Our First Shabbat!
By Becca Gevertz
Shabbat officially begins when the sun sets, which was at 4:25 PM at Kibbutz Moran. We began Shabbat with the typical Shabbat prayers all together and then broke up into two groups. Half of us participated in a Kabbalat Shabbat in which we mostly sang psalms. We were fortunate to have Harpo, Chelsea, and Audrey, who participate in the Havurah-style services back at Brown-RISD Hillel, led this service. Rabbi Rackover led a discussion about Shabbat practices with the other half of the group. Despite the fact that I am tone-deaf and did not know the tunes of the psalms, I listened to and tried to sing along to the tunes of the psalms. We then re-split into new groups -- half of us prayed with the Rabbi and half of us continued to discuss big questions with Sara. We continued our Shabbat evening celebration with a relaxed Shabbat dinner and an oneg that was very sababa (“chill” - our Hebrew word of the day!).
Saturday morning, following the spirit of Shabbat, we caught up on sleep -- we did not meet up as a group until 11. Our first activity included hevruta (partner learning). We read and discussed an excerpt from the Mishna that listed acts forbidden on Shabbat first with our partners and then as an entire group. Rabbi Rackover helped us all to recognize that many of the laws of Shabbat are not random, as may have been thought by the majority of us. Instead, we really began to understand that these rules were derived from ancient common practices that were considered “productive work,” and were, therefore, not allowed on the day of rest. The weather on Shabbat was MAGNIFICENT! We had a few hours to relax outside. Some of us took long walks, exploring the kibbutz. Others sat and read, absorbing the sun and the fresh air. Others continued to catch up on sleep, except this time, they slept outside on the grass. When we reconvened, Rabbi Rackover told us stories, some biblical and others not. We also split up into groups where we were given a list of various values and ideas related to Judaism and Israel, and we were told to rank them in order of importance to each of us, yet come to a consensus. This was an incredibly difficult activity for everyone -- there were many contentious ideas, not only between Israelis and Brown students, but also among Brown students. While very frustrating at times, this activity proved to be one of the most eye-opening experiences we have had thus far. Our last activity was continued hevruta; each group of partners walked around the kibbutz and reflected on Shabbat, our experiences in the past few days, and life in general. I love hevruta and think that it should be a bigger part of education in the States because it is a completely different experience to learn from your peers and get to know one another rather than simply sitting in a lecture.
Our Shabbat observance came to a close with a Havdalah service, which took place outside after the sun had set. I loved the service because we were all standing in a circle, singing and praying. Not until after I volunteered to hold the cup of wine (grape juice) did I learn that it is customary to fill the cup until the grape juice is overflowing (my hands were quite sticky after services!). Learning Shabbat practices and other traditions first-hand is a truly invaluable experience. It doesn’t matter how many books you have read on Shabbat - until you have observed said practices first-hand can you really understand and feel immersed in the culture. And after one Shabbat, I am only just beginning my Jewish learning experience. I have so much more to learn and experience before I can feel as though I have a solid understanding of a variety of Jewish practices.
