"EIE you changed my life" Ethan Ehrlich

This morning I woke up and read this on my youngest son's Facebook:

From the trip to Poland

"over the past four months, i have had the most amazing time of my life. I made countless memories, l'm sure lifelong friendships, and have totally changed as a person. I have been apart from you guys for around 12 hours and i already miss you guys more than i can bear. I love you all so much."

I couldn't be happier or prouder.  Ethan has been in Israel on EIE, the Reform Movement's High School in Israel semester program.  I know Ethan had a transformative experience although we did not hear much from him over the 4 months.  Weekly phone calls and sporadic emails and some Facebook postings; he didn't blog, post many pictures but we did have a great visit when I participated in the Parents Pilgrimage.  Reading this post this morning I knew, as I knew all along it was all worth it and then some.

I believe it is important to be grateful and to acknowledge those who have made Ethan's journey possible.  There are so many people I don't know where to begin.  

First to Ethan's chevre in Israel; I have written before you are an exceptional group of young Jewish adults.  I am intimately involved in the URJ's Campaign For Youth Engagement and I have seen the numbers and data and know that only a small percentage of Jewish youth take advantage of this program.  You are our ambassadors for being engaged in all things Jewish and Israel. Your relationship with Israel will change over the years and don't be afraid to wrestle with the issues and most importantly keep your relationship with Israel fresh.

 Remember your time together learning, experiencing and being a real Kehilah, community and take this experience to engage your friends and spread your enthusiasm.  Many of you will be at URJ camps this summer and I know you will have the opportunity to talk to the next generation of EIE participants.  

Todah Rabah to the faculty on EIE all of the teachers, (special thanks David Alon, Ethan's Jewish History teacher) Jewish history, Hebrew and secular studies!  You made sure our students kept up with their studies over the semester. You made Jewish History come alive, made sure our kids were learning and speaking Hebrew and still had time to work on Chemistry, Math and English.  

From EIE Aviv, (spring) 2013 Year Book

Baruch Kraus and David Solomon you are the Roshei, heads of this program and know how to keep things moving at just the right pace.  To all of the Madrichim if Baruch and David are the heads you are the lev, hearts of this program and I know from first hand experience it is not always easy but you certainly made it look like a breeze and fun to boot.  Todah Rabah.

At the Kotel

To our cousins and the many families who took these students in with love and care.  Ethan was able to experience an Israeli wedding and a Pesach Seder with our family.  Todah to Ronna, Miko, Omer, Tzhava, Yogev and Raanan for welcoming us as always to Israel, your home and your simchas.

To all the parents who sent your students on EIE; some of you are colleagues in the Jewish world and some of you  had never been to Israel until the Parents Pilgrimage.  I know I echo the sentiments of all of us when I say we are thankful for this group and the friendships that were formed.   

I could go on and on but need to leave soon to meet Ethan in Paris where our family is gathering for a fun vacation.  I know it will not be an easy entrance into the real world.  I am very glad Ethan will be at OSRUI this summer in our Avodah Corps with some of this chevre.  I can't wait to hear all his stories in person with even more pictures.  

I am passionate about teaching and experiencing all things Jewish, Israel and Hebrew.  EIE wraps it all up in one for me and am so glad Ethan had the time of his life.  I have not yet read Ron Wolfon's 

Relational Judaism: Using the Power of Relationships to Transform the Jewish Community but it's on my list of books to read.  I bet EIE is a great example of Ron is talking about and is certainly a way in which we can make a change in our own Jewish communities.  

I love Confirmation!

My words to our Confirmation Class of 2013/5733

I love confirmation, the service, the students, their families; the whole experience.  I think back and remember that most of you were consecrated here not to mention all of your years in Religious and Hebrew school. This is my 23^rd Confirmation class and our 60th confirmation class.  I can’t wait to get your picture up on the wall and for you to come back and visit all of us and see that picture.   

  

We learn in Psalms: From all of my teachers I have learned

 This year you have been my teacher and I have learned from you. I invite all of you back to be Madrichim in our school and to continue to study and learn at Lakeside.  One of you has already come back as a Madricha in our Hebrew school.

As a group you have participated in many activities including playing musical instruments including guitar, cello, and you enjoy the fine arts, sing in the choir and do theater crew.   You participate in sports, tennis, biking, basketball and track and field. You dance all types of dance and you are active in BBYO.  You love Jewish camping, especially at OSRUI and I hope that you will all go to Israel one day.

You have participated in many mitzvot including mitzvah day at Lakeside Congregation when you went to the food bank with Rabbi Serotta or stayed here and tie dyed t-shirts.  5 of you went with Rabbi Serotta and Anita Pildes on our annual New York trip.  You had some great stories to tell us when you got back.  Some of you are the oldest in your families and some of you are the youngest or the only in your families.  Your parents are active members of Sisterhood, teach in our school, have sat on the Religious School committee, worked in the Religious School office, organized PADS and our trips to the Beth Emet Soup Kitchen, been  outstanding ushers at B’nai Mitzvah, blown Shofar, sat on our Board of Directors, have been confirmed at Lakeside, I was at the confirmation of someone’s Mom, as a guest, not as a teacher.  Tonight we are so glad that all of you are part of the Lakeside Family.

Students you have all volunteered for me and pitched in at the Religious school when we needed help, which is more often than not, especially for the Purim carnival.   I am proud to be here with you tonight, of all your speeches of what mentches you have become.  I can only hope that Lakeside and I played a small part in your development.  I wish you and your families, Mazel Tov. 

Jaffa Oranges and Mitzvah Day

Jaffa Oranges from Anton's

Yesterday in my Kitah Aleph class I gave my Jaffa Orange lecture which I first heard from a fantastic teacher, Chana Reich.  I remember observing Chana teach almost 30 years ago at Temple Emanuel and she would take out a Jaffa orange in her Hebrew school class.  She would tell her Kitah Bet students that this orange was grown in Israel and that the sun in Israel had sweetened it and that even the infrequent rain in Israel for which we pray daily helped it  grow.  I had tears in my eyes at the end of her speech and of course her students couldn't wait to get a taste of that orange.  

Kitah Aleph

So yesterday I did my best Chana Reich impression and  brought a whole case of Jaffa Mandarins.  I gave the speech about Israel, the mandarin growing there and that I had just gotten back from Israel.  Of course by the end my students couldn't wait to get a taste of Israel. They even asked to take home the extra's for their siblings.  When my teachers saw that I had Jaffa oranges they all smiled because I think it makes them think about Israel.  

Mitzvah Day Collections and t-shirt

What does this have to do with Mitzvah day at Lakeside you say?  I not only like the taste of Jaffa oranges but I like the idea of supporting Israel by buying these oranges.  I hope that you come out to Mitzvah day at Lakeside and help support some great causes.  We have a tie dye t-shirts project that will benefit  Be The Match, we have project Linus making blankets.  We also have out of the building experiences at the Northern Illinois Food to help process 1,000 pounds in 2 hours.  It's not too late to sign up we could use a few more volunteers for all of these worthy causes. The schedule for the morning is: 
 8:30 am is Registration with a light breakfast, followed by T'filot, at 9:00am and then we move out to do our projects.  I know everyone has a good feeling when they finish doing Mitzvah day.  Try it out and pick up some Jaffa oranges on your way!

What is a טקס (Teckes) and have you been a part of one?

Yahrzeit Candles for Yom Hashoah T'filah

As soon as you hit Spring in Jewish education/Jewish World it's one holiday and ceremony after another.  There is a great Hebrew word, טקס, (teckes), which means ceremony but when you hear the word you know the ceremony is important or at least special. In Israel a teckes could be a military ceremony of the highest order, any school graduation or a Purim Assembly.  At my congregation, Lakeside, we always have a teckes for Yom Hashoah.  We have a beautiful service, light yahrzeit candles and then have a speaker. I have not called it a teckes but it is certainly a teckes.

Karen Barak

This year our speaker was Karen Barak who is the child and grandchild of Holocaust survivors.  She told us what had happened to her family through pictures, song and story.  It was a moving program which our older students and parents were engaged throughout the morning.

Adam Teaching Hatikvah

Tuesday May 16, on Yom Ha-atzmaout during Hebrew school we had a fun day of Israeli Dance, learning Hatikvah, and playing gaga a fun version of Israeli dodge ball.  We ended the day with a delicious Israeli treat of Hummus and pita. 

This weekend we have the opportunity to celebrate Israel Solidarity Day at Ravinia in Highland Park on Sunday April 28 which is also L'ag B'Omer.  There are many great entertainment acts and I think it will be a fun afternoon, AFTER Religious School.  Click here for more information: Israel Solidarity Day.

I love being a part of a bigger group and being part of Israel Solidarity day certainly does it for me.  I think being a part of any teckes happening at your congregation, your city or your community.   I love planning these ceremonies and being part of a teckes.  As the Spring moves on I hope you take part in many ceremonies, Jewish, secular and family. Enjoy and I have a few more ceremonies that I will be blogging about shortly.   

A Ta'am of Kibbutz Lotan

Alex from Kibbut Lotan

We were very pleased to have Alex Cicelsky visit our  Kitah Dalet and Gimmel Classes last week, right before Yom Ha-atzmaut.  Alex  grew up in New York State and has a BSc in Soil and Water Sciences and Environmental Quality in Agriculture from the Hebrew University Faculty of Agriculture. Alex is a founding member of Kibbutz Lotan. Alex supervises the research interns at the Center for Creative Ecology and works on various planning and development projects in the EcoCampus Neighborhood and on the kibbutz.

Alex showed our students his slides of Kibbutz Lotan and all of the eco- projects they do at Lotan.  They have a program there:

Alex  talking to Ktiah Gimmel and Dalet

The Green Apprenticeship (GA) which trains participants to understand and create alternative solutions for the issues facing the modern world. You can even get college credit for this!

More on other school events soon!

My love Affair with Israel and its outcomes

The Kotel from my parents trip in February 1968

First trip to Israel 1972

My love affair with Israel began in 1972 when I journeyed for the first time with my immediate family.  My parents had been for the first time in February of 1968, six months after the 6 Day War and we were there six months before the Yom Kippur War.  My first trip we visited all of the sites, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, The Wall, Yad V'Shem and we also went to Bethlehem, Jericho, and Hebron.  We had the requisite camel ride and I came home joined Young Judea and began planning my trip back to Israel.

Government building from 33 years ago, 1979

My trip back was not to be until 1979 when I enrolled in at Hebrew University in Jerusalem for my Junior year abroad and I spent the whole year in Israel and experienced all the Chagim, holidays from the fast day of Tisha B'av in the summer to all of the spring holidays of Yom Hashoah, Yom HaZikaron, Memorial Day and Yom Hatz-maut, Israel Independence day.  In 1979 it was the 32 Years of Israel and I thought it was a big deal.  Today as Israel celebrates its 65th year almost double since my junior year of college it is wonderful to see the changes and some of similarities having just been in Israel.. It was great to be in Israel to celebrate Yom Ha-atzmaut, in 1980 and we saw the celebrations in the street. When you see all of the Israeli flags hanging from windows, hotels, government buildings, stores and just about everyone you feel a part of something bigger. I don't know if there are as many flags in the streets today but I know I still feel a part of something bigger.

All three of my children have visited Israel, two of them on NFTY's EIE 4 month program and one on a special Birthright trip and am so glad that my love of Israel has been passed down another generation.  All three of my "personal" children studied Hebrew at Day school and are lucky enough to have been able to take Hebrew in our public High School.  My "other" children in my school at Lakeside Congregation, where I am the Educator also have the opportunity to learn and live Israel as well as Hebrew.

Lakeside Congregation Pesach 2013

My Hebrew program although based on becoming proficient in reading in our Siddur and leading T'filot for B'nai Mitzvah also has a modern Hebrew language component.  I tell all my parents that their children will not get off the plane in Israel and get directions to their Hotel in Hebrew but they will be able to read simple signs and count to 10 in Hebrew. I hope to give my students a solid base of Hebrew so that they can continue in high school or later in college. 

B'nai Mitzvah Students and Rabbi Serotta

Last week my congregation came home from a very successful trip to Israel with 40 attendees.  We had four B'nai Mitzvah families along with  different members of our congregation.  We stayed all over Israel from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to Tiberias.  We enjoyed Seder at the Dan Panorama Hotel and participated in Dig For A Day at Beit Guvrin on our last day. I delighted in bringing so many people to Israel, many of them for the first time. They loved Israel, had a very meaningful B'nai Mitzvah at the Kotel near Robinson's Arch experience with their Rabbi and Educator,  I believe they learned more Jewish history and about Israel then we could have packed into a year of adult education classes and I think they are inspired to read more on their own.

As Israel begins to commemorate and celebrate their season of remembrance and celebration I look forward to reading the stories, hearing the songs and delighting in celebrating Yom Ha-atzmaut 2013 - 65 years of Israel.  I can't imagine what my blog article will look like in 2048 when Israel hits 100 and I hit 89 but I hope that I will be here to write about it!
 

 
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Our Last Day: Lingering impressions and lots to tell!

Our last day we packed in a tour of the Western Wall Tunnels archeological findings at the Kotel and a trip to Beit Guvrin where we participated in a REAL archeological dig at Dig for the Day.
We began early  with a visit to the Kotel and we  put all the prayers from Lakeside in the Wall.  Many people commented on feeling touched to be at the Wall, it was not necessarily a religious connection but perhaps a historical or community ties.
Then we headed to the tunnel excavations; it is amazing to see what they keep uncovering.  I was there 7 years ago and they are STILL uncovering more finds.  Our group was surprised to learn that the actual Kotel is only a small part of the original wall of the either the first or second temple.  The original wall is much deeper as the city of Jerusalem is like a Tel, one layer of the city on top of another.

Looking down at the group, in an underground garbage dump from 138 BCE

After getting back on the bus we headed south to Beit Guvrin and then began our dig for a day.  Archeologist Ian Stern gave us a short talk and soon we were digging and finding shards of pottery and bones that had not been touched since 176 BCE or during the Hasmonean dynasty. The site of this dig is actually a garbage dump from this period.  We know some Jews lived there and over the past 30 years volunteers like us have found bits of a Ketubah, marriage contract, and other shards of pottery with biblical Hebrew script.

We all found something and enjoyed digging and then shaking out what we had dug up to make sure we had not missed anything.

Ian, archeologist from Dig for a Day

Shaking out the dust and finding even more
from our dig

Our last night we had a festive meal at Olive and Fish and I think I'll save our final farewells for ONE more post.