What's in a leaf?

“God is everywhere. God is in a leaf!” exclaimed Dan, my new Breslov buddy. Last Thursday evening I was walking with a friend down Ben Yehuda in Jerusalem and we saw this happy Breslov guy standing next to his car decked out in quotes and stickers. On top of the car lay stacks of Breslov books that he was giving away as gifts to passersby. Something inside was pushing me to go say hello to this intriguing man. He was friendly and charismatic, telling us the story of how he found God later in life and came to be an observant Jew. His dedication to God and deep belief in serving God through an open heart was inspiring to me. When he said, “God is everywhere, even in a leaf,” it touched a nerve. It was a wonderful reminder that if we are to experience God’s presence, we must be open to the possibility. This man is so open to finding these moments of connection and he couldn’t wait to share his knowledge with us and teach us about his strong faith. He embodied Rebbe Nachman’s mantra that it is a great mitzvah to always be happy. Meeting Dan was a perfect chatimah (sealing) to the bike ride. He drove home the point that we can all strive to live our lives with joy, passion, open-heartedness and a thirst for connection to something bigger than ourselves.

Reflecting back on the 5-day bike ride, it was an opportunity to do exactly what Dan strives for in every day life- to experience spiritually elevated moments that connect us to something bigger. For Dan, that something is God, for others, it’s nature, relationship, music, art, prayer. Call it whatever you’d like, but we are all searching for something. We are all searching for meaning.

It’s very difficult to put into words how deeply meaningful this 5-day bike ride was for me. On many occasions throughout the journey, I was so overcome with emotion that my eyes welled with tears. Experiencing the beauty of the land of Israel in such a raw and organic way is an experience that I will treasure forever and one that I wish you will all have one day. The array of terrain we experienced was unbelievable; from sandy beaches to grassy fields, tree-filled forests to fruit groves, muddy swamps to water crossings, and paved cities to rocky paths. Becoming one with the bike and the road and the sweet sounds of nature is a spiritual experience in itself, and the relationships fostered and built with fellow-riders is truly a gift. We start on day one with a group of relative strangers and by the end of five days, we have built a kehila kedosha, a holy community, through sharing, supporting and encouraging one another.

This ride is a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual challenge. It wakes you up to possibilities that you could have never imagined. And at the end of the five days…you are transformed. You feel different. More alive. Open to new possibilities. You feel prayerful and hopeful. Inspired. You feel accomplished and proud that you rose to the challenge and you succeeded.

This incredible personal and communal growth happens in 5 days and the one unifying goal from the beginning is to support and celebrate the Reform Movement in Israel. Along the way, we visit Reform communities and hear from lay leaders and Rabbis about their exciting programs. I am thrilled to report that the Movement in Israel is thriving and growing and providing a much-needed spiritual outlet to Israelis who want a different type of connection to Judaism. These Israelis want an egalitarian experience in a country full of mostly Orthodox. There are 10 new Reform congregations in Israel in the last three years alone. And in a recent poll, 8% of Israelis identified themselves as Reform or Conservative. In essence, saying that they don’t religiously fit into the orthodox or secular worlds. This number is on the rise and its mostly unaffiliated Jews. Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism President, Gilad Kariv, says that Israeli society is in great need of progressive voices. Israel faces real challenges in regard to being a Jewish democratic state. It’s not only about an Israeli family having a Reform B’nai Mitzvah service (although this is happening too!). Israeli society is facing large issues- women in the army, social protests, the Jewish/Arab conflict, and conversion. There must be a strong liberal voice at the table. The growing Reform Movement in Israel is that voice and we must support them.

Riding4Reform is a yearly fundraiser. Unfortunately, the ride only had 23 participants this year; the lowest number in 9 years. At its best, the ride boasted about 60 participants. Next year is the 10^th anniversary of the R4R. I invite you to come experience it with me! March 10-14, 2013. Tell your friends about the ride, pass along information or send them my way. Let’s help the IMPJ with marketing and PR and assure that 2013 will be full to capacity!

To my wonderful sponsors, I thank you for your donations and I hope you can tell from this blog what an amazing organization you have chosen to support. Your sponsorship means so much to me. Thank you.

When we reached our final destination Thursday afternoon, the Progressive congregation of Kehilat Mevasseret Zion, crowds of family and friends greeted us! Four spirited Kindergarten classes joyously sang and danced, waving their Israeli flags in the air. It was a festive and sweet crossing of the finish line. We had a lovely ceremony recognizing the accomplishments of the riders and honoring the leaders and organizers of the ride. One participant, Rabbi Mark Strauss-Cohn wove together a blessing of quotes that we all shared during our last night together.

“This ride has been far more than just 250km from the Carmel to Mevasseret. It has been about soup and sandwiches. It has been about personal challenges. It has been about Israel and its future. It has been about and for the IMPJ. This has been a ride of rocks and sand, of eshkoliyot and pomeliyot, shkeidim and ofanayim. We blessed God

for the fruit and the Creation that was all around us. We saw God in the setting sun by the Sea and in eyes of our fellow riders as we read the morning traveller's prayer. We faced tough moments every day but they pale in comparison to the challenges the 30 reform congregations here face on a regular basis.

We have learned what congregations like Beit Daniel and Bavat Ayin are doing to create meaningful Judaism for Israelis. We have been inspired and humbled by the work and creativity of Lotem, Tom, and Matan and their fellow Mechina participants who live in a Reform Jewish context to prepare not just for the Army, but for life.

We have learned that when you fall down, the best thing to do is to get back on the bike and ride. And when you are in the sand, lean back. And when your chain gets stuck, use your fingers to fix the problem, even though they will get greasy.

Avi taught us that Israel is the best place to ride but what most people don't realize is how difficult the Israeli terrain is. Though meant in the context of biking, if you look at that teaching in the context of developing Reform Judaism, Avi gave us a beautiful quote for inspiring us to work diligently with the Reform movement here. "Israel is the best place to ride but what most people don't realize is how difficult the Israeli terrain is." And when Arnon told us, "this is only for advanced riders," he said a mouthful. Whether we physically rode every kilometer, we are all advanced riders when it comes to promoting Progressive Judaism.

It has been remarkable that this many people of such a variety of skills made it so far. And we were able to accomplish what we did because Hadas told us, "It's a ride, not a race." And so we took care of one another. We can take pride in being part of a group that is so friendly, helpful, and considerate. We take pride in ourselves, whether we were from Team Canada or elsewhere in North America. We take pride in the accomplishments of the IMPJ, filled with hope from what we have learned and know that we are helping in some capacity.

With each meter and each climb, the love and support of our sponsors gave us encouragement and the ability to keep the pedals turning or our feet walking.

May we come to embrace the ascent as well as the descent and see the Divine in all we meet along the way. And when we think we have nothing left in us, just remember this ride, our friends we have made along the way, and recall what Rabbi Oded Mazor taught us in his drash: the light on the altar would never be extinguished as long as people gave it fire. The fire, light and warmth of Torah, of friendship, of Judaism is in our hands. May we use it wisely.”

Each time I browse through the book that Dan gave me, "The Garden of Emunah," I'll remember what he said about finding God in a leaf. This book is about being reminded to strengthen our emunah or faith, and by doing so, we can look forward to a happier, and more fulfilling life.

May we each find our own personal emunah and strive to be open to moments of connection.

A sweet and happy Pesach to you all. Chag Sameach!

With much love and gratitude,

Leslie

R4R Days 2 and 3

Greetings, friends!

This is going to be a double whammy covering days 2 and 3 of the ride!

Day 1:

Yesterday was without a doubt the most visually stunning day of scenery I have ever experienced in my life. It was almost beauty over-stimulation! Seriously though, it was so beautiful that I was moved to tears on many occasions. And Eli Eli has been on repeat in my jukebox upstairs.

We left Kibbutz Nachsholim bright and early at 8:15 and rode on the Carmel Beach, alongside the shoreline. It was spectacular. Gorgeous. We ran into a cute group of kids who looked like they were re-enacting the Exodus from Egypt. Sure enough, they were fleeing Egypt! I thought that only happened in religious schools in the States! Silly me.

Next, we biked through some fish farms and passed by Kibbutz Ma’agan Michael, one of the largest in Israel. We rode by the Taninim (crocodile) Stream which thankfully, no longer boasts crocs. That would have been dangerous! We biked through many open fields and fruit groves, sampling many of the edibles along the way. Passion fruit, wild mustard flower, and the best grapefruit I have ever tasted in my entire life. Talk about sweet and juicy! And the orange groves were awesome- the smell of the orange blossoms is intoxicating. I could bottle that and wear it as perfume. We also passed sprawling wheat fields and grape vineyards. It was so lush and green, I may as well have been in Ireland.

We stopped for a lovely little nature walk led by our bike guide, Arnon. At this brief stop, there were also two monuments dedicated to a murdered family and 3 murdered children from many years ago. There are monuments practically everywhere you go in Israel. Wonderful to commemorate these losses, but also sad that this is the reality Israel faces.

We stopped for lunch at a place in Hadera where there was another monument- this one dedicated to the boarder police.

Turns out I left my spare iphone (which I use only in Israel) at the location of the lunch break. I only discovered this missing item at the end of the day and I had a hunch I might have left it in Hadera. Hadas, the Saint/Organizer of the R4R drove me all the way back to check it out last night during dinner. FOUND IT! Did a happy dance when I spotted it on the ground

After lunch we biked through some more beautiful green fields and saw (and smelled) many cows. The second to last leg of the day was along the Alexander River, all the way to Netanya. Lovely. And the last section was biking along the beach, watching the sunset. It was awesome. I didn’t even mind biking on the sand. (which I now know is much harder than it looks)

Last night we stayed at Seasons Hotel in Netanya. After dinner we took a brief walking tour of the city with one of the members of the Reform Netanya Congregation. I had no idea Netanya is such a beautiful city!

2 interesting facts about Netanya: 1- the most spoken language is French! Lots of French Jews make aliyah to Netanya and even more own vacation homes. They come to Netanya for “vacances.” Lots of Russian too.

Interesting fact #2- a large terrorist attack happened at the Park Hotel in Netanya during a Passover Seder in 2002. 30 people were killed, 140 injured. It was the most sever attack against Israel during the 2^nd Intifada. We walked by the hotel and our ride coordinator and her assistant were both emotionally shaken by seeing it for the first time in person since the attack in 2002.

Long day. Didn’t get to the hotel until 5:30.

Day 2 was phenomenal. Can’t wait to share the pictures.

Better move on to day 2 before my exhaustion completely takes over…

Day 3:

Today started and ended with a big bang! Despite one early afternoon section that was unpleasant in my opinion, I enjoyed the day.

First of all, I was a bit worried this morning because my left knee was swollen from yesterday. Turns out that the swelling went away when I started riding. Whew!

The beginning of today’s ride was fabulous- we rode through along the tayelet (promenade) in Netanya with spectacular views of the ocean. Who knew that Netanya had a tayelet just as nice as Tel Aviv’s?! The second part of the morning was an off-road dirt/sand section, partly along the water. Again, I very much enjoyed the scenery, especially the beautiful colorful flowers at this time of year.

Lunch was fine, but it started getting very windy and we were all shivering. Thankfully, that subsided. We did some group mixer stuff after lunch and then headed off on the leg of today’s journey that is not my cup of tea. My Grandmother taught me if you don’t have anything polite to say, then don’t say anything at all. Well, I only sometimes take her advice.

This leg of the journey was VEERY hard for me to appreciate. First of all, the scenery was lacking and second of all, its nearly impossible to enjoy riding when you are constantly having to get off the bike to walk it through areas that are too challenging to ride. IE- mud, water, crazy inclines, giant holes in the ground and excessive bumps. Eek. I was not happy during this leg, but was able to get back in the game (so to speak) after that section was over. We rode along the Yarkon River and eventually, passed through the high-tech area of K’far Saba, continuing towards Tel Aviv.

We rode directly through the town of Ramat HaChayal, a newish city just outside of Tel Aviv- clearly from how they dressed, a religious place. We stopped at Beit Daniel, the largest and most well-known Reform (or Progressive) Synagogue in Israel. One of their 6 Rabbis spoke with us about some of their programming (180 B’nai Mitzvah in 2012!!!) and challenges. It seems that we are all facing the same Synagogue challenges, despite where we live/work.

From Beit Daniel, we completed the last stretch of today’s cycling through HaYarkon Park (along HaYarkon River) as the sun was setting, all the way to the namal/promenade- AKA, my favorite place to walk and take in the ocean views in Israel. This last stretch of the ride was pretty spectacular. It was fun to take in so much pulsating life along the way. It felt like a very alive area. Lots of energy. Kids playing on the playground, rowers in the river, canoes, bikers, joggers, a petting zoo. My eyes hardly knew where to look first because there was so much action going on.

After the HaYarkon Park segment was finished, we segued right onto the Tel Aviv Namal. (one of my absolute favorite place) It was awesome to ride there and it was my first time visiting on this trip. I have taken a million pictures on that namal of the sun setting and it never gets old.

We had dinner at a restaurant in Old Jaffa called Dr. Shakshuka. The food was eclectc and interesting, not again, not exactly my cup of tea. Heavy on the mystery meats if you catch my drift. The Shakshuka was stellar!

What else can I tell you? The ride is amazing. It’s a different and creative way to see parts of Israel that we would not normally see. I had no clue that the promenade in Netanya is as gorgeous as it is! I’m having a ball. It’s so fun to be reunited with a few of the 1^st year HUC students that I know from last summer. And it’s always great to meet new people on the ride. Very friendly bunch this year. There are aways lots of Canadians representing. They are so proud. It’s adorable.

The past two days have included a wonderful variety of terrains and scenery. Today I especially liked the opportunity to ride directly through so many cities and to get a feel for life among the people that live there.

That’s all I’ve got for now. It’s time for Zzzzzz’s. Got a tough day coming up tomorrow with a steeeeeeeep ascent.

Thanks for tuning in and Happy Birthday, Vlad!!

Lila Tov to all,

Leslie

"HaNitzanim Niru Ba'aretz!"

Shalom family, friends and esteemed donors!

"HaNitzanim niru ba'aretz, et hazamir higia!" -"Blossoms have appeared in the Land of Israel; the time for song has arrived." -Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs)

It’s green, it’s lush, the flowers are in bloom and the scent of Spring is in the air! How lucky do I feel that I get to experience it firsthand?!?! To say I’m ecstatic to be back in Israel is an understatement. I am so happy when I'm here.

I arrived safely in Jerusalem Friday afternoon and have not stopped yet for a moment!

Friday and Saturday were dedicated to an abundance of fabulous friends, delicious food and enjoying a quiet and restful Shabbat in Jerusalem. It was lovely and the weather was perfection.In fact, the second I hopped off the plane, it felt like I never left.

Friday night I had the great pleasure of attending services at Nava Tehila. It’s a renewal congregation that has cultivated an authentic and deeply moving spiritual prayer experience led by many incredible musicians and a Rabbi with a true vision of a unifed prayer community.Some of my thesis research will be connected to the type of prayer they’ve created at Nava Tehila. Exciting stuff. Great music. You can buy their CD online on their website- check it out.

Today was the first day of the bike ride! And a phenomenal day it was. I was picked up in Jerusalem at 6am along with an enthusiastic group of bikers ready to ride! We made our way to the starting point of the ride at Muchraka Monastery in the Carmel Forest. The Monastery belongs to the Carmelite Order and its courtyard contains a statue dedicated to the Prophet Elijah, who according to tradition, fought against the Prophets of Ba'al there. After registration and bike distribution we had a brief opening ceremony- sang a few songs as a group, introduced ourselves, recited the traveler’s bike prayer and we were off!

Most of the first leg today was off-road- lots of bumps and very steep hills, but nonetheless, fun! There were some gorgeous views along the way. Unfortunately it was very dusty today (apparently from the Sahara) so the views were compromised. Normally you can see very far, but today it wasn’t happening. We also went to the brand new Carmel Forest Fire monument.The fire in December of 2010 was the most severe Israel has ever seen and had a devastating impact on the area. Much of the forest was ruined. 250 homes were destroyed or severely damaged, 17,000 people were forced to evacuate, more than 12,000 acres were burned and an estimated 5 million trees were lost in the fire. It’s incredibly sad to see the aftermath. Whatwas once a green, vibrant forest, full of life and historical roots, is now a charred empty space with dead trees. 44 lives were taken in the fire, mostly Israeli Prison service officers. The officers were called in to help evacuate a nearby prison. Apparently a tree fell in the road and trapped the bus in a fireball. Tragic. The recently opened monument to honor the memory of the victims is designed in the shape of the road where the officers were killed. You can see the burned area in my pictures. Hopefully they will serve as a before and the after picture will be taken in a few decades when the land has had a proper chance to heal and re-grow.

Post-lunch ride was also wonderful. We biked through open fields and banana groves, alongside stretches of beautiful flowers (check out the birds of paradise in my pictures) and lush greenery. We even had a rockin’ downhill fly. It was awesome.

We reached one lookout point, overlooking the water that was truly stunning. Each of us found our own spot among the rocks and had a few moments of silent reflection. As soon as I sat down and took in the view, I start singing Ilu Finu to myself. It’s a prayer from the Shabbat morning liturgy that says, “even if our mouths were full of song as the sea, we still could not thank you enough, oh God.” The next time I lead this prayer in Shabbat services, and probably the time after that, and the time after that too, I’ll have this beautiful image in my head. After the silence, we sang Ilu Finu as a group. It was a nice shared moment.

We biked along a gorgeous beach, right on the sand (difficult if not wet!), as the sun began to set, taking us all the way to Kibbutz Nachsholim, where we’re spending our first night.

It’s been an exciting couple of days. The ride has a small number of participants this year, but a great group. It’s been fun getting to know everyone and sharing stories.

Can’t wait for tomorrow!

A special thank you to my incredible sponsors for supporting the ride and enabling me to immerse myself in this rich experience.

Lila Tov to all!

B’ahava,

Leslie

PS- My loyal readers might have noticed the absence of food mentions in this post. Fear not, they feed us like Kings on this ride. The goal by the end of the week: TO BREAK EVEN.

L'hitraot

Wow. It is with a heavy heart and a tear in my eye that I write this final post for my summer 2011 Israel blog.

I'm on the plane on my way back to NYC, listening to every Israeli jam I have on my iPod, drowning my sorrows. It's been an intense wrap up period. I've worked my way through a slew of emotions in the past week as I tied up my life in Jerusalem and prepared to head back to the States...But before we get to the leaving part, a brief update since my last post.

Daniel, Amy and I officially finished our internship duties about a week ago. It was sort of sad as the job came to an end. We had developed quite a routine. Nonetheless, we were also ready for some free time.

Daniel went to Tel Aviv to spend time with his family. Amy has had a friend, Yuta, visiting from Germany for the past few weeks. This past Monday and Tuesday, the three of us and another friend of mine took a little tiyul to the North. We rented a few cars and went to Caesarea (one of my favorite, favorite spots in Israel) and did a beautiful hike in the Banyas and up to Nimrod's Fortress. I wasn't expecting such an uphill hike and it was semi-brutal in the heat and pounding sun, but it was so gorgeous. I'm glad we did it. The fortress itself is awesome. Took lots of cool pictures that day. Sweat buckets. Literally.

Wednesday night we gathered at HUC one last time for the first Beit Cafe of the year. It's basically a talent show/coffee house type shindig. It was a really wonderful evening. Tons of great acts and lots of ruach. I sang a piece with the Cantorial class and Amy and I did a little schtick. In essence, we serenaded our roommate, Daniel, with an old Boys II Men song. Funny? Indeed.

The class dedicated a sing along song to us- very cute. They re-wrote the words to Debbie Friedman's Psalm 150 and presented us with gift certificates to Steimatzky book store. We felt very appreciated. The end of the night was sad when it was time to give final hugs and say shalom to the students. I've grown quite attached to this class since we've worked so closely with them all summer. Thank goodness for modern technology! And it will be so great to have the students going to the NY campus around during my 5th year.

Thursday was a shopping, packing, bidding adieu to Jerusalem day for me. I said goodbye to Nancy and had coffee with a few different friends and then said goodbye to Yinon and Yitzhik (bed store) in the late afternoon. That was sad. In fact, it really brought things full circle. I spent a lot of time with them my first week and throughout the summer I would always pop in to say hi when I was in the neighborhood. They represent my connection to real Jerusalemites...I like it...

I went out to dinner with friends Thursday night in the German Colony and then spent some time in the Old City, by the Kotel. The night before I left Jerusalem three years ago I went to the Kotel, so I've decided to make it a ritual. It is arguable the most famous site in Jerusalem- it makes sense to go there for a proper "see ya later." The Wall was hopping Thursday night at 11- tons of people...and lots of little kids. Oiy, it was definitely past their bedtime. Slightly cruel in my opinion...So, the Wall. Sometimes I'm not sure what to think when I see the ladies crying and shaking back and forth on the women's side, hugging the Kotel with all their might. It's quite a sight. During this visit, as I observed the women, I felt proud to be connected in some way by our religion and our heritage. I admired their passion and courage and dedication.

Never a dull moment at The Kotel. There's always a lot to take in and this night was no exception- sat there taking in the scenes for quite some time. Never ceases to amaze me. It was lovely and a perfect cap off.

Btw, I also sold my bike to one of the first year students on Thursday. It's nice to know that one of them will be riding it around all year and use it for the Ride for Reform. I'll definitely miss riding around Jerusalem...

Friday was beach day in Tel Aviv. I got emotional when the sheirut pulled out of Jerusalem that morning. Very sad to leave her. But had a lovely day in Tel Aviv. Hung out with my cuz one more time. I was also sad saying goodbye to her. It has been so wonderful to spend time with her in Israel and be an eye witness to her newfound connection with the country. The beach was gorgeous, as always. The water felt great, played in some relaxing waves and enjoyed a nice breeze. Only got a little burnt :)

*sigh*

In some ways, it feels like this summer has gone by in the blink of an eye...but when I think about how much I did and saw and experienced, it feels like I've been here a long time. I settled in and developed a routine very quickly. In fact, after the first few days, it felt like I had never left.

Eleven glorious, Israeli Shabbatot later, it's hard to believe that the summer has come to an end. I'm very sad to leave. This summer was exceptional for me. The job enabled and challenged me to use all of the skills I have learned in and outside of school until this point- relationship building, mentoring, pastoral care, service leading and teaching. It was definitely an affirmation that HUC is doing something right. "Trust the process" is not simply an empty mantra that the administration throws around. I feel different than I felt three years ago...much better equipped- Baruch Hashem!

On a personal level, I rekindled some very important, old relationships and formed many beautiful, new relationships that I hope will continue for many years. Very nourishing. This summer was also about me reconnecting with Israel. And reconnect I did. I truly fall more in love with Israel every day. It feels like home to me.

Speaking of home, I'm supposedly on my way home right now...but NY doesn't feel like home and I'm not sure it ever will. And that's okay. Something about the fast-paced lifestyle and ignorant, tunnel vision in NY (not to mention the lack of scenery and vile public transportation) is a turn off to me. In Israel, people are friendly, they care, they feel a magnificent sense of responsibility to one another and to the country. Strangers go out of their way to help you. Neighbors invite you for Shabbat dinner. And then there's the Israeli mentality and the way of life. And the fact that it's easy to be Jewish there. People pay attention to what really matters, they know what's important in life. It works for me. I'm happier there. I don't want to wait another two years before coming back to Israel. It's important to me to visit often- I'm going to try to make that happen this year amidst my already crazy schedule.

So, now what? I suppose I return to the life I left a few months ago? I'm going to have to re-evaluate what isn't working for me in NY and try to remedy that. I certainly doubt HUC would let me do my 4th and 5th years on the Jerusalem campus. But it's a nice thought...perhaps there is a way to bring a slice of Israeli life to my life in NY. When I figure out how to do that, I'll let you know.

The first thing that needs to be revamped in NY is my Shabbat practice. I realize that it's impossible to recreate an Israeli Shabbat simply because the majority of people in NY are not celebrating Shabbat when I am, but I can work on my Shabbat home ritual. And I can try to implement an HUC student body Shabbat practice.

Perhaps one of the greatest aspects of this summer was being reminded what it's like to be a part of the HUC Jerusalem campus community. It's tight-knit and supportive and the faculty and administration are SO dedicated. It's a wonderful model and I miss having that on the NY campus.

Despite the sadness, I'm feeling incredibly grateful for this experience. It was a full, enriching and nourishing time in Israel. I'm taking a boatload of wonderful memories with me and thousands of pictures for documentation when those memories fade.

Thank YOU for following my blog this summer and sharing this experience with me...

Check out my last two photo albums.

Photo Album 6

Photo Album 7

This summer's ordinary miracles:

Shabbat

Sacred t'filah experiences

New connections

Limonana

Amazing, supportive friends and colleagues

Friday energy in Jerusalem

Alphachores cookies and chocolate coconut corny bars

12 Aharoni

Israeli sunsets (they're better than anywhere else)

Living in the Moment

The Sachne

Spontaneity

As they say..."Next summer...in Jerusalem!"

באהבא,

לסלי

It's August already?!

Shalom Friends!

Sadly, my time in Israel is coming to an end. I leave August 13 and I'm not happy about it. Trying to enjoy the last two weeks and take advantage of the time.

Last Thursday my roommate and I took a mini tiyul to the Sachne. It's about an hour and a half North of Jerusalem- near Beit Sha'an. There are three freshwater pools surrounded by lush greenery and stunning mountains. I thought I was in the Garden of Eden. It's beyond words gorgeous. It was extremely hot, but we found a shady spot under some trees and there was a nice breeze going. We spent a good amount of time in the water- cool and refreshing and the only place I'd want to be (aside from in a/c) on a 100 degree day. The place was packed with Israelis, but Daniel claims that if you go on a Fri/Sat there is literally not an empty piece of grass to be found. All Israelis- we were the only English speakers. In fact, it felt like a very Israeli outing. We stopped at the grocery store in Beit Shemesh to pick up some sandwich items and snacks. Used a pretzel to smear the hummus on my turkey sandwich. Everyone around us was BBQ'ing, so the air smelled DELICIOUS. Lots of families, couples and groups of friends...water floats and noodles aplenty. In fact, many of them simply brought blow up mattresses to use as a flotation device. Smart.

It was very relaxing. We swam over to the waterfall which was heavenly. People position themselves under the waterfall and use it as a back massage. Pretty awesome. Wow, it was truly heavenly. Check out the pics for a complete picture.

We then headed over to Gangaroo, an Australian zoo right next door to the Sachne. We had a blast! Koalas, kangaroos and emus, oh my. But it didn't stop there- black swans, gorgeous parrots, a giant killer bird, and hanging bats. We got to feed to feed the parrots a piece of apple on a stick and I kid you not...Daniel is a bird whisperer. He held out his piece of apple in the air and a parrot flew over, landed on his shoulder and would not leave his side for a good 6 minutes. Daniel joked, "all I need is an eye patch." True story. Eventually I had to fetch the bird lady to help rid Daniel of his new feathered friend. I was in stitches. Oiy. The koalas were adorable but didn't move much- apparently they sleep a lot. I was quite intrigued by the peacock- have never been so close to one. Speaking of being close to the animals...it was pretty much a free for all- so Israeli. The kangaroos were just chilling in an open space- you could literally walk right up to them. I've never been so close to any of these types of animals in my life. Daniel tried to feed the kangaroos but they weren't interested. They were probably as scared of us as I was of them. Funny how that works...

Anyway, it was an awesome day. The drive up and back was simply gorgeous. Like my favorite view of the sunset from the port in Tel Aviv, these sights never get old.

Friday night we had a fabulous Shabbat at the intern apartment. Great crew- 13 people- awesome food and a very musical bunch! Want to hear the menu? Of course you do.

Green salad, beet salad, tabouli with dried fruit and herbs, chicken bourekas, pineapple ginger terriaki salmon, roasted chicken, coconut rice with golden raisins, green beans, and sautéed swiss chard (although I meant to buy bok choy) .
And of course, a variety of pastries, cakes, fruit and chocolate for dessert.

It was a feast. The best part was the singing after dinner. Such beautiful harmonies and they picked up new songs in an instant. It was awesome.

Forgot to mention...I went to services at Yakar Friday evening. A modern orthodox minyan- there is a mechitza (wall dividing men and women) but it's not offensive like some of them. It's basically a see through sheet. I absolutely loved the service. It was high energy, full of intention, lots of ruach and the women sang out. All Carlebach melodies, my favorite. What can be better than a service of all Carlebach? It didn't bother me at all that it was a capella because there was such a sense of forward motion and the singing and harmonies were rich and full. The kahal prays with such fervor and dedication. The men are practical screaming on their side- but it's prayerful. I couldn't help but wonder if there is a way to translate this kind of service to the Reform Movement...there has to be...we just haven't figured it out yet. I think it is possible for Reform Jews to connect to prayer in this way...not exactly sure about the road to get there, but will try to figure it out.

Hm, what else? Saturday was absurdly hot. I took a very brief bike ride in the morning and was dehydrated the rest of the day. Had to ingest Gatorade to counteract heat symptoms.

Yesterday morning Daniel and I led services at school. Was quite pleased with result. We decided to take a teaching approach to attempt to demystify some of the new aspects of the service that the students are adjusting to. Good feedback.

I'm also leading a Bar Mitzvah tonight with a Rabbi from Chicago. The ceremony is in Blaustein Hall at HUC with people that I've never met, so it should be an interesting experience.

That's all I've got for now.

Check out my new pics. https://picasaweb.google.com/leslie.niren/Israel5

Today's ordinary miracles:

-New friendships
-Supportive colleagues
-Israeli music

xo,
Leslie

Shabbat Shalom!

Ciao Blogos,

How's everyone doin'?

I had a superb weekend in Tel Aviv. Relaxing, good company and stellar food. What more can a gal ask for? We took a bus of HUC students yesterday morning and spent the day trying to survive the heat. Whew! Was in 90's plus bad humidity- "too darn hot..."

I went with a group of 10 students on a lovely walking/historical tour of Neve Tzedek. We made our way through the old streets and ended up at the green market at the old train station. From there headed over to the shuk which was over-crowded and intense due to the Shabbat rush, even for me.

I met a friend of mine, Reut, for lunch on Sheinken St.- great to catch up with her. Then headed to the beach for a while to meet up with some HUC people. I should note that I had already been dripping with sweat from the heat for HOURS. It was almost too hot for the beach. Water was even hot. Yikes.

Last night we all went to the Beit T'filah Yisraeli service on the namal (port). My friend/classmate Andrea sang in the service- beautiful, as always. They draw a huge crowd in the summer- hundreds of people gather. It's the most beautiful setting for a service- the sun setting over the ocean in the distance and the sound of the sea- stunning. I have taken a million pictures of that same exact scene and it never gets old. I absolutely love it. People didn't sing so much last night which was sort of upsetting to me, but I still enjoyed the service- especially the musicians. They add in several Israeli songs/melodies- scattered throughout Kabbalat Shabbat. The highlight is "What a Wonderful World" sung in Hebrew. "Eh-zeh ach-la o-lam." Gets me every time.

After the service, a group of us went to Benny Hadayag for dinner on the namal- an awesome fish restaurant. I split a 2.2 pound whole fish- sea bar. Unclear if that is the real name of the fish or a bizarre Israeli translation. Nonetheless, one of the best fish I've ever tasted. Delicious. They kept bringing an assortment of about 20 salatim and we also had a few spectacular desserts. It was an indulgent and totally worth it meal. I will definitely be visiting Benny the Fisherman again!

Today I went to the beach again- a great way to spend Shabbat. Incredible people watching. I love seeing all of the Israeli families together on the beach on Shabbat. It's so different than a Shabbat in Jerusalem, but equally restful and rejuvenating.

Today was a much better beach day- cooler, heavy breeze and huge waves. It was lots of fun wave jumping and hanging in the ocean. Took me back to the old St. Martin days...the lifeguards were having a field day with the waves, blowing their whistles and screaming at everyone, trying to get them to stay between the cones in the designated swim areas. Israelis don't pay attention to rules and certainly not to life guards, so that was amusing.

About to gear up for another week at school- only a few left.

Hope all is well with everyone and you are enjoying summer. When July is over, we can pretty much kiss the summer goodbye, so enjoy it while it lasts. Why does it always go by so quickly? No other season passes like summer. Especially winter...what's up with that...

שבת שלום.

לםלי

July Ba'aretz

Greetings friends and blogos!

Wow, it has been two weeks since I sat down to write my last post. It's been so busy!

Maybe I'll start with the most recent and move backwards in time...

Amy and I just returned from a mini two day tiyul to the North. It was absolutely awesome- Rejuvenating, relaxing and came at the perfect time. We were exhausted from a long week of orientation and the north was calling...we rented a car and left Jerusalem Sunday late morning. The ride was stunning- gorgeous mountain views, lush greenery and a crystal blue Sea of Galilee completed the picturesque driving backdrop. Our ride up was pretty smooth, aside from being stopped at one of the security checkpoints coming out of West Bank road. I stupidly didn't bring a passport, so they had us go through some extra security measures. No biggie, but I did want to tell them they picked the wrong people to be suspicious of...

We drove all the way up to the mystical city of S'fat. Amy is not a fan, but she indulged my need to visit anyway. I had to get my Judaica artwork shop on! And shop I did. Picked up a few treasures and eyed a Tallit that I've been dreaming about for a few years...white with purple pomegranates. Resisted temptation to purchase the Tallit- decided to wait and continue the search before committing. It was nice to walk around- said hello to the wife of the artist who made my pomegranate picture that I bought a few years ago. Took in the sights and then we headed to Mitzpe Hayamim.

Mitzpe Hayamim is a spa in the north that is so relaxing that when you step foot on the grounds, the shoulder tension literally melts away. It's a dream. We were living the dream. Our room was stunning, complete with our own private mirpeset (balcony) overlooking the breathtaking views. After check in we relaxed by the pool and I made friends with the towel guy so I could borrow his goggles. I swam 72 laps- had to work up an appetite for dinner. Meals at Mitzpe Hayamim are fit for a king. They have the most outrageous vegetarian (plus fish) buffet one could ever imagine. (See pictures) It was just as mouth wateringly delicious as I remembered. AND- they generously prepared Amy her own special plate, accommodating all food sensitivities. That's service!

It was early to bed for the weary, food-coma-induced travelers. The next morning we once again feasted like Kings, or queens in our case. After breakfast Amy took a morning nap and I took a nature walk along the grounds. Bonded with the chickens and cows and horses (oh my). It was lovely. Walking the grounds is a bit like being in The Secret Garden (my favorite musical), so I was in heaven. Lots of great tunes were going through my head...it's a constant juke box in there.

Sadly, the time came to leave relaxing heaven on earth. Amy has declared she will get married there. We next headed to Rosh Pina, a beautiful and quaint town, full of local artists and awesome galleries. We walked around and had lunch at the famous chocolate restaurant- great salads and a few pieces of chocolate to wash it down...hmm.

From here the plan was to do a 2.5 hour hike up to Nimrod's castle (an old fortress), unfortunately we had to adapt our plan based on a time crunch. We didn't realize the parks closed at 5. So, we nixed the bigger hike and went to the Banyas and did a river hike/walk. The Banyas waterfall is incredible- wait 'till you see the pictures. Also, there was a new suspension bridge with more water views- so it was definitely still awesome. But we were both sort of bummed the other hike didn't happen.

We headed back to Jerusalem, making a stop at Decks in Tiberias for dinner. Got back to Jlem around 9:30. We were exhausted! It was a wonderful trip- the north is my favorite part of Israel- nothing more beautiful.

Ok, orientation. We had a full week of orientation programs/activities for the students. Daniel, Amy and I had a lot of involvement in planning and execution which was really nice. We were extremely pleased and proud with how our programs turned out. Hard to pick highlights because the whole week was engaging and terrific. It was interesting to be involved in orientation from this perspective instead of as a member of the class. Although, we do feel like honorary members...much of the week inspired me to evaluate my own Cantorial journey over the past few years since I began the program, and ask myself what I want from my remaining two years in school. All good stuff. Lots of deep probing, reflective and introspective work.

I led Kabbalat services Friday night and that was a great experience. I love leading t'filah. Very energizing. Seeing and hearing the students reactions to t'filah throughout the week truly reminded me what it's like to come in at the beginning of the process feeling like you know nothing...and to balance that out, from where I stand now as a rising 4th year, to feel like I have learned a huge amount of liturgy and repertoire, and more specifically, that I've acquired the skills and experience to pray and lead prayer effectively. It was wonderful to have Yoshi playing guitar and a treat to lead with Haim, who was an Israeli Rabbinic intern during my year in Israel.

That was a quick summary of the week. I'm excited for this class to begin the year. It's a really wonderful class and I'm looking forward to calling them my colleagues in a few years...

Saturday night after our closing program/Havdallah, we all went to Off the Wall comedy club to see one of the new students do his routine. He's been doing stand up for several years now. Wow, what a hoot! I haven't laughed that hard since seeing Bridesmaids. Everyone was in stitches. And thank God, because I would have had a hard time lying to his face telling him he was funny if he was really a dud comedian. Everyone knows I don't have a convincing lying face...I tell it the way I see it! We also hit up this totally American bar called Mike's place for some trivia fun. They actually had a good cover band- they played one of my favs with a rock vibe- Annie Lennox "Why."

Thinking back to the week before orientation...the previous Friday we had 17 people over for Shabbat dinner! It was a wonderful evening- great food, music and conversation. Quite an eclectic mix of students, random friends and Israelis. Daniel, Amy and I cooked all day! And we certainly had enough food for an army-wow. On the menu? Home-made chicken bourekas by Daniel, an assortment of salads including Amy's popular beet/mint concoction, apricot ginger chicken, yellow rice, mixed roasted vegetables, mashed cauliflower and an array of desserts- the highlights being Nancy's chocolate chip cookies and fruit crisp. Nothing better than a full house on Shabbat.
;-)

And before that, I can't even remember...women of the wall for Rosh Chodesh was an interesting experience. Unfortunately there were no serious brawls or run-ins. I was secretly hoping for one...the service by the wall was beautiful- felt very connected. Especially during Sh'ma- that was a powerful moment. After the shacharit and Hallel services we moved to Robinson's Arch for the Torah service because they wouldn't let the Torah through the Western Wall security. We had some evil stares and women telling us to be quiet as the service progressed by the wall, but nothing too radical. A man on the other side of the mechitza had to be escorted away because he went crazy. But I think that is pretty normal for kotel happenings. Lots of crazies running about these parts...

Our walk over to Robinson's Arch with the Torah was a bit dramatic. We were instructed specifically to walk slowly, following a girl in front carrying the Torah scroll, all the while singing Ozi V'Zimrat Ya (a million times). When we finally made it over to start the service, things seemed a bit disorganized, but everything was fine. I was happy to be a in the kahal that morning and witness the events as they happen most months. I neglected to mention that the walk to and from Robinson's Arch was exciting because there were a handful of other sim has happening simultaneously. Many Bar Mitzvahs complete with dancing, singing and spirited drum action. It all provided a contagiously energetic backdrop to the early morning. Also, we had a nice moment with our small HUC group, stopping to acknowledge a classmates first ever trip to the Kotel. We said and sang a Shehechiyanu and Daniel shared some beautiful words of Rabbinic wisdom- nice moment.

Forgot to mention an important event during orientation week! Yerushalayim Sheli was a pilot program this year that turned out to be a smashing success. We broke the class into 6 small groups- each group was led by an Israeli. The idea of the evening was to show the students Jerusalem through the perspective of a Jerusalemite. We want the students to begin forging relationships with Israelis right off the bat. I tagged along with a group going to a one night arts/cultural event at the famed Israel Museum and it was amazing. They had music and dance performances scattered throughout the inside and outside grounds of the museum. The evening culminated in a Wi party, hundreds of people dancing outside in an open courtyard, each with their own set of headphones blasting music. They were running on Israeli time and my patience ran out by midnight so I missed the Wi party by ten minutes. Next time! Our group host was an Israeli Rabbinic student, Tamir, and his wife- they were excellent. We received lots of positive feedback from the students and the hosts about the program. I hope it's something they will continue in future orientations.

Last night we took an epic trip to the bowling alley. Or, as they pronounce the sport in Israel, BOOOWWEEELLLING. The way Israelis pronounce the word "bowl" rhythms with the movement one makes on the toilet. Quite amusing. In any case, it was a BLAST. I, of course, get very competitive with any sport and BOOWWEELLING is no exception. We were all pretty low on the score board but I took the lead in the first game, winning with a score of 96. Lost my edge and came in second place in the next round. A good time was had by all. And Amy and I had a ball with the basketball arcade machines- we went wild putting up more points on that board than it had ever seen. (except for the 178 top score on the machine, which must have been from a rare cameo by Michael Jordan)

I think that's about all I have for now. I have about three weeks of Israel bliss left. Getting sad about that, but also realize that I have many exciting things ahead in the coming year. AND, I know I'll be back. Sooner rather than later this time...

You know what's on the plan for today? A PEDICURE. 'Bout time.

Check out my complete Israel 4 album- full of great shots from the BBQ, night time party at the Shuk, Israel Museum and our North tiyul. https://picasaweb.google.com/leslie.niren/Israel4

Happy Wednesday to all.

Chaim Tovim.

L'shalom,
Leslie