In today’s extremely competitive society, there’s no question that as young adults we are constantly trying to improve, whether it be from the demand of our parents, the encouragement of a coach, or our own personal goals; as teenagers we always strive to attain perfection. Although it’s important to reach for success, it’s also necessary to stop and appreciate everything we have already accomplished, and be content with that.

Today’s Torah portion mentions Moses’ first (??) glimpse of the Promised Land, fulfilling the goal that he struggled to accomplish during 40 years of desert wandering.  However, unlike the rest of the Israelites who would go on to live out the dream, God asked Moses to end his journey before them.  On top of a mountain, overlooking the Promised Land, Moses was told by God to prepare for his death. In other words, the man with the most devotion to God and his people, wasn’t allowed to actually live out his initial aspiration.

Most would be disappointed with God’s request.  After hard work, it’s only natural to want to bask in our accomplishments and finish up the job. However, it’s my belief that instead of being upset with God’s order, Moses had the insight to be proud and content with his already astounding successes.

Moses lived his life in Mitzvah. As the leader of the Israelites, he was devoted to helping them triumph. Forty years of endless wandering was probably not Moses’ idea of a great time. Regardless, Moses was a selfless man, and found his contentment while helping others and watching them thrive.

On top of that mountain, the future of the Israelites was a complete mystery to Moses, and the millions of people that he would eventually have an impact on were truly unknown.

Devoting all of our lives to the well being of others, like Moses did, is a huge and somewhat impractical challenge for the teen of 2006.  However, sacrificing a little time to give back to our communities is a more realistic goal.  Just think back to Jaffa. Within a short half hour, each bus group helped feed 40 hungry families. It was practically painless and it was a huge help to the organization.

Perhaps more importantly, though, all 111 of us touched the lives of young children at the Jaffa Institute.  We drew pictures we them, played games together, and cheered them on as they attempted to beat Mario on the computer. Their smiles were huge, and I think it’s safe to say that we made their days.

After our social action, I remember only feeling content—glad that we skipped shopping to see the smiles, and happy that we woke up early to fit feeding about 480 hungry people into our busy schedule.

Like Moses, unaware of the millions of people his leadership would touch, we will never know which doorsteps those boxes will land on. Those children may never remember our names, but they’ll recall playing patty-cake and soccer with the big kids.

Our social action in Jaffa was just a small test of how great it feels to help. In lieu of thank you notes, or our names on donor walls, we were given the best kind of reward. Moses’ reward: contentment—with what we’d done and who we helped. 

As we have learned on this trip, Israel has a long history of wars.  Ever since the first courageous settlers came to Israel, fighting has ensued, leaving deep scars throughout the country. However, through the turmoil, Israel has survived and flourished, thanks to the thousands of soldiers, who risk their lives for this beautiful country. These soldiers possess the same dedication and selflessness as Moses.  Moses led the Israelites to the Promised Land accepting the fact that he would never feel the gratification of setting foot on the holy soil. Israeli soldiers share this attribute, for they sacrifice their lives for the future of a country they may never witness.

As Moses stood over looking the Promised Land, he finally witnessed the homeland of the Israelites he righteously led for forty years. Even though he never touched Israel’s ground, Moses felt a connection with the Holy Land, so deep that it gave him the strength to lead his people through the hardships they faced.  Jews from every corner of the world feel this connection, whether they have visited Israel or not.  Growing up as a Reform Jew, I have always considered myself closely tied to Israel, and felt an undeniable bond to this country.  However the emotions that consume me after actually visiting the country further enhance the bond I feel to Israel. I believe that Moses also felt this connection as he watched over this land and this is the feeling that unites Jews around the world. In a way, every Jew that visits Israel completes the dream Moses could not quite reach.  Moses’ love and devotion to the Israelites provided a homeland for the future generations of Jews, including us. Now it is our duty to finish Moses’ journey. By being in Israel, each of us keeps the dream of a Jewish homeland alive, strengthening the unbreakable bond between us as a group and the future generations of Jews.

Does Israel complete us? Does it influence our connection to spirituality? So far we have been on the trip for five days and I don’t have the answers to these questions. But I can imagine that by the end of all our experiences in Israel we will know. We all have different valid answers, and some of us may still not know. I believe that we will have to work together by learning through history, religion, beliefs, experiences and friendship.

I hope that by the end of this trip I will come back home safely, with much more knowledge about Israel (and good Israeli food). The more we learn about Israel we learn about ourselves and the value of being Jewish.

--Sasha Rozenberg: Bus 2

Here we are in the Holy Land: The land of our ancestors, the land of our people. Every Passover/Pesach we say: “Next year in Jerusalem”. Now we are actually here in Israel and I am not yet able to grasp its full significance. I truly hope that by the end of the trip (after standing in front of the western wall, Gadna, the sea to sea hike etc.) I will feel connected to this land and be able to fully appreciate its role in history, religion and my life. At the moment I feel it’s my obligation to be astounded by everything we’ve experienced, but I’ve been too preoccupied with the heat and the lack of sleep. I hope I will be able to acclimate to the climate and early mornings soon!

This place is sooooooo beautiful, gorgeous, amazing and fantabulous! I can’t wait for the rest of the trip.

--Rachael Cameron: Bus 2

So today we’re leaving Ha’On and I’m pretty much terrified of the “Sea to Sea” experience. I’m less of a hiking person and more of a shower-toilet-bed person. But its only 3 days and the Israeli kids are coming which should be fun. We’re meeting them in 20 minutes. Exciting!  So that’s all. WE’RE IN ISRAEL.

--Maya Lekach: Bus 2

I love Israel! I’m having a great time. No complaints besides the heat and I’ve loved everything we’ve done. We are on our way to the sea to sea hike. Hopefully that’ll be as fun as the rest of the trip has been! My favorite parts have been meeting the Arab-Israel girl (Haneen) + I also had a lot of fun at the dance last night. Meeting so many new people has of course been a great part of the trip so far + I’m excited to meet the Israelis joining our group for the next few days.

--Natalie Klapper: Bus 2

What a country! I think I have finally come to appreciate just how amazing it is that we are here. Our second Shabbat in Israel begins tonight – It’s hard to believe that in just over a week we have seen and done so much. Tzfat, Tibirius, Kinneret – We could make a full month out of every day we’re here and still not see everything there is to see in the country. It’s a huge contrast from home.  There, everything we see is relatively new, a creation of people who lived there no more then 400 years and often less. Here, the stones and walls of the cities we visit are older then we can really grasp, pieces of a country that has been living for thousands of years. These walkways, beaches, rivers and stones are the same ones that our people have always walked on, the same sand where Abraham and Sarah once walked.

When I first came to Israel I expected some sort of sudden, life-changing experience: My first Shabbat, my first swim in the see of Galilee. It hasn’t happened, and I’ve come to understand that that’s not really the way it works. This trip is defined for me by watermelon, ice cream, falling off trails and so many other little things as much or more then our “big moments”. The stoplights and street signs, bootleg CD’s, sheets hanging up to dry – everything in this country is beautiful.

We still have three weeks here and I am already starting to fear leaving, to miss it. There’s nothing to do but make the most of the rest of the trip; but four weeks is not nearly enough time to even skim the surface of this country. I know I’ll be back.

--Jake Andreas: Bus 2

Second Shabbat Parasha

In this week’s Parsha, the Jewish king Balaam is caught in a serious predicament.  He must decide whether to succumb to a Moabite king’s demands to curse the Israelites or to hold fast to God’s command to leave the Israelites alone. In the course of Balaam’s travels to the Moabite king, his donkey becomes suddenly frightened, swerving in and out of the road. Balaam beats her until he realizes the act was God’s doing and agrees to resist the Moabite king’s call for help.  When confronted by the king, Balaam explains his decision, saying, “I can utter only the word that God puts into my mouth.”

The word that God puts into my mouth… At first glance, this quote seems unfair and constricting.  We can only say what God wants us to? Does this mean we are controlled by God? That we have no free will?  This quote and this Parsha however illustrate the unique balance that we hold between the words of God and our own voices.  God puts words, puts beliefs and strength and perseverance into our mouths, but those mouths are still our own.  The Haftorah to this week’s Parsha illustrates this balance perfectly. The last two verses encourage the Israelites to avoid relying on potentially meaningless rituals such as slaughtering animals.  Instead, the passage insists one should show devotion to God by following more fundamentally imperative, though less tangible principles, such as doing justice, loving goodness and walking modestly with one’s God.

The verse gives the hope that our most important beliefs are acts that we pursue with God, but ultimately, on our own. We hold the final power to make decisions and find answers for ourselves, and yet there is still a piece of God’s words within all of us. 

I believe the words God has put in us are, in a way, our conscience.  They are that deeply personal feeling that we sense in our forehead and our fingertips, when we think, not knowing why or how, exactly what we want to do. God’s words are with us when we say, “this is not fair” or “no, I don’t want to”, or “yes I am Jewish”.  And I believe that a part of these words, and a part of this conscience is our connection to Israel.  God has put in us a bond to this land, to Israel, to the holiness here.  However, it’s not always easy of find this bond.    

Before I left for this trip, a very wise Rabbi told me, “Hey. Don’t be nervous. I remember my first time in Israel.  It was absolutely amazing.” I smiled, genuinely reassured.  And when I stepped onto the airplane, I held with me the expectation that as the plane descended onto Israel, I would see blue waters and white buildings and stretched out mountains and feel immediately at home.  And yet, I didn’t.  I saw the thick plots of agriculture fields spread cleanly across the landscape and thought, this is Israel? This is the holy land? It looks a little bit like Nevada. When I arrived, I stood unwashed and exhausted in the wide walkway of the Tel Aviv airport and tried to force myself to love everything I saw, to feel welcomed even by ceramic sink table tops in the side bathroom.  I did not feel my conscience tugging at my chest and saying, “this is absolutely amazing.”  I did not feel the words of God in my mouth. 

Over the last week however, I have come to realize that in order to find these words, words which I know I have, I will need use my own voice.  For me, and I’m sure for many of you, finding a love for Israel is not an immediate, life changing-moment as we step off the plane.  It is a process, one which would not develop without the strength of our own personal beliefs.

Maytal has talked to us about the extraordinary things that strong beliefs can create.  But I believe that these strong beliefs come as much from God as from ourselves.  And I believe we too can create something extraordinary here, whether it be newfound Jewish identity or a fuller awareness of the social conflicts in Israel or a connection to the land.  But it is a process. Some of us have felt this sense of the extraordinary around us all week.  For others, there have been smaller sparks, maybe while hiking up the dusty hills of the Golan Heights or seeing the unnerving determination of Israeli soldiers who have died for their country.  For me, it was wading into the warm waters of the Kineret, unable to do anything but smile because I felt so happy and so proud that here, right here, this is where I’m from.  Israel.  This is where we are all from.  God has made it a part of all of us, but has also given us our own mouths and bodies and the chance to experience Israel for ourselves.  Let us walk independently beside God and slowly, gracefully, find ourselves, our religion and our home here in Israel.

First Shabbat Parasha

Boker tov.  Good morning,

The Torah portion for today is Bamidbar utet or Numbers 19.  The parsha contains two rules, both relating to purity.  The first: purity in sacrifice, and the second: purity in mourning.  Both contain exacting regulations attached to concrete penalties.  In reading this portion to prepare for today, my first question was why.  Why these rules?  Why any rules at all?

Judaism has been a major religion for over 4000 years, yet nearly the entire book of Numbers is rule after rule and regulation after regulation.  Obviously these rules hold an allure on some level.  I would like to explore the idea that the specificity of the rules of Judaism is one of its greatest virtues.

Oftentimes when I am sitting in a classroom or walking down the street, I hear others and myself include criticizing rules.  Books, poems, songs, and more, have been written about freedom from rules.  Rules can sometimes have a tendency to solidify bad practices.  Think, for example, about Jim Crow laws in the south.  Such laws encouraged segregation and racism.  No one doubts today that removing those laws was essential.  Specificity in these rules created suffering.

There is a core difference, however, between Jim Crow and Apartheid laws, and the laws contained in the Torah.  In a way, segregation and enslavement laws separated people and emphasized perceived differences between groups.  Jewish law can be seen as bringing people together and uniting them in common practices.  Individuals commit themselves to Judaism as a way to become part of a group bound by common law.  Along with laws on the sacrifice of cows comes a law still influential today on the length and process of mourning after a death.  Jews everywhere can find solace in the common mourning tradition, knowing that they share this practice with others.  They are not alone.

Rules attract individuals to the practice of Judaism for another reason – it’s not easy.  Now I know that ordinarily the easy way is the good way.  After all, who wants life to become more complicated?  But this complexity adds a new dimension to the religion.  Following the many laws outlined in the Torah takes focus.  People wanting to follow these laws need to commit, and this commitment strengthens their beliefs.  A great feeling of achievement and growth accompanies mastery of the many laws.

There is also a freedom in structure.  If you know the constraints, there is less of an urge to test the limits.  The Torah lays out specific laws connected to specific penalties, so there is no question as to consequences.  If Judaism is a way of life, then the Torah is its guidebook – the manual if you will.  People need not reinvent the rules or create new guidelines.  The Torah provides a guide to a healthy, productive, and happy life.  On issues covered in the Torah and Talmud, there is no need to make decisions, freeing individuals to explore and enjoy other aspects of life.  Jewish laws signal that something is taken care of.  Not only do you not have to make decisions, but you know that you do not carry the entire burden.  Take, for example, tzedakah.  Because it is law, other Jews have your “back.”  You are not individually responsible for curing world poverty or ending hunger in Africa.

The importance and advantage of laws comes together in the game of soccer.  Over the last few weeks, viewers have watched, taken by the beauty of the game in the World Cup.  The game would not be what it is, though, without rules.  The rules govern everything from where players may stand to what contact is acceptable.  When trust in these rules flounders, the game itself suffers.  Referees have been accused of favoring one team over another by bending or unevenly applying the rules.  At least one has already been charged with unfair calls, showing the outrage of the community to breaks in the guidelines.  In short, rules are not all bad.  Though laws can be twisted to negative purposes, law provides order, uniformity, and ease.

Thank you and Shabbat Shalom

Everyone on my bus is super amazing and I’m so glad I got to meet them. I can’t wait to get to know them better over the next few weeks.

I have to say that bus #1 is the awessomest bus ever made in the world, yeah!!

Today in the country of Israel, we started off with a special seminar of co-existence with a brief history of Israel, geography and co-existence conflicts. Man, the Arab-Israelis came to the seminar + we talked about where we live and what we love about our country. Then, the questions the historian presented to us got harder. Some included where we would be in 20 years, what country would you join if America and Israel were to be at war with each other.

My take away was 1 – learning that these Arab girls don’t have boyfriends at my age of 16 1⁄2. The girls said however, that when they are in universities they start looking for a husband – not really boyfriends but a husband.

My 2^nd take away was taking a picture with all of the Arab girls from Israel. I felt really special because I was the only American in the group and I love diversity. I have never met Arab-Israelis and they were so kind. It proves to me that no matter what has happened in the past, we can all live together and get along.

Thank you Israel, Gabe, Tali, Mellisa and medic Tal – the different bus driver, my mom, dad, brothers, Maytal – coolest tour guide ever! Historians, Jewish people, bus #1 and Arab Israelis for giving me this awesome experience!

Amazing experience driving through the countryside in Israel – I am surprised at the amount of open land in non-city living areas. On the way to Kibbutz Ha’On we passed through Israeli villages on one side and Arab villages on the other side. I got a close look at the retaining walls and was surprised that the houses were all made of concrete – relates to what I had been taught  in history classes of different parts of the world’s living situations. When we arrived at the Kibbutz I was shocked at how resort-like it is.

I am looking forward to the next few days staying here in Kibbutz Ha’On. I am happy to be here so far.

I can’t believe we have only been here 5 days! I feel like I have been here for weeks or more! It is so much fun so far! I am looking forward to meeting even more friends and having many more fun experiences with the entire bus. I love everyone on this trip and so glad I decided to come this year!! I feel like I have known everyone forever already! I know I wrote a lot of exclamation points but I am so exited to be here with many Jews!!!!!!

So, I am pondering the first few adventures on this trip and I’m loving it all and I know that there will be so many more amazing and wonderful things to see and do. This isn’t just the trip of the summer – it’s the trip of our lifetimes.

Everything will be memorable – everlasting friends, breathtaking sites and there will never be another bus 3 like us. It’s what we do that we remember.

Everyone has wishes they want to achieve and going to Israel was mine.