Marlene Krakow,
May Returnees Seminar


One of my most memorable experiences on the 2005 Returnees Seminar trip was the pre-dawn trip to the Ramon Crater. At the time I wasn't quite sure about the 3:30 a.m. wake up call that Haim left for all of us. As I groped into the darkness trying to find a spot where I wouldn't disturb and be disturbed by others, and yet walking and climbing to a place where I felt safe and comfortable, I began to imagine what it must have been like for our ancestors to walk into the desert not knowing what to expect. The vast emptiness and lack of vegetation and water they faced must have been a monumental leap of faith. And yet they persisted and prevailed. I began to understand why we Meltonians made this journey. It was so awe inspiring that I began to write a poem (one of several on the trip) about the sights and sounds of day break.

Our Genesis

Total silence breaks the dawn.
A new day begins, with hope and promise.
The earth splits, the sky reveals
The glory of G_d's gift to his people.
What is it that brings us here
To explore and renew our heritage past?
You look around, nothing grows.
And yet flowers will bloom from the hope that arises.
Water water we must dig
To the depths of our soul.
Deep down we will find it.
The birds sing "Shir Chadash - A New Song"
They are our voices,
This is our Genesis.
Halleluyah!

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