Blog Entry #3—25 February 2009
Blog #3–24-25
I am staying at an old hotel in New Jerusalem on Yaffa Road, right across from Ben Yehuda street. It’s an interesting place. An inexpensive hostile that has real old style charm. In fact, I have tiny little bungalow on the rooftop. No phone. No television. A little space heater to keep me warm. It is a little chilly. I stand upon the rooftop, looking down on the street. Late at night, the place becomes surreal, like a scene in a noir film. As the night wears on and the people go home, the streets become deserted. The moment is quiet and dreamy and dark.
I went for an early morning run through Jerusalem, and lo and behold, I ran into a dear friend and mentor, Don Goor, who’s here on sabbatical. I told you I would have such an encounter. I have known Don since I was 16, when we met at Jewish summer camp. We have done some special work together, not only at camp but with a transitional living project in Southern California. Together with a vibrant, interfaith community, we helped homeless people get off the streets and back into a more life-affirming reality. Don also co-officiated at Betsy’s and my wedding. A great rabbi and person.
Today, some of my colleagues and I traveled to Tel Aviv to visit the Reform mechinah. A mechinah is a program of study and service, designed for high school graduates who would like to wait a year before entering the Israeli army. There are all sorts of mechinot authorized by the Israeli government, and the fact that there is one run under the auspices of the progressive movement in Israel is a big deal. Its presence represents a substantial step in authenticating Reform Judaism in Israel.
My colleague Dennis Eisner and I studied with three delightful young men, Natan, Yedid and Moshe. Natan wants to enter special forces akin to American Rangers. Yedid wants to join an acting troop, which entertains his fellow soldiers. Moshe wants to be a pilot in the Israeli Air Force. All three find great meaning in Reform Judaism. As teenagers, they like spirituality it offers but also the freedom it gives them to make up their own minds. They are excited by the discipline of asking hard questions that reflect meaningful the meaningful changes in their lives. Soon they will take on big responsibilities for their country’s welfare and security. The army likes to have soldiers who think on their feet, who really consider the significance and purpose of their military service.
We took some time to consider the nature of leadership. We looked at texts ranging from the ancient Khazari to Yehuda Amichai, a famous contemporary poet. For good measure, we also reflected on the lyrics of a popular rapper named Hadag Nachash. A dag is a fish, and a nachash is a snake. We decided after studying the text that sometimes leadership is about rallying people around a common goal. Sometimes it requires the leader to make unpopular stands.
After lunch, we traveled with the students to their volunteer jobs. I went with the kids to an after school program with at-risk kids from Israeli Jewish and Arab families. The program is called Kadima, which means “moving forward.“The kids were like any kids. They were playful with one another, and at times contentious. They were very cute, and some worked very hard on their homework. One young boy of Ethiopian orgin, named Yoni, entertained me with running flips. One teen, Ido, and I worked with a young girl of Arab descent named Jennifer showed me how to write some letters in Arabic. We had lots of fun together.
What I took away from the experience is the understanding that these young children grow the appreciate and enjoy these wonderful Israeli teens. The teens dedicate themselves to the young Jewish and Arab people. They learn that not all Israelies act badly. Some, like these teens, interact with them when their parents cannot. When their parents cannot feed them on a regular basis, the young people recognize the caring support from the Israeli teens. This work is so important because shapes a much more positive view of Israelis. If you are interested in learning more about the Reform mechinah, please go to their general website—www. Hamechina.org.il.
That’s all for now.
Lilah tov….
