I don’t envy the person who has to
try to capture today’s experiences! It
was an epic day full of adventure and exploration, learning and insight.
Perhaps we’ll start at the end and work our way backwards.
It’s Shabbat. Jerusalem has finally
slowed down a bit. The kids have finished dinner and are heading to bed. We
just came from the Kotel where we celebrated “Kabbalat Shabbat.”
Our Kabbalat Shabbat began with a
Davis only song session outside of the Kotel plaza. We sang some of our old
favorite songs, shared some of the days impressions, and also sang a medley of
songs from Be a Blessing. Who knew??? Jessica T. did an amazing job of helping
out with guitar. We lit Shabbat candles and had a group hug. Mr. Barry reminded
us that you only get to celebrate your first Shabbat in Jerusalem once. After
the kids figured out what that meant they all took it to heart.
We approached the Kotel for the
second time today. Again it was full of activity. This time the activity was
joyful and celebratory as thousands of Jews from around the world welcomed
Shabbat. On the boys side we sang and danced, first in a circle by ourselves,
and then later with a large minyan (prayer
group). Each song lasted at least 5-10 minutes as hundreds of men, most of them
strangers to one another, danced and sang together. Our boys got to touch the
Kotel and also received an inspiring lesson from a Chasidic gentleman in the
Kotel plaza. On the women’s side a number of girls went up close to the wall
and made their personal connection. All around us people wished one another
Shabbat Shalom, singing and dancing, and enjoying the beautiful and cool
evening.
The epicenter of Jerusalem on
Friday afternoons is the Mahane Yehuda marketplace. We were there in the late afternoon
as hundreds of people pushed and shoved one another to get last minute Shabbat
shopping done. It’s become an annual tradition to buy the kids Marzupan
Rugelach (the most delicious food in Israel). At first they were skeptical but
it didn’t take long before they pounced on it with reckless abandon.
Prior to Mahane Yehuda we explored Hezekiah’s Water Tunnel. The water tunnel
is a 500 meter (you do the math!) underground tunnel that our ancestors built
to ensure that Jerusalem could withstand a siege from any of the numerous
nations that tried to conquer her in the past. It had been a decade since I’d
braved the water tunnel (due to a recently developed dislike of small and
enclosed places buried hundreds of meters
(you do the math) beneath the earth, but I did it and so did the kids. There
was a great sense of accomplishment on the other end. Regarding lunch—if you
really want to win your child’s undying affection buy some Bulgarian Cheese for
the fridge. You might have surmised that I’m kidding—the Bulgarian Cheese
sandwiches were the least popular option from the cheese sandwhich smorgasbord
that was lunch.
We spent the first part of the day
exploring the Old City. Our tour began with a truly unique experience—Rosh Chodesh
services at the Kotel. Not only was today Rosh Chodesh, but it was the first
Rosh Chodesh since a group known as “Women of the Wall” were granted permission
by the Supreme Court to wear tallitot at the Kotel as well as pray out loud in
a mixed group. It turns out that these things, which we take for granted, are
frowned upon by many of the ultra orthodox Jews in Israel, especially those
that maintain control over religious law at the Kotel. The result is that this
morning’s Rosh Chodesh service at the Kotel became international news as
liberal and ultra orthodox Jews had a clash of ideals. There were dozens of
cameras and a few of our kids were even interviewed. There were many soldiers
on hand to ensure that protests against Women of the Wall didn’t get out of
hand. As safety is our #1 priority we left the Kotel as soon as we saw a
few of the ultra orthodox men begin to throw cups of water. When we got on the
bus our driver, Avner, told us that he had been listening to the whole
experience on the national news channel. Today the kids experienced a transformational
moment in Jewish religious history first hand. They joined with Women of the
Wall and their supporters in singing Oseh Shalom even as fellow Jews were
voicing their opposition. We balanced out the intensity of the Rosh Chodesh experience with some shopping and free time to explore the Jewish Quarter!
By the time a child graduates Davis
we want them to have a deep understanding of who they are and the components of
their identity. We hope that this self-understanding is so deep that it cannot
even be fully expressed in words. Israel is one of the many vehicles that we
use to help us achieve this vital goal. Today we saw the kids figuring out who
they are and who they want to be—as peers, as The Davis Academy class of 2013,
as Jews, and as human beings. Our role as chaperones is to guide them, to
reflect their questions back to them, to hold their hands, to challenge them,
to help them see how awesome they are, and to celebrate each moment of growth
and homecoming. That’s why were here.
Tomorrow we continue to celebrate. We
continue to celebrate community, friendship, history, Israel, and Shabbat.
There’s no better place to do so than Jerusalem and there’s no better group to
do it with than this one.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Micah
