Israel

The war continues – yesterday was a very difficult day, and at its end, we lost nine soldiers.

We in the Movement for Progressive Judaism continue to assist the residents of Northern Israel and are trying to give them respite and strength to carry on at Kfar Silver, next to Ashkelon, where almost 200 people from the North are staying. The Movement is taking care of all of their needs and providing activities for the children and some long needed summer fun in the pool. Gila Cohen, a social worker and rabbinical student, is serving as the pastoral counselor of the camp, and relates that the families residing there have undergone truly difficult experiences. Gila organizes special support groups for mothers and fathers in order to give every one, each from his/her own perspective, a moment to free him/herself from the stress of having to appear strong in front of their children and to talk about the things that are really bothering them.

The parents that are residing at the camp with their children are extremely worried because this living situation that the Movement has provided is only available to them until next Monday – and, they worry, then where will they go? Many of the refugees are from the lower socio-economic class and they do not have the means to obtain other accommodations such as a hotel or renting an apartment.

Naama Dafni, Coordinator of Community Involvement at the Israeli Religious Action Center, is responsible for placing another segment of the population that is neglected in this war – people with special needs. From the first day of the war, we opened a support hotline and have found temporary housing for people with special needs.

First, the public transportation was cut off for most residents of the North which made it extremely difficult for people to get around. In response, the Movement has been coordinating and providing transportation to the center of the country. Secondly, the Movement has been taking are of those whom the State has not, especially those who cannot take care of themselves, and has been arranging hospitality for them with families and in Kfar Silver, accommodating and assisting especially those with different disabilities.

Click here to learn more about the IMPJ

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Another week has passed, and the hostilities in the North and South show little sign of abating. The Israeli press and media are awash with speculation and expert opinion. Some are emphasizing military strategy and the state of our Army, others look on at the destruction being wrought in Lebanon with anger or despair. Some deal mainly with the social, economic and psychological costs being borne by the residents of Northern Israel, while others see the current events in broader geo-political terms.

Another week has passed, and the hostilities in the North and South show little sign of abating. The Israeli press and media are awash with speculation and expert opinion. Some are emphasizing military strategy and the state of our Army, others look on at the destruction being wrought in Lebanon with anger or despair. Some deal mainly with the social, economic and psychological costs being borne by the residents of Northern Israel, while others see the current events in broader geo-political terms.

Our Year In Israel students continue to respond magnificently to the situation, and are now moving beyond coping, to helping. Here is how Nancy Lewitt, our Coordinator of Student Affairs, puts it in a letter this week to HUC-JIR staff and faculty and to staff members in other institutions of Reform Judaism in Israel:

Dear Colleagues,

Our 60 cantorial, rabbinical, and Jewish education students, who began their studies less than two weeks ago, have organized a number of activities to support the effort to assist those who have been affected by the war in the north of the country. They have prepared care packages for soldiers, are entertaining children from the north who are temporarily being housed with their families by members of the Reform congregation in Tzur Hadassah, and are beginning a fundraising campaign for food and supplies for residents of the north. They have also turned to Magen David Adom to ask how they can assist. As a result a Blood Drive will be held on Tuesday, August 1st from 14:30 – 16:30 in the HUC student Moadon.

Alongside other individual and collective initiatives, our Movement has mobilized in an impressive way to translate the slogan of solidarity into reality. Hundreds of individuals (Jews and Arabs) displaced by the events on the Northern border are being housed in institutions and private homes, some of them with special needs requiring special arrangements. People are opening their wallets, their hearts, and their homes.

However strange or unlikely it may sound, life for us in Jerusalem continues to be remarkably normal. Like all of us, our students are conscious of what is taking place around us, and concerned about all of the military, political, moral and existential dimensions of the current situation. Much of the time, though, they're trying to prepare for their next Hebrew test, or touring Old and New Jerusalem.

It can be a challenge, living life in these two very different dimensions, but our students seem to be equal to the task. We are also following with great concern our graduates, students and colleagues who are more directly implicated in the current situation. Yesterday I had the privilege of joining our Israeli Rabbinical student Yishai Ron, a resident of the North of Israel. Together with Prof. Yoki Amir, Director of our Israeli Rabbinical Program, and Rabbi Tamar Duvdevani, a graduate of our program who now teaches in it, we traveled from the peace of Jerusalem to the constant booms heard across our Northern border. Joining Yishai on his Rabbinical "house calls," we sat in bomb shelters and taught Jewish texts in Ein Baruch (adjacent to Kiryat Shemona) and Kfar Hanassi.

For me, the most moving moment of the visit came when Yoki, whose son Ro'i is serving as an officer in a combat unit on the Northern border, addressed the group. He noted that this coming Shabbat falls within the first days of the month of Av, and that next week the national day of mourning, the Ninth of Av, would be observed. Yoki went on to point out that the Jewish calendar does not end there. With the sounds of our artillery and the Hezbollah rockets in the background, he reminded all of us that after these dark days another Shabbat will come, one in which we will read the words of Isaiah:

Comfort, oh, comfort my people,

Says your God.

A few hours later we were back in Jerusalem, in the heart of a bustling and lively city.

With days of sadness still before us, we look ahead to the promise of consolation, and we give thanks for Jerusalem, her beauty and her normalcy.

Michael Marmur is the Dean of HUC-JIR in Jerusalem

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This morning at 7:30 a siren woke my kids up, not the alarm clock. We ran downstairs to the bomb shelter, not the best way to start a Friday morning.

We are going through difficult times. Two days ago nine soldiers were killed in battles in Southern Lebanon, at the location from which Hizballa launches their missile attacks. It is horrible to open the paper and see the pictures of the soldiers who fell in battle. We will say Kaddish for them on tonight at Kabalat Shabbat.

In Haifa we continue to go to the bomb shelter several times each day. Out of 2,600 katyusha rockets, over 100 landed in Haifa. The city seems to be almost abandoned and people are grocery shopping in fear.

We managed to get Or Hadash back to routine. Most of the workers came back to work except for some workers who are afraid to come or workers who called in sick (usually with anxiety problems).

On Saturday we were supposed to have 4 Bar Mitzvah ceremonies, and fortunately only one family cancelled, but I still hope that the family will be back this Saturday. The remaining three Bar Mitzvah families decided to have the Bar Mitzvah as scheduled, with whomever decides to arrive. I must tell you how proud I am of their courage and their determination. Yesterday we had a Bar Mitzvah rehearsal in our bomb shelter and the young boy was photographed near the air purification unit instead of in the synagogue.

This morning at 7:30 a siren woke my kids up, not the alarm clock. We ran downstairs to the bomb shelter, not the best way to start a Friday morning.

We are going through difficult times. Two days ago nine soldiers were killed in battles in Southern Lebanon, at the location from which Hizballa launches their missile attacks. It is horrible to open the paper and see the pictures of the soldiers who fell in battle. We will say Kaddish for them on tonight at Kabalat Shabbat.

In Haifa we continue to go to the bomb shelter several times each day. Out of 2,600 katyusha rockets, over 100 landed in Haifa. The city seems to be almost abandoned and people are grocery shopping in fear.

We managed to get Or Hadash back to routine. Most of the workers came back to work except for some workers who are afraid to come or workers who called in sick (usually with anxiety problems).

On Saturday we were supposed to have 4 Bar Mitzvah ceremonies, and fortunately only one family cancelled, but I still hope that the family will be back this Saturday. The remaining three Bar Mitzvah families decided to have the Bar Mitzvah as scheduled, with whomever decides to arrive. I must tell you how proud I am of their courage and their determination. Yesterday we had a Bar Mitzvah rehearsal in our bomb shelter and the young boy was photographed near the air purification unit instead of in the synagogue.

We started preparations to turn our bomb shelter into a synagogue, ordering a Holy Ark and a television.

There is a big problem getting electrical appliances fixed during these times, since technicians are afraid to come, so we are left with no cable TV and no air conditioning at Or Hadash.

Yesterday the Reform Movement CEO, Iri Kassel and the Chairman, Avraham Melamed came to Or Hadash to support us and during our conversation the sirens went on. Our cook was hospitalized and she asked to stay at home one more week so there is no one to cook for us. Luckily one of our preschool teacher’s assistants was happy to cook for us, so we had Moroccan food. Our Preschool Coordinator prefers to be here since she says it is safer then being at home. Going down to the shelter is very difficult for our book keeper who has to carry her one year old daughter with her down the stairs every time the sirens go on.

The economic situation is getting worse. Yesterday the government decided to compensate the workers in the north by paying only 52% of their salaries, the workers will not receive 20%of their salaries and the rest of the amount, Or Hadash will pay. It means that in July we will loose more than $10,000, paying the salaries of the 30 Or Hadash staff members. This doesn’t take into account the cancellation of life cycle events and the fact that parents want to receive a refund for their preschool payments.

I want to finish this letter by telling you about one of our heroes, Immediate Past President, Dr. Yishai Lachter, who has been working non stop as an M.D. at the Rambam hospital in Haifa and at a hospital in Nahariya, helping soldiers and civilians who were wounded. I heard about people who lost their hand or leg from the explosion and I don’t want to go into detail but I wanted to emphasize that Yishai Lachter is one of the heroes that you don’t always see on TV and we are proud that he is an active member of Or Hadash.

Our preschools have never been so clean and ready with welcome signs and we are praying that any day they will declare the end of the war and the children will return to Or Hadash.

Rabbi Dr. Edgar Nof leads the Or Hadash Congregation in Haifa. Or Hadash is a member of the The Israeli Movement for Progressive Judaism.

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Well, it continues to be interesting here in Israel. Having zero knowledge of things military, I am personally amazed that the Katushyas continue to fly into Northern Israel from what must increasingly be a highly devastated Southern Lebanon. But fly they do and today was another string of devastating Katushya strikes in the Galilee. I was thinking that it was not so long ago that Nasrallah verbally threatened to send rockets into Haifa – now the actually attacks there are a daily occurrence. Yesterday and today, he threatened to target Netanya, so we shall see...

So many people have fled from the North at this point that it’s not uncommon to run into people you know from tiny towns in the Galil passing away the time at the Raanana mall. The conversation, as I mentioned in a previous email, is becoming increasingly laden with impatient frustration (these are Israelis, remember...)

Well, it continues to be interesting here in Israel. Having zero knowledge of things military, I am personally amazed that the Katushyas continue to fly into Northern Israel from what must increasingly be a highly devastated Southern Lebanon. But fly they do and today was another string of devastating Katushya strikes in the Galilee. I was thinking that it was not so long ago that Nasrallah verbally threatened to send rockets into Haifa – now the actually attacks there are a daily occurrence. Yesterday and today, he threatened to target Netanya, so we shall see...

So many people have fled from the North at this point that it’s not uncommon to run into people you know from tiny towns in the Galil passing away the time at the Raanana mall. The conversation, as I mentioned in a previous email, is becoming increasingly laden with impatient frustration (these are Israelis, remember...).

Not only are people angry at being displaced from their homes, but the financial implications are quickly becoming overwhelming as people who are not working at their jobs are not receiving paychecks. The government has announced a program to aid those who have been financially impacted, but my sense is that the “secondary economy” (i.e. under the table paid work) will not be an eligible segment.

This does not necessarily imply black market, either – I’m talking about, for example, people who do English tutoring for high school kids 5 days a week whose income is less than well documented.

But even as people grumble about not caring what’s going on, they are “going home by” whatever day they claim as their own personal line in the sand, most people are, in the end, staying down here in the South – safe so far. One Kfar Vradim woman we know did have to go back North – she is being treated for cancer and had an appointment for testing in Haifa – it takes so long to get an appointment that she wasn’t about to miss it, but she’s damn frightened and after 20 Katushyas hit Ma-alot (among the 120+ across the North) today, even her tough and stoic husband was expressing fear.

With the world so focused on Israel right now, it’s becoming more and clear that there is no middle ground on this war – Israel needs to win because anything less is defeat for a country whose enemies wish it to not exist at all. I, for one, have heard zero equivocation on this subject, and I tend to run with a fairly liberal crowd.

The other subject that I do not hear about is the welfare of the captured soldiers. It doesn’t mean no one’s talking about it, but I don’t personally hear anyone discussing it. I don’t hear opinions as to whether they are alive or not, and if they are how they are being treated and if/when they will be returned. I just get the sense that this is a subject that is, perhaps, too painful to be on the table. But that might just be me projecting my own feelings.

I wanted to mention that there is a proliferation of signs and bumper stickers (the latter accompanying many newspapers) that say one of three things:

Yisrael Chazakah (Israel is Strong)

Chazak v’Amatz (Strength and Courage)

Anachnu Nenatzeach (We Will Win)

One thing that is happening all over the South is that many many establishments of all kinds are discounting products and services to people from the North. As an Israeli citizen, Julie still has her “teudat zeut” (national ID card) with our Kfar Vradim address, and we are often asked where we are from – when we say me-ha-tzafon (from the North), and show the card, we usually get discounts.

For example, today we went to the Dor Beach and they charged us “only” 17 Shekels instead of 22 Shekels per person to get in. Same thing happened at the amusement park the other night near Tel Aviv University. The beach today, by the way, was SO lovely! Warm and clear water, with the sandy bottom crawling with charming little hermit crabs – all very busy and industrious, going somewhere with quick determination.

By the way, for anyone following the maps, we have moved to the town of Zichron Yaakov, a bit further North than Raanana (a friend has an empty apartment here for the next couple weeks), but still WELL out of the demonstrated range of Hezbollah’s rockets.

In closing today, I wanted to share a story I’ve read. This struck me as a particularly Jewish response to the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon:

Lebanese children and adults wounded in the Hizbullah-Israeli crossfire in Lebanon have been invited to receive free treatment at Israel’s Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer (where Ariel Sharon is now being treated, http://eng.sheba.co.il) not far from Tel Aviv. The cost will be paid by Jewish and non-Jewish donors in Israel and abroad. This includes extra beds, including in intensive care and rehabilitation, plus housing for Lebanese families and food at no cost. The hospital's offer to Lebanese has been promoted on Arabic-language radio broadcasts and by a Sheba representative stationed in Cyprus, where many refugees have gone.

Hoping for better news to share.

Steve Schuster is currently in Israel with his wife and two sons (14 and 11) and is staying until August 8.

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The view from here
And the word of the Lord came to me a second time: What do you see?
I replied: I see a steaming pot, its opening from the north.
And the Lord said to me: From the north shall disaster break loose upon all the inhabitants of the land.

-Jeremiah 1:13-14

Two weeks now into the current conflict on the northern border, and what seemed at first like an adventure and a chance to feel heroic is beginning to have the depressing weight of still another long-term and morally ambiguous campaign.

The Hezballah is said to have over 10,000 rockets stockpiled in Lebanon. We are told that over 2,000 have already been fired at us, and at least that many destroyed by Israeli counterattacks. These rockets do not have large warheads, so that generally only a direct hit does serious damage; and they seem to be impossible to aim with much precision, so the vast majority of them fall in open fields; and the Hezballah has been able to launch at most about 100 in any given day. Thus, the actual amount of physical damage and casualties is not large. Still, the psychological effect on a population that always saw itself as living in a safe area, far from the border, of living day after day with this prospect of random hits – of never knowing just how much to shut down your everyday routine to avoid the very slight chance that you will be in the wrong place at the wrong time – is wearing – especially on families with young children, or on the elderly. Despite Israel’s massive bombing and shelling of Hezballah positions for two weeks, these random barrages have continued day after day. Many people have left for the south, to stay with relatives or even to stay in hotels or camp on the beach in Eilat. Some have simply gone to calmer regions for a couple of days respite from the uncertainty – and from the burden of having to entertain small children full-time indoors, day after day – and in the case of those who live in cities like Karmiel or Nahariya or Safed – of running several times a day to the safe room or bomb shelter.

The view from here
And the word of the Lord came to me a second time: What do you see?
I replied: I see a steaming pot, its opening from the north.
And the Lord said to me: From the north shall disaster break loose upon all the inhabitants of the land.

-Jeremiah 1:13-14

Two weeks now into the current conflict on the northern border, and what seemed at first like an adventure and a chance to feel heroic is beginning to have the depressing weight of still another long-term and morally ambiguous campaign.

The Hezballah is said to have over 10,000 rockets stockpiled in Lebanon. We are told that over 2,000 have already been fired at us, and at least that many destroyed by Israeli counterattacks. These rockets do not have large warheads, so that generally only a direct hit does serious damage; and they seem to be impossible to aim with much precision, so the vast majority of them fall in open fields; and the Hezballah has been able to launch at most about 100 in any given day. Thus, the actual amount of physical damage and casualties is not large. Still, the psychological effect on a population that always saw itself as living in a safe area, far from the border, of living day after day with this prospect of random hits – of never knowing just how much to shut down your everyday routine to avoid the very slight chance that you will be in the wrong place at the wrong time – is wearing – especially on families with young children, or on the elderly. Despite Israel’s massive bombing and shelling of Hezballah positions for two weeks, these random barrages have continued day after day. Many people have left for the south, to stay with relatives or even to stay in hotels or camp on the beach in Eilat. Some have simply gone to calmer regions for a couple of days respite from the uncertainty – and from the burden of having to entertain small children full-time indoors, day after day – and in the case of those who live in cities like Karmiel or Nahariya or Safed – of running several times a day to the safe room or bomb shelter.

Here at Shorashim we have received no hits, though we have heard the sirens and the explosions in Karmiel, Majd el-Kurum (one of Arab villages where we run a teen leadership training program and whose kids were supposed to meet with the American teenagers scheduled to visit here in the next few weeks), and other communities all around us. Tami stayed home to garden for the first few days, but her main employer, Nahariya hospital, required all workers to report, so she has been going in every day – even though her clients (she is an early-intervention speech clinician) are not allowed to leave their homes to come in for therapy. I have had mostly uninterrupted days to work on projects in the office and the house; all the other members of our staff have young children, and are either stuck at home or have gone south. All the American teen and student groups have moved their programming to the south or decided not to come to Israel at this time.

There was something refreshing at the outset about for once having the undisputed moral high ground; however one might sympathize with Palestinian suffering, and agonize over – and debate over – Israel’s policies in the West Bank and Gaza, it is pretty hard to make a case for the Hezballah’s attacks on Israel. Indeed, one is left wondering – just what do they want? What is their grievance? What have we done this time? And there is pretty near unanimity in Israel, left and right, that the answer is “nothing.” We can justifiably feel aggrieved and righteous, and free to defend ourselves with whatever it takes. And for a great many Israelis, that feeling is a kind of return to “the good old days” of playing David to the Arab Goliath. Yet, as the days go by and the destruction of Lebanon continues – as do the Hezballah rockets - the voices of those who question the wisdom our response are being heard a little louder, though of course they are still dismissed by just about whole political establishment, by public opinion, and by most of the media. I really hope they will be proved wrong, and that what we are doing is what we have to do, and really have no choice. But I have to admit I’m not sure.

Donate now to the 2006 Israel Emergency Fund (http://urj.org/give) and learn more about what you can do to help (http://urj.org/israel)

This was originally a Ten Minutes of Torah by Marc Rosenstein foundation director for the The Galilee Foundation for Value Education.

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Many of you probably know at least a Jewish joke or two which begins something like 'My Brother-in-Law's Mother-in-Law…'. This is a time with very few Jewish jokes and this is not one of them.

My Brother-in-Law's Mother-in-Law, Ada, lives in a modest flat on the second floor of a block of flats on the main street in Bat Galim, a part of Haifa down near Rambam hospital. Ada and her late husband Shmuel arrived in Israel after the Shoah from Romania. They were people of very modest means. Shmuel was a carpenter, and after a few years they managed to buy the small flat she now lives in and spent most of their lives together caring for their two daughters and, over the years, their five grandchildren. Shmuel passed away just over a year ago after fighting valiantly to overcome a brain tumour and left Ada on her own in the little flat.

Ada had had a relatively easy time during the Shoah, escaping with her family to a part of Romania where there was anti-Semitism, but of the 'mild' kind, i.e. no deportations, ghettoes or death camps, 'just' verbal and the occasional physical abuse. She has always been one of those old time Jewish women who look after their homes, their husbands and children and always have a philosophical word to share about life and its burdens and, as long as the grandchildren were happy, never had a word of complaint about anything. Shmuel's death changed all of this. He had apparently been the shield against all the suppressed trauma from the Shoah. She became paranoid, convinced that she was under threat from everyone, that people wanted to harm her, and had to be hospitalized in a geriatric psychiatric ward in Haifa. After a couple of months she was able to return home with a carer who now lives with her.

Many of you probably know at least a Jewish joke or two which begins something like 'My Brother-in-Law's Mother-in-Law…'. This is a time with very few Jewish jokes and this is not one of them.

My Brother-in-Law's Mother-in-Law, Ada, lives in a modest flat on the second floor of a block of flats on the main street in Bat Galim, a part of Haifa down near Rambam hospital. Ada and her late husband Shmuel arrived in Israel after the Shoah from Romania. They were people of very modest means. Shmuel was a carpenter, and after a few years they managed to buy the small flat she now lives in and spent most of their lives together caring for their two daughters and, over the years, their five grandchildren. Shmuel passed away just over a year ago after fighting valiantly to overcome a brain tumour and left Ada on her own in the little flat.

Ada had had a relatively easy time during the Shoah, escaping with her family to a part of Romania where there was anti-Semitism, but of the 'mild' kind, i.e. no deportations, ghettoes or death camps, 'just' verbal and the occasional physical abuse. She has always been one of those old time Jewish women who look after their homes, their husbands and children and always have a philosophical word to share about life and its burdens and, as long as the grandchildren were happy, never had a word of complaint about anything. Shmuel's death changed all of this. He had apparently been the shield against all the suppressed trauma from the Shoah. She became paranoid, convinced that she was under threat from everyone, that people wanted to harm her, and had to be hospitalized in a geriatric psychiatric ward in Haifa. After a couple of months she was able to return home with a carer who now lives with her.

Last week Ada's street suffered hits on two separate occasions, but Ada is absolutely fine about it. She is not terrified; in fact she is once again quite philosophical about the world. In a way, it has probably made sense of her world once again. She is under attack; someone does want to harm her. So, she is not psychiatrically ill, suffering from delusions or paranoia, there really are people out there who this time do not want to dislodge her from her former home in Romania, but from her present home in Haifa. Of course, like so many moments in life, if you look very closely, there is another wonderfully ironic twist in the story. Her carer is a foreign worker, from Romania, and her family is begging her to return, to safety, to Romania.

One little story, one of thousands of little stories, but then, the world is made up of thousands of little stories. And, before I end, please do us one favour in Israel when you listen to or watch the BBC: Whenever they talk about people in Lebanon they talk about 'civilians', and, usually, rightly so, could you please think the same word, 'civilians' when they use the word 'Israelis'. We have close to a million and a half civilians living in fear of their lives. We have close to half a million civilians who are actually refugees right now. We happen to be better organized than Lebanon, but look into every block of flats in Israel, every school building, every kibbutz and you will find refugees. Ours are called Anat and Chanoch and their three-year-old little one, Ziv.

Apologies, I did say that 'before I end' a moment ago, but I have to share one more thing with you. If any of you come to Israel for a visit before August 8th, you must go to the extraordinary exhibition of the Bezalel art school (celebrating, yes celebrating, 100 years of existence as a school of fine arts in the renewed Jewish Commonwealth) in the old terminal at Ben Gurion airport. Orly, Maya and I were there last night. It was packed with people doing what people in progressive societies do so well, enjoying an exhibition filled with challenges and criticism of the existing social order. That is the world I want to be part of.

Julian Resnick is currently on Kibbutz Tzora and is affiliated with The Movement for Reform Judaism in the UK

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Rabbi David Ellenson, president of Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion wrote a wonderful opinion column entitled "Normal Portion" in The New York Sun today. Please read and respond.

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The Israeli television just reported that since the beginning of the war 14 days ago, more than 2,700 katyushas fell in Israel (hitting more than 30 cities in the North). The number of dead among soldiers and citizens is more than 20, and hundreds are wounded.

Yesterday was, relatively speaking quiet, but since this morning 16 katyushas landed in Haifa, with 25 wounded, resulting in a man dying from a heart attack and 2 people seriously wounded.

We ran to the Or Hadash shelter. One siren went on when I was about to take a shower and another went on while eating breakfast (at that point you have to decide very quickly what to do with the food in your mouth- to swallow fast while running down to the shelter or to spend a few valuable seconds spitting the food to the sink. Not an easy decision, believe me!). Another siren caught me an Ariel while we were grocery shopping in the supermarket. These are hard times in Haifa.

The Israeli television just reported that since the beginning of the war 14 days ago, more than 2,700 katyushas fell in Israel (hitting more than 30 cities in the North). The number of dead among soldiers and citizens is more than 20, and hundreds are wounded.

Yesterday was, relatively speaking quiet, but since this morning 16 katyushas landed in Haifa, with 25 wounded, resulting in a man dying from a heart attack and 2 people seriously wounded.

We ran to the Or Hadash shelter. One siren went on when I was about to take a shower and another went on while eating breakfast (at that point you have to decide very quickly what to do with the food in your mouth- to swallow fast while running down to the shelter or to spend a few valuable seconds spitting the food to the sink. Not an easy decision, believe me!). Another siren caught me an Ariel while we were grocery shopping in the supermarket. These are hard times in Haifa.

As you probably know, many bar/bat mitzvah ceremonies this summer are cancelled, as well as weddings and baby namings being moved to the center of the country. There are no 'chugim' (classes, folk dancing and painting), so we don't receive rent from them, either. Preschool and camp families want their tuition refunded. On the other hand, we need to pay salaries of the 30 employees of Or Hadash. Today we had to throw away a week's worth of food for the 100 children who would normally be at Or Hadash daily. We couldn't give it away, since nobody came to work, as it is dangerous to be on the streets, or even in a car. Those who are weak suffer the most.

Today I was informed that the father of a boy scheduled to have his bar mitzvah in September committed suicide. He suffered from depression all his life, and I'm sure that the current situation didn't help. The 84 year old holocaust survivor whom Or Hadash supports called me in distress. Another bar mitzvah boy's father is dying of cancer, and the family prays the war will end so that friends and family will be able to attend his funeral. Even a memorial for the son of one of our bereaved mothers was postponed, for fear that no one would come to the cemetery. The 5 Gaberu orphans (from Ethiopia), that we adopted are in Ashdod, at summer camp, so at least I have one less responsibility for them.

My daughter Yael, finished her summer camp with the Progressive Movement in Ashkelon, but didn’t return home like the rest of the teens. Instead we all preferred that she will spend some extra time with her friends in Jerusalem, even though we all miss her.

Our Preschool Coordinator, Hila, , who lives in Kiryat Biyalik (a suburb of Haifa) was lucky. She was working at Or Hadash when a missile hit her street, about one block away from her apartment. Fortunately, there was no damage to her building.

Media reports at least another week of fighting.

For me, the sooner this ends, the better. I hope to write you with news about a cease-fire next time,

Rabbi Dr. Edgar Nof leads the Or Hadash Congregation in Haifa. Or Hadash is a member of the The Israeli Movement for Progressive Judaism.

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The Hebrew Union College archaeological expedition to Tel Dan was closed down Friday July 14th. We had planned to finish digging Friday July 21st.

Things began to go wrong late Wednesday morning, July 12th, when an Israeli howitzer battery located nearby began firing in the direction of Lebanon. This is not a new experience for Tel Dan veterans—artillery fire from Israeli artillery is a fairly frequent occurrence in the area and can usually can be attributed to maneuvers or single warning shots aimed far away from the site (a 155 mm howitzer has a range of 12 miles). This time however, the shelling was continuous.

We decided to have everyone go back to our lodgings at the Mt. Hermon Field School. Rumors began circulating that the army was asking people in Kiryat Shemona to go down to the bomb shelters. David Ilan gave a snap lecture in the bomb shelter (on pilgrimage to Tel Dan in the Iron Age), after which we set out for a tour of Nimrod’s Castle, at the foot of Mt. Hermon, overlooking the Hula Valley. From this magnificent perch we could see the smoke rising up from brush fires in Lebanon, set by exploding Israeli artillery shells.

By this time it was clear that the artillery barrages were part of a longer-term event. When we got back to the field school we called our transport company and asked for a bus to take our volunteers to Jerusalem. In the meantime our faculty members from Asbury Seminary arranged emergency lodgings at the Jerusalem University College, to whom we are indebted for their kind hospitality (they were poised to shut down for summer break). When the bus arrived, we loaded up quickly and said hasty goodbyes.

The Hebrew Union College archaeological expedition to Tel Dan was closed down Friday July 14th. We had planned to finish digging Friday July 21st.

Things began to go wrong late Wednesday morning, July 12th, when an Israeli howitzer battery located nearby began firing in the direction of Lebanon. This is not a new experience for Tel Dan veterans—artillery fire from Israeli artillery is a fairly frequent occurrence in the area and can usually can be attributed to maneuvers or single warning shots aimed far away from the site (a 155 mm howitzer has a range of 12 miles). This time however, the shelling was continuous.

We decided to have everyone go back to our lodgings at the Mt. Hermon Field School. Rumors began circulating that the army was asking people in Kiryat Shemona to go down to the bomb shelters. David Ilan gave a snap lecture in the bomb shelter (on pilgrimage to Tel Dan in the Iron Age), after which we set out for a tour of Nimrod’s Castle, at the foot of Mt. Hermon, overlooking the Hula Valley. From this magnificent perch we could see the smoke rising up from brush fires in Lebanon, set by exploding Israeli artillery shells.

By this time it was clear that the artillery barrages were part of a longer-term event. When we got back to the field school we called our transport company and asked for a bus to take our volunteers to Jerusalem. In the meantime our faculty members from Asbury Seminary arranged emergency lodgings at the Jerusalem University College, to whom we are indebted for their kind hospitality (they were poised to shut down for summer break). When the bus arrived, we loaded up quickly and said hasty goodbyes.

Archaeological excavations are usually goal oriented. Often you know that results will only come after an initial investment of hard work with little to show. We had just about finished the hard work phase and were coming down upon the good Iron Age levels. In Area B, supervised by Greg Snyder of HUC-JIR, we hoped to expose new architecture that would allow us to create a contiguous plan of 1000 square meters and retrieve Carbon 14 samples from annual seeds that would allow us to date our strata better. In Area L, supervised by Yifat Thareani-Sussely of Tel Aviv University, we were hoping to expose houses and streets of the 7th century BCE, the period of the Assyrian conquest. We were stopped short in both areas. Fortunately, in Area K, supervised by Hal Bonnette (of Reston, Virginia), we managed to do most of what we wanted, almost completely exposing the intact façade of the Middle Bronze Age mud brick gate and a previously unknown wall of an earlier phase of the Middle Bronze Age.

Will we be digging at Dan again? We probably will, but it’s not clear when and in which format. There are still things we need to clarify as part of the process of final publication. The Tel Dan, Hazor and Kinrot excavations, and many others to a lesser degree, were casualties of Middle Eastern politics of the worst kind. In our case this was particularly ironic because our first two weeks included a group of 40 Arab and Jewish junior high schoolaged scouts from the Galilean settlements of Shfaram, Kabul, Shaab and Hanita. This great group and its leaders showed us how we can work together toward common goals, how we can study a common history, even when we agree to disagree. It was a sight to behold and gives us hope for the future, even as the Katushya rockets terrorize the Galilee and Israeli jets wreak havoc in Lebanon.

Posted by Dr. David Ilan, HUC Jerusalem; Prof. Nili Fox, HUC Cincinnati and Dr. Jason Kalman, HUC Cincinnati

Posted by Union for Reform Judaism at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I got back from Jerusalem at 11.00pm last night. I am one of those people who likes to take time to digest experiences but, to paraphrase the midrash, there is time for a long think and time for a short think and now there is no time to think at all!

Four things dominate my consciousness.

First, I was right to go. I have never taken a decision more quickly but one was urgently required after Michael Wegier of UJIA suggested that the Reform community leadership ought to show some kind of support for RSY-Netzer. 1200 British 15 and 16 year olds were already in Israel when trouble flared on the Lebanese border; the 114 RSY-Netzer group (and Liberal Judaism’s LJY) were the only ones who were going to have to make the decision as to whether or not to go with a war going on. I felt better by going – at least I was putting my money where my mouth was or something like that.

Second, it was humbling how deeply appreciated my gesture was. We wondered how many children would not be allowed to go – in the end it was 7 out of 114. Numbers of parents spoke to me as the group and its 6 madrichim gathered at the Sternberg Centre last Tuesday afternoon (it seems a lot longer ago than that!). Many were concerned that the last thing they wanted to do was to disappoint their children or let Israel down.

I got back from Jerusalem at 11.00pm last night. I am one of those people who likes to take time to digest experiences but, to paraphrase the midrash, there is time for a long think and time for a short think and now there is no time to think at all!

Four things dominate my consciousness.

First, I was right to go. I have never taken a decision more quickly but one was urgently required after Michael Wegier of UJIA suggested that the Reform community leadership ought to show some kind of support for RSY-Netzer. 1200 British 15 and 16 year olds were already in Israel when trouble flared on the Lebanese border; the 114 RSY-Netzer group (and Liberal Judaism’s LJY) were the only ones who were going to have to make the decision as to whether or not to go with a war going on. I felt better by going – at least I was putting my money where my mouth was or something like that.

Second, it was humbling how deeply appreciated my gesture was. We wondered how many children would not be allowed to go – in the end it was 7 out of 114. Numbers of parents spoke to me as the group and its 6 madrichim gathered at the Sternberg Centre last Tuesday afternoon (it seems a lot longer ago than that!). Many were concerned that the last thing they wanted to do was to disappoint their children or let Israel down.

It was the dreaded night flight from Stansted – no sleep – and arriving at Ben Gurion at 6.00am on Wednesday morning that represents my only heroics! Straight to the opening ceremony by Sir Moses Montefiore’s windmill in Jerusalem – in temperatures not a lot hotter than London. Every young man and woman was greeted as a hero for being there – not because they were in danger (which they weren’t) but because they were demonstrating support and commitment to the people of Israel at a very difficult and lonely time. Iri Kessel, Head of our Movement in Israel, couldn’t thank me enough. Neither could Maoz Haviv, Head of Netzer Olami.

The kids went off to do something physical and I went off with Julian Resnick, our Director of Living Judaism who was worried out of his mind about his son Elad from whom he hadn’t heard for five days and who was fighting on the Lebanese border.

We went to see Danny Mor, the Director of Israel Experience. He was carrying an enormous burden – the reprogramming of 1300 young people in groups of 30-40 who had previously been programmed to experience the whole of Israel and were now restricted to a line south of Haifa. Haifa was where our groups had been scheduled to start. All he wanted to do, however, was to give us time and thank us, the children and their parents for coming.

We went to see Elan Ezrachi – who is responsible for all extended programmes for the 18-30 year olds – including our Shnat Group who go out in mid-August. It was the same story. He had time for us and wanted only to thank us. And so to Ayelet Shiloh-Tamir, Deputy Director General of the Jewish Agency’s Education Department (her boss, Alan Hoffman, was up in Safed dodging the rockets and examining the damage to facilities there). Once again, well done the Brits, we really appreciate your support.

Third, I don’t deserve this. The sky was blue, not a plane in sight. Jerusalem was as peaceful as I’ve ever seen it and you really wouldn’t have known that there was a war going on in the north of the country. The 107 strong RSY contingent were having a fantastic time from the very beginning – and I even got a chance to go and see Linda’s best and oldest friend Ann Shabbat. Julian was worried sick. We simply don’t appreciate what it is that Israelis risk and endure for their Jewish identity – and ours.

Fourth and finally, I understood more clearly – without the clutter of western European political interests and simplistic even handedness – what is going on. Israel is trying to remove Hezbollah from its northern border before Hezbollah removes Israel on behalf of the evil and deranged regime in Tehran. I listened to a speech by Shimon Peres. He said very simply that Israel had to remove the terrorists of Hamas and Hezbollah. But they were proxy for Syria and Iran. We are not, said Shimon Peres, going to deal with Syria and Iran. They are a threat to the whole world and the world has to come together to deal with them. But will we? Somehow I doubt it. But that means that there may be no end to Israel’s struggle for survival.

It is so, so unjust that Israel should have to experience endless, pathological hatred, worry continually for the safety of their own children whilst the world’s press wrings its hands over the fate of children used with incomprehensible barbarity as human shields by fanatics. Yet what does Israel do? Welcome our young people. Protect them with every ounce of energy and every drop of emotion that is available and make sure they have an outstanding experience of a month in Israel.

I flew back on an El Al flight to Heathrow and tried not to think that my greatest sacrifice and act of heroism was travelling El Al and not BA!

Posted by Union for Reform Judaism at 10:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I was supposed to make Aliyah on July 19th. Because of the Katyusha's, I've had to put off my plans for at least a couple more weeks. This is very heart wrenching for all of us. I have family in Tel Aviv, my boyfriend lives just north of Haifa, I have two friends stuck in Lebanon, and half my family is from Iran. I feel like I'm getting it in all directions - I love Israel and want my family, friends, boyfriend and future home to be safe.

I hope the American government can get their act together and get my American friends out of Lebanon. The crazy president of Iran is ruining my beautiful country (Iran) and threatening my homeland's (Israel) existence. The UN has proved once again that it is a completely useless organization, especially now that we're learning over 2,000 "peacekeepers" were at the border of Lebanon since the year 2000 and let Hizballah build their bases right next door.

As to those who are struggling on whether or not to support Israel in this conflict with Hizballah, let me share with you part of a conversation I had with my cousin in Tel Aviv last week. I asked him "How did it make you feel to see those 1000 left wing protestors protesting the operation in Lebanon last week?" He said "It's so hard for us to see. Here, we use a phrase 'something...galgalim…' It's like when you're riding a bike and someone throws a stick in front of you to make you fall down.” My cousin said that seeing these left wing Jewish Israelis protesting against this operation was like a big stick being thrown in front of Israeli society to help it crash and burn.

I was supposed to make Aliyah on July 19th. Because of the Katyusha's, I've had to put off my plans for at least a couple more weeks. This is very heart wrenching for all of us. I have family in Tel Aviv, my boyfriend lives just north of Haifa, I have two friends stuck in Lebanon, and half my family is from Iran. I feel like I'm getting it in all directions - I love Israel and want my family, friends, boyfriend and future home to be safe.

I hope the American government can get their act together and get my American friends out of Lebanon. The crazy president of Iran is ruining my beautiful country (Iran) and threatening my homeland's (Israel) existence. The UN has proved once again that it is a completely useless organization, especially now that we're learning over 2,000 "peacekeepers" were at the border of Lebanon since the year 2000 and let Hizballah build their bases right next door.

As to those who are struggling on whether or not to support Israel in this conflict with Hizballah, let me share with you part of a conversation I had with my cousin in Tel Aviv last week. I asked him "How did it make you feel to see those 1000 left wing protestors protesting the operation in Lebanon last week?" He said "It's so hard for us to see. Here, we use a phrase 'something...galgalim…' It's like when you're riding a bike and someone throws a stick in front of you to make you fall down.” My cousin said that seeing these left wing Jewish Israelis protesting against this operation was like a big stick being thrown in front of Israeli society to help it crash and burn.

To those of you who think all warm and fuzzy towards the Palestinians and criticize the occupation, remember that this thing with Lebanon isn't about them. This is HizbAllah (puppet of Iran and Syria) , who crossed an international border to wreak havoc and bring terror to a society who has been begging for peace and watching in dismay while over the last 6 years Hizballah has increased their weapons capabilities ten fold. Wishing for peace got us war.

Disengagement brought us war, and believing that the Arab leaders from extremist regimes decided to make nice with Israel has brought us war.

Now is the time for all of us Jews- left wing, right wing, socialist, communist, fascist, anarchist, and anything else to come together to support Israel. At this dark hour, she's still fighting her war of Independence.

Drew Alyeshmerni is an ARZA KESHER Fellow and recent graduate of the University of Arizona.

Posted by Union for Reform Judaism at 10:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I am sure that by now you have been watching our new unexpected war on CNN, reading about it in the NY Times or listening to it on NPR. Anyway for what it is worth… here is one rabbi’s perspective from Jerusalem, Israel.

Most people I know here in Israel are really fed up. Personally my approach is (and has always been) that of a “Machiavellian dove” meaning I am for peace- of course for its own sake but also because strategically it makes the most sense. This is the same reason I was for the withdrawal out of Gaza. It was a combination of moral, demographic and strategic considerations. I have also been in favor of a withdrawal out of the West Bank, of course now all of us know this will mean kassam rockets on our head…not a very pleasant incentive for leaving the West Bank; but nevertheless we will need to get out of parts of the West Bank if we wish to remain a democratic Jewish state. But again we all now know that as soon as new borders offer us little strategic depth the kassams will start falling on Jerusalem.

Unfortunately we need to hit Hezbollah so hard that it will take years for them to recover and rebuild their infrastructure. We pulled out of Gaza....we pulled out of Lebanon and we are now in back to internationally recognized borders but they are still kidnapping us and firing rockets (by the way Hamas has been firing rockets for months at the Israeli town of Sderot).

Like I said most Israelis feel enough is enough (actually people are furious). And on a very personal note our daughter Gili is in summer camp near Ashkelon ... a little too close for our comfort zone but at this point camp has been declared safe...Can you imagine if Ann Arbor MI was hit by rockets sent over from Windsor, ON or if France or England were hit by rocket attacks from another country? And so it makes me crazy when European countries condemn us. They hated us when we didn’t have power and now that we have power they still hate us. And don’t get me started on CNN…

I am sure that by now you have been watching our new unexpected war on CNN, reading about it in the NY Times or listening to it on NPR. Anyway for what it is worth… here is one rabbi’s perspective from Jerusalem, Israel.

Most people I know here in Israel are really fed up. Personally my approach is (and has always been) that of a “Machiavellian dove” meaning I am for peace- of course for its own sake but also because strategically it makes the most sense. This is the same reason I was for the withdrawal out of Gaza. It was a combination of moral, demographic and strategic considerations. I have also been in favor of a withdrawal out of the West Bank, of course now all of us know this will mean kassam rockets on our head…not a very pleasant incentive for leaving the West Bank; but nevertheless we will need to get out of parts of the West Bank if we wish to remain a democratic Jewish state. But again we all now know that as soon as new borders offer us little strategic depth the kassams will start falling on Jerusalem.

Unfortunately we need to hit Hezbollah so hard that it will take years for them to recover and rebuild their infrastructure. We pulled out of Gaza....we pulled out of Lebanon and we are now in back to internationally recognized borders but they are still kidnapping us and firing rockets (by the way Hamas has been firing rockets for months at the Israeli town of Sderot).

Like I said most Israelis feel enough is enough (actually people are furious). And on a very personal note our daughter Gili is in summer camp near Ashkelon .. a little too close for our comfort zone but at this point camp has
been declared safe ....Can you imagine if Ann Arbor MI was hit by rockets sent over from Windsor, ON or if France or England were hit by rocket attacks from another country? And so it makes me crazy when European countries condemn us. They hated us when we didn’t have power and now that we have power they still hate us. And don’t get me started on CNN…

All of this is obviously connected to Syria and Iran and their desire to knock out Israeli and more accurately American power in the region. What would be bad is if Syria and then Iran get involved which no one wants. Unfortunately Syria has just mobilized its reserve units… which is a bad sign.

Meanwhile people in the North are in bomb shelters and Israeli parents are very scared for their children in uniform and out of uniform.But like I said Left wing and Right wing are united in the need to protect this country. I feel terrible for the people on the other side of the border but not bad enough that I am willing to let Israel be continually
bombarded. And for some reason the International community only cares when Israel strikes back.

This past Thursday was the 17th of Tammuz –the traditional Jewish date that commemorates when the Babylonians started the siege of Jerusalem (it is a minor fast day). And just as the Babylonians came from the North…so did Hezbollah. So there was some nice historical symmetry going on here (sarcastic).

Sorry but I would rather have an Israel that the International community feels somewhat ambivalent about than an Auschwitz that everyone loves and cries over.

Regards from Jerusalem,

Rich

Rabbi Rich Kirschen is the Director of the Anita Saltz International Education Center of the World Union for Progressive Judaism

Posted by Union for Reform Judaism at 10:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Our plane landed this evening at Ben Gurion airport amidst no fanfare. Planes are coming and going and life in the center of the country appears to be business as usual. It was therefore no surprise that we found ourselves stuck in gridlock as we moved through downtown Tel Aviv and headed towards the north.

As we began making our way through the seaside neighborhoods of southeast Haifa, we could see that some of the homes were darkened; however, we also saw many lights on and had the opportunity to see some families eating dinner outside in the soft, warm wind. Restaurants and cafes are opened, there are people walking on the sidewalks and cars are in the streets. It is less crowed than usual, however, and we did no see the typical lines for restaurants or many cars unsuccessfully searching for parking spaces.

Carole Goldberg, URJ Director of MUM and I went out to dinner with the group guide Nir Nitzvan and found our way to an excellent Thai restaurant with a view towards the north. Earlier today, one of the ten rockets fired from Lebanon landed in the towns we could see, killing a worker from the Western Galilee. Another man was killed as well when a rocket hit his vehicle as he drove down one of Haifa’s main thoroughfares. The conflict is still very real. This was made clear to us as we checked into our hotel hear and the gracious receptionists gave us the times breakfast was served, instructions on how to access the Internet, and directions to the bomb shelter, “should there be a need.” As I understand from the guard at the door of the hotel, “the need” has been needed almost every day for the past week and a half.

Tomorrow we are scheduled to visit with the clergy and lay leadership of four of the seven Reform congregations in the north and the leadership of the Leo Baeck center to provide support, to hear their stories and to share with them our care and concern. We expect to hear a balance of comments, some focusing on how life is functioning with some sense of normalcy and others identifying how this conflict has brought the frontline right to the doorsteps of our Movement. The aunt of one of our congregational worship leaders in Carmiel was killed last week on her moshav by a rocket; one of the sailors killed a few days ago by an Iranian-manufactured rocket fired at a naval ship is connected to our congregation in Naharia. I am certain we will hear details of the various programs and projects our congregations have developed to reach out to their membership and beyond to help ease some of the fear and panic.

So while we are only a small group who bring little else than our unwavering support for our people under attack, I hope we will be able to be a bridge between our two communities. Each person that I have met or spoken with since we landed six and a half hours ago has expressed deep thanks that we are here to be with the people of Israel during yet another difficult period. As your representatives to these people and this place, we are doing important, sacred work.

Posted by Union for Reform Judaism at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This time last week we composed our first View From Jerusalem. Shabbat was approaching, and we were looking forward to our first community experience with the incoming Year in Israel class. At that time we had no real sense of whether the military activity would last a few days or a few months. Now, a week later, we know that this is not a short episode. As we write these words, the city of Haifa is once again under missile attack, although so far no fatalities have been reported. Israeli infantry troops are engaged in combat over the Lebanese border. Our thoughts and prayers are with our brothers and sisters in the war zone, and indeed with all innocent civilians caught in the crossfire.

Meanwhile, life in Jerusalem is remarkably normal. We have just completed our first week of the Hebrew Intensive Ulpan Program. The formal curriculum of the summer is dedicated to a total immersion in Hebrew four days a week, and an extra day for getting to know Jerusalem, both Earthly and Heavenly - through formal and informal field trips and site visits.

We usually spend the summer program building group cohesion, exposing our students to the mystery and magic of Jerusalem, and helping our students settle in to the routine of paying electric bills in Hebrew, discovering the quickest route to the College or to the local great latte cafe, and spelling out security precautions.

The backdrop of the situation in the North has accelerated all the above. On Monday morning, the second day of class we felt that it was imperative to start the day with a security briefing and geo-political analysis of the current situation. Our students' questions were mature and thoughtful. Tuesday morning began with a powerful Tefillah workshop, in which we were able to reflect on our own comfort in comparison to the anguish of so many just a hundred miles from here.

This time last week we composed our first View From Jerusalem. Shabbat was approaching, and we were looking forward to our first community experience with the incoming Year in Israel class. At that time we had no real sense of whether the military activity would last a few days or a few months. Now, a week later, we know that this is not a short episode. As we write these words, the city of Haifa is once again under missile attack, although so far no fatalities have been reported. Israeli infantry troops are engaged in combat over the Lebanese border. Our thoughts and prayers are with our brothers and sisters in the war zone, and indeed with all innocent civilians caught in the crossfire.

Meanwhile, life in Jerusalem is remarkably normal. We have just completed our first week of the Hebrew Intensive Ulpan Program. The formal curriculum of the summer is dedicated to a total immersion in Hebrew four days a week, and an extra day for getting to know Jerusalem, both Earthly and Heavenly - through formal and informal field trips and site visits.

We usually spend the summer program building group cohesion, exposing our students to the mystery and magic of Jerusalem, and helping our students settle in to the routine of paying electric bills in Hebrew, discovering the quickest route to the College or to the local great latte cafe, and spelling out security precautions.

The backdrop of the situation in the North has accelerated all the above. On Monday morning, the second day of class we felt that it was imperative to start the day with a security briefing and geo-political analysis of the current situation. Our students' questions were mature and thoughtful. Tuesday morning began with a powerful Tefillah workshop, in which we were able to reflect on our own comfort in comparison to the anguish of so many just a hundred miles from here.

That same day thirty students followed our dynamic Israeli Rabbinic student Nir Barkin (accompanied by an armed guard) on a tour of less-traveled alleyways of Jerusalem, with the story of the generations of his family unfolding at every turn. Indeed, at one point he introduced a special guest – his mother! There will be five such afternoons throughout the summer. Nir is entering his last year in our Israeli Rabbinical Pprogram and he will continue to serve as a bridge between the Year-in- Israel Program and over thirty Israeli Rabbinical students, who start their studies after the High Holidays.

On Thursday all our students went out into the field to learn Bible in the place it was originally inspired. We began with Morning Prayers led by our three interns, upperclasswomen Stacey Nolish Blank, Jen Frankel, and Shira Ginsberg, in the shade of a pine grove overlooking the Old City. From our Mountain top perch we peered out into the Judean Desert. We read passages of the Torah about Abraham's coming to Jerusalem. We walked along the Promenade, taking in some of the most inspiring views of the walls of the Old City.

Next we drove to the site of the original Biblical City of David. Here we studied texts from the Book of Samuel about David and Bathsheba and life in the city in Bible times. We walked thought the archeological excavations of the ancient alley ways where once Solomon, Isaiah and Jeremiah walked, thought and wrote the literature that has become a treasure of our people and the world ever since.

While all this learning and discovery was going on, we stayed ever-conscious of events elsewhere in Israel and in the Middle East. On Thursday night we asked two entering students to join us on a conference call with the Board of Governors. Jessie Gross, entering Rabbinical student, shared her experiences of this past week. She talked about her decision to be in our program knowing full well that her sense of safety and security might be challenged in Jerusalem. She described her conversations with her classmates, and with some Israeli friends. She added that she feels ready and determined to be here now. She felt that she reflected the overall sentiments of the incoming class. Phillip Bazeley, entering Rabbinical student in Israel for the first time, added rich descriptions of his first days, his being oriented and disoriented all at once. And he described how in one day he could walk in the footsteps of Abraham and then order cooking gas from the Gas Company in his newly-acquired Hebrew. He expressed, as did Jessie, their deep gratitude for being part of this program.

That gratitude is mutual. We are impressed by the way in which each individual and the group as a whole is coping with the situation. We are also very appreciative pf the e-mails expressing love and support which are pouring in from HUC-JIR students abroad, faculty and alumni. Another part of our HUC-JIR family also deserves special mention: our Israeli staff, faculty and student body, many of whom are caught up in the current situation in very intense ways. Some of our students have been displaced from their homes in the North. Some are providing Rabbinical support for communities on the frontline. Some have children in the Army, or have themselves been called up for Reserve Duty. Tonight both of us will host some of these students at our Shabbat dinner tables, alongside visiting members of the HUC-JIR family like Naomi Ellenson, our President's delightful daughter, and Profesor Rachel Adler from our Los Angeles School. This is a time to be together.

The local team here is dedicated to keep our students informed, aware, and accessible to us and each other. Everyone is accounted for tonight as they have plans to welcome Shabbat together in different settings. The rest of July and August is chock full of activities on and off campus. We are keeping everyone busy.

So we go on, with caution and hope, realistic and optimistic.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Naamah Kelman, Director of the Year in Israel Program, HUC-JIR

Rabbi Dr Michael Marmur, Dean HUC-JIR Jerusalem

Posted by Union for Reform Judaism at 1:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I wanted to share with everyone how well the NFTY in Israel summer trips are going despite the fighting in the North. We are staying very safe in the Southern part of the country including Jerusalem. We are continuing with our educational program and re-routing our experiences to other sites.

Even with the changes, our participants are excited and upbeat about the trip. They focus on learning and having a good time because they trust NFTY and us, their staff, to keep them safe and informed. Just like every trip we are extremely busy with a full schedule packed with experiences that touch all of our senses - seeing historic and ancient sites; smelling and tasting delicious Israeli food; feeling the land beneath our feet as we hike; and hearing and singing music and prayers during t'fillah (worship).

A primary component of the program is to not only teach about Jewish history through visiting sites, but to also teach about Am Yisrael (Jewish peoplehood). We are working hard to demonstrate our love for Israel so that when the participants leave they will feel a deep connection to her that hopefully will be demonstrated through their actions when they return to their NFTY regions.

We pray for peace daily. Continue to pray for peace with us and all of the Jewish people.

Anna Schwarz is a Kesher member and a senior at the University of Arizona. She is currently a staff member for Bus #4, NFTY in Israel trip.

Posted by Union for Reform Judaism at 11:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I would like to thank you deeply for your warm words and the endless support. It gives me a lot of strength and hope. For me it’s definitely the expression of the phrase “all of Israel is responsible on for the other.” I know and all of us should know that with friend as you are, we will never stand alone…

“How things turn around.” I couldn’t avoid thinking of this while visiting yesterday at the Parents Day in the Chavayia Rechler summer camp. A few months ago we thought of moving the summer camp location from “Kfar Siver” in Ashkelon to the Notrhet part of Israel. Then, only a few months ago Ashkelon was threatened by the Kasam missiles, looked very dangerous and the northern part of Israel was an excellent solution that will ensure the safety of the children. Imagine what would be if we would choose that decision. Back to yesterday, more that 1,000 people gathered to a relaxed afternoon. Only the reality was not that relaxed: an hour before the event in our summer camp, a missile destroyed a building in Haifa. The Cohen family: mother, father and their 3 little kids, told me that they were in the car, on their way to visit their son at the summer camp, when the siren started. They jumped with their kids out if the car and took shelter. Such a simple thing as deciding to go out of your home becomes a dangerous adventure involving high risk to the all family.

I would like to thank you deeply for your warm words and the endless support. It gives me a lot of strength and hope. For me it’s definitely the expression of the phrase “all of Israel is responsible on for the other.” I know and all of us should know that with friend as you are, we will never stand alone…

“How things turn around.” I couldn’t avoid thinking of this while visiting yesterday at the Parents Day in the Chavayia Rechler summer camp. A few months ago we thought of moving the summer camp location from “Kfar Siver” in Ashkelon to the Notrhet part of Israel. Then, only a few months ago Ashkelon was threatened by the Kasam missiles, looked very dangerous and the northern part of Israel was an excellent solution that will ensure the safety of the children. Imagine what would be if we would choose that decision. Back to yesterday, more that 1,000 people gathered to a relaxed afternoon. Only the reality was not that relaxed: an hour before the event in our summer camp, a missile destroyed a building in Haifa. The Cohen family: mother, father and their 3 little kids, told me that they were in the car, on their way to visit their son at the summer camp, when the siren started. They jumped with their kids out if the car and took shelter. Such a simple thing as deciding to go out of your home becomes a dangerous adventure involving high risk to the all family.

I can’t bring all the stories all of them are touching stories and it manly includes the fragile parts of the population (New immigrants, old people disabled persons).

As a movement we became an address of comfort and support for those that don’t have relatives that can host them or the money (and you better be able to reach) to buy a “temporary home” such as hotel or trip abroad.

We are an address for many new immigrants that barely know the language or the mentality. For 15 families, 3 month in Israel, we found hosting family.
Another need we found is for transportation. Those families with no financial means are stacked in their bombed cities with no public transportation. We decided to help pay for a bus that will take them from the cities in the north. Yesterday it was from Carmiel to Nahiria. A couple in their 50’s new immigrants that left with this bus and were welcome in tzur Hadasa ‘ 10 minutes from Jerusalem was in tears this morning thanking us again and again and saying that thus was the first night that they slept since all of these started. Today we send again a bus to Nharia –we were lucky! A bomb exploded 100 m’ from the bus!

There are so many touching stories as the family from Kyiriat Shmonea that we found a hosting family for them: this family has a boy 12 that is recovering from an open hart operation his sister 5 years old is autistic. We know that tomorrow more people are waiting for us to come and pick them up from their places and find for them a home for a while to regain a peace of mind and soul.
I want to conclude this update with another remark: During the Intefada most of the Israelis wouldn’t come and visit Jerusalem- It was, for them too dangerous. In our crazy world now Jerusalem is one of the most “wanted” cities in Israel……

We pray for peace and all of these will end up.

Gusti Yehoshua-Braverman works with the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism

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The problem is as I see it - is that the response is disproportionate -however it is justified. What is happening now has been building and building and those who do not see that or are too blind to the facts and won't see that and will not figure out a better way to handle this. The blatant disregard to UN 1559 is Lebanon's sanctioning of Hezbollah or acceptance that their minority in the government is the Lebanese government.

Those of you who follow Israeli politics and have spent time in Israel know that your average Israeli wants peace - Israel and her supporters don't want to be at war again.

Many of those who are attacking Israel and saying that her response is wrong discount the loss of Israeli civilians. Israel does not want to kill any civilians. Israel drops pamphlets and tells civilians to leave. Civilian infrastructure that is used as terrorist infrastructure is not civilian infrastructure any more.

I see the Gaza civilian infrastructure in a slightly different way. I think that taking out the power-plant did nothing but make terrorists spend money on batteries, from what I have seen. I am not sure how to handle Gaza but I don't think that nullifying the government was the way. Also with the threat of disease like cholera in the Gaza because there is no sewage system, due to a lack of power, could become a big threat to Israel. I will keep my blue ribbon (sign supporting last Augusts disengagement from Gaza) on my back-pack in hope that some day disengagement will mean disengagement. Let Palestinians create a state; its good politics and its morally right.

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The week of July 11 marked two things for this year's Year in Israel class at HUC. First, it marked the beginning of our orientation into both rabbinic (cantorial and education) programs at the Hebrew Union College. We recited a Shecheyanu in honor of the joyous moments in which we marked the beginning of a journey that will take us into a long life of Jewish learning and leadership in the Reform community. During this seemingly joyous time, this week of orienation also marked the beginning of what we are starting to call simply "ha'miatzav." See, most of us American (two Canadian) students have all prepared in different ways to come here to Israel this year and truly experience what it means to live in Israel as well and learn how to live within the Israeli culture. Though all of us gave some consideration to the reality that during the course of a year in Jerusalem we were likely to be faced with chalenging moments, I believe I speak for the majority of the class when I say that perhaps we did not consider that we would be thrown full force into learning some of the realities of life here in Israel that come up during times of conflict.

The week of July 11 marked two things for this year's Year in Israel class at HUC. First, it marked the beginning of our orientation into both rabbinic (cantorial and education) programs at the Hebrew Union College. We recited a Shecheyanu in honor of the joyous moments in which we marked the beginning of a journey that will take us into a long life of Jewish learning and leadership in the Reform community. During this seemingly joyous time, this week of orienation also marked the beginning of what we are starting to call simply "ha'miatzav." See, most of us American (two Canadian) students have all prepared in different ways to come here to Israel this year and truly experience what it means to live in Israel as well and learn how to live within the Israeli culture. Though all of us gave some consideration to the reality that during the course of a year in Jerusalem we were likely to be faced with chalenging moments, I believe I speak for the majority of the class when I say that perhaps we did not consider that we would be thrown full force into learning some of the realities of life here in Israel that come up during times of conflict.

I have been keeping a blog for my family and friends. Last week I considered the thought as to whether or not the fact that most of us come from very comfortable and safe communities back home better or less prepared us to confront the challenges that are more routine than unique to the life of our Israeli family. The administration and faculty here in Jerusalem have more than extended their hands and expertise to us as we begin to try and acclimate ourselves to what seems like it could be a year of great challenge in this region. We have been challenged to take this time as an opportunity to look through an Israeli, rather than visting American, lense and see that life here is constructed around different values that perhaps we are able to take for granted at home. For instance, one administrator here at the College has told us that many Israeli's we meet will envy that during the time they are serving in the army to protect this country most of us are at home pondering what for us are difficult issues. Still, thought about college majors and whether to continue directly onto grad school or get some experience in the 'real world' seem to be in a slightly different realm than how to cope with the reality that our peers here lose friends to violence, have to constantly be prepared to defend our homeland and also have to constantly watch with an extra keen eye. It is hard to live in a place where even though the faction of fundamentalists are small, they have the power to disrupt the community and insert a constant feeling of fear that causes us to constantly look over our shoulder.

Trying to explain the feelings of pride that meet the feelings of digesting our own uncertainty about what it means to be here during this time constantly play tug of war in all of our minds. I believe that our class, although we all have very individual feelings of comfort right now, have been challenged to try and take this experience to better appreciate that in some areas of the world, and especially in the homeland of our people, there is a constant feeling of vulnerability and necessity to stare in the face just how fragile life and security really is. I sit in my apartment in Jerusalem and watch the American news and can't help but turn up my nose, just a little bit, to the fears on American soil that the 'turmoil' here might find its way to American soil. And I see the description words that flash on the bottom of the screen during the 'round the clock' updates from the Mid-East and I can't help but feel sad for my parents, my sister, and my other family and friends who don't know that the view I see from my Jerusalem window is much more similiar to what they are seeing from theirs, rather than the horrible sight that those 100 miles north of me are seeing from their windows. It is an ongoing challenge to try and wrap my brain around what I see here in Jerusalem and what I know is happening just beyond my comfort zone of the city.

Mostly, I think that our class sees this as a chance to be true ambassadors to the American Jewish community. We are all constantly recieving phone calls and emails from our loved ones at home asking us to please paint for them a picture that the news does not. Many of us don't find it hard to do that. Our day to day, though filled with a heightened sense of awareness for the special times, is about beginning our hebrew studies, learning to pray together in Jerusalem and as a class, and trying to form a community that is both an internal support for one another and also one that will continue to grow in the realm of positive work to be done here this year in Israel. We are coordinating Magen David Adom to come to HUC next week to donate blood for those in need. We are holding daily prayer services, praying for peace, guidance and calling to mind all of those people who are putting themselves on the line for our people and our country. We are all, though sometimes a bit nervouse, also honored to be here on (not quite...but close to) the front line and to be able to call home and say...it are times like these when we should be even more proud of our homeland and our people.

I do not venture to think that every day here will be easy. We definitely find our challenges daily and I am sure that the year ahead will truly test the character of each and everyone of us. But, we are also committed to the work we came here to do and if you ask most people in this year's class I believe you will find few people who would rather be anywhere else right now. One thing we learn quickly here is that this a homeland that has been living in a reality, not so different from that of today, since the very beginning of its existance. During these times when we are making news around the world, we must remember, that we are blessed to call Israel a place for our people and that true love, be it for people, places or Judaism in general, is something that demands our support, not just when times are good, but even more so when we our securities are challenged.

From Jerusalem, with thoughts on more peaceful days ahead...

Jessica Gross is a First Year Rabbinic Student at HUC in Jerusalem

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18 ½ years ago, Niv, my eldest son was born.

I remember my first Memorial Day with him. He was a few months old, and I was standing while the siren was sounding loudly, crying for friends and a cousin that were killed during their military service. At the same time, I was praying to G-d, with all my heart that this baby would not have to face any wars… At the end of this month, Niv will start his military service. Like many of his friends, he wants to be a fighter, to do his best to protect our beautiful and wounded country. It doesn’t take much imagination to know how his parents feel.

Two days ago, Einav, my daughter, (8 1/2), terrified, was trying to understand if the missiles could possibly get to Mevashert Ziyyon, where we live. All of a sudden, she said, “I wish Prime Minister Rabin was alive." I didn’t understand. She was born after he had been assassinated. How was it that she had mentioned his name in connection with her concern? Her answer was that if he were alive, he would make peace. He did in the past.

18 ½ years ago, Niv, my eldest son was born.

I remember my first Memorial Day with him. He was a few months old, and I was standing while the siren was sounding loudly, crying for friends and a cousin that were killed during their military service. At the same time, I was praying to G-d, with all my heart that this baby would not have to face any wars… At the end of this month, Niv will start his military service. Like many of his friends, he wants to be a fighter, to do his best to protect our beautiful and wounded country. It doesn’t take much imagination to know how my husband and I feel.

Two days ago, Einav, my daughter, (8 1/2), terrified, was trying to understand if the missiles could possibly get to Mevashert Ziyyon, where we live. All of a sudden, she said, “I wish Prime Minister Rabin was alive." I didn’t understand. She was born after he had been assassinated. How was it that she had mentioned his name in connection with her concern? Her answer was that if he were alive, he would make peace. He did in the past.

It shocked me the way she said it. Yes, from birth our kids are brought up with a deep desire for peace. Unfortunately, with all the desire and the acts we have taken, such as the withdrawals from the Gaza Strip and from Lebanon, it seems it’s never enough for for the fundamentalist Muslims. They want it all.

We will never give up on our dream to live here peacefully. We need to pray for a strong Israel on one hand, and that the moderate people on the other side of the border will win.

How is life in Israel now?

In the north, people are living in bomb shelters or in “protected/safe” areas in their own apartments. In Tel Aviv, if you didn’t know that a war was going on only 2 hours away, you would never guess!! Probably it is this that keeps us so normal and keeps us here!!! The Tel Aviv Promenade has been full with people; everything has been open and busy. So are things in Jerusalem. We are. This is what keeps us sane and able to cope with a never-ending war.

Confusing? I know!!! Our life is a story of dichotomies: the need to remember our sadness and the desire to live a normal happy life. You, who have visited here, know the beauty of this country

I continue to be in contact with our congregations in the north: Naharyia and Carmiel.
Both congregations have a high population of new immigrants from Argentina without any relatives here. Yesterday we found, for 4 families, hosting families in our Zichron Yakkov congregation. Today we provide a bus for families that asked us to help them to get out from Naharyia. Sad news is that the woman that was killed Thursday morning was the aunt of the young shaliach Tzibur and one of the soldiers killed on the boat is connected to the congregation in Carmiel.

From my conversations with the chairpersons from both congregations and the Rabbi, many people, mostly from Naharyia, left the city for the weekend. It will be challenging, if this continues much longer and people will have to find a solution (again most are new immigrants that will fear to lose their jobs). I offered that we would find, for them or for their children, hosting families or, alternatively, to host them at our summer camp.

I’m up-dating this brief after the attack upon Haifa, where 8 people were killed and many were injured: We have about 15 kids from Haifa participating in the summer “Havaya” camp. They were terrified to find out what was going on back home. Imagine what a delicate situation this is. Our amazing youth staff coped with this in a very sensible way. They are doing their best to calm the kids and provide them with a relaxing and enjoyable program. It’s a challenging task-believe me!!! Probably it is G-d’s Finger, that all this is happening while the kids are away from the “route of the missiles” Although, I should mention, that we decided, after much deliberation, to keep the location of the summer camp in Ashkelon, another attacked area. This time by the Hamas…

Last night I addressed our communities to ask them to open their homes and to host families from the north. The response has been heart-warming. This is Israel at her best hours. Every one opens his/her heart/hands/ pockets and homes.

We are busy in coordinating all the needs and to make sure that no one will remain without an answer or solutions to ones needs

We have gone through difficult times in the past and we shall overcome this time as well. I want to thank you personally for your concern and the sympathy you show. Please keep us in your prayers for peace of mind, soul and body.

I hope to update you soon with better news.

Thank you all for being a friend.

Gusti Yehoshua- Braverman is the associate director of Israeli Movement for Progressive Judaism