Yom Rishon, Sunday morning

Please check-out today's (Sunday's) NY Times for a great cover story about the mood of the country as seen through those who ride the busses here. Speaking of travel, this week we are taking our first big class tiyuul (trip) to the north...the Kinneret (sea of Galillee) and the Golan. Should be a nice break. Spent part of my weekend at a spa at the Dead Sea....not like those fancy LA spas, more like a down home spa with a ton of Russians. Got myself slathered up in mud a few times, took many dips in the salt pools and in the sea itself. Quite lovely, I must say.

Last week was quite busy....and this week will be busy too. Our travel schedule is packed; we leave at 6:15 A.M. on Tuesday morning.

Off to learn some more....

Wednesday Night

Yup, a two-fer. Today we were at Ulpan EtZion, the first ulpan in Israel. Today it's where young adults who move to Israel go for their first five months to learn Hebrew. The study day began with an introduction from the director of the ulpan who has been here for 12 years...she described the many considerable accomplishments of its graduates. We then did text study with two wonderful rabbis, followed by a woman who is the deputy director for aliyah at the Jewish Agency who told us about the many facets of immigration to Israel, including her work on behalf of the Ethiopians where she worked 36 hours straight as thousands of Ethiopian Jews immigrated to Israel. The afternoon saw a presentation by a social worker on the issues new immigrants face, followed by two Russian olim (new immigrants to Israel), and then a final presentation by more people from the Jewish Agency. The classmates who attended had an interesting discussion at the end of the day of who would encourage congregants to make aliya; it is part of the Reform Movement's current platform. Interesting issues, and like everything else in Israel, no easy answers.

Wednesday morning

Up early (1 a.m.) and will be going back to bed soon. It's been another tough time to be in Israel; the pigua in Northern Israel was particularly gruesome; officials have not been able to identify all of the victims because they were completely incinerated. In other disturbing news, there's been a controversy over the dismantling of illegal settlements in the "terror-tories". One dismantling took place over Shabbat. The level of rhetoric was extremely inflammatory against the defense minister, reminiscent of the extreme right wing hate talk that poisoned the climate immediately before the Rabin murder. One rabbi went so far as to call on soldiers to resist their orders. Fortunately, the prime minister has repudiated some particularly disgusting comments by his interior minister and the guy has backed down; even the chief rabbi of Israel, Lau, called on the rabbi to back off and that the army must stay unified. In other disturbing news in the West Bank, settlers have been shooting at Palestinians trying to harvest their olive trees. It's all very disturbing.

And as I think I've mentioned in the past, the drivers here are just maniacal. They see you in a crosswalk and speed up. They slow down for someone and the guy behind honks. You're waiting to drive across a street because there's traffic and they honk. You should see the look in some people's eyes as they barrel past you if you happen to be crossing the street.

The Histradut, Israel's major trade union, has a strike ongoing. It most immediately affected me when the garbage didn't get picked-up for a week. In an agreement with the city, however, the union agreed to pick-up trash because the mountains of trash were a security hazard. All government offices are closed to the public.

In other economic news, an article in Ha'Aretz this week pointed out that Israel's living standards have fallen back seven years to 1995 levels. Inflation is back and wages are flat as the dollar remains strong against the shekel making things more expensive for Israelis who pay their rents in dollars.

School remains interesting and I am loving learning Hebrew. Our bible instructor is wonderful, too....really interesting. I started a seminar at the Shalom Hartman Institute for rabbinic students; the subject is God and evil. It will carry on for another 24 weeks on Sunday evenings.

So as you can see life in Israel is extraordinarily complicated in every way: domestically, internationally, the terrorism, treatment of the Palestinians, the anger that Israelis take out by driving like maniacs. . .and yet, yesterday was one of those days...perfectly blue skies, comfortable temperature, light breeze which made all of those blue and white flags look particularly beautiful waving in the sky.

Yom Shani, Monday Morning

Woke up very early and got to watch it get light and hear the birds this morning come alive...really amazing in the early morning...and it's always special to know that it is getting light in Jerusalem. Last night I began a 25 week seminar (free) for rabbinical students at the Shalom Hartman Institute...we will be studying evil. The seminar is made up of students from all different demoninations and officially we don't know where anyone else studies to break down the artificial barriers of denominational Judaism.

The seminar is lead by Rabbi Levi Lauer, with whom I'm doing my pro bono project here in Israel. On that note, the organization, ATZUM, is having a fundraiser in Los Angeles. To those of you in Los Angeles who read this, and for those of you who are outside of LA, I'm asking you to support ATZUM. Here's more information than you could ever want; if you want to make sure your contribution goes directly to victims of terror with no overhead, this is the way to do it. TODAH RABAH!

Shoshana Smadar lost more than just a husband to a suicide bomber six months
ago.

She also lost the father of her five children, and the breadwinner for her
already-struggling family.

Like the Smadars, 5,000 families in Israel have had their worlds
shattered...

On November 11, you can help repair them.


Los Angeles Friends of ATZUM presents

a night of education and action for Israeli victims of terror

featuring

Rabbi Levi Lauer

Hartman Institute educator and founder of Project ATZUM, a no-overhead,
tax-deductible organization that directly aids the families of Israeli
terror victims.

Time: 8:00 PM, Monday, November 11, 2002

Place: The Workmen’s Circle
1525 S Robertson Blvd (2 blocks south of Pico)
Los Angeles, California

100% of funds raised at this event will go toward hiring a social worker
dedicated exclusively to aiding families of terror victims, and helping them
get better access to resources in Israel.

Please come prepared to contribute.

If you can’t attend, please write your tax-deductible check to

Ziv Tzedakah Foundation / Project ATZUM

and mail to

Los Angeles Friends of ATZUM
Suite 8, 1471 South Wooster St.
Los Angeles, CA 90035.

Questions? Email Rob at ATZUM@shtibl.com.

Brought to you with the support of:

The Shtibl Minyan
The Workmen’s Circle
In the wake of tragedy, you can make the difference.


THE FACT SHEET THAT I WROTE:


ATZUM:JUSTICE WORKS
Building a Healthy, Just, and Hopeful Israel, One Person at a Time

Born of values hewn from Jewish sources, ATZUM - Avodot Tzdaka U’Mishpat - Justice Works empowers social justice projects to assist those severely disadvantaged by inadequate access to Israeli public protection or private concern.

ATZUM is a volunteer-driven organization that devotes all monies raised for its programs directly to the intended beneficiaries. There is no overhead.

ATZUM’s direct action creates change individual by individual, each encounter a building block for creating a healthier, just and more hopeful Israel.

ATZUM’s Victims of Terror Project:
Healing Israelis and Their Families

Terrorist attacks last a moment; their impact lasts a lifetime.

Terrorism is, tragically, part of the rhythm of life in the State of Israel. Its brutal legacy is one of emotionally and physically maimed Israelis, many of whom never fully recover. Terror, in addition to the anguish and pain of mourning and suffering, results in countless Israeli families being put at grave risk economically. Many of those families, and countless more, urgently seek relief from the growing unemployment that besets an Israel under assault.

ATZUM’s Victims of Terror Project funnels all monies it raises directly to families whose lives have been forever changed, whether the attack was last week or the last decade. ATZUM, in addition to aiding victims of the current violence, is working to identify victims that are otherwise overlooked, particularly the families of people wounded and killed more than two years ago.

ATZUM delivers funds to those families, particularly to those whose major earner has been incapacitated, where the tragedy multiplies exponentially—to the spouse, to the children, to the next generations.

In its first months, ATZUM distributed $70,000 for urgent needs such as rehabilitation sessions for a Tel Aviv terror victim; to a person whose child was wounded on a bus and needed money for cabs to visit that child in the hospital; and for bagrut and university tutorials for the sister of a victim killed in an attack who was wounded in that same incident.

Small and nimble ATZUM passes on every contribution from donor to terror victim. There is no bureaucracy or lengthy allocation process: donations are speeded to where they are needed.

THE NEED

ATZUM is looking to California to anchor this project, with support coming from communities in both southern and northern California. In northern California, financial support is coming to provide direct relief. In southern California, ATZUM is looking for support in hiring a part-time social worker whose job it will be to find the most at-risk victims of terror and to magnify the benefits that ATZUM provides by ensuring that they receive the public and private resources that are necessary to live with greater dignity and to alleviate their crushing, current anguish. Funding that social worker will require a two-year commitment of $1.37 a day from 40 people. Only $1.37 a day will bring urgent help and provide employment at a time of grave economic dislocation.

Funds contributed to ATZUM are tax deductible as permitted by United States law and are made through ZIV, earmarked for ATZUM.

All of ATZUM’s modest administrative costs are being funded by an anonymous donor, and all work is presently being done on volunteer basis. All monies raised for the social worker will pay for the social worker’s time.

ATZUM founder Rabbi Levi Lauer is Director of Rabbinic Education at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, a position he has held since 1998. Previously, he was Executive Director Machon Pardes in Jerusalem for seventeen years. He was also a faculty member and Dean of Brandies-Bardin's, BCI for six summers. Born in Cleveland, he has lived in Israel since 1976.

Yom Hamishi, Thursday Night

We just LOVE Yom Hamishi, the Fifth Day, because that's our Friday...so it's the weekend here and guess what? I'm doing my homework. Okay, I'm writing this but I *WILL* be doing my homework. Took a test in Hebrew today that wasn't bad. Another week of learning..what a way to earn a living....oh yeah, I'm living on loans!

Today was the yartzheit (anniversary of death) according to the Hebrew calendar of Yitzhak Rabin z"l. Around the city there was a sense that this was a special day...at school we had our regular morning service, but the person leading, a rabbi living here, spoke of on a wall of posters after he died someone painted "For the sin of remaining silent" when all of the vile hate speech was poisoning the air before Rabin was killed.

When I went to the gym which is in the hotel next door, there was a beautiful photo of Rabin surrounded by white flowers and a burning white candle....very moving. On the television were stories about his life and live coverage of a ceremony at his grave on Har Herzl.

In other news here this week, there's a public workers strike so thte garbage hasn't been picked-up this week...some big piles of trash around here...and the strike may expand to the ports next week. This is a place where there are not only big problems, but you can create even bigger problems!

Our Israel field study day this week was about Israel in the 1950s when the population doubled from 1948 to 1951 with the ingathering of Northern Africans and Holocaust survivors....it's interesting studying this stuff up close to see the difference between the myths and the realities....state/nation building is not a neat business....but despite itself Israel is still here.

The economic news continues to be extremely poor here; a UN report said that 17.8% of Israelis are at or below the poverty level; unemployment is above 10%. All of the economic indicators are down and inflation is up (wages are stagnant, the prices are rising, as is the dollar...)

With all of that said, I wouldn't want to be anyplace else. I can't believe what I've learned over the summer and in the first two weeks of school...

Sunday night I begin a seminar at the Shalom Hartman Institute where I will be studying with students from other rabbinical schools here in Jerusalem. That will be a wonderful addition to my week...my very very busy week!

Off to homework....

Monday evening

Shalom...this week's been easier...I'm more in the hang of the schedule...which is a very good thing. Tonight I heard Dr. Aviva Gottleib Zornberg speaking in a neighborhood place on the parsha, Lech L'cha. I love listening to her...it's the second time that I've heard her since I got here. She combines midrash, chasidic thought, psychoanalysis, philosophy, literature....and wraps you around her words for 90 minutes. Well worth the time.

Each week I'm understanding more Hebrew...which is also a good thing living here. I have Hebrew almost every day of the week.

So today was the first real rain of the week...and then there was sun...so I looked out the window just on the off chance that there was a rainbow...no go. But it smells great when it rains! I really haven't been in rain since last spring...

Well I'm off to bed...read until I fall asleep (which really means about five minutes....) Oh well...at least I'm up early in the morning to read.

I have to say that it's pretty damn interesting...everything that I'm learning...the Hebrew, the grammar, the Bible, the Talmud, the t'filla, the history, the field trips. I'm busy but it's a groovy kind of busy. After all, this IS Israel.

Motzai Shabbat, Saturday evening, 10 p.m.

Shalom....tomorrow starts week two of school and I'm going to bed soon. My life has definitely changed in the last week...I'm enjoying learning and I've learned many interesting things. I'm learning how to juggle the many demands on my time...school, homework, taking care of my place, having some fun. I'll get the hang of it soon...it's all about the juggle.

Shabbat was nice although I was a little wiped out and took it as easy as I could. It's very hot in Jerusalem.

Read today's NYTimes to see how a security guard in Tel Aviv prevented a major terrorist catastrophe. I'm definitely playing it close in terms of what I'm doing and where I'm going; I have no illusions about how tense the situation is, even though it feels normal.

This week is the memorial according to the Hebrew date of Yitzhak Rabin, z"l. It is on Thursday. I've visited his grave on Mt. Herzl and been to the memorial several times in Tel Aviv where he was gunned down for pursuing peace. Unbearably sad.

That's all for now....Shalom!

Yom Revei, Wednesday morning, around 7:30

Boker tov from Israel. For those of you who don't follow time zones closely Israel ended daylight time on Monday so the time difference is six hours from the East Coast and nine from the West. Got it? I think I do...but I never was great in math so if I end up calling you at a weird hour, forgive me.

School formally started on Sunday and let's just say that I've been busy; busier than I've ever been. Let me give you an idea of what the week is like. Sunday is the first day of the week here so I begin with Modern Hebrew from 830-1000. I have a WONDERFUL teacher, energetic, fun, passionate about her work. It will be an amazing year.

Following modern Hebrew is "mikra" or Bible. Our teacher here is also teaching just in Hebrew. He's brilliant and interesting and I often feel like I'm over my head, that material that I've known well I really don't know at all. And once you know Hebrew, it's a different story. This class is from 1015 to 1145.

After another 15 minute break we have our class in t'filla, prayer, with Rabbi Rachel Sabath. Rachel has just moved to Israel and was married this summer to wonderful guy in the Israeli rabbinic program. She is a well-known teacher in the States having worked for years at CLAL: The Center for Learning and Leadership out of NYC. That class runs from noon to 1:30.

Then. . .a break. Sunday evening I'll be doing a seminar for rabbinic students from all movements at the Sholom Hartman Institute. That'll start on 20 October...and will be for four hours.

Monday....Reform Liturgy Workshop in the synagogue where classmates get to run the service, folllowed by Modern Hebrew; in the afternoon from 2:45 to 4:15 I have a class "Introduction to Halachic and Rabbinic Literature" with Professor Marc Bregman, also a great teacher. \

At this point I ask someone to pick-me up off the floor.

Tuesday is another mellow day, with Modern Hebrew, Biblical Grammar and Modern Jewish History from 8:30 to 1:30 with two fifteen minute breaks. At 430 we have a "Rabbinic Forum" to discuss professional issues.

Today, Wednesday, is about the history of Israel, the living history, out in the field. We're going to the Museum of Independence and Latrun after an opening lecture...830 to 600

Thursday a big dose of Modern Hebrew from 730 to 1145, followed by another dose of Bible....and then...done at 1:30 until Sunday.

Of course none of these classes have homework (!) so I get home and instead of collapsing into a heap on the bed I crack the books and the coffee. Fortunately I have good friends to study with and that makes it all much easier.

So now I have to run...gotta be at school in 40 minutes and I'm not ready. In my next installment of As the Rabbinic Student Turns, I'll put up some of the things I'm reading if you'd like to learn with me. One book I recommend you checking out is "Reading the Sources" by Barry Holtz. A wonderful read. Also "Entering Jewish Prayer" by Reuven Hammer.

Shalom from Jerusalem!

Yom Shishi, Friday, October 4

Shalom! It's been a week off and I've been enjoying my time off. Got lots done over this week, so let me catch you up. One of the things that I've been missing is work, that is, using the accumulated 15 years of public relations experience that I have. I think what it's about is feeling competent in something. As opposed to school or learning Hebrew, I know what I'm doing with public relations.

For part of this week I worked on my first column for www.jewishfamily.com, a website known as Jewish Family and Life. When it's published I'll let you know and even post it here.

I also met with Rabbi Levi Lauer on Wednesday to continue my work with ATZUM. There's going to be a major fundraiser in Los Angeles in November. . .

And Wednesday night/Thursday I had the unexpected pleasure of my friend Yossi showing up for a presentation at the behest of Edgar Bronfman at the meeting of the Executive of the World Jewish Congress (the hotel was just down the street!) Yossi has been busy creating www.myjewishlearning.com which will launch in November. You can beta test it today; check it out. Yossi arrived Wed night and left Thursday night so he could be home with his lovely, charming and talented spouse, Rabbi Susan Silverman, and their wonderful children (who says I'm prejudiced?) I worked with Yossi on Thursday morning and afternoon to craft his presentation, which went wonderfully.

So today's the last day of break; the real world finally begins on Sunday. In addition to intensive studies in Modern Hebrew, there will be Classical Hebrew, Hebrew grammar, Bible, Liturgy, Biblical Commentators, Jewish history, a weekly trip around Israel and more! I'm also doing a weekly seminar for rabbinical students at the Shalom Hartman Institute and hope to go to the weekly d'var Torah at Pardes taught by Dr. Avivah Zornberg.

Have a restful Shabbat!