). I hope to reflect and write more on this trip, which I will add in another posting.

Following our return Thursday night from our tiyul (trip), I enjoyed a lovely Kabbalat Shabbat service at Kol Haneshama, one of Jerusalem's Reform congregations, followed by a wonderful dinner hosted by congregants at Kol Haneshama. On Saturday I spent seudah shlishit, the Shabbat meal before the end of Shabbat (Havdallah) at the home and yeshiva (Shlomo Yeshiva) of Rabbi Sholom Brodt and his wife Judy (from previous posts, Rabbi Brodt had been a teacher at Solomon Schecter Academy in Montreal when I was there more than 20 years ago). About 30 people were in attendance and it was a wonderful spiritual and warm experience that I look forward to repeating. Following dinner and Havdallah I made my way to school (with a stop for ice cream- it is amazing how Jerusalem suddenly comes back to life when Shabbat ends, you see stores opening up and people emptying out of homes onto the streets to play) for a special pre-Slichot service rundown. Slichot are special prayers recited before Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year. They are traditionally recited early in the morning, though numerous synagogues offer late-night versions. After gathering our class together at school, at 10:30pm Saturday night we headed over to Jerusalem's Great Synagogue to hear the renowned hazzan (cantor) and choir lead the services (which lasted until about 12:30am). The atmospheres at Shlomo Yeshiva and the Great Synagogue could not have been more different, but both were beautiful in their own way.

Otherwise another week of classes, though we will have very little course time between now and the Sukkot break, what with Rosh Hashana next week and Yom Kippur the week after. I cannot believe how quickly time is passing. Tonight, though, as I went out for dinner with friend and fellow student "J-Fro", I felt fall's chill and wrapped myself in a sweater. There is comfort in this harbinger of seasonal change, in that it validates my internal sense of time moving on....

Alas, I hope to be able to add more soon!

Best,
d ;-)

Boppin' like Machina

Thursday night a couple of friends and I had the pleasure of heading down to Jerusalem's old train station, now a regular outdoor concert and festival venue, to take in the reunion tour of favourite Israeli band Machina (huge from the mid-1980s until mid-1990s, and who then reunited in 2003) joined by the lead singer's cousin Ehud Banai (the Banai family is apparently Israel's best known family of entertainers). The concert itself contained a snapshot of so much that I will be learning and experiencing this year- the spirit of the crowd, the energy (yes, we exist, we are alive), lyrics that incorporated all sorts of biblical and historical imagery, all sorts of people, different emotions, reference to all sorts of places in Israel and in the heavens.

The first week of classes was full and enriching, characterized by the feeling of my eyes opening and me then being overwhelmed by my surroundings. I am in the process of becoming aware of all that is out there as I am learning the tools to access the wealth of Jewish tradition. Overwhelming, yes, and even tedious at times, but also exhilirating.

For me the key to any successful 'study' experience is finding the right atmosphere in which to actually engage in study/reading. Light jazz/blues music and the availability of caffeine and snacks are vital. This week I have settled on two gems, both in the German Colony : The first is the Coffee Mill on Emek Refa'im, and the second is Lev Smadar, just off of Emek on Lloyd George. I consider studying at these locales to be a form of experiencing Israel whilst nose is to book, and to be surrounded by a peaceful community while I am on the lonely learning island. As my bubbe often says, though "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy". In other words, there is such a thing as too much studying. Getting out and about is a necessary way to maintain balance and not get too caught up in books. Action, after all, is a necessary element of prayer- a prayer that is not connected to any action is empty. Prayer is thankfulness for existence/living, so studying prayer must include the latter ;-).

Speaking of prayer, this shabbat was again lovely. I attended a kabbalat shabbat service at Shira Hadasha (a new song), a modern liberal orthodox congregation, with friends from HUC. In Jerusalem sirens sound just before the sun is about to set on Friday to indicate that Shabbat is about to begin. The sirens aren't scary or offputting, as sirens can be, but herald peace. The sirens were matched by a beautiful sunset. Walking to Shira Hadasha I felt myself easing into the Shabbat vibe, breathing more deeply and slowly, enjoying my surroundings. The service at Shira Hadasha was warm and enthusiastic, and after services I enjoyed a wonderful dinner with friends, full of great conversation. On Saturday proper I attended morning services at Moreshet Yisrael, the Conservative shul just a few blocks away from my apartment. I adored the sanctuary there, dignified, though warm and familiar. The woman who acted as usher could well have been the bubbe of the congregation, how she was so careful to take care of us! Two new friends, one a student last year at HUC, had an aliyah in honour of their recent engagement, and in all the service was comfortable and enjoyable. Throughout Shabbat I meditated on the nature of kavanna (intent), on my desire to learn about all streams of Judaism, on my affinity towards services where there is warmth, and on the ability to discern the difference. I am testing out, figuring out, what makes things work for me, and beginning to understand how all that we are learning is connected to all that I will be experiencing in this land.

Shavua tov,
D ;-)

Transitions

Back home I always knew that Labour Day was around the corner when the nights in August would turn crisp and cool, unlike the hot summer nights of July. September would come, and so would back to school, or back to a packed work schedule (what with the courts or the government no longer being on a summer rhythm). September does feel like the time of a new year, and so it always made sense to me that the Jewish new year- Rosh Hashanah, would fall sometime in the autumn, as we all got our work pistons going.

Transitioning back to life here in Jerusalem after a wonderful sojourn back home in Ottawa (as well as in Montreal and Vermont) I am most struck by the fact that it is still so hot that it does not really feel like the new year is around the corner (I shouldn't complain as come January the winter here in Jerusalem will seem like heaven compared to winter back home!!) Nonetheless, today was our first day of real, full-on school (vs. ulpan), and gearing up to today I have been meditating on what this all means. As suggested in my previous post, the fact that I am actually here in Israel, in the first year of a rabbinical program, has finally hit me. While back in Ottawa I was able to appreciate how lovely a life I have there, which led to all sorts of thoughts regarding what has drawn me here. This past Friday night, sharing Shabbat with colleagues and friends Adam, Alicia, Philip and Alicia and Philip's two snazzy kids, I felt why it is so important for me to be spending this year in Jerusalem. After enjoying a delicious Shabbat meal we made our way down Ushishkin street to a little neighbourhood full of people welcoming Shabbat, kids playing outside, great smells and enchanting lights emanating from houses, and so on, to a little second-floor synagogue for services. The synagogue seated about 40 people, and I would describe it as a sort of progressive almost-Hasidic Carlebach style type of place. There was a mechitzah, or division, dividing the women from the men, though it was only a sheet and of course the children attending the service paid it no mind (a little girl spent a good portion of the service climbing on the rabbi). The rabbi himself was positioned at the front in the middle of the mechitzah, so half of him was on the women's side and half of him was on the man's side. Usually mechitzahs bother me (with what the division connotes), but this was fine in the circumstances. The spirit of the service was wonderful. The women and men prayed and danced and sang aloud, and women led bits of the service. I spent my time out on the porch at the entrance to the synagogue's prayer room, and was warmly greeted by the women there, many of whom were quite pregnant and were caring for multiple children whilst praying. The service spilled out into the courtyard, creating a beautiful flow between the inside and outside. The best part, perhaps, was that we only found this service because Philip had been directed to the yeshiva affiliated with the synagogue, and had been quite impressed with what he had seen there. After the service Philip introduced me to one of the rabbis at the yeshiva. It turned out that it was none other than Rabbi Sholom Brodt, who had been a teacher more than twenty years ago at my elementary school (Solomon Schecter Academy) in Montreal!!

I took from Friday night that this year is to be a year of learning, where I will likely discover things or gain insights in unexpected ways. To do so I must keep my eyes open, and I will know as the year goes by where this year will lead me. I suppose, then, that even though the weather is still hot, I am ready to transition into the autumn and all that the new year will bring.

Sending snazziness,

Dara ;-)

p.s.- As you know federal elections will soon be taking place in both Canada and the United States. These elections will be key, as both main parties in both elections present very different visions of what the respective countries should be. Vote.