What a Shabbat!

This has been an amazing Shabbat!

The drive to Haifa finally brought us to our destination of both congregations, Or Hadash and Ohel Avraham. I, along with three others, were dropped off at Ohel Avraham at the Leo Baeck school in Haifa.

The congregation was very warm and welcomed the four rabbis from America with open arms. The rabbi is a student from HUC in Jerusalem and a former Orthodox rabbi who served in the Israel army and decided to go the Reform movement route. He was amazingly warm and connected with all of his congregants on so many levels. And this was one interactive congregation. They participated in all the singing and would not let the congregational president get through announcements without commenting on each one. A very relaxed and happy-to-be-together congregation.

So much so that there were more families that wanted to host the four of us that they decided to have a pot luck Shabbat dinner at the center. This was wonderful in that it allowed us to interact with many more members and get a true flavor of the community.

I broke out the chocolate I brought for our hosts and the adults suggested that the youth might be interested in some. I took it down to them in the other area of the lounge and saw that they were on the computer. What were they doing? Facebook, what else. I now have new friends from Haifa!

The ride back to Jerusalem was half as long and comfortable enough for a little shluffy.

Shabbat morning services were breathtaking. Not only the services themselves as we welcomed Rabbi Ellen Dreyfus as the next CCAR President, but also with where the services were held. Here we sat at Beit Shmuel on the HUC campus. Let's hear it for those in our movement who had the foresight and courage to buy land directly across from the snipers on the walls of the old city for $100! We now have the best piece of real estate with an incredible view of the old city. Rabbi Janet Marder gave an amazing interpretation to the Haftarah for the week, with a description of Solomon building the temple and one could really imagine the walls and temple being constructed over a seven year period. The clouds above the city walls were magnificent and majestic. Mi Chamocha baeleem Adonai, Mi Camocha neder bakodesh!

We concluded with a Shabbat lunch and my favorite part - roll call! I love to see each class cheer as their graduation year is called and to see how far back our rabbis reach. This year we were blessed with two rabbis from 1945!

As soon as Shabbat comes to an end, the streets are alive again with cars and people. They are heading out to restaurants and cafes for an evening with family and friends - and the CCAR participants were no exception.

It was a wonderful evening of dinner and great conversations about how we can take all that we have experienced back to our congregations and communities. How do we teach about the importance of Israel, not only from the perspective of the sand and stones, but Israel today? How do we share with the next generation why Israel is so important to us as American Reform Jews and that we should care about this land that is home to half of the Jewish population in the world? How do we share what we feel here with everyone when we return home? This is our mission (as Shaul Feinberg reminded a group of us - that being a rabbi is not a job, it's a mission) and we take this mission seriously and with pride.

Tomorrow, one final morning of learning and gathering, and then to our congregational families we return. We have been blessed to be here this week and I would like to say thank you to my congregational family for always supporting me in finding opportunities for spiritual and professional growth. Now, may I bring it back to share with all of you.

Shavua Tov from Jerusalem,
Heidi