Day 6 - Going Up to Jerusalem

Today we woke up extra early in order to board our bus and make our way up to Jerusalem.  Going up to Jerusalem.  There is this notion that Jerusalem, because of the history that she holds and the places that inhabit her is holy, and therefore one ascends to Jerusalem.   For me, coming up to Jerusalem is like coming home.  I remember the first time I came here I just had this strange feeling of being home.  And each time I have returned here it has felt like going home again. Shiah, our brilliant educator said that our intention for the day should be la’alot, or going up.  Not just la’alot Yerushalayim, going up to Jerusalem, but also going up in ourselves, remembering that we have the obligation to elevate the way we live our lives.  It was a reminder of what we have learned from so many Israelis who have been personally touched by the Hamas terror attack of October 7, who have still found a way elevate their humanity even in the most difficult circumstances.  All of those “and” moments I have experienced so far coming back to me to teach me another lesson.

This trip, there is no sight seeing, no tourist activity.  We have a full schedule over the next three days as our mission draws to an end.  

Today we had a day of learning at the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion Taube Family Campus, in the heart of Jerusalem.  I think it is important to note that it is pretty amazing that an organization dedicated to training the leaders of the Reform Movement in Judaism, a movement that has faced ridicule and has been ignored by the government holds such a special piece of property in Jerusalem, the center of Judaism.  

I have been to the campus before.  Back on our TAE family trip to Israel back in 2015 we met two other congregations who were also on trips and held a joint Havdallah ceremony on this campus.  It was a special moment then, and the campus is even more beautiful than I remember.

Below is where we experienced Havdallah in 2015.

Our day of learning started in a brand new space, just completed a couple of weeks ago where we had a beautiful welcome reception.

We were welcomed by the President of the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion Andrew Rehfeld.

The dean of the school thanks us for being there as a sign of support and solidarity (I have never been thanked by so many Israelis ever!!).  It is clear that our presence is one that truly makes a difference.

One important note.  I did not attend the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion.  Today, I had the honor of being a fly on the wall as so many of my dear friends went back to their campus once again, reliving many memories of their first year of schooling.  It was so much fun to see their excitement at being home at HUC Jerusalem once again.

Rabbinic and cantorial students in the HUC - JIR program spend their first year on this campus in Jerusalem.  We had the honor of meeting many of these students this morning, who have just arrived to start their year of experiences in Israel.  The idea of today was to give us a glimpse of what these students will experience in their first year of study.  

We had two hour long learning sessions where we had four different classes we could take.  I chose to take one class called Safek: Doubt as a Perspective with Rabbi Dr. Michael Marmur.  We explored safek, which is usually translated as doubt.  Often doubt is considered to be a debilitating disease that should be avoided or overcome.  His class showed that doubt can be understood as a valuable resource and an essential perspective.  We looked at doubt throughout human history from the Garden of Eden to October 7th.  It was a fascinating discussion that really caused me to think deeply about Jewish text.

The second class I chose to take was called When the Cannons Roar, Are the Muses Silent? The Israeli Soundscape since October 7th with Dr. Tanya Sermer.  In this class we looked at the sounds in Israeli’s ears, sirens and booms, and the music that expresses the hopes and fears of a moment.  It was another fascinating class that shared some powerful music that has been created since October 7th that describes how Israelis feel.  Each element was powerful, but the most difficult part for me was the children’s song and video that is designed to teach young children what to do when the sirens sound in order to stay safe.  It breaks my heart that they have to learn this.  

Our classes were followed by a lunch honoring longtime teacher and composer Eli Schleifer.  Although he has retired and earned professor emeritus status, his students, many of my ACC colleagues, still hold him in high regard as their most favorite teacher during their year in Israel with many continuing to have a relationship with him today.  We also celebrated a new publication from Transcontinental Music Publications of his music called Mizmor L’Eli: The Elijah’s Schleifer Anthology.  

The editorial committee that worked on this publication spoke about Eli and we heard some of the music that is published in this important publication.

After our lunch we went into the synagogue on campus for a musical performance that combined two fantastic musical groups in Israel, the Nigunim Ensemble and Tandu who presented an energetic program designed to help us figure out how we can bring some of the exciting music being created in Israel back home to our congregations.  

This evening, I was able to spend a few hours with my dear friend, Ron Singer.  

Ron was the Israeli educator that I worked with 9 years ago as he guided our TAE trip to Poland and Israel.  He will also be our Israeli educator on our upcoming TAE trip to Berlin, Prague and Budapest this November.  Ron lives in Ashkelon, in the shadow of Gaza.  He shared his experiences with me on October 7, including the fact that on that morning he was supposed to be at Zikim beach to do his favorite pastime, birdwatching.  For some reason, at the last moment he decided to stay home and, as it turns out, that decision probably saved his life, as Hamas infiltrated Israel by the water by landing on Zikim beach and killing everyone there.  For those who know Ron, he is full of life and one of the funniest human beings on the planet.  As he shared his story with me, there were no jokes, none of his famous Ronisms we grew to love while traveling together.  

“AND…”

As we spoke of the situation, he was clear that he thinks the war needs to stop, immediately.  He believes Israel needs to finish this war diplomatically and make whatever deal is necessary to bring the hostages home.  Whatever the price.  He also mentioned so many times the number of casualties in Gaza.  Here is Ron, who, on October 7 was under direct attack from the more than 5000 rockets Hamas fired at Israel, causing Ron to decide to evacuate his home and head to Tel Aviv for 3 weeks in order to find safety.  He showed me photos he took of his neighboring buildings on fire from direct rocket attacks.  Even with all he has been through Ron has not lost his beautiful optimism.  And then, in true Ron fashion, his sense of humor returned as we reconnected and spoke of our upcoming travels we will share.  

Tomorrow is another totally full day of activities.  I look forward to sharing them with you.