A Rainy Shabbat, Golan Heights Style...

Awaking from a restful Shabbos sleep, Bus 231 began the day with a discussion of the weekly Parsha, Vayahkel, in which God commanded the Israelites to build a mishkin to house his commandments, while they drank coffee and tea. Everyone shared what and how they celebrate Shabbat and what their Shabbat routine means to them. In the afternoon, the group went on a hike through the valley surrounding Kibbutz Afik. The rain, drizzling on the lush Kibbutz, muddied the hiking trail but the brave souls - and a dog - trekked through the valley. The intrepid guides Ori, Dan, and Beth cautioned ,“Be safe and then have fun.” And fun they had. Winding through a former Arab village, they saw almond trees, wild mustard plants or in Hebrew, irit gedola (which the hikers tasted) and sabra cactus. It is custom for Arabs to plant Sabra, which are fruit bearing cacti, as a natural defense against intruders. The sabra lay all along the hillside. The Shorashimers were surprised at the Golan Height’s lush hillsides. Israeli companion Yonathan Lewin remarked, “I am used to visiting the Golan in the summer, when it is yellow, but I have never been here during the Winter. It looks like the hills of Ireland.” At the end of the hike, the Shorashimers were treated to a view of the valley with the Sea of Gallilee in the distance. Jamie Goodman commented, “being with everyone in this beautiful land was great but ending with such an incredible view of the Galille and then learning its history gave me a deeper understanding.” Drying off from the hike, the Shorashimers were broken into groups and given flashcards with various values and instructed to rank how important each value was to them as a Jewish person. Most groups decided that respecting other people, understanding Jewish history or calling oneself a Jew, and raising their children as Jews were the most important values. The rest of the rankings included the importance of prayer, remembering the Holocaust, being involved in Israeli politics, and others. At times, the group discussions became heated over differing interpretations and cultural priorities but the value of respect was a constant as each Shorashimer’s zeal was checked by a polite regard for the opinions voiced by their group members. Nothing brings argumentative friends together better than a meal so the group had Havdalah service and then descended upon the seaside city of Tiberius for dinner. Apparently, Tiberians claim their falafel is the best in Israel but according to some experts, that is not so.