Kehillah 2007 Updates

July 15th, 2007 - Shabbat in Tzfat:  A Community Experience

Dear Nesiya Families and Friends,

Since I last updated you the groups have been discovering northern Israel and delving deeper into their exploration of community. They spent last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday visiting sites that presented different historical and contemporary expressions of community. In Tzippori, the groups learned about the rabbinic community of the second century and related this historical Jewish community to today's community, comparing the tensions between religiously observant and secular Jews from then and now. In Chavat Kinneret, the site of the first kibbutz in Israel, and the various modern kibbutzim they visited, the groups looked at more recent efforts to build communities. They also visited the cemetery where early pioneers and Zionist visionaries are buried, including the well known poetess Rachel and the late, great songwriter Naomi Shemer.

On Friday, the groups toured the ancient city of Tzfat, where they learned about the Kabbalistic community of the 16th century. Bringing the experience back to modern times, the groups met with Avraham Loewenthal, a Kabbalist artist, who introduced them to his artwork which explores the emphasis in some Kabbalist movements on changing ourselves from “receivers” to “givers.” Before returning to the bases to prepare for Shabbat, participants had time to go shopping in the artist colony and to buy their own lunch in the old city marketplace.

Tzfat set the tone for a spirited, spiritual and relaxing Shabbat, first by providing all of the participants with an opportunity to visit one of the city’s diverse synagogues for the Friday night prayer service. The next morning, after time to either return to one of the local synagogues, or join in a participant-led 'sha'ar' activity, each group studied and responded dramatically to the Talmudic text about Rashbi studying for 12 years in a cave. In discussions led by Nesiya senior staff members, the participants talked about the sacrifices required of an individual to become part of a community, as well as the rewards of the communal experience. (Click here to view the text, chevruta (study partner) questions and skit scenarios). In addition, Rabbi Zvi gave an introduction to Kabbalah. Shabbat afternoon also provided time for the first series of “chanich (participant) stories,” when each participant is asked to share with their small groups a story from their life about a particular theme.

This second Nesiya Shabbat saw participants much more comfortable with how they fit into the program personally and as part a larger community and they took a much more active role in preparing for Shabbat and planning activities. Participants were eager to see their friends and excited to share their experiences. It was remarkable to watch them as they swapped stories, played basketball and sang together; many of the songs they had learned throughout the past week that were now belted out by participants as a means of communal experience and expression.

This morning the groups left Tzfat to spend a day in nature before beginning their various community service projects. K1 and K2 hiked through the hills of the Galil, while K3 performed forest restoration work in a JNF forest that was damaged in last year's Lebanon War. This evening K1 is traveling to Haifa, while K2 and K3 are on their way to Givat Haviva. At their new bases each group will have an introduction to their community service projects and prepare for their week of giving back to various Israeli communities. More on the community service experience to come…

Until next time,
Mollie