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Ninth Blog
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Students, staff and faculty of the Year in Israel program
In my last blog entry, I wanted to write about the Encounter programs that I have participated in during my year in Israel. Encounter is "an education organization dedicated to providing Jewish Diaspora leaders from across the religious and political spectrum with exposure to Palestinian life" (www.encounterprograms.org). Under their auspices, I went on a trip to Bethlehem for two days and then a follow-up one-day trip to Hebron.
While neither trip radically changed my political opinions, they did give me a physical context to place much of the information that I receive from the media like CNN or Ha'aretz. They also gave me the opportunity to hear personal Palestinian narratives in a context where I did not feel pressure to be immediately defensive. I was in their homes, community centers and restaurants solely to let them speak about their experiences.
As part of our itineraries, we visited schools; took a tour of the separation barrier from the "other" side; met with academics and city council representatives; saw demolished homes; and more. The most powerful meetings were those with Palestinians our own age, Christian and Muslim students in university or older who we could relate to on a more personal level. The dinners that we shared with them in both West Bank cities revealed little hope for the future in my mind. After years of limited freedom of movement, violence and economic depression, the Palestinians are deeply angry. While they were very polite and friendly to us, they clearly made a distinction between American Jews and Israelis. We communicated in English, since they do not speak Hebrew, and several of them specifically made sure that none of us had ever served in the IDF. Other than soldiers and the quickly encroaching settlers, they have no normal daily interactions with average Israelis.
Exiting the Gilo checkpoint near Bethlehem
One of the Palestinian participants in my small group discussion in Hebron was a young man who had been incarcerated for 2 years in an Israeli prison. Although he only briefly mentioned an unfair arrest for "student activism," he did describe the prison in detail from his time spent in solitary confinement to the frequent beatings with rifle butts that he received. While I am not in a position to judge whether or not his imprisonment was justified or whether or not his story even happened, I couldn't ignore the chilling hatred in his eyes.
I returned from both trips burdened with the complexity of the situation. It is difficult not to be embarrassed. Beyond the many ways in which I support Israel, there is also strange paradox whereby just by being a Jew I become a representative of the State. This year in Israel has made me realize that I cannot return to the Diaspora and hide from the complicated politics of Israel. My choice in career necessitates that I be informed and involved under whatever guise.
I am very grateful to Encounter for providing me with the opportunity and resources to see a place that few experience first hand. I think that the memories from these two trips will stay with me for a long time and push me not to settle for simple answers about the nature of the conflict.
I wanted to end the blog with a thank you to HUC for giving me a forum to express myself this year as well as to the many people who emailed me in response to my postings.
I just arrived in Dallas from Israel after an intense week of exams, packing and saying goodbye to friends. It is so wonderful to be able to see my family and experience home. While all of the HUC students have spent much of the last two weeks discussing our year in Israel, it will take me quite awhile to reflect and eventually be able to effectively articulate the impact of this year upon my life.
Posted by Carla at 2:03 PM
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Eighth Blog
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Colby, Ilana, David and me in St. Petersburg after a long day of leading seders at the Jewish school
We just returned from a fabulous trip with HUC's Pesach Project.
We began our travels in St. Petersburg, a city of over 5 million people and approximately 100,000 Jews. In order to communicate as well as navigate the complicated city, we had a translator, Masha, who is a university student and advisor to the Progressive youth group Netzer. Our group consisted of myself, David, fellow rabbinical student Ilana and her husband Colby (Ilana and Colby were a pleasure throughout their trip from their easy-going attitudes to their creative teaching techniques). The St. Petersburg Progressive congregation Shaarei Shalom is one of the largest in Russia with a rare full-time Rabbi Michael Farbman. Our role was really to support Rabbi Michael during all of his Passover activities. For instance, we led six student seders at a Jewish school; chanted Torah at a morning shacharit service; and helped at the seder for English-speaking ex-pats. It was a wonderful opportunity to be able to watch Rabbi Michael in action (You can read more about the synagogue's new building campaign in this recent JTA article http://www.jewishexponent.com/article/12650/). The communal seders felt very different from the home-based rituals that we had experienced growing up. Since the majority of Russian Jews do not have much Jewish education or a recent history of observance, the only way to celebrate Passover is in a communal setting where they can learn from the Rabbi and re-establish their families' traditions. When we were not helping to celebrate Passover, we had the opportunity to tour around. We saw "Carmen" in the Mussorgsky Theater; the art of the Hermitage; the mosaics of the Cathedral of Spilt Blood; the breath-taking views from St. Isaac's Cathedral; and so much more. It is one of the most beautiful and captivating cities that I have ever experienced.
Our group then continued on to Murmansk, a city above the Arctic Circle with a population of 300,000 people. We were joined by our translator Marina, another university student and active member of the youth group Netzer whose parents actually now live in Israel. Spending time with this much smaller Jewish community was extremely rewarding. They welcomed us with open arms and insisted that we experience their city during our visit. We had the opportunity to meet with the deputy mayor who is active in the Jewish community and whose son has made aliyah to Israel. We also toured the oceanographic and ethnographic museums, the World War II memorial and the Community Center. Before leaving St. Petersburg, Rabbi Michael had reminded us that the most important part of ourselves that we can offer to Russian communities is our passion and love of Judaism, because they have been missing this critical ingredient for so long under Communist rule. This really rang true during the Shabbat we spent in Murmansk. More than anything, the group of forty mostly older adults really appreciated our energy as we led them in song, dance and prayer.
Safra Synagogue in St. Petersburg
By the end of the seven days, we were exhausted and in need of a second vacation. Fortunately, David and I had extended our trip in order to take advantage of the surrounding countries. From St. Petersburg, we took the express train to Helsinki (only 5 hours away). It was a perfect follow-up destination after Russia. We embraced the clean streets, efficient public transportation and friendly English-speaking population of the Scandinavian country. One of the highlights was spending the day with Jussi, a former business partner of David's father, and his wife Maria. Both born in Helsinki, they shared a wealth of information about Finnish history, art, philately and delicious fresh Norwegian salmon. Lastly, we took a day-trip by ferry to Tallin, the capital of Estonia. The charming Medieval buildings in the center of the city kept us entertained all day as we wandered into one well-preserved church after another.
Before we departed on this trip, I was anxious about our decision to spend Passover away from the festivities in Israel as well as away from our families in the States. I realize upon our return, however, that I felt the significance of Pesach and its struggle to transmit the story of the Jewish people much more acutely in Russia than I have in past years. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to celebrate many feasts of freedom with the communities of St. Petersburg and Murmansk.
Posted by Carla at 11:39 AM
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Seventh Blog
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Donna and David celebrating Purim at HUC
One of my most meaningful experiences in Israel has been my participation in an interdenominational rabbinical student seminar run by Ta Shma called Rav Siach. Rav Siach means both "a conversation of the many" and "a conversation of rabbis." As articulated from the beginning, the goal of the seminar is to: "create a dialogue with the 'other' and build interdenominational relationships that will serve as a crucial support network and collegial sounding board as we move ahead, fan out and take up leadership positions around the globe." To that end, approximately twenty students (representing eight different seminaries from Renewal to Modern Orthodox) come together every other week for two hours of debate, text study and reflection.
We spent the first few sessions just getting to know each other and our institutions. Now, we have transitioned into confronting more difficult issues (what we sometimes refer to as "ouch" issues) from our level of Kosher observance to definitions of who is a Jew. The experienced facilitators do an excellent job of introducing a diversity of models for dialogue, which both push our group forward while simultaneously training us to conduct our own dialogues in the future.
HUC classmates hiking up Ein Advat during South Tiyul
The climax of the experienced came on our Shabbaton two weeks ago. After bonding during a beautiful morning hike, we settled down in a Kibbutz on the Kineret (Sea of Galilee) to create Shabbat together. We had discussed prior what the ground rules for the weekend were. In particular, we took special care not to merely cater to the most observant person in the group, but rather to find a balance between everyone needs. Students volunteered to lead different parts of the services in accordance with their tradition. For instance, we agreed to not to use our cell phones in public space during Shabbat in order to ensure everyone's full presence as well as to avoid making certain factions feel uncomfortable. In addition, we had two mehitzah or divisions, which created mixed, women-only and men-only sections. Also, a Reconstructionist student chose a different formula for some of the blessings. Ultimately, I thought the Shabbaton was an incredible success. I came away feeling more respect for and intimacy with the other participants. I also witnessed an effective model for cooperation among the movements in the name of a great community.
Rav Siach has also provided me with a good balance to HUC. It has provided me with a safe forum to explore leadership and spirituality within the context of the rabbinate. In addition, given that HUC is the only rabbinical school that requires its students to spend their first year in Israel, the majority of the other students are already in their third year. Their experiences in both the classroom and out in the field have helped me gain perspective about what the entire five-year process holds. Needless to say, I would highly recommend this program to future first year students.
Quick additional highlights: The incredible tiyul to the South; very entertaining Purim festivities; supporting HUC students participating in the Ride for Reform (www.riding4reform.org); and volunteering for the World Union for Progressive Judaism's Convention in Jerusalem.
All the best,
Carla
Posted by Carla at 11:33 AM
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Sixth Blog
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Cantorial class at Pesach Project Concert
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I heard Rabbi Michael Melchior speak. As the Chief Rabbi of Norway, a Knesset member and the Chair of Israel's Committee on Education and Culture, he brings so many different perspectives to the table. He is the first powerful man in a velvet kippah that I have heard in Israel who has not immediately criticized the Liberal Jewish movements. I came away from his discussion more hopeful about the possibility of an influential and moderate Orthodox voice in Israel.
Last week, our HUC class visited a teacher's college in the Arab town of Baka al-Garbia. David and I were able to speak in a small group with five women studying to teach English. It was the first time that I ever had a real conversation with Arab Israelis and it was the first time that they had ever met Americans. They all desperately wanted to improve their English, visit America and discover a life like in the many American movies they watch. They spoke of their complex identities as Muslim, Arab, Palestinian (and Israeli, if they were even willing to use that descriptor) women. One woman told me that I was the first Jew to ever look at her like she was a human being and not a terrorist.
The cantorial class put on a wonderful concert to raise money for the Pesach Project. As part of the Project, David and I will be joining many of our HUC classmates in leading Passover seders throughout the Former Soviet Union. We're specifically traveling in St. Petersburg and Murmansk, Russia. In preparation for the trip in April, we have been attending education seminars about the Russian Jewish community from the appropriate ritual for drinking vodka to basic Russian vocabulary. To learn more about the project go to the website: www.pesachproject.com.
Posted by Carla at 5:02 PM
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Fifth Blog
Monday, January 15, 2007
Snowing in Jerusalem!
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I have spent the last two weeks at my parents' home in Dallas, Texas. Connecting with my support network of so many friends and family members as well as giving myself time to indulge in cooking and watching bad television have left me pleasantly refreshed and ready to begin the second semester.
Being home also gave me the space necessary to process all that has happened during my first six months in Israel. While attending services at Temple Emanu-El, the congregation where I grew up and worked before my senior year in college, I realized the disparity between my education in Jerusalem and the realities of congregational life. I spend hours at HUC learning the "right" way to lead services only to see those same rules broken at the home congregation that I love and respect. From less Hebrew to more participatory liturgy and music, Temple services reminded me of the diverse spectrum of American Reform life that one can easily lose sight of in the first year of rabbinical school.
My mom and Temple Emanu-El Cantor Richard Cohn
I also enjoyed experiencing alternative Jewish educational opportunities. I sat in on Temple's Torah study class; went with my mom to her Melton adult education class; and attended the synagogue's first part in a series of lectures on "Islam: Ancient and Modern Perspectives." Although HUC classes tend to be more academic and focused on the Hebrew, I gain a whole new perspective when learning in a more diverse environment with people of all ages, backgrounds and professions. It makes me excited to take on the challenges of teaching adults.
I hope that being home and spending time at Temple Emanu-El will allow me to return to Israel with more of a calming balance than I was able to cultivate during the first semester.
Happy New Year!
Carla
Posted by Carla at 12:44 AM
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Fourth Blog
Friday, December 15, 2006
Caesarea panorama
My parents just left Jerusalem after a wonderful ten-day visit. They had never before traveled to Israel and they did not want their first experience to involve the traditional bus tour. Their first priority involved seeing me and gaining a sense of my life here. Despite this agenda, they were still exposed to a lot of the country in a short period of time. They visited cousins in Tel Aviv; spent a lot of time in the Old City from the Temple Mount to the Western Wall to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre; went to Shabbat services at a Yemenite synagogue; attended a lecture by Rabbi David Hartman; and explored the Judean Desert with a family friend.
Their visit made me realize how much I have really missed my family. Emails and phone conversations over several time zones don't allow for those meaningful looks and silences. They make it easy to ignore the significant little details. From hugs to inside jokes, the physical contact with my parents created a safe environment where I felt comfortable voicing some of my frustrations with HUC. I began to reflect on the huge transition from college to seminary life. I could admit that I crave the intellectual intensity and seminar-style discussions that I savored at Stanford. I could even complain about my class' social insularity after six months of constant togetherness in a foreign country. My discussions with my parents felt cathartic as I expressed emotions that had been building up throughout the semester.
Carla and David at Sfat Cemetery
My parents arrived right after our class returned from a three-day tiyul in the North. HUC does such a wonderful job organizing these trips around the country, balancing between socializing, academics and spirituality. They are one of the highlights of my experience thus far. This adventure was particularly significant given all that the North experienced this past summer. The most meaningful moment was visiting Haifa's Reform synagogue Or Hadash and walking through their bomb shelter where they had held Shabbat services during the bombing. I have attached two pictures from our time in Caesarea, Sfat, Sephoris and Haifa.
Happy Hannukah!
Carla
Posted by Carla at 2:33 PM
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Third Blog
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Cantorial Choir at Ordination
The controversy surrounding the Pride Parade in Jerusalem has been the constant topic of discussion these past two weeks. Last year's Parade resulted in an ultra-Orthodox man stabbing three participants. This year the Haredi protests against the LGBT community's efforts in Jerusalem only escalated. Almost every night we could smell the burning of trash and tires from the Meah Shearim neighborhood. Due to the heightened security alert here (as a result of the recent tragic events in Gaza), everyone ultimately settled on a compromise and a rally was held at Hebrew University.
The entire situation from the hateful threats from parts of the ultra-Orthodox community to the apparent powerlessness of the police left me feeling incredibly frustrated about the future of Jerusalem. Who does this city really belong to? As an increasing number of more secular residents move out to the suburbs and simultaneously the more religious move in, what will Jerusalem feel like in ten years? I already experience moments of deep discomfort here as an American, female, aspiring Reform rabbi. These moments are both physical–I find myself dressing more modestly and avoiding public displays of affection with my boyfriend–and intellectual–I have to constantly explain and then defend what Reform Judaism means here. How will future HUC students manage as Jerusalem evolves?
Carla and Mary at Shabbat Lunch
While I expect these issues to challenge me throughout the year, I did find some solace. On the same day as the Pride Rally, HUC held the Ordination of this year's graduating class of Israeli rabbinical students. The diversity of those ordained really impressed me. Their lives reflected the mosaic that is Israeli society. Only two were born in Israel while the other four were from the Former Soviet Union, Europe and America. Their education growing up ranged from Israeli Socialism to Protestant Christianity to Chabad Hasdism. One of the highlights of the ceremony was the featured speaker Dr. Aharon Barak, the former Head of the Israeli Supreme Court who only recently retired, speaking about the meaning of a Jewish and democratic State of Israel. Ultimately, I could not help crying as I watched Israel gain six new advocates for progressive, liberal Judaism. That moment coupled with the advocacy for a legal framework in a Jewish state that protects their rights inspired some optimism.
Beyond that excitement, classes have begun to take up more of my time as we push through the middle of the semester. However, David and I try to take advantage as much as possible of the musical performances throughout Jerusalem. We have really enjoyed the Oud Festival; the HUC Concert Series; and the Memorial Concert for Shlomo Carlebach. The majority of our relaxation takes place during Fridays and Saturdays from exploring different Shabbat prayer experiences to shopping at the shuk to enjoying lengthy meals with friends.
Posted by Carla at 10:44 AM
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Second Blog
Sunday, October 15, 2006
At the Pyramids
The High Holidays and a vacation in Egypt formed the centerpieces of my October. The experiences that take place outside of the classroom have proven to be the most powerful moments thus far.
Celebrating the High Holidays in Israel feels very different, almost as I imagine the Christian holidays feel in the United States. It permeates all of society for the religious and secular alike. The department stores advertise Rosh Hashanah sales on the radio. All of the grocery stores and markets put up huge displays of apples. Everywhere is closed and not one car is seen driving for all of Yom Kippur as kids freely race their bikes on the open streets. The day after the Days of Awe people flood my gym trying to stay true to their New Year's resolutions.
I attended services at Hebrew Union College. I really enjoyed celebrating with my new community and hearing my boyfriend David sing so beautifully as a cantorial student in the choir. The sermons were much less formal and polished than in the States, but still thought-provoking. The phrase "crisis of leadership" seemed to echo through many of the rabbis' thoughts. I was a little frustrated with the lack of energy and overall congregational participation during the services, but I appreciated the College's efforts to expose us to a more Classical Reform style. Overall, I feel that I absorbed the Holiday's critical messages of reflection and repentance more this year in my new Jewish surroundings. Being in Israel for the beginning of rabbinical school as you are further defining your Jewish identity in relationship to the other students as well as the College is one of the advantages of HUC.
The Sphinx
Taking advantage of Israel's location and our Succot break, David and I, as well as two other women from our HUC class, visited Luxor and Cairo in a whirlwind five-day Egypt vacation. The highlights included: witnessing the wonder that is the Pyramids in Giza; exploring tombs of the Pharoahs in the Valley of the Kings with our guide Muhammed; darting traffic in one of the densest cities in the world; and attending the most touristy belly dancing performance on a Nile cruise. We felt that our time in Egypt helped us understand both the Biblical narrative of the Jewish people as well as the modern conflicts between Israel and Egypt.
As Westerners, we certainly experienced the fairly constant onslaught of hassle and harassment whether walking in the alleys of the Al Khalidi market or trying to locate the Sphinx. While it can make traveling in Northern Africa exhausting, my experiences in Morocco and India had prepared me not to let it get to me. I started to just laugh at the yelling of memorized English phrases like "I like your shape"; "I only want to take your money" or "Everything inside is free for you at 100% discount."
We felt ambivalent about both our American and Jewish identities as well as our connections to Israel. There were very few American tourists. We encountered mostly Spanish and French travelers. We struggled with how honest to be when answering questions about where we live, what we do, etc. On our first night, our taxi driver drove us over the October 23 Bridge, explaining that it commemorates Egypt's defeat of Israel in the Yom Kippur War while we passed a huge banner advertising a "Lebanese War Photo Exhibit."
Our failed search for even a semblance of Jewish life left us depressed. When we attempted to visit the Sha'ar Hashamayim Synagogue in downtown Cairo, we discovered the building surrounded 24-hours a day by armed Egyptian guards dressed in black. We did make it to the 9th century Ibn Ezra Synagogue, where they found the famous Cairo genizah, in Cairo's Coptic compound, but it only remains as a tourist attraction with no Jewish community to enjoy the gorgeous Sephardic structure.
It felt very comfortable to return to Israel. On the airport shuttle back to my apartment, I was dishing out advice about Jerusalem sightseeing to tourists while checking messages on my cell phone. We now have no breaks for holidays at HUC until the end of the semester. It will be nice to feel more settled with a solid routine after so much excitement.
Posted by Carla at 9:22 AM
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First Blog
Friday, September 15, 2006
A view of the roof of the Austrian Hospice in the Christian Quarter
Hi. Welcome to my Year-in-Israel blog. I graduated from Stanford University in Religious Studies three months ago and immediately moved to Jerusalem to begin my first year of rabbinical school at Hebrew Union College. This first entry is meant to introduce you to my life here in Israel.
There are 57 people in my HUC class: 7 cantors, 8 educators, and 42 rabbis. While I am one of the youngest, most of the group is in their mid-20's with a few exceptions of older second-career students who already have families. The majority of people have significant others (they are referred to as SOs and include spouses, partners and serious boyfriends/girlfriends) who either came to Jerusalem with them or are visiting from the States throughout the year. In addition, consistent with a trend that HUC continues to witness, there are significantly more women than men.
Everyone in my class is extremely friendly and social. There is always something going on from Shabbat lunches to poker nights. Just this week we had a wine and cheese night, Cinco de Mayo themed party and Friday omelet brunch. While I have already learned so much from my friendships within the class, the environment can feel insular at times, since we spend so much intense time together, often speaking solely English.
A group of us during a Shabbat lunch
Most of the students live in the area surrounding the College. My apartment at one block away is one of the closest, so that I can easily walk across the street during a break between classes if I forgot something. The apartment is a nice one bedroom that I found through an older HUC student who lived here last year. I find that living alone gives me essential private space to reflect on the many different aspects of the program outside of what we like to describe as the "HUC Bubble."
Much of this year revolves around Hebrew. We spent the first six weeks during the summer in an ulpan trying to improve our Modern Hebrew skills. Now, after a week break, we have started the Fall Semester. The class was initially divided into five levels based on language ability. These kitot determine the majority of our classes during the semester, since much of the academics depend on your comfort with Hebrew. For instance, of my eight classes–Modern Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew Grammar, Liturgy, History of Aleph-Bet, Rabbinics, History of Zionism, Modern Israeli Culture Seminar and Why I Am a Reform Jew?–five are with the same group of people from my ulpan. While I am in the highest level Hebrew class, I still feel that I have so much to learn in order to not only comfortably converse on the street, but to have the text at my fingertips, my ultimate goal.
One of the most meaningful parts of these first thee months has been the diversity of prayer experiences. Whether in the outdoor park of a kibbutz or someone's crowded living room, I have discovered more than ever how important prayer is during my daily life. A small group of us meet every morning before school starts to join in shacharit together, taking turns leading and experimenting with different services. I feel that I have learned more about being a rabbi and a Jew in those daily forty-five minutes than anything that I have yet to be taught in a classroom here. By the time that I walk into my Hebrew seminar room at 8:30 am, I am energized and focused no matter how much sleep I didn't get. My goal this year as I struggle to balance all of my different commitments is to find a routine way to integrate prayer into my life in order to lay a foundation for my return to the States in a year.
I hope this gives you a small taste of the beginning of my life here in Israel :)
Posted by Carla at 2:43 PM
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