Family Trip in Israel Winding Down: Day 5 - 8

Israel Day 5
Friday, June 27

The adults visited the LaDa'at Kinneret Cemetery and entered the world of the early Zionist pioneers. Legendary personalities rest here, such as Rachel the Poetess, Zionist philosopher Ber Borochov and songwriter Naomi Shemer.

The kids enjoyed the culinary delight of a Chocolate Workshop at the Galita Factory on Kibbutz Degania Bet.

Everyone then headed on a drive south, along the Jordan Valley, and west through the Judean Desert. Upon entering Jerusalem, they stopped at Mount Scopus to say the traditional shehechiyanu blessing. The day ended with Kabbalat Shabbat services at the Kotel.

Israel Day 6
Saturday, June 28

Morning: Rabbi Laurie and others headed to the Wall to attend a Women of the Wall service.Everyone enjoyed a free Shabbat in Jerusalem; from attending services to touring around. Many headed over to the Old City Ramparts for a walk along the ancient walls of the city!

Israel Day 7
Sunday, June 29

The group of families walked through the Western Wall Tunnel, the underground continuation of the Western Wall alongside the Temple Mount. One last Kotel visit to experience the special atmosphere of this holy site, before visiting the Jerusalem Archaeological Park, including a visit to the Davidson Center and the Southern Wall Excavations.

Just before lunch they took a walking tour through the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, for a guided tour of excavations sites from the past 30 years, including: walk along the rooftops of the Old City, The Cardo, a Byzantine street that is now the world's oldest shopping arcade, and the Hurva Square, the central square of the Jewish Quarter.

In the afternoon, the group was led on a guided visit through the City of David's new excavations which have redefined the origins of Jerusalem; and wade through the 2,600-year-old Hezekiah's Water Tunnel in the Kidron Valley.

Our adults joined the Israeli Society  in the evening for a dialogue with scholar Dr. Paul Liptz of the Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew Union College, who visited Micah this past December. During this time, the kids experienced the Jerusalem Time Elevator - a state-of-the-art motion simulator showing 3,000 years of history.

Israel Day 8
Monday, June 30

Dead Sea Basin!
The group rode through the Judean desert on camels in Biblical-style at Genesis Land. They passed by Qumran, the area where the Dead Sea Sect established a community, and the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. This led them to an ascent to Masada, Herod's mountain palace and site of the Jewish Zealots' last stand against the Roman Legionnaires.

  Photos: camel rides, rabbis on Masada, Rabbi Flip and Ede taking in Masada.

The afternoon came to a close with a bath in the relaxing and healthy sulfur springs at the Mineral Beach and a float in the Dead Sea!

February's BIG Question!

February 2014

BIG Question!

Rabbi Flip: 

So much of our lives are out of our control. What is under our control is how we react to the world around us. I have learned that it is more important to be wise not just in words, but in actions. Life is not fair, but we should still try to be. Authenticity is born of living one’s values. What is it that I value? I value my health. So I exercise regularly. I value my happiness; my relationships nourish me. So I tend my family, friends, colleagues, and community. Plus, all children are amazing, so I am nice to all of them, even the ones that appear rotten. This makes them and me happy.

I value my continued growth. Finding meaning in life requires taking time to ask some of life’s key questions. Why I am here? What do I hope to achieve? Who do I love? How do I express that love? How can I keep growing? In the last few years of my life, I have learned to value going outside of my comfort zone, and when I do, my comfort zone increases its size.

Congregation Micah is based on the principles of justice and compassion. This means that we must care for those we love as well as be kind to those who we do not, even though it can be difficult. And true caring requires sharing. As Jews, tzedakah, giving back is part of living a life of justice and compassion. Besides, stuff is just stuff. Life is too short to bear a grudge or seek revenge. Never underestimate the importance of saying thank you. Thank you Micah for helping me become the kind of rabbi I am.

Rabbi Laurie:

What I’ve learned is that I am forever a student so long as I know there are opportunities to grow and expand my comfort zone and frame of knowledge daily. I have learned that community and relationships matter most, including my relationship with the Divine, which, for me, is enlivened through gratitude for the many blessings in my life. I have learned that there is something infinitely sacred about being on a journey through this life with my family, colleagues and congregants at Micah, and friends. And I am learning, every day...

Board President – Marjean Coddon:

What I’ve learned....

That kindness really counts and expressing gratitude really works; keeping an open mind and an open heart helps me listen better; laughter is the best antidote to whatever is hurting.

Executive Director – Todd Evans:

I’ve had the opportunity to meet and learn from so many of our congregants; the many Micah Board members that have taught me so much through their countless hours of volunteered time. I’ve learned how lucky we are at Micah, all we have to do is look around and appreciate the beauty of the Micah campus.

I’ve learned that Micah is so lucky to have the Rices as our Rabbis. I’ve learned to appreciate how great the Micah Children’s Academy; to walk down that hallway and here the giggles is a great feeling.

I’ve learned how lucky I am as an individual, to have my best friend as my wife and three wonderful, healthy kids. This past year I’ve learned to appreciate my health and not to take that for granted.

Cantorial Soloist – Lisa Silver

What I’ve learned so far.....

As a Music Director/Cantorial Soloist:

• Equipment and technology are not always reliable
• Dave Kenyon is always reliable (he keeps the equipment working!)
• I am fortunate to have the opportunity to sing and play with wonderful musicians at Micah
• Always keep LOTS of batteries on hand

As a Music Teacher at Micah Children’s Academy:

• Little ones never tire of seeing me pull a tiny plastic shark out of “Dog the Fish”
• You can’t have enough props
• Jumping up and down is the favorite dance move

About Congregation Micah:

• We have a creative, talented, hardworking staff
• We have friendly and welcoming congregants

About the Bnai Mitzvah dessert table:

• Just. Walk. Away.

Micah Children’s Academy:

What have we learned this year?

• When we’re accountable to children, we always make the best choices
• The importance of partnering with our families and teachers to meet our goals for our children
• Good leadership is difficult and requires collaboration and a 24/7 commitment
• We are constantly learning new methods, strategies, and tools in order to grow the Academy
• Be careful what you ask for; you just might get it!

Education Director – Julie Greenberg:

What I Have Learned So Far…

Both in and beyond the classroom, I have learned that the lasting and redemptive power of love makes up for so many of the world’s shortcomings. I believe that we all have a divine spark within us, and being present for each other is the most valuable gift that we can offer. There is no such thing as perfection, and forgiveness has a power all its own. Parenthood takes practice and lots of patience. We are all teachers, we all have much to learn from each other, and the way that we walk in this world really does make a difference every day. Lastly, I have learned that ancient Hebrew sounds most holy when chanted, however ably, by courageous 13-year-olds. Amen.

Office Assistant – Erin Halstead & Megan Scurlock:

What we’ve learned so far...

• Micah’s congregants are kind and welcoming
• New technology can be worth working out the kinks when it ultimately streamlines our process
• Julie Greenberg can be in 5 places at once on a Sunday morning
• Our diverse congregation calls for a broad use of communication outlets
• Our synagogue, even the cemetery, is very beautiful and impressive to visitors
• We are very lucky to work with a supportive and fun staff
• The hottest group at Micah is the Tuesday Mah Jongg players
• We have a lot of great volunteers who can help at a moment’s notice

Rabbis Rice: In Memorial

As long as there are sovereign nations possessing great power, war is inevitable." -Albert Einstein

     Throughout history, a common anti-Semitic method of provocation has been to accuse Jews of being unpatriotic. This was often expressed in the accusation that Jews were unwilling to join their country's military. Yet it was in 1654 when one of the original twenty-three Jewish settlers in New Amsterdam, Asher Levy, demanded and secured for himself and fellow Jews the right to stand guard at the stockade. From Colonial time to the present, Jews have played an important role in the defense of the United States of America. On July 31, 1776, Frances Salvador, a plantation owner from South Carolina, was the first Jew killed in the Revolutionary War.

     What concerned Jewish veterans then, and throughout America's history, concerns Jewish veterans today. Jews must still defend themselves against those who continue to declare that Jews have not served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Thousands of Jews have died in combat for our country and thousands more have been wounded. Jews have been awarded combat medals for performing their duty in time of war, and a study of Jewish participation in the military during World War II clearly indicates Jews served in the Armed Forces beyond their numerical proportion to the general population, receiving more than 52,000 awards, including the coveted Congressional Medal of Honor. Jews participated in the Korean War, Vietnam War, and the Persian Gulf War, and continue to serve in today's conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

     Any way you look at it, thousands of Jewish men and women have unselfishly and valiantly given of themselves in fighting for and defending our country. And so we, as Jews, can stand tall and proud of our accomplishments as veterans of past service and as current participants in our country's Armed Forces, participating fully in this weekend's activities which honor ALL of those who have paid the greatest price in defending our liberties.

Rabbis Rice: Yom Yerushalayim

     "This morning, the Israel Defense Forces liberated Jerusalem. We have united Jerusalem, the divided capital of Israel. We have returned to the holiest of our holy places, never to part from it again. To our Arab neighbors we extend, also at this hour, our hand in peace. And to our Christian and Muslim fellow citizens, we solemnly promise full religious freedom and rights. We did not come to Jerusalem for the sake of other peoples' holy places, and not to interfere with the adherents of other faiths, but in order to safeguard its entirety, and to live there together with others, in unity."

- Israeli General Moshe Dayan

     Yesterday marked an important day in the history of the modern State of Israel. It was the 46^th time that the country celebrated Yom Yerushalayim or Jerusalem Day, which marks the reunification of Judaism's most sacred city. Between 1948 - 1967, Jews were barred from entering the Old City of Jerusalem and praying at the Western Wall. Under Jordanian control, the local Arab population provided no religious freedom and permitted Jews no access. The UN did not condemn them, and the world again remained silent, while we Jews remained unable to visit our holy places.

     In 1967, facing war with Syria and Egypt, Israel sent a message to Jordan: " Stay out of this war. We don't want to fight you....we will not attack!" Jordan sent a clear message back by choosing to fight, and subsequently attacking Israel. Like the Egyptians and the Syrians, the Jordanians fell in a matter of a few days. What was known as the West Bank of the Jordan river, was conquered. Jews were once again allowed to touch the sacred stones of the Wall. But Israel did not do what the Arabs prior had done. Though they found our holy places desecrated, Israel protected the Arabs. Centuries old Jewish grave stones were turned into bathrooms, smashed and crumbled, and so Israel rebuilt them. Israelis reunited Jerusalem, while also granting Arabs access to their holy places.

     Today, Israel's capital is anything but united. One of the oldest cities in the world, it is a diverse municipality that is home to over 800,000 people. Sacred to Jews for roughly 3,000 years, the 2000 Statistical Yearbook of Jerusalem lists 1204 synagogues, 158 churches, and 73 mosques within the city. Yet despite efforts to maintain peaceful religious coexistence, some sites have been a continuous source of friction and controversy. This is in part due to the fact that Jerusalem is a city of overwhelming emotions. It is a city that promises a religious and spiritual experience every time you visit. And it is the city in which we first met. Have you met her? Have you put your hands on her sacred stones? Consider a journey to our homeland in the next year or two, to experience her for yourself!