Yom Shishi (the sixth day)
3:09 p.m.

A million things to write about, but as we approach the last Shabbat of 5762 I thought I would post the Shtibl Minyan (www.shtibl.com) Prayer for Israel in the hope that its aspirations are realized in the new year:

Please God, Bless the State of Israel/Please God, Mercifully receive our prayer for the State of Israel and its government.

Guard it in the abundance of Your love. Spread over it the shelter of Your peace. Send forth Your light and truth to those who lead and judge it, to those who hold elective office and to those who defend it. Strengthen them and establish in them, through Your presence, wise counsel, that they might walk in the way of justice, freedom and integrity.

Give peace to the land and perpetual joy to its inhabitants.

Appoint for a blessing all our kindred of the house of Israel in all the lands of our dispersion. Plant in our hearts a love of Zion.

And for all our people everywhere, may God be with them and may the have opportunity to go up to the land.

Cause Your Spirit's influence to emanate upon all dwellers of our holy land. Remove from their midst hatred and enmity, jealousy and wickendess. Plant in their hearts love and kinship, peace and friendship.

And soon fulfill the vision of your prophet: "Nation shall not lift up sword against nation. Let them learn no longer ways of war."

And let us say: Amen.

Yom Hamishi (the fifth day) a.k.a. Thursday
29 August, 7:50 a.m.

So for all of you who think that this place is just a Middle East casbah and some kind of religious Disneyland, have I got news for you! Yesterday I had a test in ulpan and for the first time in a few weeks...NO HOMEWORK. My classmate Justus, from Houston, and I went for a little exploration mission down to a neighborhood near here, the German Colony. I'd been there many times, but for specific reasons. This time we went just to wander....

First we started at a lovely hole in the wall (literally) bakery in an OLD building off the beaten track where we purchased a grab bag of goodies for 19 shekels (around $4) and gobbled them down about a minute after we got outside. Moving on to Emek Rafaim, the main drag, we went to check-out this amazing Olympic-size pool that we've heard a lot about. It's huge. Then we cut through some neighborhoods to another street, Derech Bet Lechem. We stopped in a nursery to check-out all of the various plants that thrive in this climate...olive trees, pomegranet bushes, grapefruit trees. . . you get the idea. Up the street was a nice little yuppie-ish neighborhood that featured: a store with great cheeses and gourmet foods, a store with cakes/quiches to go (called Take Away), a great little gift store with stuff for the house (I had to resist...after all, I'm not some big shot PR guy anymore....)....and a couple of fruit/vegetable stores that are incredibly frangrant as you walk by.

We continued our walk down past Kol HaNeshama, one of (if not the most) well known progressive congregations in Israel. Back on Emek Rafaim we stopped at a store where East meets West: books about Yoga and Torah, music from sufis and Shlomo Carlebach. You get the idea....sort of where Venice Beach meets Jerusalem.

Hungry? You bet. We stopped for dinner at Caffit, which has great security. You may recall that this was the place where a security guard tackled a would-be suicide bomber in the spring. You know have to get passed an arm guard who searches your person and your bag and then through a gate....so I felt pretty safe.

Moving on we went to this place that makes home made ice cream....I had caramel, Justus the coffee/mocha. Amazing stuff. Next door was a wine shop, which we were both happy about because, well, a lot of the Israeli wine is just not the best tasting stuff. There is good Israeli wine but you have to look for it. This place had wine from California, France, Chile, Australia and here. Across the street we stopped by a place where you can buy a bottle along with some cheese, bread and olives and while away the hours. . .sitting comfortably drinking. Unfortunately many people smoke which does affect the taste buds, but it's nice to have there.

Finally....home....where we brought a couple of chairs up on the roof to sip a little scotch....enjoy the warm Jerusalem breeze. . .talk about life, school, the future. . .

Yom Shlishi
27 August, 7:20 a.m.

Tekia!

Across the street from my building is an Orthodox shul that has two minyanim every morning...one at 6 and one at 6 30....During the month of Elul the shofar is sounded each weekday morning. . .so each day I get to hear the shofar being sounded....from across the street....twice!

Yom Rishon
25 August
2 p.m.

So this week and this coming Shabbat we read Parshat Nitzavim. Last year, before the 9/11 tragedy, I was scheduled to deliver a d'var Torah at the Shtibl Minyan in Los Angeles. As we both come up to this Shabbat and the one year anniversary of 9/11, I wanted to again share my words from last year:

Crying with God
David Novak, Shabbat Nitzavim
27 Elul 5761
September 15, 2001

“SEE I SET BEFORE YOU THIS DAY LIFE AND PROSPERITY, DEATH AND ADVERSITY.”

IN THESE FINAL HOURS LEADING TO ROSH HASHANA, WORDS SEEM IMPOSSIBLE TO EXPRESS WHAT WAS SET BEFORE US THIS PAST WEEK.

FAITH ESCAPES US. MANY QUESTION GOD’S PRESENCE IN OUR LIVES, IN THE WORLD.

WE QUESTION HOW SO MANY LIVES COULD END AT ONCE, SO MANY FAMILIES BROKEN, SO MANY SPIRITS RIPPED FROM OUR MIDST.

WE CRY.

WE GRIEVE.

WE ARE TRAUMATIZED.

AND YET. . .

WE ARE TOLD THAT THERE ARE BLESSINGS AND CURSES

AND THAT WE SHOULD CHOOSE LIFE THAT WE MAY LIVE.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO HAD NO CHOICE?

WE, THE LIVING, MUST CHOOSE FOR THEM.

WE MUST CHOOSE BLESSINGS THAT WE MAY LIVE.

BUT IN THIS HOUR, WE ASK OURSELVES, WHAT ARE THESE BLESSINGS?

THE BLESSING OF BEING ABLE TO FEEL:

TO BE WITH OUR TEARS.

OUR CONFUSION.

OUR QUESTIONING.

EVEN OUR ANGER WITH GOD.

FOR GOD SHARES IN OUR PAIN.

THIS IS THE BLESSING BEFORE US TODAY: WE REMAIN
GOD’S PARTNER IN THE WORLD.

WE ARE TOLD THAT GOD’S INSTRUCTION IS NOT FAR FROM US. THAT IT IS NOT UNINTELLIGBLE OR ESOTERIC, NOR IS IT INACCESSABILE AND UNKNOWN.

IT HAS BEEN IMPARTED TO US BY MOSES TO LEARN IT, MEDITATE ON IT, AND CARRY IT OUT.

IT IS CLOSE TO US IN TIMES OF EXHULTATION AND IN TIMES OF DESPAIR.

IT IS CLOSE TO US EVEN WHEN OUR LIVES SEEM MUNDANE.

RIGHT NOW, IT IS CLOSE TO US AS OUR LIVES ARE IN A JUMBLE OF EMOTIONS.

THIS IS THE TIME THAT WE ARE COMPELLED TO PERFORM T’SHUVA.

YET I CAN’T HELP BUT THINK THAT AS WE ARE PARTNERS IN THIS COVENANT, THAT WE CAN’T ASK GOD FOR T’SHUVA TOWARD GOD’S PEOPLE.

THAT AS WE EXPERIENCE GOD’S RACHAMIM, GOD’S MERCY, WE IN TURN OFFER OURS TO GOD. THAT WE CAN STILL FEEL GOD’S PRESENCE IN OUR LIVES, THAT GOD IS WEEPING WITH US, THAT GOD SHARES THIS EXPERIENCE WITH US.

AND AS WE TAKE THE HONEY WITH THE APPLE, WE ARE REMINDED OF THE HUMAN CAPACITY TOWARD CHESED, OF ACTS OF LOVINGKINDNESS, THAT WE HAVE SEEN DEMONSTRATED IN RESPONSE TO THE TRAGEDY.

MY BLESSINGS FOR ALL OF US IS THAT THE ONE WHO COMFORTS COMFORTS US AND THAT WE, IN TURN, IN OUR COVENENTAL RELATIONSHIP AND OUR DETERMINATION TO CHOOSE LIFE, EMBRACE OUR TRAUMA AND OUR ABILITY TO FEEL FULLY HUMAN WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT GOD IS THERE WITH US AND THAT WE ARE BLESSED WITH THE INNER STRENGTH TO ACT AS GOD’S PARTNER IN THE WORLD.

Shavua tov from Jerusalem! It's about ten to one in the morning....what I'm doing up? Well, drinking coffee (with caffeine) at 9:30 might have had something to do with it. Or was it the three hour nap today? One think about us Novaks: we can sleep.

Shabbat was, as usual, a nice day to take it easy. After Kabbalat Shabbat tfilla at a local synagogue, Har El, I went over to my friend David and Laura Kosak. They are from Los Angeles and David is studying this year at Machon Schecter, while Laura is doing an Ed program up at Hebrew University. David (both fortunately and unfortunately) was in the Sinatra Cafeteria at the time of the bombing. While he is physically fine, there are, of course, ramifications to one's psyche. In Hebrew they say "le-at, le-at" meaning slowly, slowly (such as le-at, le-at, you'll learn Hebrew.) David and Laura are at the beginning of a long road of healing. Fortunately our dinner Friday night was just pure pleasure...singing, talking,eating. Before deciding to come to school David was a professional cook. I never turn down an invite from him!

Today after davening at a modern orthodox synagogue near here I had Val over and another classmate, Josh Rose (from Portland, OR) and his fiancee, Christina. Made a mean meat cholent which was quite popular....

Tonight, as usual, feels like Sunday night in the States: the work week begins tomorrow. After cleaning up it was Hebrew, Hebrew, Hebrew. Amazing how much ground is covered in one week of class. But do the math: Sunday-Thursday, 8-1 each day with 45 minutes of break spread out through that period. So over 20 hours of language instruction a week! Plus homework! Plus cooking, cleaning, running your life!

On Friday I received a nice surprise: six monogrammed towels sent by my friend Richard Michael Wortman aka YB (don't ask). They're oversized, soft, and just wonderful. It's amazing how the little things make a big difference. And after all, my idea of camping is when the towels aren't thick enough at the hotel!!!!

Rosh HaShana is right around the corner and in typical Israeli fashion I've been getting myself invited around. I'm planning on trying different places for all of the holidays...this is the time to see many different experiences! Have a good week.

Yom Hamishi, 11:00 P.M. (AKA Thursday night)

Ah....Thursday night...the beginning of the weekend. My good friend Val and I went out to the Israel Museum after sharing a good cup o' Peet's Coffee at her place. We visited, both for the first time, the Shrine of the Book, home of the Dead Sea Scrolls. All I can say is WOW. Another great reason to visit Israel (hint, hint). The museum is beautiful...there were outdoor food vendors and arts and crafts booths....I called my Uncle Milt from the museum because he told me before I left to think about him when I visited the sculpture garden there...it was a beautiful time at the museum...and while I was talking to my uncle an amazing mid-month moon was on the horizon, a brilliant orangey-pink.

Val and I had some fun at the assumptions of others. She was dressed in a long flowing skirt and a long-sleeved shirt so that she could easily be mistaken as an Orthodox woman. After the museum we did our grocery shopping together and had some fun....what a cute couple we were! Oy! And the children....

Finished the first week of ulpan, and yes I know even more Hebrew! And in a very nice touch, the teacher ended the first week with brownies for us! I'll start the diet tomorrow.

Wednesday evening, 730 pm

Amazing news just in today: the Israeli government announced that it has arrested major parts of a terror cell comprised of Israeli Arab residents of East Jerusalem. These terrorists were responsible for Hebrew University, Moment Cafe, Rishon LeTzion, and the attempted bombing of a fuel depot near Tel Aviv. In a chilling description, the news describes how the cell got the bomb to Hebrew University and set it off via cell phone. Check out www.haaretzdaily.com or jpost.com for the details. It should also be in the major American media. This is the first time, at least in my memory, that people from within Israel have been arrested for such major acts of domestic terror (if you exclude Yigal Amir).

In terms of the security situation, I don't get to see what you do on CNN or Fox. . .but you do get a different sensitivity to events. For example this week the government announced a new security arrangement "Gaza First" that would have troops evacuated from Bethlehem and from Gaza. Good news, right? Except that Hamas and the other radical groups use terror to scuttle every possible advance. Then yesterday was another day where an IDF soldier was killed and the IDF killed the brother of a terrorist who was leading the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. It is endless. . .

Tomorrow is the end of our first full week of the summer semester (ulpan.) I'm finding it challenging and interesting. Ulpan is not like you remember your Spanish language class: this is about learning to USE the language...speak, write, live it. A typical class will begin with a story, followed by a grammar lesson, followed by a reading and q and a on the reading, followed by a game (to remember or guess words), perhaps a song. Some times we leave the classroom to be in real world situations to use our Hebrew.

This week at school has been interesting for the dynamic as it has developed. On Sunday a new morning service was introduced using the siddur (prayer book) that most Israeli Jewry uses...Siddur Rinat Yisrael. It is an orthodox prayer book...and those showing up for prayer, at least many, if not most of them, felt like they were thrown into a pool without being given any of the tools to swim. After a couple of tense meetings, it feels like the issue will be resolved to everyone's satisfaction. This morning I, along with my colleague, Ross Wohlman, a cantorial student, lead the morning service using Gates of Prayer. There were a number of readings that I found about prayer, community, people's varying needs when they come to pray, God, and more. I gave the readings out to colleagues. Ross, as usual, brought a wonderful kavana (intention) and energy to his music. The feedback was uniformly positive....and I was pleased that people found it meaningful. Ironically I have been pegged as a traditionalist, so it was nice to lead a service from Gates of Prayer. . . Also quoted a couple of sources outside the siddur....Rabbi Reuven Hammer's book called "Entering Jewish Prayer" and Rabbi Rami Shapiro's "Wisdom of the Jewish Sages."

I'll close this entry with what I closed the tfilla with this morning:

Ben Hei Hei said:

Effort is its own reward.

We are here to do.
And through doing to learn;
and through learning to know;
and through knowing to experience wonder;
and through wonder to attain wisdom;
and through wisdom to find simplicity;
and through simplicity to give attention;
and through attention
to see what needs to be done. . . .

Thanks for your emails and calls and comments on the BLOG. I look forward to hearing from you.

The Palpable Emptiness

Each morning I walk to school by the King David Hotel, the grande dame of Israeli hotels. Each day I note the emptiness of the driveway, the lack of people coming in and out of its doors and the emptiness of its lobby. Last week about seven older men sat in front with picket signs. They had just been sacked without any pension after working at the hotel for 35 years. Thus, while the hotel is all lit up every night and while the flags flutter in the breeze, all that glitters is not gold.

I know there have been many appeals to Diaspora Jewry to visit Israel. I won't be so blatant to say come, but I will share with you the words of Yehuda Amichi (again):


Visits of condolence is all we get from them.
They squat at the Holocaust Memorial,
They put on grave faces at the Wailing Wall
And they laugh behind heavy curtains
In their hotels.
They have their pictures taken
Together with our famous dead
At Rachel's Tomb and Herzl's Tomb
And on the top of Ammunition Hill.
They weep over our sweet boys
And lust over our tough girls
And hang up their underwear
To dry quickly
In cool, blue bathrooms.

Once I sat on the steps by a gate at David's Tower, I place
my two heavy baskets at my side. A group of tourists was
standing around their guide and I became their target marker.
"You see that man with the baskets? Just right of his head
there's an arch from the Roman period. Just right of his
head." "But he's moving, he's moving!" I said to myself:
redemption will only come if their guide tells them, "You see
that arch from the Roman period? It's not important: but next
to it, left and down a bit, there sits a man who's brought fruit
and vegetables for his family."

6:45 p.m., Yom Shani, Monday

**Clarification: I'm delighted to think that some of you think that I was posting about my so-called love life regarding a get together I had with my friend, Gali, a few weeks ago. While she and I are good friends, I would like to, for the record, clarify that we plan on only staying good friends. Sorry for the misinterpretation. And in fact, there's an update in her life--she is planning on pursuing another year of studies at Pardes rather than speechwriting. With respect to *MY* personal life you'll be hearing about developments in this department on the BLOG only when it's serious enough to write about. This concludes our clarification.***

Boker tov from Jerusalem....
6:10 a.m., Yom Shani, Monday

So all of the days of the week in Hebrew lead up to Shabbat...Yom Rishon (first day), Yom Shani (second day) etc. I'm struck by how I've become used to the rhythm of Israel having Sunday a work day. I think about calling folks in the States and I have to rejigger my thoughts that they are, in fact, having Sunday off (of which I just received an apt reminder from my sister's lovely Sunday in Washington, D.C. yesterday). One of the great pleasures of Jerusalem for me is living in this building...my neighbors are wonderful; the son of one of more neighbors was actually born in this apartment. My other neighbor, a woman who does advertising for the Israel Museum and her husband, a major in the IDF, are great people. It's nice to build many different concentric circles of community in Jerusalem, something you never get to do when you are a tourist here.

Yom Rishon for me meant the start of ulpan. Our teacher is getting to know us and we're getting to know her. It is a pleasure (if a tough one) to learn Hebrew. Each day I can converse a little more...read a little more....and even understand more of the Classical Hebrew (which I will begin to study in the fall).

In the last entry I wrote about reading some of Yehuda Amichi's poetry before Shabbat arrived....here's a taste:

I've come back to this city where names
are given to distances as if to human beings
and the numbers are not of bus-routes
but: 70 After, 1917, 500
B.C., Forty-Eight. These are the lines you really travel on.

Here's another:

Jerusalem is a port city on the shore of eternity.
The Temple Mount is a huge ship, a magnificent
luxury liner. From the portholes of her Western Wall
cheerful saints look out, travelers. Hasidim on the pier
wave goodbye, shout hooray, hooray, bon voyage. She is
always arriving, always sailing away. And the fences and the piers
and the policemen and the flags and the high masts of churches
and mosques and the smokestacks of synagogues and the boats
of psalms of praise and the mountain-waves. The shofar blows: another one
has just left. Yom Kippur sailors in white uniforms
climb among ladders and ropes of well-tested prayers.

And the commerce and the gates and golden domes:
Jerusalem is the Venice of God.

Saturday night, 11:20 p.m.

Shavua tov from Jerusalem. A lovely Shabbaton with the new students who were here in Jerusalem began on Friday at 4:30 p.m. as Shabbat was descending on Jerusalem. We were broken into groups; our group went with educator Steve Israel to walk through the lovely Ymin Moishe neighborhood where the poet Yehuda Amichi lived. We then reviewed several of Amichi's poems....as the sun became softer on the walls of the Old City and the bells of local churches rang. . .

Shabbat ended with a lovely havdalah....our bsamin, our spice, was the rosemary from the bushes right at school. In between we spent time studying, praying, learning, eating, talking, singing. And of course I got my famous Shabbat afternoon nap in!

Took the Hebrew placement test on Friday...I'm in Kitah Gimel, a middle level--which is fine by me given that I've only been studying Hebrew since last October. We have one class of bet, daled and hey, and two of gimel. And I'm fortunate that some of the same people with whom I studied earlier in the year are in the same class.

So, it's late on Saturday night which means it's a school night....got to get ready for first day of ulpan tomorrow.

Thursday night, 11:40 p.m.

So how does Jerusalem thumb its collective nose at terrorism? By throwing one helluva summer party at ground zero....Zion Square where Jaffa Road and the Ben Yehuda pedestrian mall converge. The city has basically created an armed perimeter with controlled access to the area...to say that there was security presence would be like saying that the LAPD is a country sheriff. It was more like an armed fortress. Stop worrying. The group playing at the mainstage, Tip-X is a hot Israeli rock band....I have the CD. Great to hear the songs performed live. The band's main singer asked the crowd (in Hebrew): "They ask how we keep going. It's because of you....." as the crowd went wild.

Thousands of mostly young people moving to the beat, arms swinging in the air, light show on the surrounding buildings......all in the long shadow of the terrorist siege that began in the fall of 2000. At least for this night Jerusalem's Ground Zero was a joyous outburst of Israeli energy and pride....

Shalom. I'm writing today from the Jerusalem Open House, the gay and lesbian resource center located in the center of Jerusalem. The "midrachov" also known as the Ben Yehuda Mall, is like an armed fortress. There is an ongoing summer festival and and all of the entrances are heavily guarded (armed guards) and many more walking around. So....it feels fairly safe. I spent the last two plus hours at Tmol Shimshon on Yoel Solomon, a lovely coffee shop/bookstore/restaurant with a wonderful atmosphere. I always meet people from Israel and around the world.

This morning's part of the orientation was about cross cultural education with Alyne Bat Haim, a counselor from Tel Aviv who has been affiliated with HUC since 1986 or 87 (Angelenos: She is Miriyam Glazer's sister...:) ) She started her session in a powerful way by playing a song by Yehuda Poliker with words by Poliker and Yaakov Gilad. It is called "What do you call your love?" Here are the lyrics:

It's a really beautiful world
It's a new Middle East
And here's Jaffa Tel Aviv
It's just an unsettling week
It's a very small bubble
It's me and it's you
It's not gold-it just glitters
Touch the bubble once and it bursts

And such is our life lately
It could be better
A disaster could fall
Good evening despair; good night hope
Who's next in line, whose turn is next

And this is a gun this is a camera
Taking shots that look like war
There's nothing like Jaffa at night
This isn't the flame; it's the match
That's not a pipe; it's a drawing
And it's you and it's me
What a shame Sunday's not Monday

And such is our life lately. . .

If a storm is a song of wind
Which melody is for hope
What's my love's name, Your love's name
Good evening despair and good night hope
Who's the next in line and whose turn is next

And it's fall and it's sad
This is home and it's a cage
This isn't the first cigarette
It's for sure not the last
It's the machinery of thought
That I still can't put out
It's me and it's you
It's togetherness as if it never was....

If you'd like to write to me about anything you see here please do so at laman100@yahoo.com

Todah rabah!

Shalom from Jerusalem. We just finished our first day of orientation here at HUC. We were first addressed by Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert...who spoke about how important it was that we were here both for our education, but also for the people who call Jerusalem home.

Later in the morning we heard from the dean of the campus, Michael Marmur, who spoke about the religious etymology of the word "orientation," saying that it derived its original meaning with respect to the dawn....Orient...the east....the Lavant...all about the dawn, the beginning. He spoke of a midrash of a man who was going home from work, very close to Shabbat, with very little time. He saw a man in trouble and had a choice: accompany the man into the village, dressed in his work clothes, carrying his money, violating the Shabbat or he could continue home to make Shabbat ontime. He chose to help the man and walked into the village, thereby violating the Shabbat. The villagers knew this man and knew that this man of great religiousity was violating Shabbat and begin to make fun of him. Sensing this, God rolled back that day to dawn. Our actions have the power to create new beginnings even when it seems far from the dawn.

Rabbi David Ellenson then spoke....beautifully, as always. He spoke of the word in Hebrew "arayvote" which is translated as collective responsibility...that all Jews have responsibility for each other. He said that we don't stand as individuals, but a "shalshelet kabalah" an unbroken chain of the received tradition. He spoke of how love and collective responsibility informs the work and mission of the College Institute; that we are lucky and privileged to be in our profession where we can act in a way to realize love and collective responsibility for the people whose life we will touch...that we are fortunate beyond measure to participate in this process.

What it means to do God's work is, he said, to stand in solidarity, to stand for enduring value as part of a people whose span is immortal.

Rabbi Ellenson then spoke of one of his favorite teachers, Dr. Rawidewicz who was the first head of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies at Brandeis. In one eassy "The Every Dying People" he wrote of each generation fo Jews has always thought it was the last generation and thereby acted creatively to ensure survival. Every dying means ever living...we will write the next chapter.

In another essay "Jerusalem in Babylon" on the them of love and collective responsibility Dr. Rawidewicz portrays the Jewish peoplehood as a closed elipsis that doesn't begin or end anywhere, that there is no break in what constitutes Jewish peoplehood.

Jewish solidarity, Rabbi Ellenson said, crosses continents, time zones, conditions...he expressed his hope that we will become part of the ongoing narrative.

We were also blessed to hear from Burton Lehman, the chairman of HUC's Board of Governor's who reaffirmed the ality's supposrt of this program without interruption. Dick Schneuer, the former chair of the Board, spoke of the history from the time that Nelson Glueck met with David Ben Gurion to begin the process by which this campus developed. The Year-in-Israel program started in 1970, after the euphoria of the Six Day War. A good portion of the campus has been designed by the famous architect, Moishe Safdie.

And now to the numbers: there are 42 students enrolled here in Jerusalem. Five cantorial students are in New York and the remaining 20 rabbinical students are studying together in Cincinnati beginning in the fall.

And now off to studying Hebrew verbs, a truly exciting way to spend the afternoon!

L'hitraot....

David

Shalom...it's erev rabbinical school! Abandoned the apartment today because of the heat (35c) and headed over to school where I met up with many of the new students and enjoyed the a/c. I arranged for the mobile phone folks to come to school so that everyone could get their phones without trekking out to the Jerusalem Malcha Mall....and scored some good logoware....The owner of this apt. promises me central air soon...I hope it's before too long....

Tonight friends are coming over to finish the food from the weekend since I'm still not in great shape for eating....(or sleeping in this heat for that matter.)

First day news tomorrow....

Shalom....it's Monday evening....a beautiful night in Jerusalem with a crescent Elul moon reflecting its light on us. . .

So today was a sick day spent Jerusalem-style....reading theology (Borowitz). . .There's something intangible about reading theology and then walking out onto the streets of Jerusalem....for out of Zion shall come forth Torah. . . I am enjoying reading his book even though he is opposed to the ordination of gay and lesbian rabbinical candidates at HUC-JIR. When the policy was promulgated he stopped signing "smicha" the rabbinic ordination certificates the school issues. I did some research on the web today and found that some on the right wing on the gay issue, such as Dennis Prager and a "Torah-true" website cite Borowitz as "even a leading liberal REFORM theologian against gay/lesbian ordination. . ." Still it is an important book describing a post-modern theology which I'm only now beginning to explore. It was quite interesting reading the chapter today where he gave his reasons why Heschel, Buber, Kaplan, Cohen and Baeck were all wrong. . . I might add that they're all dead....

More new students arrived today....and I had dinner with some of them....great to have their energy here. We are two different classes now--those of us in the States and those of us in Israel. We will have different experiences and develop different relationships...that's just a function of the reality in which we find ourselves.

Happy 38th birthday to my brother Jeff....

So this is an email exchange that I just received that I will post with no comment other than I think it gives a good sense of why people feel they can be here and why they feel they can't. The names have been changed....

Dear M,
I will probably regret sending this email in a few hours but I feel like I have to get it off my chest now anyway, and that you will forgive me if I offend you because we are all passionate and suffering right now...
...after all the bombings, and all the danger, and the bloodshed and the lack of security and the people who have lost sons fathers sisters brothers babies mothers cousins fiancees after our beloved friend Michael just lost the woman he wanted to share the rest of his life with�HOW can you tell us that NOW is the time to come and study ? I mean, I get your reasoning. The strength of the Jewish state etc. But M, to me it's like you're saying "sticking it to the Palestinian terrorists is more important than your life, so come study in Israel". It REALLY upsets me to be told to come to Israel now. It is hard enough that we out here spend so much time with our hearts in our throats, terrified that the recent attack has claimed someone we know and love, without having to send our own relatives into a state of hysteria by jumping on a plane to Israel to fulfill some ideological goal that may well get us blown to smithereens.
Is that harsh of me? I'm being honest. I want to know what you have to say about this. Have I misinterpreted what you mean? Am I being unreasonable? Rude? Unappreciative? Do you HONESTLY, in your heart of hearts, believe it's wrong to stay away from Israel right now? And WHY do you think it's so important to come?
I am angry today, and bitter, and very upset. Finally the Intifada has struck at someone I love. It was only a matter of time and I can't fathom
what it's like to be you, knowing so many people who have suffered. That's why I CAN'T understand why you're telling us to come. Explain it to me.
Good Shabbas to you, and may God look to you and your family always.
Sara
-
Shalom Sara!
Thank you for speaking your mind.
I enjoyed reading your letter, which resonated very much. You are not being rude; in fact, the opposite is true. I was honored that you would speak your mind so candidly to me. I shall try to reciprocate.
Sara, there are some basic differences between us, on how we look at life. You seem to be saying - the most important thing in life is to live it. Life is the holiest thing we have, and we have to guard it at any cost. If we don't watch out, we'll slide down to the "worst-case scenario" - death. And I seem to be saying - no, the most important thing in life is not just living it. The most important thing in life is to live it right, to live it with meaning, to live it with purpose, to live it with gusto. The purpose of life is not to finish "the race" and say - when you're old, lying on your deathbed surrounded by your family - "ah...I made it...I didn’t die by terrorism or war or crime or even lung cancer...I died from natural causes...I won the race!" As A.J.Heschel said: "...life without wonder is not worth living." Notice that he didn't say "life without death is not worth living." But wonder. Israel is the world's capital of wonder.
I live in this country for a number of reasons: I'm a Zionist, it fits into the way I live my religion, I love the land, etc. But there's one big reason that not only am I here, but that I drive on certain roads and serve in the army and even risk my life sometimes: I don’t want to just talk about fighting terrorism, about fixing the world, about making it a better place. I want to do something about it. No, I don't want to "stick it" to the Palestinians. But yes, I want to not be one of those talkers who sits in their armchair and complains about the world and yells directions at the television set. No, I'm not gonna march alone into Jenin with an Israeli flag, I'm not going to commit suicide, I'm going to try my best to live. But breathing is not my number one reason for existing. I want to live an ethical life, I want to live according to principles. I don't just want to have a heartbeat!
You say you can't fathom how people can be like us, knowing so many people have suffered. But your very question implies that preventing suffering is the single most important thing to accomplish in life. It's damn important, that's for sure, but it's simply not the only reason why we were created, Sara. When people get killed, some people react: "Oh no! Death has struck! Get the hell out of there! There might be another explosion!" But yet others react and say: "The Jewish answer to terror is not to hightail it outa there, to survive and say 'whew.' The Jewish answer to terror is to fix the world, to fight evil, not to give up, to never say die, to never surrender to evil - even if it costs you your precious life." When I die, I want to be able to say: I don't care how old I am, I give a damn about if I lived my life meaningfully. And if I get blown to smithereens, so it shall be.
That's the difference between us Sara - the way we look at the world, the way we look at why we were created, the way we look at the Jewish role in this world. It's not just our reaction to terrorism that separates us; it's much greater than that. Because on a personal level, I don't think that Jews should just come to study here after tragedies; I think Jews should try - at least once - to live in this great land, even during peaceful times, even for just a short time.
My God, what are millions of people still doing living in Israel? Are they insane? But Sara, we come from a people that survived the Holocaust! We come from a people that survived the Romans! The Greeks! The Egyptians! The Crusaders! We come from a people that survived 1948, when 7 Arab armies attacked us and we lost over 6 thousand people just to have independence! Do you think we could have done that if we were to act out the reasoning put forth in your letter?
Sara - I would like to hear your response, if you have the strength. May you have much goodness in your life. But more importantly, may you have much meaning, and may you make your mark, wherever you live. I will not use the superstitious Jewish saying:May you live to 120.I don't believe in that. I would rather say: May you live your life with wonder!
Kol Tuv,
M.

Yom Rishon, 21:30 (Sunday, 9:30 p.m.)

Spent day reading Eugene B. Borowitz's "Renewing the Covenant: A Theology for the Postmodern Jew." A taste: "I am one of the post-liberal/post-orthodox community because I live from a Jewish faith that my personhood derives from God who commands me yet also dignifies me with independent personal responsibility. . . .God and the individual self are the two axes around which my faith pivots, but I do not consider them to be of equal significance. For all of my insistence on a somewhat curious "independence" of the self, I know that it derives its value from and is subordinate to God. Primacy can never be in serious doubt here since the One creates and the other is created. Yet the creatures have such stature with God that, on occasion, they may argue God's justice, as it were, face to face. When the biblical motif of covenant is restated as relationship rather than as contract--giving expanded scope to the human partner--this hallowed notion can effectively symbolize our postmodern spirituality."

Amazing stuff.....

Boker tov from Jerusalem. It's Sunday here, the beginning of the work week and I have to say it--yes, I'll really say it: I MISS THE SUNDAY NEW YORK TIMES. The web is a weak imitation of sitting with a cup of good coffee on my front porch. . .but this morning I have to say that my friend Val just brought back some Peet's from the Bay Area. And we're turning the great hallah from the German Colony into French Toast...now about that real maple syrup (mom, you listening?)

School starts FINALLY on Wednesday with orientation. We take our Hebrew placement test on Friday and next Sunday...back to the ulpan. I'm happy about that because I love working on my Hebrew.

Another interesting factoid about Israeli life is that the "Sunday" papers come out on Friday. In English the Jerusalem Post is the super-far-right-wing paper and Haaretz is super left wing paper....so I figure the truth is somewhere in between. Having a free press means that anything goes. . .The Post had along story about how the government is dawdling in putting up the security fence along the border....the government wants to make clear that it is not a political boundary, just a security fence...but once it's up. . .

Haaretz had a major story about the youngsters who guard the checkpoints and how many of them truly humiliate the people that they stop; another article was about the attempt to reform the sexist culture in the IDF....it is obviously a macho place to be, with the overlay of the Middle East ethos of the male/female relationship.

The politicians always get it here...no one is happy....although Sharon still has high approval numbers even though the policies of responding to terror with force don't seem to be resolving the situation. But interestingly enough, the Israeli response to the terror at Hebrew University, the bus bombing, the attack on settlers, the attack in East Jerusalem, and the other attacks of last week has been more muted....and that there is a political tract that is opening, even if it is subtle. No one is winning in this war of attrition. Yet every time some political advance happens, Hamas and Islamic Jihad do something to make sure it won't work. Most Palestinians, unfortunately, still support suicide bombing, but at the same time recognize that this intifada has been a disaster for them.

In short, reading the papers on the weekend here is quite an education!

French toast is ready....more soon. Have a good and peaceful week.

Shalom...nearly noon in Jerusalem on Friday....it gets quiet around this time of day...in a couple of hours the traffic will slow, the streets will empty, save for the flower vendors trying to get that last ten shekels out of someone before Shabbat.

Shabbat in Jerusalem is truly something special. We're all going to Kol ha Neshama tonight, a cool progressive synagogue near here. Tomorrow I'll go to Shira Hadasha, a modern Orthodox minyan where women lead parts of the service and read from the Torah...a real innovation in the Orthodox world (really!)

I started my day today by visiting my downstairs neighbor, a rabbi and his family. He is an accomplished teacher here in Jerusalem...but the highlight of any visit downstairs is Yedidya, his 3-1/2 year old son who is absolutely adorable. He wasn't feeling well this morning but still had cute oozing out of him.

Around the corner from here is a dry cleaner, a mini-mart, and a fruit/vegie stand....so I bought what I needed this morning. The Sunday papers here come out on Friday for Shabbat reading. Don't know if I'll have much time for them given the throngs of people coming.

After Shabbat I have plans with a new friend, an American who will be writing political speeches for the government....who knows....

So I should get back to the kitchen and my preparations. A peaceful and restful Shabbat Shalom. . .

Shalom....it's Thursday afternoon at 5:50...the sun is shining beautifully through my window, a light breeze, and thankfully it has been a quiet day in Israel (so far.) I just returned from the Jerusalem Mall which is like an armed fortress on the south side of Jerusalem. Still nesting...buying a few things for the 30 folks coming over for dinner/lunch (combined total) this weekend.

Listened to the conference call last night with HUC president David Ellenson, the dean of the Jerusalem school Michael Marmur, and Professor Paul Lipz. Bottom line: lots of compassion and love for the students with the encouragement to do what is best. Many students are electing to defer their year in Israel and will be studying in NY or Cinccy.

But the real joy this week is the new students who have been arriving. . . day after day new folks come to town, excited with the potential of the year to come. Thursday afternoon is like Friday afternoon in the States....Friday and Saturday are the days off....and next week I finally begin rabbinical school for real.

Shalom and welcome to my online journal detailing life in Jerusalem! It's now 1:50 a.m. in Israel and I have to get offline to get on a conference call with the Hebrew Union College folks about what's happening here in Israel...more later