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Kehillah 2007 Updates
August 5th, 2007 - Conflicting Visions: A
Jerusalem Exploration
Dear Nesiya Parents and Friends,
Shavuah tov! It has been a full and rich weekend here in Jerusalem for Nesiya
2007. Last Thursday your children participated in an engaging, diverse and
thought-provoking seminar on the political situation in Israel. After each group
conducted an opening session on Wednesday night, which provided an overview to
the conflict, the participants were presented a menu of speaker and tour options
to 'design-their-own' politics day based on their personal interests and
curiosity. The first session on Thursday offered a variety of
politically-oriented Jerusalem tours, from
a tour focusing on the
separation barrier, to a visit to Abu Tor, a mixed Arab-Jewish neighborhood,
to an historical overview of this contested city through visits to key
geographical points. Participants reported gaining a deeper understanding of the
complex role Jerusalem has in the conflict. A few of the Israeli participants,
who have lived here for their entire lives and toured within a few miles of
their homes, shared that they saw a perspective of the city they'd never known
before!
The next two sessions allowed participants to choose from speakers representing
the breadth of Israel's political spectrum. The second session included
presentations by
Rabbi
Meir Schweiger, who shared his personal story about living in Efrat, a
settlement in Gush Etzion;
Mikhael
Manekin, an IDF veteran, who spoke about the behavior of soldiers at
checkpoints; and Rabbi Melissa Weintraub, who founded
Encounter,
an organization that aims to give Jewish Diaspora leaders exposure to
Palestinian life.
The third session offered four options, including
Ari Abramowitz,
who recounted his experience in the Second Lebanon War last summer; Meir Indor,
founder of the Almagor
Terror Victims Association, who shared about the work he does with terror
victims and the high cost of peace; Rami Elchanan and Aziz Abu Sarah,
representatives of the
Bereaved Families
Forum who spoke of their own personal losses and how they have affected
their subsequent choices and ideals of supporting peace, tolerance and
reconciliation; and a tour of Ir David/Silwan, led by Asher Altshul, a Jerusalem
archeologist.
The final session was a keynote presentation by
Josh
Teitelbaum, a leading scholar and consultant on Middle Eastern politics and
history. Dr. Teitelbaum gave the participants the opportunity to ask any
question they had about the conflict, and their insightful and challenging
questions included such topics as the nuclear threat of Iraq, the morality of
checkpoints, and the future of the peace process. At the end of the day, each
group participated in a closing activity, giving them time to process the
various speakers and think about where they stand on these difficult issues.
Your children were thoughtful, sensitive, and articulate as they struggled with
these questions.
Click here to see the full
menu of options and more information about all of the speakers mentioned above.
Friday morning Kehillahs One and Two explored the natural side of the area by
hiking through the Judean Hills. During their hikes they encountered ancient
ruins as well as refreshing natural springs. Kehillah Three explored a number of
Jerusalem neighborhoods, including Mea She'arim, Rehavia, Nachlaot, the Russian
Compound, and the German Colony. All three groups were then given time on the
famed Ben Yehuda Street to buy lunch and pick up a last few souvenirs!
Later on Friday, the groups returned to Beit Shmuel to prepare for Shabbat. Over
the weeks, it has been remarkable to see them grapple with questions about
pluralism, tolerance, and Judaism as they are becoming a strong and caring
community, and this is never as evident as on Shabbat, when they help create an
array of options appropriate for all members of the community. Friday evening
and Saturday morning they had the opportunity to attend prayer services at the
wide variety of synagogues Jerusalem has to offer (as well as at the Kotel) or
to go for a Jerusalem walk.
Over the course of Shabbat there were a number of activities, most notably one
on conflicting visions of the relationship of the Jewish people with the land of
Israel and the ideal of a Jewish state. This activity was essentially a
culmination of the previous weeks’ interactions with different segments of
Israeli society and differing political views, and allowed participants to sum
up their experiences within their own group communities. Participants read
excerpts from a number of great Jewish and Israeli thinkers, philosophers, sages
and leaders, reflecting a broad spectrum of opinions, attitudes and outlooks.
They then used the texts as tools to help define and compare their own beliefs
and thoughts. They were also given ample time to question each other's views and
to discuss the ramifications of realizing that good friends might harbor
opposing opinions.
Saturday night featured an incredible and lively participant-organized talent
show, filled with original songs, poetry readings, dance and music performances,
acrobatics, and puppet shows presented by participants and staff. It was a
special evening for participants to share and appreciate each other's talents
and passions.
This morning Kehillahs One and Two toured the Jerusalem neighborhoods, while
Kehillah Three did activities at Beit Shmuel. For lunch, the participants
partook in a favorite Jerusalem activity: shopping at the shuk (market). Your
children got to experience the bustle and excitement of wandering through the
alleys of Machane Yehuda, Jerusalem's outdoor market, where they could purchase
anything from the fresh, exotic fruit to gooey chocolate ruggalach to souvenir
Shabbat candles, all amidst the endless din of stall owners shouting the price
of tomatoes and rabbis encouraging men to lay t'fillin. The shuk is a true
Jerusalem adventure!
The groups drove to
Ein Gedi this afternoon, where they'll be based for the remainder of the
program. They will spend the next few days working on their personal projects.
Tonight's final project introductory workshop will encourage the participants to
reflect on the wide variety of experiences they've had this summer, and to begin
thinking about the themes they would like to focus on in their presentations.
Tomorrow a team of five arts educators arrive in Ein Gedi to meet with
individual students as advisors and consultants for the personal projects. We
look forward to appreciating your children's creative expressions later this
week!
Warmly,
Mollie
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