Kehillah 2007 Updates

July 29th, 2007 - Taking Place:  The Journey to Jerusalem

Shalom Nesiya Parents and Friends,

Shavua tov! As your children's Nesiya experience continues following their free weekend, we wanted to let you know that they have all returned safely to their respective groups, after a (hopefully!) restful weekend with family and friends. They were full of energy and stories as they gathered in Tel Aviv, excited to reconvene with their friends and staff. For many of the teens this Shabbat provided a wonderful opportunity to cement their relationships with their Israeli peers; for others it was a chance to visit with (or meet!) Israeli relatives and friends.

But the importance of the weekend goes far beyond that. Every year we deliberate whether the home hospitality weekend warrants the logistical maneuverings necessary to make arrangements for 100+ youngsters to reach their host destinations. But we know that aside from the vital importance in enjoying quality time with friends and relatives, and in having some private time away from group living, the weekend offers an invaluable opportunity to truly experience Israel. As many site visits, speakers and group encounters as we arrange, nothing can compare with spending time in an Israeli home for a dynamic, authentic example of life in this country.

The weekend also served to highlight the immersion into Israeli culture and cultural exchange that began last week, when your children embarked upon a new unit in their journey – Taking Place: The Struggle for Renewal in Judaism and Israel Today - which includes time in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Rahat (near Beer Sheva) or Kaseifeh (near Arad). Each of these three locations will underscore a different experience relating to this theme. Since the participants experienced Jerusalem last week, I will tell you about that now, and then write about Tel Aviv and Rahat/Kaseifeh in the next update.

The Jerusalem opening occurred last Tuesday afternoon, on Tisha b'Av, when the groups journeyed south to Jerusalem from the Golan. On this day memorializing the destruction of the first and second Temples, the groups began their experience in Jerusalem with a visit to the Kotel (Western Wall). As the Kotel is arguably the most famous landmark in Jewish history, I imagine many of you may have already visited there. But it was a poignant first for a number of participants and, through their experience, the rest of the group could vicariously feel the emotional history of the place.

The Kotel visit served as a backdrop for a workshop and guided exploration of what constitutes a holy place, and who determines its being so. The search for ‘sacred space’ unfolded over Wednesday and Thursday as the groups explored the Jewish Quarter of the Old City (with ample time allotted for shopping and eating out) and the Second Temple Excavations. Their investigation continued when the groups visited Yad Vashem (the Holocaust Museum), and Har Herzl (Israel's National Cemetery), where they addressed questions of memory and renewal, and reflected on the possible reasons behind placing these two sites adjacent to each other.

A highlight of the summer took place last Wednesday evening when Nesiya conducted a private workshop-concert with Israel's top performing artist, Ehud Banai. Before the concert, Yossi Klein Halevi, a prominent journalist and author, spoke to the groups about the role that Banai's music has had in integrating various aspects of Israeli society and the musician's personal religious journey, which informs his music and lyrics. Banai's music, which incorporates traditional texts with original modern themes, speaks to the search for Jewish meaning in our time, the essential spiritual value of the Hebrew language, the struggle for social justice in Israel, Jewish-Arab co-existence, and more. To ensure as full an enjoyment of the concert as possible, English-Hebrew sourcebooks were prepared with translated, transliterated and annotated selections from Banai’s work over the past 15 years. The groups learned several of his most moving ballads and songs in the days prior to the concert, which served them well when Banai gave them the opportunity to join in!

The energy and excitement were palpable throughout the concert; even Banai commented on the attentiveness and knowledge of his music among the Nesiya community (your teens, alumni, current and former staff) and was impressed with the feeling of intimacy he felt was engendered in the crowd. The teens particularly seemed to enjoy dancing up a storm to Banai's music. Altogether, it was a truly unforgettable and emotionally charged encounter.

Last Thursday night was the opening activity to their Rahat/Kaseifeh unit, "Relating to the Other," which will begin tomorrow. The activity included meeting with Ali El-Karnawi. Ali, the principal of the El-Razi Public High School in Rahat is the educational coordinator, along with Dror Reubin and Matan Yuval, Nesiya educators, for the Rahat and Kaseifeh cultural exchange. Nesiya has established a close working relationship with Ali and the El-Razi High School over the past six years. I will share more about this experience later in the week.

Until next time,
Mollie