Baby, It's Cold Outside
Perhaps we shouldn't complain, since many of you are at home in colder climates, but when winter hits in Israel, everything is damp and chilly. Though the hardest rain today was while we were on the bus, rather than walking around, we miss the warm, bright weather of when we first arrived. Still, in a country with a perpetual water shortage, we too must learn to say, "Zot Brakhah," this is a blessing.
The overcast skies were a fitting start to our day, as we boarded the bus for what is on its way to becoming a Shorashim/KOACH tradition -- morning tefilot (prayers) on the bus, including Torah reading. Our days are so full, it sometimes takes a little creativity to fit everything in and still sleep. Our focus this morning was on memory and we looked at how the liturgy pulls us into moments of remembrance, both personal and historical.
That was just the right segue to our visit to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial and Museum (http://www1.yadvashem.org/yv/en/museum/index.asp). There we were joined by a museum guide who accompanied us through the exhibits, speaking over a headset that only our group could here. It was an excellent way to manage the large and popular museum and to be drawn into focus on particular elements of the story. Our guide was excellent and was both impressed by the depth of knowledge our group had and patient with their excellent questions. We spent two full and tiring hours there; many of us would have liked to have stayed still longer. Participants spoke afterwards of how moving and overwhelming it was, some drawing parallels with the U.S. Holocaust Museum.
Lunch was delivered to us there and we ate overlooking a beautiful view of modern Jerusalem in the mist before boarding the bus once again for our trip to Tzfat (http://www.safed.co.il/). Along the way we admired the shifting terrain and caught glimpses of a rainbow or two. The land on both sides of the highway grew ever greener and we learned that most of the cows in Israel are pastured here. Ori, our guide, explained the science of milk production in Israel and how it has evolved and changed over the past twenty years. Israeli cows yield a tremendous amount of milk and chemical analysis and genetic manipulation (but not modification) also ensure that the milk has superior protein and fat content. It is an amazing industry!
Bathed in fog, it was easy to see how Tzfat became a favorite of the mystics. We toured the synagogue of the Ari Ashkenazi (http://www.safed.co.il/Synagogues/Ashkenazi_Ari.html) and the Abuhav Synagogue (http://www.safed.co.il/Synagogues/Abuhav.html), admiring their beauty and the stories of their founders and the life of these synagogues through Jewish and Israeli history. We noted the blue paint on ceilings, window frames and doors, a mystical symbolism of the sky and an attempt to draw heaven and earth closer together. In addition to navigating the narrow stone stairs and pathways, we were treated to a visit with artist David Friedman (http://www.kosmic-kabbalah.com/), who shared with us his methodology for combining kabbalah and art. Integrating geometry, color theory, gematria (numerology) and mysticism, he kept our participants spellbound as he showed and explained his work. The artists and mathematicians among us were particularly fascinated, peppering him with questions -- and answering all of his, even teaching him a thing or two. Some of you may be fortunate enough to have some of his work in your own homes in less than a week's time. We had time to visit some of Tzfat's galleries before the city was enveloped in darkness and the happy chatter on the bus when the day was done was evidence of how much the day was enjoyed.
An hour or so later and we arrived at Nofey Gonen (http://www.nofgo.co.il/en), our Galilee home for the next two nights. This kibbutz holiday village is a bit different from our hotel accomodations, with small villas which open directly outdoors and a dining room across the property. We arrived after dark, so it's too soon for our travelers to know how beautiful it is. After a hearty dinner with the most delicious, fresh bread, we gathered for a group meeting and activity. We spent some time reviewing the day and sharing what we had learned -- the journey from the depths of despair to the heights of mystic joy is a tiring and even confusing one -- and participants shared their feelings about the days' experiences. Much of our discussion focused on Yad Vashem and trying to help give voice to their reactions, which were nuanced and varied. We finished by making butterflies for the Butterfly Project of the Houston Holocaust Museum, where they are trying to collect 1.5 million handmade butterflies for a Spring 2014 exhibit in memory of the 1.5 million Jewish children who perished in the Holocaust.
Looks like tomorrow's weather should be a little better, but we've told our intrepid travelers to prepare for cool temps and rain nonetheless. No matter the weather, it is sure to be an adventure.
With best wishes from 52 degree Nofey Gonen.
Rabbi Elyse Winick
KOACH Director
