The New Israeli Government and Obama Ba! (Obama comes!)

It is an exciting week with the new Knesset being sworn in and Obama coming for his first presidential visit to Israel.

If you are already in the loop on the ins and outs of the new government, pardon all the details.

From the start, many anticipated that Likud-Beiteinu, Netanyahu's party, would partner with Yesh Atid, Yair Lapid's party, and Habayit Hayehudi, Naftali Bennett's party. Yesh Atid is in the left-center and Habayit Hayehudi claims it is solidly on the right. They heavily disagree when it comes to issues of settlements and the peace process. Yesh Atid actually didn't focus on these issues too much on the election, but Bennett is the one who said that he fully supports the creation of a Palestinian State, just not in the middle of the Jewish one. Yet, they agree about the economy and reforming the government. Bennett and Lapid's biggest similarity, however, is that they both believe it is time to end the Ultra-Orthodox stronghold on all issues of religion, that some of the wealth that has thus far been directed solely to Ultra-Orthodox schools and institutions be shared and that the Ultra-Orthodox must be obligated to national military service. This last similarity was enough for them to tell Netanyahu that they would only join the government together. And, together, they have 30 seats.

But, the partnership potential looked a little shaky for a while. Israeli media reported that Lapid had some outrageous demands, in particular that Yesh Atid get the Ministry of the Interior and Education and that the number of ministers shrink from 30 to 18. In addition, he refused to be in a government with any Ultra-Orthodox parties; a significant demand as Shas, and Ultra-Orthodox party, had been a part of Netanyahu's last coalition. Those issues lead Netanyahu to try to form a majority with some of the Ultra-Orthodox parties.

And then, almost as an aside, the first deal was struck between Likud-Beiteinu and Tzipi Livni's party, Hatnua. She wound up with two departments, Justice and the Environment, the latter of which is most fitting as she ran as the "green party." Following that announcement, there were reports that Shas was to join Netanyahu's government any day.

Then, late last week, it was announced that the government had been formed with Likud-Beiteinu, Yesh Atid, Habayit Hayehudi and Hatnua (68 seats). After going back and forth, both Netanyahu and Lapid compromised on a number of things and the coalition was formed. Yesh Atid got the Ministries of Finance and Education among others. A key assignment for Lapid's party was the Ministry of Education which controls the money that goes to all educational institutions, including the Ultra-Orthodox ones. They did not get the Ministry of the Interior and the government did not shrink to 18 ministers as Lapid wanted, but, apparently it was enough. In addition, Lapid got a majority with no Ultra-Orthodox party, and the agreement states that new legislation on enlistment of Haredim will come before the Knesset within 45 days.

The biggest victor in all this, however, may well be Habayit Hayehudi and Naftali Bennett, who somehow made himself indispensable to both Netanyahu and Lapid. Bennett is credited with being the bridge between the two. It was reported in the papers that he told Lapid that if he didn't take this deal, he would go into negotiations with Netanyahu and the Ultra-Orthodox parties. The same sources said that he told Netanyahu that if Netanyahu didn't agree to this, Bennett would maintain his agreement with Lapid and stay out of Netanyahu's government.

Habayit Hayehudi will head five ministries: Economy and Trade, Diaspora and Jerusalem, Religious Affairs, Housing, and Pension Affairs. As head of Religious Affairs, they could bring about reform to laws of conversion and could create civil marriages, which would take control from the Ultra-Orthodox. As head of the Housing Ministry, Bennett's party oversees construction of new settlements and, as you can read in Habayit Hayehudi's platform, they wish to make settling in the entire current State of Israel a national priority.

That Naftali Bennett is quite a politician.

As you can imagine, the Ultra-Orthodox parties are not happy. Shas in particular is furious. The media reports that they now vow to form a solid bond with Labor as a part of the opposition to bring this new government down.

Yet in many other parts of Israeli society, there is definitely a sense of excitement that there is a real possibility for change. If nothing else, not having a single Ultra-Orthodox party in the coalition will seriously alter the conversations. And for us, that has the potential to change the status of all non-Orthodox religious movements in Israel, which is, of course, a very big deal.

For those of us on the outside, it feels like the topic of peace should be the most crucial issue facing Israel. Yet, for Israelis, their biggest concerns are those of their daily lives, just like other "normal" countries. To help understand that, Anat Wilf, a former member of Parliment, stated that the real issue with the peace process is not identifying the borders, but the fact that there is no one on the other side who is really willing to negotiate any kind of peace. When that opportunity comes, she said, it doesn't matter who is in power, they will take the opportunity to make peace. Left, right or center, Israel will make peace when peace is an actual option. However, that opportunity has not come. Thus, the government will focus on its internal issues to better the lives and affairs of its people. 

All this happens just days before President Obama arrives in Israel. Jerusalem is covered in American, Israeli and Jerusalem flags. The official logo of the visit "Unbreakable Alliance, Obama in Israel 2013" is displayed on posters throughout the city. Whole sections of the city will shut down for security purposes. Different organizations have all kinds of activities planned, some about the relationship between the countries and others just for entertainment. It is similar to a holiday celebration. Being here, you know how important the United States is to Israelis. It feels like the king is coming to visit our small village.

I must say that I have never been so excited for the President to visit the city where I live. I never once considered standing in line for hours just to get a glimpse of him when he has visited the Bay Area in the past. However, here, we are watching his schedule closely and hope to be a part of the excitement. He will visit the residences of both President Shimon Peres and Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday the 20th, and both of those locations are within a ten minute walk from where we live. So, if you happen to be looking for us on that day, we will be walking the streets of Jerusalem waving our American and Israeli flags with pride.

More with The Women of the Wall

Happy Nisan!

The participants of the WRJ Convention and three Ministers of the Knesset joined the Woman of the Wall for the Rosh Chodesh service this morning. The number of women wearing tallitot seemed to have quadrupled since last month. There were also at least two women wearing tefillin.

The vibe, starting from the approach to the Wall, was very different from last month. There were four soldiers standing on the plaza in front of the women's side. When we (my mom and I; my dad stayed in the plaza and peered over the back wall with the other male supporters) joined the group, it looked like the police, who were warning people that they would be arrested last month, had gathered in a protective circle around the women. I looked over the machitza (the separator between the men's and women's sections) and saw soldiers lined up along the barrier facing the men on the men's side. Last month, there was a feeling of being vulnerable. This time, I felt very protected.

And yet, there was far more protest this time. There was a woman who was yelling almost throughout the entire service, reading passages from her prayerbook as evidence that we were doing something wrong. Another woman yelled that we should be ashamed of ourselves. Another, I imagine at a loss for words in her discomfort, just yelled.

The men's side had even more "excitement." There was a man blowing shofar to drown out the sounds of the women (and men who were with us) praying. Others were shouting that we weren't really Jewish. Others who said that we didn't know what we were doing and should have the men teach us the real way to pray. At one point, a number of older haredi men joined hands and together tried to approach the mechitza and were stopped from getting too close by the soldiers and police.

It was during Hallel, the special prayers in praise of God that you say on Rosh Chodesh (as well as other holidays), that the biggest group of men seemed to join together to sing as loudly as possible in an attempt to overpower the singing from the women's side.

But, none of the protesters could stop us from praying in the way we wanted.

I found I was less distracted today and was more able to actually pray. The service was very moving. And so, I sang my heart out. I sang my heart out to proclaim my legitimacy as a human being and as a Jew. I sang my heart out in support of all people who feel oppressed and constrained by others who wish to impose a particular lifestyle on them. I sang my heart out today because it felt so good, and I am positive that the universe was affected by the sounds of our prayer.

And, in all honesty, I sang my heart out to sing louder than the Jews on the other side. Jews who live differently, but who cherish our tradition as much as I do. It was us against them. All of us using the sacred words of our people as weapons of our protest.

Singing Oseh Shalom this morning was a new experience for me. The words of the song are magnificent (May the one who makes peace above, make peace for us and for all Israel, and let us say: Amen) but I admit that I have wished at times that our ancestors were a bit more inclusive and added the whole world into this prayer for peace. But, today, looking at everything that was happening, I understood why the prayer is written the way that it is. Within our people, we need a prayer that urges us recognize each other, understand each other and accept each other.

Please, please God, make peace within Israel.

There were no arrests made today. We were told that the morning started as it usually does, with tallitot being confiscated and people being warned that they are breaking the law of holy sites and they could be arrested and serve up to six months in prison. However, then one of the officers got a call from the chief of police who said no arrests today. Why? The group suggested that maybe it was because of Obama's visit. Anat Hoffman fantasized that Michael Oren called the chief and asked him, as a favor, not to arrest anyone because he's had it with all the irate American Jews on his back for this. Someone else thought maybe it was because the government is trying desperately to build its coalition. Others suggested it might have because of the three MKs (members of the Knesset), all of whom were wearing tallitot, who could not be arrested. Ultimately, we don't know why. But, it meant that we had a lovely Torah service near Robinson's Arch (the Southern Wall). My mom even had an aliyah. Everyone departed feeling good.

 Me and Anat Hoffman after the Torah service near Robinson's Arch

I will remember this morning, from now on, every time I sing Oseh Shalom. It expresses for me two truths. The first is the uplifting power and thrill of praying with the Women of the Wall. The second, is the heartache of praying with the Women of the Wall, for its monthly service highlights the ongoing strife Jews have with each other. Those truths must be held together. On the one hand, I am so grateful to Anat Hoffman and all those who, for over twenty years, have led this struggle on my behalf and on the behalf of all Jews around the world who live and pray in ways that are not respected by other Jews. I am grateful to the Women of the Wall for allowing me to be a part of one of the most moving services in which I have ever participated. And, I am desperately grieved by the fact that the Women of the Wall needs to exist to fight for my rights against other Jews who would deny them.

And so, for all people, for my people and for myself, I pray for peace. May the ordering principle of the universe, the One that guides the very flow of existence that extends far beyond us on earth, help us find peace; peace within us, peace between us and peace in the world around us.

Kein yihi ratzon, may this be God's will.

The Negev and the Kibbutzim of the Arava

Shalom!

I have always loved the desert. I love the landscape, the terrain, the mountains, the shapes and colors of the rocks; I even like the weather. So, of course, time in the desert was guaranteed to be a part of our Israel adventure.

We began our trip to the Negev on a Friday afternoon, right after we had participated in the 4.2 km public race of the Jerusalem Marathon. We spent time in/at Machtesh Ramon, or the Ramon crater, the biggest crater in the world (formed through natural geological processes rather than through an impact).

 Overlooking the Ramon Crater

We visited Avdat, a Nabatean city along the ancient spice route.

 Standing at the ancient wine press in Avdat

We went to Timna National Park which, along with being a beautiful part of the desert, is the site of of the oldest mine in the world. 6,000 years ago, Egyptians mined copper there and, today, you can crawl in and out of those ancient shafts and tunnels.

   One of he 6000 year old copper mine shafts

 

In front of Soloman's Pillars in Timna National Park

We experienced the natural wildlife in the coral of the Red Sea at the Underwater Observatory in Eilat and we dipped our feet into the Red Sea (still too chilly to swim).

In Eilat with the Red Sea and the Jordanian city of Aqaba in the background

We drove along the Dead Sea, reaching the lowest point on earth. Naturally, we floated in the Sea as well. It was the first time that the kids had been to the Dead Sea. We have two who love it, one who is a little lukewarm and one who may never go into any body of water that contains salt ever again.

Worth special mention are the kibbutzim we visited in the Arava Valley, Kibbutz Ketura, in whose guest house we stayed, and Kibbutz Yotvata. Today's kibbutzim are different from the equalized cooperatives of the past. Most of them are privatized, which means their members receive a salary for their work and they are paid according to their position rather than according to their need. Then, there are the kibbutzim that are called "integrated" wherein people are given the usual stipend and then some percentage of their salary depending on their position. Only around a quarter of the kibbutzim work on the hundred year old model of the Israeli commune. Ketura and Yotvata are two of the few that are essentially traditional kibbutzim.

I say essentially because there still are changes from the original ways kibbutzim did things. For instance, the original model had children in children's houses, whereas the general practice today is for children to reside with their parents. It used to be that you didn't own anything individually. Now, if you own real estate when you join, you would be allowed to keep it. If you are left an inheritance, it is yours, not the property of the kibbutz. It is still the case that anything you make while you are a member belongs to the whole community. The differences in the stipends is entirely based on the number of children you have in your household and not at all on the work you do in the community. If you want to work outside the kibbutz, you would be allowed to do so only if you received a certain salary and then, of course, it would go to the collective rather than to you as an individual.

Ketura's businesses include a dairy, date groves, a solar field, an industrial plant for producing a red algae called astaxanthin, an early childhood education program, and is the location for the the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies. They don't independently own all of the operations functioning on their property, but some of the members of the kibbutz work in the various programs. Interestingly, when it comes to the businesses that are entirely theirs, like the date groves, they hire outside employees to do the some of the work (like tree climbing) freeing members who can then choose to work as professionals or on non-Kibbutz businesses instead.

At Ketura, you can also visit a date tree name Methusela. It was sprouted from a nineteen hundred year old seed that was found during excavations at Masada. The botanist (Dr. Elaine Solowey) who sprouted and nurtured it is a member of Kibbutz Ketura.

 Methusela

Yotvata's businesses include a highly successful dairy, date groves, onions, and they house the elementary, middle and high schools for the entire region. Their most successful operation is their dairy which brings in about seventy percent of their annual income. If you have visited Israel in the last few decades, you may know the name Yotvata for its many delicious dairy products. They actually don't produce enough milk to meet their needs and therefore buy the milk from the surrounding kibbutzim. In general, the kibbutzim in the area seem to put a lot of effort into collaboration and working together for the benefit of them all. Unlike Ketura, we got the feeling that most of the members were still encouraged to work for the kibbutz's businesses rather than in outside positions.

What was particularly impressive about these institutions was their innovation, both in the realm of environmental stewardship and in building relationships with people and communities from other countries in the region.

The solar fields at Ketura are becoming the standard that others are looking toward, kibbutzim as well as other cities and institutions in Israel and throughout the world. The Arava Institute is the premier environmental education and research program in the Middle East, bringing Jordanians, Palestinians and Israelis together to work cooperatively in addressing the environmental challenges in the region.

Yotvata collects all of the water and waste from the dairy and turns it into methane gas that then powers the operation. Forty percent of the power used by Yotvata's dairy comes from this recycling method. They, too, have been involved in cooperative relationships with other countries.
A few years ago, Yotvata was approached by members of a Jordanian village just across the border who were interested in learning about agriculture, specifically growing dates and onions. A few Jordanians joined the kibbutz for a time, learning what they could from Yotvata's knowledge and experience. That village has now become quite successful in their own agricultural pursuits and that success has given its people many new opportunities.

In many ways, the kibbutzim of today are not the same institutions that they were, yet they are still challenging the rest of the world to take a good look at the way we do things and question whether or not there might be something better. Whether that is pushing ourselves to be more community rather than individually oriented, or to be more mindful about our environment, or to find ways to build partnerships with people who might otherwise be our enemies, the kibbutzim continue to put forth ideals to inspire us all.

All in all, a great desert trip.

Purim Sameach

In the JPS Esther Commentary, Adele Berlin explains that the holiday of Purim most likely came before the book of Esther. Many peoples celebrate the spring equinox with some kind of festival that includes parties and masquerading. Jews likely took part as well. At some point, a Jewish story was written to justify the celebration. So, most of the time, there is an event and then a holiday to commemorate it. In the case of Purim, we first have the celebration and then the creation of the event. The perfect roots for this topsy turvy time of year.

Purim in Israel is a lot like what I imagine Mardis Gras is in New Orleans, only without the beads and all that entails. It isn't a one day thing, it is a week long celebration. And not just for kids. Adult Jerusalemites have been sporting crowns and funny hats all week. A big trend among teenage males is to shave words, pictures or designs into their heads and to actually dye their hair, not just temporarily spray paint it, all different colors.

 Our oldest took part in the Purim hair trend

The costumes are lavish and elaborate and it is clear that everyone takes a lot of care to choose the right costume and make the most out of it. And all communities participate. Our Haredi scribal arts teacher explained that in his community, it is common for people to dress up in the clothing typical of a different ultra-Orthodox sect. Or, they wear their summer coats though it is technically still winter. Or they wear huge hats, poking fun at themselves. Everyone finds their own way of turning their world upside down for this one week of the year.

Now, when we were packing for six months and reweighing our suitcases after the addition of every t-shirt and pair of socks, we weren't thinking about Purim. We didn't think that choosing a few of the costumes out of the literally dozens we have acquired over the years could save us a lot of time and money once we got here. Three weeks ago, you can imagine how we were kicking ourselves. Needless to say, we wound up spending a few hours in the costume shop.

Similar to the Holloween stores that crop up all over as we get close to the end of October, costume shops seem to have appeared out of nowhere. The major difference is the lack of haunted houses and the gruesome costumes we have at home. Otherwise, there is every kind of costume, mask and prop that you might want. It is hard to narrow it down actually. In the end, we settled on a Broadway dancer for our oldest, a weird guy for child #2, Princess Esther for #3 ("It just doesn't feel right to be called Queen") and a blue ninja turtle for the youngest.

Though it may not be immediately obvious to you, the first two costumes apparently require canes as props. As a matter of fact, those canes, one wooden and the other one that squeaks, turned out to be the sun around which all other possibilities must orbit. The youngest was the same, only his central artifact was a plastic blue samurai sword. As we contemplated what to get, those three items in particular gave me pause. Every school to which my kids have ever gone have had a strict rule against weapons or things that could be used as weapons. I clearly explained to the kids that it was possible that they would not be able to take their canes and sword to school because there may be a rule against such things. Though they understood, they had their hearts and imaginations set and we brought them home.

As we walked to school today, all of my concerns were allayed. We ran into literally dozens of swords, nun-chucks, plastic hand guns and even a plastic Uzi. One of the preschool teachers said, very sweetly, to our youngest that it was great that he, the other ninja turtle and the young knight in the class all had swords so that they could help defend the class today. Apparently, I had nothing to worry about.

The irony, of course, is that in Jerusalem, where guns, fake and real, are everywhere, violent crime is relatively low. On the other hand, in Oakland, where all costume weapons are expressly forbidden...well, you know. A reminder that it isn't just the accessibility of weapons that produces off the charts rates of violent crime.

But I digress.

In most places in the world, the actual day of Purim is Sunday February 24th, the 14th of Adar. However, since the fighting continued in the walled city of Shushan, all ancient walled cities, like Jerusalem, celebrate on the 15th of Adar. However, in practice, on both the 14th and the 15th there will be some serious celebrating here in Jerusalem. We have two spiels, two megillah readings and a party to attend on Sunday, our third carnival on Monday morning and then a big party in Kikar Safra, the Civic Center Square. Something tells me that, by the end of this week, we will have had the Purim experience of a lifetime.

Chag Purim Sameach.

Praying with Women of the Wall

Praying with the Women of the Wall is a very unique experience. On Rosh Chodesh Adar, Elaya Jenkins-Adelberg and I joined 200 other people packed into the very back part of the women's section. A dozen or so men stood on chairs on the men's side in order to participate in the service. Most of it was done silently with a few prayers sung all together. During Hallel, the part of the service where we sing special praises on Rosh Chodesh and other holidays, half of the woman joined in a circle and started to dance.

A little unusual, maybe, but one might just think it was a slightly different ritual than one to which we are accustomed. The really unique part was the constant feeling that I had no idea what might happen next. An Orthodox woman behind us started yelling and walked away clearly annoyed. There were reporters and photographers everywhere. Police officers were wandering through the crowd. At one point, the male officer tapped three women on the shoulder, all of whom were wearing tallitot, and asked them to come with him. They promptly sat down where they were and wouldn't budge. He and the female officer who was filming the whole thing walked away. Reporters from above would yell Anat Hoffman's name so they could capture her face for a picture. I kept losing my place in the service because, quite frankly, the prayer piece was entirely secondary to everything else that was going on.

At the end of the service, everyone moved toward Robinson's Arch, the Southern Wall (less well known but equally as significant), to commence the Torah service. Multiple people remarked to me that it was the first time in over a year that no one was arrested. On our way out, Elaya and I heard singing in the far corner of the plaza and saw a few of the women, including Anat Hoffman, linked arm and arm with a number of police escorts. It turns out, they were being detained, the police had just decided not to interrupt the service.

It was strange, really. I had imagined that the power of the arrests was to do it in full view of everyone, but this was almost on the sly. The service was over. No riot to contain. Ten women in all were detained. Six were released when they signed a document that said they were barred from coming to the wall for fifteen days. Two weeks short of the next Rosh Chodesh when the Women of the Wall will be back praying with tallitot once again. The other four refused to sign and insisted on talking to a judge. The police refused their request and then, apparently, simply let them go.

That it all is a little ridiculous is, to me, a good sign. It is still illegal to go against the ruling of the rabbi who has dominion over the wall, thus, the police need to make their arrests. But, they were caught on record saying some pretty ridiculous things, like, they are only going to arrest the women in masculine tallitot, the big ones with the blue or black stripes, not the ones that just wrap around the shoulders and are colorful and clearly feminine tallitot. Never mind that Anat Hoffman was on the front page of the paper in her purple and pink tallit, being detained. The reasons for having to arrest  women are becoming harder and harder to find.  And, the fact that it has such good press suggests that Israelis are starting to find the story more and more interesting. In fact, the paratroopers who liberated the Kotel, some of whom are in the famous picture from 1967, joined the Women of the Wall yesterday to protest the ultra-orthodox stronghold.

Bit by bit, the Women of the Wall are pecking away at this ongoing injustice, and I think it is working. 200 people gathered in support, the front page of multiple newspapers, Jews irate all over the world. Sounds like the makings for change.

Looking Destiny in the Face

Last week, I had the opportunity to travel around Israel with other members of the Northern California Rabbis. I got a glimpse of aspects of the country I wouldn't have otherwise seen. As are so many things in Israel, it was at times difficult and upsetting, and other times, uplifting and inspirational.

We visited Bina, an organization geared toward social action grounded in Jewish text; a wonderful alternative for text study that is not Orthodox. After study with them, they took us on a tour of their neighborhood.  Bina is located right next to the Central Bus Station in Tel Aviv, which is a neighborhood inhabited by the largest illegal worker and asylum seeker population in Israel. Like every democratic nation in the world, Israel struggles with whether and how these people can be incorporated into Israeli society. And, just like every other democratic nation, there are those that have an issue with the fact that they are here, and there are those who have an issue with how they are treated and the conditions under which they live now that they are here. Organizations such as the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, whose executive director also met with us, are working to improve their situation and address other basic civil rights issues in Israel as well.

We heard from a field director at "Iggy", a Gay Youth Organization in Tel Aviv. He is a gay Orthodox Jew. He told us his story of growing up in a settlement in Sumeria, of how he came to terms with his sexual orientation, of coming out during his army service, and of five years ago, helping to found "The Proud Minyan", a halachic egalitarian minyan at the Gay Center in Gan Meir.

In Haifa, we went to the Golda Meir Mount Carmel International Training Center, which is a part of MASHAV-Israel's Agency for International Development Cooperation, a branch of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They have led hundreds of training courses to promote women's leadership, poverty eradication and socio-economic development throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe and the Mediteranean.

We went to the Beit Hagafen Center, and heard from leaders from the Jewish and Arab communities on ways in which the communities in Haifa are leading the way toward peaceful coexistence.

We had dinner with a member of the Jerusalem City Council; an Orthodox woman who has been instrumental in enforcing the illegality of gender segregation on public buses. As she explains it, when the country was being formed, the secular Jews gave in to the religious Jews figuring that they wouldn't last very long in Israel, and the religious Jews gave into the secular Jews figuring they wouldn't last very long in Israel.  Now, as the country is about to turn 65, everyone is realizing that they are stuck with each other. Israel is still a young country, she said, struggling with who it is going to be.

She relayed one story to us that I must share. In her work on gender segregation on buses, she said she spoke with a woman who belongs to a very conservative Haredi sect. The woman told her that sometimes, she thinks that God created non-Orthodox women to help protect the Orthodox ones.

We had a political briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They gave us a detailed overview of the situation here in the Middle East.  However, the one question that was really on everyone's mind at that time, whether or not Israel had actually bombed Syria, they could not answer.

We went to Hebron and heard from settlers about their dedication and commitment to keeping a Jewish presence there, as it has been a home for Jews since the days of Abraham. While in Hebron, we went to the cave of Machpelah, the burial place for six of the seven matriarchs and patriarchs. For hundreds of thousands of Jews who make pilgrimage there every year, it is one of holiest sites in all of Israel.

Me at the outer wall of the shrine above the Cave of Machpelah. 

These walls were built at the same time as the Kotel.

We heard from the IDF commander for the region who, when asked if the Jewish presence in Hebron comes at too high a price, said absolutely not. He said that this is a piece of our history as a people and Jews must be able to live there.

We were also supposed to hear from a local Sheikh but the army insisted we cancel, explaining that protecting him as he speaks with more and more groups has become increasingly difficult.

We had a tour of East Jerusalem with an organization called Ir Amim.  They are concerned with the continued building of Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem and of the discrepancies between the standard of living in Jewish versus Arab neighborhoods.  They showed us how parts of the security fence had cut neighborhoods in half and made life in those areas extremely difficult. As you might imagine, Ir Amim is a controversial organization.  This tour juxtaposed with our visit to Hebron made for a very powerful day.

We heard a talk by a sociologist who explained that Israel is moving into a post ideological phase. Today, people are more concerned with values. What is the distinction? He gave, for example, the recent elections. Yesh Atid, the party that said almost nothing about the peace process and focused almost entirely on domestic issues of socieo-economics, civil rights, and engaging the entire population in societal participation was far more popular than was expected. Whereas Labor, whose roots are in socialism and who would have dramatically changed the course of the government on many levels had they been in the position to do so, was less popular. People are working within the societal structure, not looking to revamp it according to a specific ideology.

We learned Chassidic teachings from a Chabad scholar.

And lastly, our trip wrapped up with a conversation with Anat Hoffman, head of the Israeli Religious Action Center and leader of Women of the Wall. She reported that IRAC has made some huge strides recently on issues dealing with gender equality, though of course there are more battles to be won. However, she expressed concern that they have yet to really make a dent in the growing racism, particularly when it comes to rabbis making racist comments about Arabs. Such comments are entirely illegal, she explained, as Israeli law is quite sophisticated when it comes to this kind of thing. The struggle is in getting everyone to enforce the law.

We saw Israel from all different perspectives: religious, secular, secular traditional, liberal religious, Jewish, Arab, diplomatic, political, legal and scholarly. We got an in depth understanding of the multiple ways people are trying wrestle with what Israel is, who Israel is, and how Israel should move forward.

There was at least some merit to what every single person had to say to us.  And nearly everyone recognized that theirs was not the only perspective.  For the most part, they were clear that their perspective was not absolute, but they had to address the issues from where they stood and through the values they hold. I was struck by the honesty and humility of so many of the people here.

We all know that Israel is complicated, but this trip was provided an insight for me as to how vast those complexities are. However, I also left the week feeling optimistic about the future of the State of Israel, and the future for the Jewish people.  True, we have profound issues.  Yet every where we look, people are jumping right into the fray, addressing the problems, seeking out solutions, and working with others.  They are taking hold of the future, and making it something of which they can be proud.

As a people, we haven't always been like this.  When Moses lead the Israelites into the desert, they stood at the foot of the mountain and God spoke the ten commandments to each one of them.  They reacted with fear, asking Moses to go up the mountain and receive the law for them.  Everything that had happened in our people's history had led to this moment, and when they got there, they couldn't handle it.  They needed a buffer, a go between to protect them from their own potential and their own capabilities. What we see in Israel today is evidence of how far we have come from that fear. We, too, have waited a long time to be a sovereign nation, and now that the time has come, no one is shying away. While everyone knows what lies ahead will be difficult, we are looking destiny in the face and creating a future for ourselves.

The Realities of Living in Jerusalem

The city is rapidly growing.  There are high rise (well, high rise for Jerusalem) apartment buildings going up all over the city. And, at the same time, there is a clearly concerted effort to make the city very livable.  There is a new Train Track Park that extends the length of Emek Refaim and follows the old train tracks.  It is a beautiful walking and bike path that really takes you away from the hustle and bustle of the city streets.  People have compared it Highline in New York, both in purpose and in form.

No one flinches when you say you have four children.

The bus drivers are amazing...a little terrifying all at the same time.  Everyone of them can enter necessary information into their machine, count and give change, usually to more than one person at a time, and drive along the curvy and narrow streets of Jerusalem.  I saw one who read a map for a passenger while making a sharp right turn.  

The lines in the supermarkets can be pretty long. My parents spoke to one woman who was frustrated and explained that it is something she is still having trouble getting used to.  When asked how long she had lived here, she replied, "60 years."

The schools are incredibly nurturing and caring.  They work hard to ensure our children feel included and that they teach them from where they are, even though we are disrupting things by coming in the middle of the year, and even though we are only staying a short while.  We are very grateful.

When people say fifteen minutes, plan for an hour and a half.  When people say that something will be done within the hour, you might want to specify to which hour they are referring.

Don't walk and text. Israelis have not yet embraced the practice of picking up after their dogs.

The juxtaposition of old and new. Yesterday, we walked to a 2000 year old catacomb, now a park in the middle of the Northern part of the city.  It is surrounded by cars and buses on busy streets and has a playground build right above it.

Today, we saw a bus driver honk at someone in the crosswalk as opposed to stopping to allow the person to cross.  Yesterday, we were on a bus where the driver made a special stop to allow the elderly passengers to disembark right at the open air market, rather than making them walk the block and a half from the scheduled stop.

Everywhere we go, people are willing and eager to assist us; by walking way out of their way to show us the building for which we are looking, by stopping in the street to see if we are lost and need help and by deciphering the special labels in the market so we can figure out which products are on sale.

On Fridays, people say Shabbat Shalom on the street.  There will be parades on Purim.  And, on Passover, restaurants will serve kosher for Passover meals.

Every morning we get to wake up in this 3000 year old city, the symbolic heart of our people. Life here sometimes makes you crazy, and sometimes overwhelms you with beauty, kindness and tradition.  What a blessing it is to experience it all.