5/18/13
Shavua Tov! The thrill of
the disco cruise hasn’t worn off yet but the kids are headed up to their rooms
so that they can pack for our departure early tomorrow morning.
After a leisurely
breakfast we boarded the busses and headed north to explore Timnah. Timnah is a
place with rich history and great natural beauty. There’s no way to describe
the magnificent colors of the rock, the steep slopes of the mountains, or other
aspects of the landscape. Words absolutely, positively fail.
We celebrated Shabbat at
the foot of a natural rock formation called Solomon’s Pillars. There we
listened as Shelby N. chanted from the weekly Torah portion and Carolyn F.
shared her D’var Torah. During the Mishebeirach this morning we took a few
extra moments to really focus on people in our lives who need our prayers for
healing.
In addition to the desert
landscape Timnah also has a unique exhibit—an exact recreation of the Ohel Moed
(Tent of Meeting) as it is depicted in the Torah. The Ohel Moed was the
location were the Ancient Israelites worshipped during the sojourn through the
wilderness. Our guide at the Ohel Moed was one of the most engaging we’ve had
so far—she was literally overflowing with knowledge about the Ohel Moed. At the
end she graciously asked if I had anything to add. I was fairly certain that
she’d covered the topic sufficiently for our purposes! I also have to confess
that the Ohel Moed didn’t look exactly like I thought it would. One of the great things about Judaism is that
there’s always something new to learn and discover!
Then we had lunch and were
off to snorkeling in the Red Sea.
This trip has included
many firsts for the kids. For many of them this was their first time snorkeling.
In spite of the fact that there was a pretty strong breeze blowing we all
embraced the opportunity. I think it might have had something to do with the
fact that our snorkeling guides promised that we would see “Nemo” in the water.
Everyone had a great snorkeling experience. Some kids encountered small
obstacles like needing to adjust their masks in the water or having to clear
the air pipes, but they met these challenges with poise and confidence. Morah
Sigal and Morah Orna waited for us at the end of our swim to take pictures
documenting our triumph. After snorkeling we splashed around the sea and worked
on our suntans. Ice cream ensued as well.
We viewed the Taba border
crossing between Israel and Egypt and headed back to the hotel to get ready for
our evening out. For “pizur” tonight many of the kids chose to go with some
familiar favorites, a taste of home if you will: McDonalds, pizza, and Chinese.
Then we did some light shopping and headed to the disco cruise or “boat
mitzvah”—a Davis tradition. Things definitely took a step in the right
direction when Mr. Barry took over as DJ. There was a lot of group dancing as
well, especially when Miley Cyrus and her evil spiritual predecessor Britney
Spears came on (not courtesy of Mr. Barry). We took our time walking back,
giving the kids a chance to peruse the various storefronts along the promenade
and sent them promptly to bed. Tomorrow we leave Eilat and will wind up in Tel
Aviv.
There are many ways of
thinking about and relating to Shabbat. I like to think of Shabbat in terms of
three concepts: Oneg, Kedushah, and Menuchah. Oneg means “joy” as in “oneg
Shabbat.” When taken together with Kedushah (holiness) and Menuchah (rest)
these three concepts frame the essence of Shabbat in a way that can be applied
to many different types of activities. I’ll leave it to you all to imagine
which activities from sundown last night to havdallah (on the boat) this
evening correspond with which categories. Spoiler alert: there are no right
answers.
I’d encourage everyone to
consider the possibility of helping to keep the magic of Israel alive for our
kids by thinking about Shabbat activities back home in terms of Oneg, Kedushah,
and Menuchah. We’ve found these to be a powerful framework at Davis and on our
Israel trip in particular. I hope that Shabbat in Atlanta was filled with joy, holiness,
and rest, and that you’re enjoying following along with this spectacular
journey from afar. As you might imagine, you’re not as far as away as any of us
might think!
