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 ;-)