Day 8 -- You Open Your Hands and Satisfy the Needs of Every Living Thing
What a joyful group our Shorashim/KOACH bus is! Tired and displaced from their normal routines, they still sing with gusto, show up on time, follow instructions and find the potential in every moment.
The title quote from today's blog post comes from the prayer known as Ashrey, taken from Psalm 145. It was a a focal point of our morning service today, as we prepared to work the land and feed the hungry.
Thrilled to be reunited with a Neve Ilan breakfast (I'm pretty sure I saw potato latkes on someone's plate this morning!), our travels boarded the bus enthusiastically for our journey to Kvutzat Schiller (http://www.shiller.org.il/walkabout.asp), to work with Leket Israel (Table to Table -- http://www.leket.org/english/). Leket Israel provides 110 tons of food each week to more than 230 institutions which serve those in need. Our participants picked 750 kilos of clementines, which will feed hundreds of families this week. The coordinator at the farm marveled not only at the fact that our half size group picked as much as any other, but also commented on the absence of waste -- to properly pick a clementine, it must be twisted off its stem. Pulling will result in opening the peel, rendering the fruit unfit for use. Our travelers paid close attention to the technique he demonstrated and nearly no fruit went to waste. The percentage of waste is far higher in other groups. The chance to serve others is uplifting and transformative.
From Kvutzat Shiller it was off to Independence Hall in Tel Aviv, site of the declaration of Israel's independence. How thrilling it is to sit in the very space in which Israel became a state, to hear the broadcast of Ben Gurion announcing that independence. A film tells the history of Tel Aviv and gives the momentous occasion context. Our participants feel a strong sense of connection to the State of Israel, one which already leads to a deep level of investment. This belongs to them.
For days now we've rushed our travelers out of or even past gift shops. Ten minutes of shopping here, 15 minutes there. It's probably the only thing they've consistently grumbled about. But we were way ahead of them, having blocked out more than an hour this afternoon for them to explore the midrachov (http://judaism.about.com/od/jerusalem/ss/jerusalem_nick_5.htm), known also as Ben Yehuda St. This pedestrian mall is prime shopping for tourists and our participants were no exception. Divided into small groups accompanied by a staff person, our shoppers sated their thirst for supporting the Israeli economy. You'll be delighted with whatever they have bought -- so many of them were on a quest to find the perfect gift for you.
For dinner we headed back in the direction of Neve Ilan, stopping at the Harel Mall in Mevaseret Tzion. The thrill of eating at a kosher McDonald's was eye opening. Those who ate elsewhere in the food court could select from pizza, grilled chicken, sandwiches or Chinese food. A good time was most certainly had by all.
Our sense of responsibility continued with our most recent recycling stop. As you might imagine, the number of disposable water bottles used by us might just offset the good work we do by harvesting and caring for the needy. Our bus, though, is green. Not in color, but in our sense of responsibility. Since the beginning of the trip, we have collected bottles for recycling and today were thrilled to learn that we amassed a total of 46 shekels on the bottle returns. A quick and decisive vote led us to donate those funds to Bet Ekstein, the Jerusalem day center for participants with Asperger's Syndrome. It was amazing to see.
Responding to popular demand, we offered a dance party when we returned to the hotel. Those who were awake enough enjoyed themselves immensely. Their ability to move in time with the music and to dance with reckless abandon was an adventure for all.
That we leave in two days is hard to fathom. Students continue refer to our bus as a family and though everyone yearns for home, they are definitely showing signs of not wanting to have to say goodbye. We on the staff understand and empathize.
We'll hope to give you a Friday update before Shabbat, but it's possible that time will be too short. We'll be off to Har Herzl (Israel's national cemetery) and Mahaneh Yehuda, the outdoor marketplace. If it's not possible to post a blog entry before Shabbat begins, please don't be alarmed -- just look for us again on Saturday evening.
Hoping that God is able to satisfy all that you need.
Rabbi Elyse Winick
