Summer break! (Israel Update, with a bit of Jewish Thoughts)

This is mostly an update on the last week or so, though there is a little bit of theological/philosophical discussion in the middle. Also, I updated my pictures! Check them out here: http://s1170.photobucket.com/albums/r529/EricLAbbott/

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Well I had my last day of classes last Thursday (8/23), and thus started summer break! It's only a week long, but hey, it's not bad--I've been able to get around and travel and I've been able to relax--win-win!

Let's start with last Thursday, though, because it was not a normal Thursday. It started at 5am when Sam got to my apartment. Yay!

Every Thursday up until last week we had a Biblical History trip and lesson. This Thursday we had our lesson, but it was then followed by a "review and discussion panel." I assumed that we would be talking about the final exam, reviewing material, etc. Instead, it was something much better. Our teachers sat in front of both classes and brought up a topic that has been on most of our minds in some way, shape, or form: After learning about all this archaeological evidence that says that many of the stories in the Bible didn't happen the way it says they did (or perhaps didn't even happen at all), how do we deal with it? How do we as Reform Jews and future Jewish leaders reconcile this?

There were lots of good answers from different students. Some were a way to answer that question, some were a way to look at why we are even asking the question, and some weren't even answers but brainstorming out loud. I tried to copy down what they said as best as possible (paraphrased, of course). Here are some examples (I don't necessarily agree or disagree with all of these):

• It's less important to ask whether something in the Torah did or did not happen than to ask what it means to us. It doesn't matter if it did or didn't happen, what matters is how we relate to the text.
• As future Jewish leaders, it's important that we struggle with the text now, so that we can help others struggle with it later. If we didn't approach these questions, how can we handle a congregant who does ask them?
• Even if this is an important question, it shouldn't be the thread that unravels our whole Jewish identity. It shouldn't be the be-all end-all of someone's Jewish identity. Even if this is the basis of Judaism, there's now so much more to it than that.
• Maybe you can ask someone who is struggling with Judaism: What do you like about Judaism? What's your favorite part? How does Judaism make you feel? Whatever they say, you can respond that this all happens to you despite the fact that the Torah may or may not be based on historical fact.
• Even if the Torah is not "real," it has still affected our history and influences our daily life, so that's important. The real question isn't "Is this real?" but "How can we take this and affect the future?"
• The stories of Gilgamesh and Noah are very similar: how can we believe in this story when it seems to have a common origin with many other stories in the region from that time? It doesn't seem to be a "unique" story, you could say. Yet the "Story of Noah" is a Jewish story, even if it has non-Jewish origins. It's not about how or when or by whom it was written, but about how we wrestle with the text, how we find a Jewish meaning in the text.
• This book is our book. Even with archaeological evidence proving it "wrong," it doesn't matter, because it's still our book. Our role as the Jewish People is to struggle with this book.
• It's like a play. The actors don't say "I'm acting right now, but you should listen to what I have to say" before each line. They simply say the line. They act, and you know they're acting, and yet you are drawn in. In a way this is also what we do. At services, for example, we get drawn in with the prayers, the music, and the stories, and we suspend belief to become part of the story. It becomes real.

As you can see, this was important for me, too. It didn't affect me nearly as much as some people, but it still did get to me a bit. Fortunately the discussion panel helped, and I'm sure the next five years will help, too.

After the discussion panel and a session on the month of Elul and the High Holy Days, I went home and hung out with Sam, and we packed for our trip to Eilat and Petra!

At the beach!

View from our hotel (not our room)
of Eilat.

We left bright and early Friday morning and took a bus from Jerusalem to Eilat. It was a five hour trip, but it wasn't so bad because there was a break half way through at a rest stop, and I slept and used my iPod. When we got to Eilat it was very, very hot--it hit 104 degrees (F) at one point. But we found a spot at the beach and relaxed for a while. Then we went to our hostel, showered, and walked the boardwalk. We ate dinner at a restaurant that specialized in American food (I ate chicken parm!). We also went on an awesome thrill ride, the type where you're in a cage that's attached with giant bungee cords to two poles, and they basically launch you like a slingshot (but connected). It was awesome!

Bungee cage ride

Saturday we left Eilat for Petra. Crossing the border was an experience, but not too difficult. The most interesting part was the actual zone between the two terminals, because on either side there were warnings of landmines (Israel and Jordan only made peace 18 years ago). Once we got to the Jordanian side we took a cab to Petra, which was extra expensive, partially because it was a two hour drive, partially because the Jordanian Dinar is doing better than the dollar, but mostly because the taxis at the border are all controlled by the Taxi Mafia, a guy who makes everyone use his service or he'll shut down their business. Our driver was really nice, though, and gave us a discount on the way back once we were out of the Mafia man's control. He did speed like crazy, though...

A view of Petra from the
chasm we hiked down.

Sam in her element!

At the Treasury (Al Khazneh) in Petra...where they filmed Indiana Jones!

Petra itself is beautiful. It's an ancient city from over 2,000 years ago that's settled in the mountains. After we got to our hotel and settled in, we went to the entrance, where we were able to ride horses from the main entrance to the beginning of the chasm. However instead of going the quick way through the chasm, we paid extra and went the long way up and over the mountains. Sam was really in her element here, riding her horse, while I was not...but I didn't fall off! In fact, we even got the horses to canter at one point (where I managed to stop it from running over a cliff!). I was sore afterward, but it was definitely tons of fun. Then at the end of our horse tour we got to hike down a canyon to the bottom of a valley, where there were probably hundreds of ancient tombs. There is also a roman amphitheater. We explored these for a while, and then headed back through the chasm toward the main entrance. It was here in the chasm that we came across the famous Treasury, Al Khazneh--where they filmed Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade! Unfortunately I couldn't go in and try to face the three tasks...

A view of many tombs in Petra.

The park closed around sunset, so we went home, cleaned up, and had dinner at a local restaurant with some Jordanian food. Sunday we checked out some of the gift shops (but they were all way overpriced, especially since the Jordanian Dinar is expensive to begin with), and then we began our long journey back to Jerusalem: a two hour cab ride back to the border at Aqaba/Eilat, traveling across the border, and then a five hour bus ride home. It was a long day and a long trip (even for just three days)--but amazing and beautiful!

Monday Sam and I explored the Old City of Jerusalem a bit, then bought some stuff for her apartment, and then we went up to Ramla so she could move in. Her apartment is better than we expected; it's hot and there are some weird design issues, but overall it's really not bad. Her roommates all seem nice (it's her and four other girls in the apartment). I helped her move in a bit, and then left. I'm not sure when I'll see her again but now that we're in the same country hopefully it'll be soon.

Then these last couple of days I stayed home and relaxed in Jerusalem. I got to climb for four hours on Tuesday, which was great, and it included leading, top roping, and bouldering. It felt (almost) like a session at home!

And that's pretty much it for now. I will hopefully be camping tomorrow and Saturday, and also hopefully get to drive. I'll keep you posted about that in the future.

Update on the past three weeks! (Israel Update)

Well, I'll admit...it's been a while since I've last updated. While I'm not at my busiest yet, I have found myself to be quite busy nonetheless! However, I will try to update you all on my activities the last three weeks (it's a sort of long post):

I'll start with Tisha B'Av, which I mentioned in my last post. This was Saturday, July 28 to Sunday, July 29. HUC gave us the opportunity to attend one of various services: one at the Western Wall, one at a Progressive synagogue, etc. I chose to attend a Sephardi service. It was a little disappointing, though, for a number of reasons. First, it was all in Hebrew, which I expected, but nonetheless I had trouble finding my way through the service. Second, I am unfamiliar with a typical Tisha B'Av service of any sort. Third, I do not know Sephardi traditions. Thus all of this combined to make it quite a boring service. I tried my best to find interest and relevance...but simply couldn't. Oh well. After that we went to the Western Wall (or, as I mentioned in my last post, the Wailing Wall), and that was interesting to observe. Sunday we had class, but it was studying about Tisha B'Av in Hebrew, and it was pretty short.

Thursday, August 2, was a wine festival held at the Israeli Museum. While I wasn't able to learn a lot about wines (there were too many to count, and it's hard to keep track of all the different types/brands/styles etc.), it was great to go out and hang out with friends in an environment we don't usually hang out in.

Friday August 3 we went to a Progressive synagogue in Jerusalem. It was a nice experience, and we got to interact with wonderful community members and meet the first woman rabbi to hold a pulpit position in Jerusalem. The next day some of us had a Se'udah Sh'lishit (third Shabbat meal) and Havdallah at the apartment of Rabbi Naamah Kelman, the dean of the Jerusalem campus of HUC (and also the first female rabbi ordained in Israel). After eating, she requested that we each tell our story of "why we are here," and it was wonderful hearing each person's story. While I had heard many of their stories and backgrounds before, I heard something new from each person, and some people revealed a lot. It ended up being very emotional, and I think we all bonded and got even closer.

The audience enjoying Beit Cafe.

On Tuesday, August 7, we had a "Beit Cafe," which was essentially an open mic/talent show thing. A lot of people performed, and there wasn't a bad performance all night. Some people did funny acts/songs (and they were sometimes ten times funnier because the act came from someone unexpected), some people did serious songs (often with wonderful harmonizing and instrumental accompaniment), and there were a few camp-like songs/skits. I performed in a funny skit I've never seen before, though it's somewhat similar to something I did in scouts (though this one is way funnier, and I'll try to post a video if I find it). I also performed in a skit at the end in honor of our student interns, who left us that same week. We also had drinks for sale, a silent auction, and a guacamole contest, and the proceeds from these fundraisers exceeded $1,000, which we donated to Yad Sarah, a group that provides medical equipment and other services at low or no cost to those in need.

Performing our skit in honor of the interns.

Playing with our host family's younger daughter.

Last Friday (8/10/12) a group of about 12 of us went to the Progressive community in a town called Gedera, where we had the opportunity to help "lead" their Kabbalat Shabbat service (but it was more leading by participating loudly than actual leading). First we had a tour of the town, which is basically a nice little suburban town. Then we helped prepare for services. We were able to interact with some community members before services began. The services themselves were interesting. It's a young community, and there were only about 10 or so families there, but each family had kids, and so it was very loud (even for Israel!) because of the children. Most were nice, though a couple of the kids were extra loud. It was nonetheless a pleasant service. Afterward we split up into groups of two or three and had dinner at several host families' houses. Our family was a terrific couple, who had two little girls who were three and five. They were the cutest things! It was great to be able to play with them and interact with them, and their parents had wonderful insights into Israel and life and were very down to earth, and the food was delicious. I hope to go back in the future.

Playing with the older daughter.

Inside Hezekiah's Tunnel.

Biblical History has been...interesting. It's a tough class, partially because I'm in the "upper" class (those who have more experience), and both teachers (we've had two) teach a lot of information really quickly, and also tend to assume that we know more than we do (or so it seems to me). There is also a lot of reading and it's easy to fall behind. Nonetheless, all teachers are great, and have a lot to share with us. We also go on field trips every Thursday to places found in Biblical times, and that really helps supplement what we learn in the readings or in class. We've gone to Tel Qasir, a Philistine city; The City of David, which is purported to be where David set up his capital and is just outside the Old City; two museums (the Israeli Museum in Jerusalem and the Eretz Yisrael Museum in Tel Aviv); and other places. One of the highlights was during the trip to the City of David, where we walked through Hezekiah's tunnel. This was a tunnel that was made to transport water from a natural spring to a reservoir. It's about 3 feet wide at most at its widest, and for the most part it ranges from 4 feet to 7 feet tall. It also has slightly flowing water (usually about ankle deep, but thigh-deep at one part). It was super fun to walk through, and we had to use headlamps/flashlights. I definitely want to do it again and recommend it to anyone who hasn't done it (though not if you're claustrophobic!). Overall for the trips, the days start early (we usually have to be at school for 7am) and they're long and hot, but it's fun to learn in this way.

Excavations at Tel Gezer.

The class is also a wake up call for a lot of us--it's challenging what we think about history and the Torah by saying that things in the Torah didn't happen exactly the way the Torah says (or in many ways, that they didn't happen at all). And while I already knew this, I didn't know the extent. Yet it's a good challenge, and I'm slowly reworking my view of Torah and how it relates to reality (even today I greatly furthered my view and theory on Torah, and even had an "epiphany," and I'm sure I'll post something else about this later once my thoughts are more organized). It's building a good foundation for the rest of the year (and the rest of my time at HUC and beyond); by breaking down these walls of how we view the Torah, we can now rebuild them as we study Bible, Talmud, liturgy, etc. At the same time, I'm really excited to be done with this class and move on to those other subjects, which I think are the real essence of what I'll be studying (and will hopefully be easier!).

Oh, you know...just hanging around...

Hebrew is going well, I'm passing and learning. I'm not fluent yet, but I'm slowly getting closer. I'm actually pretty good at reading and writing, and my grasp on grammar and syntax is great, but my vocabulary still needs work, and I can barely understand when Israelis speak. I did a presentation in class and taught everyone about rock climbing (in Hebrew, of course), and I brought my gear and used examples, and so while my Hebrew wasn't too good, I was able to overshadow that with new information and visual examples.

Meeting Sam at the Kotel.

I guess the last thing to say is that SAM IS FINALLY HERE!!! She arrived on Monday, and is doing Birthright (the free 10 day trip for Jews). She seems to be really liking it (she got to spend her birthday riding camels!). I got to see her for an hour or so on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, since she was staying in Jerusalem (not super close to me, but close enough that I could take a cab). I also saw her at the Western Wall when her tour group went there, and I will see her tonight when her group goes to Ben Yehuda Street (a very popular street for youth, young adults, and tour groups). Her program ends Thursday morning, and Thursday is my last day of classes before break, so we are going to Eilat (southern tip of Israel) and Petra (in Jordan) next weekend (Fri, Sat, Sun). Then her program begins in Ramlah (near Tel Aviv), where she will be teaching English to low-income communities.

So that's pretty much it for now. I will try my best to update more often, both with regular "Israel Updates" and "Jewish Thoughts." I recently bought a tablet, which is helping me stay more organized, and I think now that I'm more organized I will have more time to do the things I need to.

Shavua Tov!