I am in Israel as I write this I want you to know that I have not been back to Israel for 10 years and that is a long time for me not to visit.  In the past 10 years my daughter Lital got married to her husband Cole, they have 2 children, I am a Savta, I had ovarian cancer and am STILL NED, (no evidence of disease), lost my father to cancer, and still work with my congregation, Makom Solel Lakeside as Director of Lifelong Learning where I work with adults.  That is just the tip of the iceberg of what I have been doing since last being in Israel.  Now for what's happening in Israel. 

The world changed on Shabbat Simchat Torah, October 7, 2023. It seems like yesterday that we watched television news day in and day out as the war in Israel came alive on our televisions.  We couldn't believe that this was a war and there were over 250 hostages brutally taken from Israel and thousands killed, including soldiers, women and children.  Many of those Israelis murdered. When the war broke out Israel called up 220,000 reservists and the whole country came together to help where they My heart has been the East since the war began and I was looking for a way to come to Israel.  I am so fortunate to have been in Israel with The iCenter, on a Mifgash with meaning.  A Mifgash is a meeting and we were 31 participants with 4 staff from the iCenter. We were also so fortunate to work the staff of Shorashim who made our ground accommodations.  

I have so much to say about this trip, the people who were on it and how much we learned.  I know that there is not one narrative about the matzav, situation here in Israel.  I do know that the world has changed and we can only hope to help in some small way.  Our first night with our cohort we worked with the artist Henoch Piven.  His workshops allow anyone to be an artist and since October 7 he has been working with families to help them get over their trauma.  We all did a piece entitled: My Journey in Times of Turmoil.  Just a sample of my art.

I am on the right and Israel is on the left and we both have tears.  I know this activity helped us to begin processing what we were feeling.  

Have I mentioned that I was the oldest person on the trip.  I take pride in that and have great hope to know that so many of my young colleagues are dedicated to making Israel a top priority.  Tuesday we know will be a long day as we are traveling to K'far Azza.  This kibbutz had many members brutally murdered and it was indeed a very long day.  I will write more after Shabbat as I do want to share my trip with you.

My cohort, Israel 2024 Mifgash with Meaning

Why are we feeling Sad and Happy Thanksgiving!

I get many surveys to fill out being a Jewish educator.  I just filled out one from Tablet, an online magazine and the last question was a one word fill in the blank how do you feel.  I wrote in SAD.  Since October 7, our world has changed.  The destruction of that one day physically and spiritually to Am Yisrael, the Jewish people is incalculable.  We will be trying to put back the pieces of the destrution for at least the rest of my life.  The upsurge of antisemitism all over the world, especially in the US and on our college campuses is unbelievable and even sadder to witness.  I did this article for my synagogue, Makom.  If you need some books to read, movies to watch take a look.  Some of them are oldies but goodies and some of them are new.  

I continue to find joy in my family, my children, grandchildren and husband.  Thankful for my mom and my sister and her family for celebrating Thanksgiving with us.  The one holiday I don't work, well not at the synagogue.

Thanksgiving 2014

Bulletin Article December 2023

 In a world dominated by 24-hour news cycles and the constant flow of information on social media platforms, it's easy to become overwhelmed, especially about the war in Israel. When it comes to understanding a complex and nuanced country like Israel, relying solely on TV news or social media does not provide the depth and context needed. I encourage you to look at vetted sources, articles, books and even videos, for a more comprehensive and informed perspective on current events in Israel.

 

Reading allows for a more in-depth exploration of Israel's history, culture, and politics. It is not always easy to find well-researched materials, but it will allow for a more comprehensive picture of the country. Israel has a rich and complex history that cannot be fully captured in brief news segments. The sound bites we see on television do not give us the insight into the roots of the Israeli-Arab conflict.    

 

Reading also exposes individuals to a diverse range of perspectives and opinions. Unlike the often-polarized narratives presented in news broadcasts or on social media, books written by different authors provide a more balanced view, allowing readers to form their own informed opinions. TV news and social media are driven by the need for high ratings and engagement, as I mentioned, and this results in sensationalized reporting.

 

In a world where information is often reduced to soundbites and headlines, taking the time to read about Israel provides a valuable opportunity for a more nuanced and informed understanding. So, the next time you're tempted to rely solely on TV news or social media, consider picking up a book or find a well-researched article for a more comprehensive view on Israel.  Also, novels about Israel give you a more nuanced view as well and maybe easier to digest.  There are not books about this war but there are many books  and novels about Israel.

 

Don’t know of any books to read about Israel?  Here are just a few.  I have also added some movies as well. Check out our library for many of these books and more. 

 

Books

NON-FICTION



·   Soldier of Peace: The Life of Yitzhak Rabin by Dan Kurzman

·   Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor By Yossi Klein Halevi

·   Israel by Noa Tishby



·   The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East by Sandy Tolan

•        Like Dreamers: The Story of the Israeli Paratroopers Who Reunited Jerusalem and                Divided a Nation: Yossi Klein Halevi

•        The Story of Israel: Sir Martin Gilbert

•        Israel, a History: Martin Gilbert

•        Letters to Auntie Fiori: The 5,000-Year History of the Jewish People and their Faith:                 Martin Gilbert

•        A History of Israel from the Rise of Zionism to Our Time: Howard M. Sachar.  

•        The People on the Street: A Writer's View of Israel by Linda Grant.  

•        One Palestine Complete: Tom Segev

 

NOVELS:


•      Exodus by Leon Uris

•      The Source by James Michener

•   The Family Orchard by Nomi Eve
•   Exodus by Leon Uris

•   Hope Valley by Ner-David, Haviva 
•   The Man Who Sold Air in the Holy Land by Omer Friedlander

•       The Yellow Wind by David Grossman

•        The Seven Good Years by Etgar Keret

•        Jerusalem by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre. 

•        A Tale of Love and Darkness by Amos Oz

•        To the end of the Land by David Grossman

•        Waking Lions by Ayalet Gundar Goshen

•        Second Person Singular by Sayad Kashua

 

Young Adult Novels

 •        A bottle in the Gaza Sea by Valérie Zenatti, 

•        All the rivers by Dorit Rabinyan

•        Next Year in Israel by Sarah Bridgeton

Movies:

·   Exodus with Paul Newman

·   Golda with Helen Mirren

·   Oslo, 2021

·   Maktub, from 2017 dark humor

Traveling to Israel-Come for the fun; stay for the experience!

Someone once asked me how did I get to be so crazy, mishugana, for Israel?  I started to think about it.  Was it my Rabbi growing up who talked about Israel as we studied in his library with my sister and 2 other students?  No, I don't think it was Rabbi Rose who did it, although he did emphasize the importance of learning Hebrew, which now that I think about it he taught us in Ashkenazi Hebrew.

In Jerusalem in early 1973

Of course my parents were influential in all that my sister and I did as we were growing up.  They traveled to Israel in 1968, 6 months after the 6 day war.  They had a very charismatic guide who sold them on the country which was only 23 years old at the time, and he taught them about our history and heritage.  My parents were excited to return as a family 5 years later with us in tow.  We too had a fun time in Israel in the spring of 1973 before the Yom Kippur war and some of the joy left Israel.

Junior Year Abroad in Jerusalem

Maybe it was the Israeli Hebrew tutor my mother found for us as she and her husband came out every week to McHenry, Illinois to teach the same 4 girls who also studied with our Rabbi.  This time we learned Sephardi Hebrew and could converse enough to order a coca-cola in Jerusalem when we traveled there.

It also could have been the Young Judea youth group my mom started at our synagogue.  My mom was a part of Hadassah and this was their youth group affiliate.   I became very involved and eventually chose to go to their national camp in New York, Tel Yehudah.  I went to a Jewish/Zionist summer camp with 500 other Jewish teens for 2 years.  Coming from Crystal Lake, Illinois I had never seen that many Jewish teens in one place before.

I eventually spent a year in Israel, Junior Year Abroad at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, where I met my husband, Arthur.  I loved that year and all my successive trips to Israel  more than any other place I have traveled. In fact,  you are not traveling in Israel you are going home.

Now is the time to make plans to come with Lakeside Congregation to Israel next December 2018.  I like nothing better to see Israel through the eyes of people who have never been and are coming back after a long time away.

We will be traveling with ARZA and I know that you will have the time of your life.  Take a look at out trip and call me and let me know if you are interested!  I promise you will not be disappointed!

Last Lakeside trip to Israel in 2013

Learning through Living: Limudim at OSRUI

We live our learning at OSRUI and with over 50 Segel during the summer in more than a dozen sessions we do a lot of living. Limud at OSRUI is dynamic, experiential and fun for everyone from chanichim to madrichim.   How does limud work at OSRUI you may be wondering?  Every eidah has a period of time during the day dedicated to limud on their assigned topic.  Topics are created by a Segel committee which has devised of grid for every eidah that rotates every 2 or 3 years depending on the eidah. Our limud grid has subjects for different age eidot and takes into consideration their emphasis.  Our arts eidot, Tiferet, immerses themselves Midrash, the Megillot and Sephardic Jewry.  Our older eidot take on topics of leadership, our Prophetic heritage and of course Israel while our younger chanichim look at All in the Family, Genesis, Middot and Kehillah.

We encourage our limud to leak into all parts of the day.  If your Limud topic is Israel we plan Israeli food for the cooking chug and Israeli dance for an evening program.  Some of our other topics for our older chanichim are not as concrete.  When we study covenant and community with our rising High School eidot we have them talk in their living communities about rules that will help them live together and have a fun and safe summer.

We use puppets, costumes, food and whatever is at our disposal to help get our chanichim involved in our topics.  We try to have experiential modes of learning at camp.  Whether we are composting in our Gan to experience Teva or teaching Ivrit by playing a spirited game of SPUD and calling out numbers in Hebrew we try to infuse our time at OSRUI with as much Hebrew, Judaism, and love of Jewish camp as possible; while living our limud it gives us just the right amount of time. It's only a month away until the magic begins, less than 30 days and everyone is counting.

Key: 
Limud from the Hebrew root Lamed-mem-dalet to learn
Segel:  Faculty; Rabbis, Educators, Cantors, Youth Directors
Eidah:  Unit
Teva: Nature
SPUD: The person whose number was called catches the ball and then yells “Spud!” When he or she yells this, everyone must freeze. The person with the ball then is allowed to take three giant steps toward any player. He or she throws the ball and tries to hit someone.

What happens in Vegas at ICamp should NOT stay in Vegas

Welcome to ICamp

I have been home a week from this year's Icamp sponsored by the ICenter and with the celebration of Chanukah I have not had time to collect my thoughts until now.  250 educators, including supplementary Educators, Organizational representatives,
Shilichim,(Israeli ambassadors to different communities), the dedicated staff of the ICenter and more converged upon Henderson, Nevada to come together to learn about Israel Education.  As my mother commented when I returned "It is not as easy as it once was to teach Israel and I'm no Jewish educator".  It certainly has become a much more complicated endeavor to teach Israel and to find the right place in your curriculum for this corner stone of Jewish education. Visiting Israel for the first time in 1972 on a family trip and studying in Israel in 1979 for a year means my Israel is the one of Chalutzim, (pioneers) Israel as the underdog; a picture that was easier to read. The Israel picture today is more cloudy and harder to identify the heroes and the villains.

The Aleph Bet of Israel Education

Our Icamp meetings for 3 days and 3 nights, gave us the tools and time to discuss more complex issues and to be introduced to the 2nd Aleph Bet of Teaching Israel.  This is not what you may imagine, such as concrete lesson plans on geography or Israeli politics.  The Aleph Bet of teaching Israel teaches us that you must start with the learner.  Certainly at Lakeside we teach Am Yisrael, (the people) Eretz Yisrael,(the Land) and Medinat Yisrael, (the state of Israel).  However we also add our own Israel stories, teach modern Hebrew in our school so that our students can create their own relationship with Israel.

The Aleph Bet of Israel has made me realize that I am heading in the right direction.  It provides me with the pillars of my curriculum.  After Icamp I understand that I must talk about Israel even more in the future with my parents.  I came to the conclusion that as with all my curriculum my parents are my partners.  If your parent partners are not invested in the continuation of teaching at home what you teach at school your students will not have the full benefit of the curriculum.  I can not hope to teach a full curriculum in only 2-4 hours a week; I need the reinforcement at home of all our curriculum topics.  I hope that I will be available to continue to provide the Aleph Bet of Israel education to my students and that they add their Israel story to the ongoing dialogue.

A message of hope and peace from Beersheva

Here is another guest post from our Cousin Ronna who lives in Beersheva.   It has to been an easy month and to see her resilience, the resilience of her friends, community and the whole country gives me great hope.  Please read how Israel has pulled together.  Stay safe Kramer- Gabay Family, we love you and miss you.  Vanessa

Ronna Kramer

2 August 2014

Hi everyone,

Lots going on.  Yesterday was a tough day, starting with a ceasefire and some hopes that were quickly extinguished.  We all had a very strong reaction to the taking of a soldier, given the situation and knowing the implications.  The fact that the Hamas had agreed to a ceasefire and then broke it so early on, strongly suggests that it was all planned.  Which again shows the kind of enemy involved: one for whom an agreement has no meaning and all means to an end are acceptable. The implications are what happened with Gilad Shalit – that there would be lengthy negotiations resulting in the release of Hamas prisoners, which is just what Hamas wants.  Like many others, I felt the lust for blood at first.  The radio was full of politicians and other public figures calling for re-occupation of Gaza, of getting rid of all Hamas, etc.  As my initial reaction wore off, I felt at a loss as to an alternative. However, towards the evening, cooler heads began to be heard.  It was suggested that the soldier be referred to as a "POW" rather than as kidnapped.  This is not just semantics; it puts things into a "bad but regular event of war" framework and makes it more possible to consider how to proceed.  I may have said this before, but I'll say it again: I have no liking for Bibi Netanyahu, but I think he has done a good job of keeping a cool head and exercising restraint, despite the heavy pressures from his own coalition members to "go all out against Hamas" (a  hotheaded and irresponsible approach).

As I have mentioned before, in Israel, everything is personal.  Every soldier that is killed is presented all over the radio and newspapers, his family, friends, teachers, wife/girlfriend all interviewed and talking about him.  There are no unknown soldiers here.  In fact, at a funeral for a "lone soldier" – a soldier whose family lives outside of Israel, there was a call for people to come to the funeral so that he would the respect he deserved.  30,000 people were at the cemetery.

Which brings me to an incredible phenomenon, that I believe is singularly Israeli.  The outpouring of support for the soldiers and the people of the south – who have been hardest hit by the rockets and tunnel threats – has no limits.  Northern communities have opened their doors, offering rooms, guest houses, activities, etc at little or no cost.  Several of the families of kids from my school went to some kibbutz north of Tel Aviv – they stayed there 4 days, went to the swimming pool (in the south the pools are all closed), on a jeep trip, to a water park, had all their meals – all for free.  Last night we went to one of Yogev's performances in Tel Aviv; anyone showing proof of address in the south, didn't have to pay for the tickets.  If all that isn't enough, it is beyond imagination what is done for the soldiers.  People send literally tons of food and baked goods, underwear, socks, tshirts and cigarettes to the border where the army is based.  Along the road on the way to the base, a man set up a little coffee and pastry stop.  It quickly grew into sandwiches and then a BBQ stop.  There are now over a hundred volunteers there all day, every day.  They grill meat, cut vegetables and make sandwiches to send to the base. All the food is donated – one day someone went online, saying he had 500 tons of meat to donate, but no refrigerator truck to bring it from Tel Aviv.  Within 15 minutes, there was a truck at his door, loading up the meat.  Then there are the hospitalized soldiers.  People who have no prior connection, go to visit the soldiers, bringing (of course) lots of food, baked goods, gifts. The corridors are filled with people.  Last night in one of the bigger hospitals in the center of the country, a well-known chef came with dinner for all the wounded soldiers and their families – over 250 people in all.  The hospital found some hall where tables could be set up and a full course, gourmet meal was served.  Soldiers came on crutches and in wheelchairs.  Everyone wants to feel that they have contributed, helped, done something.

It's an amazing country.

On that more upbeat note and with hope for some positive developments, I'll say goodbye for now.

Love and hopes for peace,

Ronna

Teaching, living Israel Summer 2014

I am passionate about Jewish education, Israel education and Jewish camp.  I always love being at OSRUI and teaching all topics in an experiential format.  This summer is my favorite topic of all for my eidah, unit, Israel.  It has been a bittersweet experience, for me as I lead fun, innovative programs every morning and teach Hebrew with more games and creativity and come back into my room and read the news and current events.  Our chanichim, campers are having the time of their lives.  We have done  wonderful programs and I want to mention a few here.

Rotem, Israeli Chef during our program

We have hosted Holywood Squares at  camp with our counselors as famous Israeli celebrities including Tal Brody, Moshe Dayan, Golda Meir and the hip hop band Hadag Nahash.  We have also hosted a cooking show and our guest chef (a real Israeli) taught us not only how to make a delicious mishmash recipe but taught us about the different aliyot, immigrations to Israel.  The mishmash recipe showed us that Israel has people from many nations.  At the end of that program we shared different customs in our own personal families and made web as we saw how similar we all are whether from Israel, Chicago, Boulder or Minneapolis.

We are very fortunate to have 2 members of the Mishlachat, madrichim, counselors from Israel in Kallah this year.  They are wonderful and have added so much to our eidah.  This has not been an easy time for them or the rest of the mishlachat at OSRUI.  We are fortunate to have over 30  Israelis at camp helping us not just in the Merkaz Ivrit, Hebrew center but in every eidah in camp, as well as being specialists in our arts program, Tiferet and helping with sailing, and other sports programs.  We have given the mishlachat time to process their feelings and all the news from Israel.  In 2014 when you live with live television, calling Israel whenever you want, and seeing everyone's opinions on Facebook, it is not easy to process all of this information.

Because Kallah is the youngest unit we are not dealing directly with the Matzav, situation in Israel.  We have added to our Shabbat t'filah the prayer for the State of Israel found in Mishkan T'filah as well as the prayer for the soldiers in the IDF.  We will continue to answer any questions our campers may have and reassure them at the same time.  I am looking forward to next week and am praying with all of our campers, counselors and faculty for peace in Israel.  I am glad to be at camp to have a chevre, friends and colleagues with whom I can talk, discuss and just share feelings together.  I am glad to be here as always and I know this summer will remind me not just about studying Israel but living Israel.

Israel: It's complicated

The Hebrew word for situation is Matzav, however when you talk about the Matzav in Israel you are referring to the situation on the ground and what is happening in the streets.  The matzav is code for the difficult situation Israelis and Palestinians find themselves in not just now but always.  Sometimes we have to hear how it feels to live there.  Our cousin lives in Beersheva,close to Gaza.  Below is Ronna's letter from July 14th.  It gives us just a quick glimpse into daily life in Israel.  I think Ronna has summed up my feelings as I run to watch the news and get updates from my chaverim and mishpacha in Israel.  Read what she has to say:

Gabay Family, home base BeerSheva, Israel

Hi Everyone,

It's the eighth day of fighting.  Thanks for the emails of concern - it feels good to have you asking how we are. I'm sorry to have taken so long to respond and let you all know what's happening. Somehow, I just never sit still long enough to write.   Well that's not exactly true.  I had reports to write for the end of the school year; it usually takes a few days but I had trouble concentrating so it took much longer.  Also there was the little matter of my car being stolen right at the beginning of the fighting……

To more important things, none of the kids are involved, at least not yet.  Omer has not received the emergency call-up.  Raanan is doing professional training (in the army) and less likely to be called (I hope).  Yogev is busy with rehearsals and getting ready for his August journey to studies in Boston.

We here in Beer Sheva seem to be getting fewer rockets than in the past……or maybe I'm just more used to it, so it makes less impression. 

Some glimpses of life with rocket fire: 

It means driving with the air conditioning on full blast because of the heat, but keeping the windows open part way to be sure to hear if there is a siren.

I was at a graduation ceremony at Ben Gurion University, before things got so heated up (now they don't allow events with more than 150 people). They began with a request by the security people that if there was a siren, everyone should lie on the ground and cover their heads with their hands.  This is the standard procedure if a person can't get to a safe building.

On the radio, no matter what program is on, they interrupt to announce whenever there is a siren and where it is.

I sometimes go out for walks in the morning and sometimes not.  When I do, I have all my safe (relatively) spots memorized from the last time, so I know where to go to have some minimal protection.  Why do I walk?  It gives me peace of mind and gets me outside, which I need.

How do I feel about all this?  Sometimes I am afraid, mostly I am overly attuned to the radio and with my ears always half-cocked, listening for a siren.  I am frustrated that our government doesn't do enough to try and make peace with, at least, those of the Palestinians who are interested.  Intractability, lack of real leadership keeps this situation dragging on and on.  There is no one to take a big step to make a change.  So all this will happen again and again and again….

Love to you all,

Ronna

Counting the Omer; What are sheaves of wheat?

Ariella gathering wheat

Every year students at Lakeside know that between Pesach and Shavuot (2 of the 3 Pilgrimage Holidays, Sukkot is the third) we collect cereal boxes on the bimah to help us count the Omer.  As you can find on My Jewish Learning

"The omer refers to the forty-nine day period between the second night of Passover (Pesach) and the holiday of Shavuot. This period marks the beginning of the barley harvest when, in ancient times, Jews would bring the first sheaves to the Temple as a means of thanking God for the harvest. The word omer literally means "sheaf" and refers to these early offerings."


I know my students think of cereal boxes when counting the Omer and I am glad they have learned something about this ritual.  I am not sure if they have ever seen sheaves of wheat.  Why would they?  



The pictures on my blog are of my good friend Ariella Nachshon who lives in a city outside of Tel Aviv with her family. Whenever I go to Israel Ariella opens her house and we always have a wonderful time together.   She celebrates holidays back on her kibbutz and we see her, her family and her community actually gathering sheaves of wheat.  These pictures tell the story so beautifully.   I could never explain with words the story these pictures tell us.  I hope to show some of my students these beautiful pictures of harvesting wheat.  I suppose it might open a discussion of how do we get from wheat to cereal but I have a few days to work on that answer.  Early Shabbat Shalom to all.  

Time to Visit Israel, come and listen just how to get there.

Ethan on EIE

Sunday April 20th, 10:30 am (with free lox and bagel brunch) at Lakeside Congregation, come and here about many different ways to visit Israel.  We have 5 speakers and there is a trip for everyone.  First up is Ethan Ehrlich who will speak about his time on EIE, Eisendrath International Exchange.  Ethan spent 4 months of his junior year in High School on Kibbutz Tzuba not just studying his High School classes but experiencing all of Israel.  Then Gina Goldman, Lakeside Confirmation graduate, will share with us about her experiences on Taglit Birthright.

Lakeside in Israel in 2013

We also have experiences for families; Marc Cairo will share with us his experience on the Lakeside Congregation trip last year when his daughter became a Bat Mitzvah.  Dan Blaustein also on the Lakeside Trip.  We are going as a congregation again next year, March 2015 so come and hear a preview of what is in store for you.

Our next speaker is from Skilled Volunteers for Israel.Skilled Volunteers for Israel matches experienced professionals with meaningful skilled volunteer opportunities in Israel.  They link the expertise of North American & British Jews with the critical needs of Israel through limited-term volunteer engagements.  Volunteer to meet a need that’s been identified by our partners or we will design an opportunity for you based on your skills and interests.  Chuck Rosenberg will let us know all about this fascinating new organization.

We will also hear from Daniel Kaplan who will be sharing how to visit Israel.  

I am looking forward to Sunday morning and I encourage you to come and see just how to get to Israel.  Chag Samaech!