Lynn Arons, Washington DC Mini-School
July 06 Israel Seminar
Reflections: July, 2006
Little did we know, that first day, as we sat on our “tushions” on the tayelet overlooking Yerushalayim, that we were soon to personally experience that beautiful white city as the “nourishing life force”, the “foundation stone” that she has represented for more than 3,000 years. As we read Yehuda Amichai’s poem, Tourists, we were all determined not to be ‘just tourists’ in our land, but we had no idea how intensely we would experience feelings of oneness and solidarity with our brothers and sisters living in Israel in the midst of sudden madness and images of death and destruction.
So, anchored in the sublime and ethereal backdrop of Jerusalem, we began our journey from the hustle bustle of 21st century Israel back through the ages to the days of the first Temple; a voyage through time exploring myth and reality, the construction of ‘Jewish memory’, concepts of center and periphery, exile and Diaspora ….only to smash into the present reality of bombs and guns and yet another challenge to the resiliency and fortitude of our people. Three days into our studies, the Hezbollah incursion and kidnapping of two young soldiers on Israel’s northern border and the swift and powerful response of the IDF took over the headlines. Phones began ringing, frantic relatives begging their mothers, fathers, wives and children to please come home….NOW! The truth is….no one even considered leaving, although it was difficult to explain to people at home how safe and cared for we felt.
If it takes a crisis to test the real depth of people’s judgment, sensitivity and ability to think clearly under pressure…Yonatan, Haim, Jonty and Zohar surpassed any and all expectations! Plans were changed, safety was ensured, text materials were adapted, meaningful study continued.
The hourly news reports played as intense counter-point to our time-travel through the millennia and the saga of our people in Eretz Yisrael. Did our group of twenty bond so closely because of the heightened tension around us, while Jerusalem seemed to remain serene and calm? Was the glittering view as we emerged from the Yad Vashem Museum even more gripping than it might otherwise have been (especially with the group of Israeli Air Force officers standing there as tangible evidence of the victory of our people over the darkness of the past!)? Did our visit to Har Herzl bear an even sharper reminder of the price our Israeli family has had to pay for the safety and security of our homeland? Perched atop Tel Azekah on our last day together, we experienced the battle of young David against the fearsome Goliath as real and immediate – and posing sobering considerations about rights and responsibilities, and the challenges that convey with power.
I’m sure that my now-dear-friends (who finally did learn to count in Hebrew!) will agree: our seminar was a most important experience at an important moment in history. We connected with each other and deepened our connection to the Land and people of Israel; we learned; we ate, drank, shopped and laughed; we prayed, we worried and we cried. . and we are more determined than ever to proudly and knowledgeably proclaim our people’s right to exist, in peace, in our land.
L’Shana haBa’a b’Yerushalayim!
