Anshe Emeth Chai Points

AETY's First Meeting of the Year

2009-09-13T21:00:00.006-04:00

September 1, 2009
Contributed by: Chase Foster, Director of Youth Activities

On Sept. 1, AETY members and their families gathered together for a barbecue on the temple's roof. While eating and kibitzing, everyone met Chase, Anshe Emeth's new Director of Youth Activities, and caught up with friends who they hadn't seen over the summer. The event also allowed parents and kids to express how they felt AETY could grow and improve. Between kids and family members, there were almost 50 in attendance- a great time for all.

Happy Campers

2009-07-16T23:39:00.006-04:00

July 16, 2009
Contributed by: Rabbi Bennett Miller

Over the years our Temple has sent many of its students to Camp Harlam for a session or two during the summer. Over 400 campers plus a staff of 100 share together in a wonderful program of learning, growing, sharing, and enjoying Jewish life in the beautiful Pocono Mountains.

Camp Harlam and Jewish camping in general often serve as some of the most important positive Jewish identity experiences that our young people have. For many years I would serve on the summer staff of Camp Harlam. This summer I was not able to spend a few weeks there with our kids but I did go up to the camp this past Wednesday and spend some time seeing all that they are doing, meeting with them, bringing care packages, and having lunch with them as well.

Here are some pictures of the day. You will see that there are Anshe Emeth folks of all ages. Another group will be there in August. They all camp full of enthusiasm and excitement about Jewish living. They also make life long friends. Think about sending your own kids or your grandchildren. It’s a very worthwhile investment in our Jewish future.

Rooftop Barbeque

2009-07-12T16:47:00.005-04:00

July 10, 2009

Since our new building was completed a few years ago, we have been enjoying Shabbat dinners on our rooftop. Several times during the summer months, we set up the grills and tables, and meet together for hot dogs, burgers, and mouthwatering homemade salads.
Afterwards we tidy up, and then enjoy evening Shabbat services outdoors, as the sky slowly darkens and the breeze gently cools us. Congregants from 9 months to 90 years love joining together in welcoming the Sabbath from this vantagepoint above the houses and trees.

Called to the Torah

2009-06-25T23:31:00.006-04:00

June 19, 2009
Contributed by: Phyllis Pollak

[Blog Editor's note: For two years, five adult learners have been studying with AEMT's cantor and rabbis in order to become B'nei Mitzvah. They led services and were called to the Torah on Shabbat Korach, June 19, 2009. Phyllis Pollak is 2nd from the left in the photo.]

I am becoming a Bat Mitzvah because I want to be an adult Jewish woman in the full sense of this phrase; I want to be called to the bimah to recite the blessings before and after the Torah reading. I love being Jewish, and this is the next step in the development of my religious self.

My Hebrew name is Meiri Chai, which is “Mayer Lives.” My Mother’s name was Gertrude Mayer Grippi; her paternal grandfather, Gustave Mayer, was Jewish. His parents came here from Baden, Germany, during the 1890’s. They are buried in the Beth El Cemetery in Brooklyn. Due to intermarriage, my Judaic heritage was lost to me for a long time. I have returned to my Jewish roots and reclaimed my heritage.

On my Bat Mitzvah, I will be wearing the tallit of Ben Steinhauer. Ben is the father of a dear friend of mine, Eva Steinhauer Rosenberg. Ben was a Holocaust survivor. He endured 32 months of internment in concentration camps: Buna (a sub-camp of Auschwitz), Mauthausen, and Ebensee. I feel deeply honored to wear his tallit. Judaism lives!

Not Your Ordinary Preschool Graduation

2009-06-23T23:21:00.015-04:00

June 17, 2009
Contributed by: Karen B. Goldstein, Director of Early Childhood Education

[Blog Editor's Note: Gan Yeladeem Learning Center is part of Anshe Emeth's Lifelong Learning program. The Gan includes an infant room (beginning with babies 6 weeks old), a Toddler Room, and a Preschool Program which includes developmentally appropriate Jewish programming.]

One of the advantages of a child-centered early childhood program is that your program never gets stale. The teachers in the Gan are observers and facilitators and their purpose is to guide the children as they discover and learn about what interests them throughout the year. It is essential to incorporate the interests of the children in the classroom because this is an indication that they are ready to learn about a particular topic or idea. So, while the curriculum is outlined, the specifics about how the curriculum is addressed is determined together by the children and teachers. The ideas explored changes year to year, as the class make up changes.

So, it follows that our Preschool Graduation would also be “non-traditional”. Oh, sure, the Graduates all marched in to a Preschool version of Pomp and Circumstance, but they were wearing crowns instead of mortar boards. You see, when we sat down to discuss some of the details of graduation with the 6 girls who were graduating, they learned that they would be wearing a special hat. What could be more special than a crown, after all? Especially to a 5 year old girl? So, crowns it was, because the children had initiated it, discussed it with their peers and assisted each other in making them.

After a bit of Israeli dancing, which the children had chosen to share with their parents and other guests because it had been part of their daily Tefillah and a favorite part of their day, the children guided their guests upstairs to the Social Hall, the site of our Graduation Art Show. For the past 6 weeks, the Gan preschool class had investigated and learned about 8 artists.
They learned a bit about each artist's life and the medium in which she or he had worked. Then, the preschoolers interpreted the style of each of the artist using similar materials. The results were amazing, the learning was genuine and it was a unique expression of this particular class's interests and abilities. It was their Graduation and their art show. And it certainly wasn’t stale!

High School Graduation

2009-05-25T12:29:00.003-04:00

May 22, 2009
At Anshe Emeth, we take great pride in knowing that our young members recognize the importance of a Jewish education beyond their bar or bat mitzvah. This year, 23 seniors graduated from our Hebrew High School. They gathered for a celebratory Shabbat dinner and posed for graduation photos. Then, as their proud parents beamed, they led the congregation in Shabbat worship before Rabbi Miller blessed them and sent them down from the bimah as graduates. Mazel tov to all of them!

Making a Joyful Noise

2009-05-21T23:25:00.009-04:00

May 16, 2009

Our annual Simchat Zimrah is held every spring, and includes the best of Anshe Emeth's musical offerings throughout the year. The concert featured performances by the Junior Choir, Shirei Emeth (the high school students), Makhelat Anshe Emeth (adults), and the Awesome Family Service Band. We were also treated to special selections by our 6th graders (who are moving up from the Junior Choir into Shirei Emeth next year), our graduating seniors, and Piano Dave, our fabulous keyboard player.

The concert ended with all the choirs and the band "rocking the house" with the entire congregation joining in. It was our best Simchat Zimrah ever, and a fitting tribute to Cantor Anna West Ott's first ten years as Anshe Emeth's cantor. Cantor Ott is responsible for the creation of our high school choir and Awesome Band, and she has encouraged us all to the highest standards of musical accomplishment. Brava!!!

Hosting the URJ Biennial

2009-02-26T22:33:00.008-05:00

AEMT had the privilege of hosting the Union for Reform Judaism's regional biennial on January 31. The gathering brought together leaders of the national Reform movement with members of the 55 congregations of the New Jersey-West Hudson Valley region of the Union. Biennial attendees were invited to begin their day by joining the Shabbat morning Torah study classes which occur every week at Anshe Emeth.

After Torah study, 300 people gathered for morning services led by Rabbi Miller, Cantor Ott, Makhelat Anshe Emeth, and members of our Awesome Family Band.

High school participants, including many members of AETY, led the Birkat Hamazon after a delicious lunch in Reitman Hall.

Rabbi Marcus Burstein, the Assistant Regional Director, presented Rabbi Miller and AEMT President Susan Kohn a plaque thanking AEMT for hosting the Biennial.

Members of Anshe Emeth helped our guests find their way around the building before joining the other attendees at a series of afternoon workshops, which covered subjects ranging from the nature of God to techniques for making a congregation more welcoming. The day was a huge success and those who were there were most complimentary regarding the beauty of our Temple, the excitement of morning services, and the hospitality offered by our members.

AEMT's Junior Choir Performs

2009-02-24T21:16:00.008-05:00

On February 22, Anshe Emeth's Junior Choir, led by Cantor Anna West Ott, participated in a concert at Congregation B'nai Tikva. The concert, called "We Stand With Israel: Give a Child the Freedom to Play", was held to benefit the children of Sederot, who have been traumatized by years of missile attacks from Gaza. The local Jewish Federation of Greater Middlesex County has been raising money to send children out of Israel's embattled southern area for a day of relaxed play. The song the choir is singing in the first video was written by Anshe Emeth's very own Mark Szachara. [Videos by Lisa Levine]

6th Grade Retreat

2009-01-26T15:47:00.015-05:00

Contributed by: SARAH STUCKEY, 6th grade class member

[Blog Editor's Note: Every year, as part of the Religious School curriculum, all of the 6th graders go on a class retreat with the clergy and professional staff of the Temple. This year's retreat to Camp Harlam took place on January 9-11.]

Camp Harlam was a trip that I am sure no one who went on will forget. This year we experienced a fun time with friends, rabbis, Cantor Ott, and group leaders. The sixth graders had a theme to the trip. It was immigration. Throughout the trip, we had activities that had to do with that theme. For example, every sixth grader was assigned a family and had to go through the hardships of coming to America.

Something else that almost every sixth grader thought was cool was partially unrolling the torah. This event happened during Saturday morning service. This was just some of the learning we did.

In between learning we went sledding, hung out with friends, and spent time in the cabins where we were staying. With snow everywhere, everything looked beautiful. Sledding was a blast! However, while sledding, some of us had a few difficulties. This includes when Rabbi Fellman and Rabbi Kogan went through a fence. This accident was one of the funniest times at Camp Harlam. At the end, everybody went back to the cabin to get warm. The girls were on one side while the boys were on the other. Not only were the days fun but also nights. At night we stayed up talking about the day and what we would do on the days to come.

Every activity had something in common. In each one everybody was with friends. This includes not only old friends, but also new! In not one situation did the words, “This is boring” come out of someone’s mouth. This grade had a great time with everything and everyone. The only problem was, we all can’t go back next year.

Building Jerusalem, One Lego at a Time

2009-01-25T21:34:00.020-05:00

January 24, 2009

Almost 200 parents and children spent a wonderful Shabbat afternoon together today, building the Old City of Jerusalem out of Legos. Under the direction of architect Stephen Schwartz of Building Blocks Workshops, we created Jerusalem's ancient walls, the Temple Mount with the Beit haMikdash, the Tower of David, and Montefiore's Windmill, as well as many landmark buildings inside the walls.

Our Shabbaton began with a delicious lunch, after which we gathered in the Social Hall. There, we found a large outlined map of Jerusalem spread across the floor. We all sat around the map as Mr. Schwartz explained to us that it is sometimes hard to visualize a city from a flat map, so we were going to build a 3-dimensional model. He assigned small groups to work on the windmill, the Kotel, and the Beit haMikdash, and gave us some general directions about building walls so they would be structurally sound. Then we dumped out six huge boxes full of Legos and went to work.

For about an hour, the room was filled with the happy sound of children, parents and grandparents all working together. Many of us helped build the walls; others built buildings which were then placed inside the walls. As we worked, Mr. Schwartz came up to many of us offering suggestions, advice, and encouragement. He seemed to be having as much fun as the rest of us! The walls rose up around the city, with decorative gates and fanciful parapets. Everyone worked together with wonderful cooperation.

Finally, we finished our model. Everyone who had built a house or other building placed it inside the city. The windmill was put in its correct spot in the southwest corner outside the walls. Then we all sat down again around our model, while Mr. Schwartz gave us a tour, using our own model to indicate the important places as he talked about the history of Jerusalem.

Everyone sat very quietly and listened carefully, and we all learned a lot. It was a wonderful way to spend a Shabbat afternoon--family and friends all working together, playing together, and sharing in a very special experience. We finished the day with havdalah and dessert. Everyone got a certificate to take home so we could always remember that we built Jerusalem, one Lego at a time.

AETY Goes to Boston

2008-11-29T12:22:00.013-05:00

November 13-16, 2008

Contributed by: Ben Sousa

Photos: Adam Cohen

[Blog Editor's Note: Every two years, our high school youth group, AETY, takes a trip to Boston. The "curriculum" includes discussions of how to find and select a college with programming and activities which support Jewish life on campus.]

The trip to Boston started off like most trips by car to another state, long. Our first stop was Quinnipiac University, a small university in Hamden, Connecticut. We stopped at their Hillel for lunch and a tour of the campus. It was very small compared to the schools we went to two years ago, but everyone seemed to have a good time. For some, like the freshmen and sophomores, this was their first college visit. We didn’t spend much time there before moving onward to University of Hartford. Once again we stopped at the Hillel and went on tour of the campus. We had dinner at the Hartford dining hall, kosher section, before saying our good byes and heading for the hotel. We stayed at the Courtyard Marriot, and hung out in the lobby for a few hours before going to bed. And there was morning, and there was evening, the first day.

The second day of the Boston trip was very similar to the first one. After breakfast, we checked out of the hotel and packed ourselves back onto the bus as we continued towards Boston. We stopped at Brown University for lunch at the Hillel and a tour, accompanied by AETY alumna, Noa Nessim. From there we continued on to Brandeis for Shabbat services and dinner. We joined the reform minyan on campus for their kabbalat Shabbat and evening services, before heading over to the Brandeis Hillel for Shabbat dinner, though not enough apparently because once we got back to the hotel, we immediately took out the take out menus. The night activities mirrored those of the previous night’s of board games and cards, before we all went to our rooms for sleep.
Saturday we didn’t go visit any colleges, seeing as it was Shabbat. Instead, we went to Rabbi Gold’s congregation to join them for Shabbat morning services. Afterwards, we chatted with Rabbi Gold and had lunch at the temple, before heading off to Boston for a walk around the city on the famous Freedom Trail. We learned about the history of the Revolutionary War Boston as we visited the historical sites such as the building where the Boston massacre happened and the harbor where the Boston Tea Party occurred. We ended the Freedom Trail tour at Quincy Market, where we broke for dinner and shopping.

But that was merely a prelude to the real show of the night, the Blue Man Group. For those of you who have never heard of the Blue Man Group, three bald men dye their skin blue and perform an exciting multimedia presentation, full of colors, lights, and humorous skits, while they don’t say a word. Some members of our group were asked to participate in the show, much to their surprise. To wrap up a phenomenal experience, rolls of toilet paper are rolled over the crowd as a strobe light goes off. I can assure you, the enjoyment is in direct proportion to how disoriented you are. We all went to bed that night still talking about the show.

Sunday morning, we packed our bags and boarded the bus for our last college tour and the subsequent long bus ride home. Our chaperone, Jamie, took us around his alma mater, Harvard University, along with Jeff Feldman, another AETY alum, who is a student at the school. It wasn’t as long as the other tours, nor as formal, but we all enjoyed looking at the old buildings that fill the campus. We got back onto the bus, homeward bound.

Our Final Wonderful Day

2008-11-16T19:47:00.019-05:00

Saturday, November 8

Our last morning in Israel began with a wonderful Shabbat service which Rabbi Miller wrote in honor of Israel's 60th anniversary. Our readings included excerpts from Israel's declaration of statehood. After visiting Independence Hall yesterday, and having spend a week touring, they really had a lot of meaning. This week's parasha, Lech Lecha, was also perfect, since for many of us, the command to take ourselves to our land had been fulfilled for the first time on this journey.

As soon as services ended, we all boarded the bus for our last explorations of Tel Aviv. Our first stop was Jaffa, the "old city" immediately to the south of Tel Aviv. We walked through the old streets where we saw artist studios and apartment doorways, admiring the hand-fired ceramic street signs. We ended up at the Jaffa Overlook, a little park on top of the hill, where we saw both the early remains of settlements in this ancient port city, as well as a wonderful view north along the coastline of the modern city of Tel Aviv.

From there, we went to the neighborhood of Neve Zedek, one of the oldest parts of Tel Aviv. We walked through the Dance and Theater Center on our way to gathering in the nearby square. Hanna Benesch, a member of our group, had a special connection to this neighborhood--her father used to live here, and he participated in protecting the area in 1948 as the British were leaving, and the Jewish neighborhood was under attack from the Arabs. Hanna read us some of her father's memoirs of that time, which made the history of the area very personal to us. After that, we wandered around for a while, looking at the houses which showed evidence of the artists who lived in the area. Nearby was an ice cream shop, conveniently located across the street from an artist co-op. Almost all of us ended up having ice cream for "lunch", and some of us were happy to continue our shopping.

Our final stop for the day was at Rabin Square. This week was the 13th anniversary of the murder of Yitzhak Rabin, and the square was being set up for a rally in the evening, with a large stage, video screens, etc. Both Mike and Mike gave us their memories of the traumatic circumstances of Rabin's death, and really helped us understand how shocking the entire event was in a place as casual as Israel.

We left Rabin Square and went back to our hotel, presumably to finish packing for the after-dinner departure. A number of us, however, found our way to the beach, where we were able to swim, walk along the shoreline, and finally observe a beautiful sunset. At 6 pm, we all boarded the bus one last time and went to Kimmel Restaurant.
There, we sat at long tables while the wait-staff brought out endless selections of every possible kind of food imaginable. Just when we thought we'd been completely fed, they brought even more! Everything was delicious, and we were thoroughly stuffed when the time came to say goodbye and board the buses for the airport. Everyone agreed they had had a wonderful time, and as most of the group prepared to depart, many hugs were exchanged with the few people who had plans to remain behind for a few extra hours or days.
The evening at Kimmel was a wonderful way to complete the trip, and more than a few of us were already planning our return to Israel even as we had to depart.

From the Mishnah to Independence

2008-11-10T17:07:00.010-05:00

Friday, November 7

Today we left Tiberias and headed back south again. The first timers made their first stop at Bet Shearim. This park contains the tombs of many of the rabbis, including Rabbi Yehuda Ha-Nasi, who wrote the Mishnah in the 2nd Century. The tombs are in huge caves which contain many rooms. The most fascinating thing about them is the synthesis of Roman and Jewish culture. The designs on many of the stone sarcophagi are purely Roman--eagles and other animals, wreaths, etc. Mike pointed out that this ability to take elements of the dominant culture and integrate them into Judaism without losing the core values of our religion could be seen as the "other side" of the phenomenon at Masada, where zealots committed suicide rather than succumb to anything related to the Romans. Rather than killing themselves, the rabbis of the Mishnah were even able to learn from the Romans while ensuring the future of Judaism.

The wonderful thing about being at Bet Shearim was that "the future of Judaism" was all around us--not in the writing of the Mishnah or the graves of the rabbis, but in the faces of the Israeli schoolchildren who were seen everywhere. Mike explained that in Israel, the children go on field trips quite often to sites such as Bet Shearim. As the little ones ran shrieking past us, the burial caves echoed with their voices, but it was a great juxtaposition of the past and the future.

While the first-timers were visiting Bet Shearim, the "repeaters" went to Moshav Nahalal in the Jezreel Valley. At a moshav, unlike at a kibbutz, individual families can own their own land. Nahalal is laid out as a circle, with the town in the center, and wedges of private land laid out like slices of pie. The view of the moshav from the Nahalal Cemetery is really extraordinary--we saw a photo of the view showing the whole layout of the area, as well as the surrounding valley.

We all drove south toward Tel Aviv at about the same time, stopping downtown by the Carmel Market and the Nachalat Binyamin pedestrian mall. The latter is similar to Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem, and we were lucky to be there on Friday afternoon, when craftspeople and artists set up tables to sell their creations. Some of us went shopping in the market, which was packed with Israelis buying everything they might possibly want for Shabbat or for any other time. The booths had breads, spices, flowers, meat, fish, and glorious fresh vegetables, as well as linens, housewares, clothing, CDs and videos, health care products, and souvenirs. The craft market also had a lot of visitors, including those of us buying last minute gifts of jewelry, pottery, silk painted table runners, and all sorts of other fun things. We were supposed to eat lunch while we were there, but it was very hard to fit in more than a slice of pizza, with all the other distractions.

When we got together at our meeting place, it became clear that we could easily have spent all day there, just people-watching. Within feet of where the two Mikes and Rabbi Miller were waiting for us, we could see Chabadniks offering tefillin to tourists nearby, and a mime putting on an elaborate show while a circle of watchers stood around him. The streets were so full of people, and suddenly it was just amazing to recognize that here was a city full of Jews, all going about their business on a Friday afternoon, with Shabbat coming soon. There was such a variety of people, and the ambience was both exciting and special. It was lucky that none of us got lost in the crowds as we trekked back to our buses.

Our next stop was Independence Hall, and for some of us, this was one of the most special stops we made on our entire trip. The building is very undistinguished from the outside, but inside the echoes of David Ben Gurion's voice are still heard by every visitor. We were brought into the very room where the country's founders sat on May 14, 1948, and held a press conference at 4:00 pm, just before the start of Shabbat on the day before the British officially left the newly-partitioned country. The original old-fashioned microphones are still on the table, and the photos of Israel's founders hang on the walls.

Our museum guide described to us the tense situation in the months and final weeks before the British left. His presentation was fantastic--we all hung on every word as he described the indecision, the lack of money, and the expectation of immediate attack by the Arab armies which the Jews of the not-yet-declared state were facing.
Finally, a mere two days before the British left, Ben Gurion forced a vote among the undecided leaders, and by the narrowest of margins, they decided to announce the birth of the new state. Invitations to the press conference were sent out for the next day, and the room in which we sat--adequate for about 150 people, was packed with more than twice that many. Then we heard a recording of Ben Gurion's voice speaking the stirring words proclaiming that representatives of the Jews in Palestine and the Zionist movement "hereby declare the establishment of a Jewish state in the land of Israel to be known as the State of Israel." At the completion of the announcement, the sounds of "Hatikvah", played by an orchestra which at the time was located on the roof of the building, filled the room, and we all rose and sang along with the recording of those assembled in the room in 1948. Many of us were moved to tears by the experience, hearing the voices of the past as if we had been there on that very day.

After viewing a movie about the history of the building itself--it was the home of Meir Dizengoff, who later turned it over to the city of Tel Aviv to be used as an art museum--we stopped quickly outside and took a photo of our entire tour group. Then, we returned to our buses and were taken to our hotel. We had only a short time to relax, however, before it was time to go to Shabbat services at Congregation Beit Daniel, Tel Aviv's prominent Reform synagogue. We joined with the congregation in singing and prayer, after which we went to the synagogue's new cultural center in the southern part of the city to have dinner with Rabbi Azari of Beit Daniel, as well as some of his congregants. The center, which is only a year old, is the site of educational, cultural, spiritual, and community events. It also contains a guest house of 64 rooms, which is used by visiting groups crossing the entire spectrum of Jewish observance (an orthodox group was having dinner in the room with us, separated by room dividers.) Dinner was delicious, and just before we left, many of us went up to the roof to see the views of the city. It was a pleasure to see how the community of Progressive Judaism in Israel is thriving in Tel Aviv.

Up on the Golan Heights

2008-11-10T05:35:00.014-05:00

Thursday, November 6

Our entire group travelled together today through the Galilee, driving north around the Kinneret, through the Hula Valley, and up to kibbutz Misgav Am, which is one of the farthest north settlements in Israel. We sat together on stone steps at the top of a mountain as Aryeh ben Yaakov, an American-born Israeli, told us about his own background and his perspective on the situation between the Israelis and Hezbullah, whose flag we could see flying in the village precisely below the overlook where we sat.

From our vantage point, we could see the Mediterranean Sea to our west and Mount Hermon to the east. We were only 35 miles from Damascus to the northeast. Aryeh made it very clear that Israel is the target of Muslim leaders in places like Iran and Syria, who hope to ultimately gain prestige in the Arab world by destroying Israel as the next step to establishing a fundamentalist Islamic rule in other Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia. In Aryeh's opinion, there was no hope of making peace with people who have no interest in making peace because they literally believe that "the road to Mecca is through Jerusalem."

Arab village below us >

Aryeh emphasized the fact that the land owned by the Jews in the Galilee was legally purchased from the Muslim Turkish rulers of the land in the 1890's, who sold it because it was totally useless swampland. Therefore, he said, do not believe what anyone says about Jews "stealing" Arab lands--the lands occupied by Jews before 1948 were all purchased legally. Aryeh was adamant that he had no sympathy with what he called a "battered wife syndrome", saying that "no one has any right to hit me, and if he does, I'm going to hit him back." After fighting for Israel in four wars, Aryeh put his faith in God and in his own rifle, with an understanding that the former was ultimately responsible for the success of the latter.

When asked about the army presence at the kibbutz, which was invisible to us as guests, Aryeh refused to give any specific details. Gesturing to a tower not far across the valley, he said, "There are certain things I just won't talk about. Don't kid yourself--Hezbullah is over there, listening to every word we say." As he looked down at the Arab village below, Aryeh told us that he subscribed to the Chinese saying, "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." "I feel very safe up here," he quipped wryly, as he gestured to the village located literally at our feet. He was so blunt and straightforward, and had so much personal history in that precise area of the country, that he was an exceptionally compelling speaker. Although perhaps not everyone agreed with his conclusions, we all found him to be a fascinating guy who obviously knew exactly what he was talking about.
After leaving Misgav Am, we climbed into jeeps for a jolting, bouncing ride across the Golan Plateau. Our jeep driver explained some of the history of the battle for the Golan Heights in 1967, pointing out the Syrian bunkers and lines of defense. We got out at an overlook which showed us the valley at our feet, and Mike hardly needed to explain the strategic importance of the place where we stood, looking down at Israeli towns beneath us which were so terribly vulnerable to shelling during the years when the Syrians controlled the Golan. We climbed on the ruins of a stone fort which had previously served as a Syrian defense bunker, taking photos of the spectacular view. Another short jeep ride took us past beehives, cows, and ruins in the town of Banias, to the kibbutz which sold honey from the bees, as well as fresh fruit and snacks.

Then we drove further south on the Golan Heights. We passed the "ghost town" of Kuneitra, a town the Israelis destroyed before returning the land on which it stood to Syria. We stopped at another overlook from which we could see the new Syrian village of Kuneitra farther away from the border, as well as the road to Damascus, the UN Peacekeeping village, and the Israeli "eyes and ears" on the mountain above us, vigilantly keeping guard to the east.

Our next stop was at the town of Katzrin. After lunch, we split up. Some people chose to visit a nearby "Talmudic Village", what someone referred to tongue-in-cheek as an "Israeli Williamsburg". Actually, the site was more modest than that, containing a reconstructed house and synagogue, as well as an olive press.

. Other people went to the Golan Magic multi-media presentation. Finally, we toured the Golan Winery. A number of people chose to skip that altogether and go back to our hotel in Tiberias early--it had already been a very long day. Those who did return early were treated to dusk at the shores of the Kinneret, with a soft breeze, the sound of music from the arcade beside our hotel, and the sight of lights coming on in the city and on the water, as small, tourist-laden boats sailed past in the setting sun.

Liora's Story

2008-11-06T16:55:00.007-05:00

Thursday, November 6

Contributed by: Debbie Cohn

Yesterday, the "returnees" group of Anshe Emeth travellers stopped at Moshav Naama, a few kilometers north of Jericho in the Jordan Valley. Our bus pulled up to a small building, where soon a tanned woman wearing black pants and a black t-shirt arrived to open the door and invite us inside. We were told that her name is Liora, and she hastened to make us welcome, offering us cold drinks and fresh dates from the trees grown on the moshav. Some of us lingered outside on the patio in the shade, or looked around at the flowering bushes next to the building, sitting on the comfortable-looking couch and chairs around a low wooden table. We were told that we would come back after our moshav tour to meet again with Liora and hear the story of the cafe, which had a name on the outside in Hebrew: Guy-Li.

Relaxing outside the Guy-Li Cafe

Upon our return, we all entered the cafe to find the tables set with plates of pastries. Liora asked us what we wanted to drink, quickly serving cups of lemon tea and coffee as requested, while we all made ourselves comfortable. Then, Liora stood up to speak to us. There we sat, absolutely spellbound, listening to her Israeli-accented English as Liora, in honest, heartfelt, tragic and yet inspiring words, introduced us to her son, Guy. This is what she told us:

Liora and her husband, Yaakov Hason, are pioneering members of Moshave Naama. Liora briefly described life on the moshav, which is a small farming community. The moshavim in this area provide an element of security to the State of Israel, while at the same time growing all varieties of produce which reaches a worldwide market. Guy was her oldest son. Like all Israelis, he went into the army, and afterwards travelled. Liora described a day when she spoke to Guy on the phone--he was in Mongolia with his girlfriend at the time. She asked him what he thought he would do next with his life. He told her that he was coming home, and in fact would be there in 3 days. Guy said that he wanted to come back to the moshav and be a farmer.

Liora tried to dissuade him. She said to him, "Farming is a hard job. It is a thankless job. Most people don't appreciate what you do." Guy said, "No, this is what I want to do. I want to be a farmer." Liora suggested that perhaps he should consider going back to school, learning some more before coming back to the moshav. But no, Guy said, he wanted to come back to the moshav and live there. Three days later, he arrived home with his girlfriend, Lihi.

As Guy went to work on the moshav, Lihi asked him what she could do there. Guy noticed that there were a number of young people in the area, on other moshavim in the Jordan Valley, but when they had finished work for the day, there was no place to go and nothing for them to do. Guy decided that he and Lihi should open a place for the young people to gather in the evenings without having to travel far. Liora told us that Guy built the cafe entirely by himself. She wanted to help him, but he told her "No, ima, this is for young people--you do not have to help us." Liora helped anyway, even ducking down behind the counter so Guy wouldn't see her there. As she spoke, she gestured around the room, telling us that Guy had made everything there himself, just the way we were seeing it. The room is furnished with polished dark wooden tables and cushioned couches and chairs. There is a bar at one side, and a brown and orange beaded curtain hangs in a doorway. One wall is painted orange, the rest of the walls are white. The cafe is simple, yet welcoming. It feels like a sanctuary from the heat outside, the dry ground and the rugged terrain.

In June, 2006, Dubi Tal, the mayor of the Jordan Valley Regional Council, nailed the mezuzah to the door of the Guy-Li cafe, named after Guy and Lihi. Liora says that what followed was "two months of happiness." The cafe was filled every night with young people who came from all over the area to listen to music, talk, and relax. Guy saw the project which he spent so much time creating come to fulfillment, exactly as he had envisioned it.

On July 12, war broke out on the Lebanese border when Israel was attacked by Hezbullah. Guy called the army to find out why he had not been called up to help fight. They told him that they were not yet calling in reserves, but that he should wait. Soon after, the army called, and Guy gathered up his things to leave. His father drove him to the place where he was to be dropped off, but after saying goodbye, Yaakov found himself inexplicably driving back to his son again. "What are you doing here, Abba?" Guy wanted to know. Yaakov told him, "It was a mistake," and drove away a second time. Once again he found himself driving back to his son. Again he said that it was "a mistake", before driving away a third time.

A few weeks later, Guy's parents spoke to him on the phone. Guy told them to take care of the cafe, and to take care of Lihi. Liora told us, "It was the usual thing to say... take care of things. Nothing unusual." Then one day, Yaakov was working, when suddenly he stopped, and turned pale. The men working with him asked him, "What's wrong?" "I don't know," he answered. "I feel something has happened to my son." It was at just that moment, Liora says, that Guy was killed by a mortar in Lebanon. Guy died on the last day of the Second Lebanon War, on August 13, 2006, at the age of 23.

Liora shared her despair with us. At first, she said, she thought she just wanted to die too. Then she thought of her other children, and realized she had to live for them. And finally, she thought of the cafe that Guy had built with his own hands. Liora now runs the cafe as a living memorial to Guy, greeting guests and telling them about her son, and the Guy-Li Cafe.

So, Liora says, she stays. She wouldn't want to be any other place. "Life here can be hard," she admitted, "but this is my home. And this is important, because I think that no other place is loving Jews. Israel has to be here. And when I die, this is where you can find me. All I ask," she added, "is that you remember Guy, and remember his story."

We thanked Liora and quietly left Guy-Li Cafe, more than one of us wiping tears from our eyes. Silently honoring Guy for his life, and his death, knowing that his unhesitating willingness to protect his home was truly heroic. Recognizing that without young men such as Guy, Israel could not survive. And hoping that the day may come when a young man does not have to leave behind his loving parents, the work of his hands, and the happy sound of friends gathering in the evening after a long day, in order to go to war.

The Jordan Valley Rift

2008-11-06T11:10:00.010-05:00

Wednesday, November 5

Our group awoke at 6 a.m. just in time to hear the results of the U.S. presidential election as they were announced at home. Discussion at breakfast centered around Obama's victory, and what that might mean both at home and here in Israel. Politics was cut short, however, by the need to get our bags onto the buses and be ready to leave at 8 a.m.

The first-timers headed straight up Israel's Route 90 to Bet Shean National Park, one of the largest archaeological sites in Israel. The biblical tel, the site where the Philistines hung the bodies of Saul and Jonathan after their deaths, towers over excavations exposing a vast Roman-Byzantine city. The Roman theater, the largest found in Israel, is still used today. The long, wide colonnaded streets are amazing, and are substantially wider than the Cardo we saw in Jerusalem. The sheer size of the place is the thing that probably astonished us the most.

Before our quick lunch in Tiberias, we stopped at the Kinneret Cemetery and heard about the dreams of the early Zionist pioneers. Then, we headed to Safed. We toured the synagogues which were home to many of the Jewish mystics who lived in Sfat, and we strolled past art galleries and shops. Our last visit was to the Safed Candle Factory, and it was after dark when we finally pulled into our hotel to check in.

The returnees also began their drive up Route 90, but we stopped very soon after passing Jericho at Moshav Naama. There we were met by Dubi Tal, the Mayor of the Jordan Valley Regional Council. He took us to see the moshav's huge greenhouses filled with the most gorgeous fresh organic herbs. We were told all about how they are grown, shipped, and marketed to the US and Europe. We also saw the acres of date palms which the moshav also raises.
We had a chance to taste the dates for ourselves at the Guy-Li Cafe at the moshav. Liora, the owner, refreshed us with dates which were deemed to be the best anyone had ever tasted, as well as lemon tea, coffee, and pastries. While we relaxed, she told us the story of the cafe, which was founded by her son Guy.

After thanking Liora and promising to always remember Guy, we drove down a narrow unpaved road to an overlook just by the Jordan River (we were let through the security fence by two young soldiers--usually tourists don't go there!) Dubi explained the reservoir system to us as we looked at the reservoir below and toward Jordanian farms on the other side of the river. The reservoir held quite a bit of water as a result of last week's heavy rains. We have been so lucky to have perfect weather--last week it was raining, and Dubi pointed out that the green is just beginning to come back to the dun-colored hills. In a few weeks they should be green again, but for now, the southern Jordan Valley area has very little vegetation other than Israeli farms.

We drove north again, and after stopping for lunch at a small mall in Bet Shean, we drove to see the archeological park. Our visit was enhanced by Gene Corburn, who demonstrated the acoustics of the Roman theater for us. He climbed down to the reconstructed stage, and in his wonderful cantorial tenor voice, sang us first a Shema, and then a blessing for peace. We applauded enthusiastically, but had to cut short his doo-wop encore so we could let our guide tell us all the details of vast expanse of buildings that lay at our feet.

As we arrived at Tiberias, we stopped at the Kinneret Cemetery, which is the final resting place of many of the founding pioneers of the State of Israel. As we sat by her grave, Mike told us about Rachel the Poetess, an early settler of Israel, many of whose poems have become well known songs. Many other settlers, young and old, rest in this lovely shaded spot overlooking Lake Kinneret. Especially moving were the stories of those who came, worked the land, but lie in graves marked "Unknown"; and those who left their kibbutz nearby to fight and fall while winning independence for Israel in 1948.

Our final quick stop before the hotel was at another tomb, this of Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNess. Rabbi Meir, who helped write the Mishnah, is known for working miracles, and his tomb is housed in a small complex containing a yeshiva, study areas, and a few gift shops. The contrast between the two burial sites was like night and day, but both of these extremes represent precious eras in the history of the Jewish people.

Down By The Dead Sea

2008-11-05T16:54:00.012-05:00

Tuesday, November 4
Contributed by: Barb Sigman and Cindi Hmelo-Silver

This morning, the first timers drove through the west bank towards the Dead Sea. Our first stop was at Ein Gedi Nature Preserve, where we saw the cave where David cut off the hem of King Saul's robe, to demonstrate that although he could have killed Saul, he didn't. We hiked through the hills to a hidden waterfall. People proceeded to strip down and jump into the water towards the waterfall. We saw an ibex posing on the nearby mountain top, and birds singing in the trees.

We then travelled to nearby Masada, where we roamed the grounds before ascending to the apex. The views were breathtaking. How in the world did Herod build a pleasure palace, complete with hot baths, at the top of a rock? No one in our group was allowed to walk up due to time constraints, and no one walked down due to the rush to see the enormous gift shop and cafeteria lines. Most people gave up standing in the lines at the sparse snack bar for coffee, sandwiches and ice cream.
Our afternoon ended at the Dead Sea, which was amazing, framed with a rainbow. Everyone found their way to the beach and ventured into the rocky waters. The so-called sand or rocks were in fact large rock salt. When the salt is rubbed over the body, it purifies the skin. Some others selected mud baths also.The facial expressions as we slathered ourselves with mud were priceless.

Today was largely spent outdoors. We began the day with a visit to the Kibbutz Almog as we learned about the difference between the traditional kibbutz and the new style of privatized kibbutz life. From there the returnees were off to Qumran, where a Bedouin shepherd found the Dead Sea Scrolls. It was hot and sunny as we viewed the ruins of the ascetic Essene sect that wrote the scrolls. From the ruins, we could see some of the caves where fragments of the scrolls were found. We saw the rooms where the scribed worked and learned how distinguish between a cistern and a mikveh (its all in the steps).

From there, the focus of the day was nature. We went hiking in Nahal David, which is part of the Ein Gedi reserve. The group members were real troopers as we hiked into the waterfall (and Andrew and Bill had their swim among the waterfall as many others dunked their feet). It was a beautiful site- the returnees saw a family of hyrax while we understand that the first timers were excited to see the ibex (not that the returnees did not look for them). The landscape of mountains, streams, and waterfalls serves as a reminder that Israel is a magnificent country for many reasons.

Finally, after wandering around in the hot sun for much of the day, we finished at the Dead Sea. We met with the first timers group at the hotel where we were using the beach. Unlike other Dead Sea sites, this one had salt rather than mud at the bottom. We floated, exfoliated, and generally relaxed with our chaverim to finish a great day in outdoor Israel.

At night, we explored Ben Yehuda Street with its many Judaica shops. The feel of Jerusalem never stops to amaze, the contrasts between ancient, old and new. The consistency of all the buildings made of the same material, Jerusalem stone. At night you can feel the energy of the country. The air is filled with music, sometimes Israeli, sometimes Arabic, the pace of Ben Yehuda street and the surrounding shopping centers is brisk.

We Remember, in Israel and at Home

2008-11-03T16:12:00.008-05:00

Monday, Nov. 3

The memory of those lost in the Holocaust was fresh in the minds and hearts of Anshe Emeth's congregants these past two days. Today in Israel, all of the Temple's Israel travellers spent the morning at the "new" Yad Vashem, remembering the communities and individuals who were lost to us.

And meanwhile, back at home only a few hours earlier, our adult choir, Makhelat Anshe Emeth, united with the New Brunswick Chamber Orchestra to play and sing a concert entitled "The Spirit Lives On: Tragedy and Triumph". Music commemorating the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht filled our sanctuary on this past Sunday afternoon. The gestalt of music, images, and narration provided a moving tribute to lives and entire Jewish enclaves lost 70 years ago. It was thrilling to have top-notch musicians like the New Brunswick Chamber Orchestra playing in our sanctuary, where the acoustics enabled a mere 16 to sound like 100, and to welcome guests from the surrounding community into our beautiful home. The photos below cannot do justice to the music, but will perhaps convey the mood of the experience to anyone who missed it.

The Old Are Still Young

2008-11-03T02:08:00.013-05:00

Sunday, Nov. 2

Today was another incredibly full day--starting at 8:00 a.m. and not finishing until almost midnight! The bus with the first-timers headed first for Yad L'Kashish, an arts workshop for senior adults who otherwise might not have a way to support themselves or do meaningful work during the day. The facility is fascinating, with many rooms up and downstairs, each dedicated to a particular craft. We saw men and women working on embroidery work, metalwork, painting on silk, and making ceramics. The resulting articles are truly beatiful--despite the fact that most of the workers had not been trained as craftspeople before they came to Yad L'Kashish. Nevertheless, after learning their crafts, they produce beatiful articles ranging from Judaica such as challah covers, kiddush cups, mezuzot, and talleisim, to more general items such as jewelry, scarves, wall hangings, baby clothes, and small household items of all descriptions. Our visit ended with a shopping spree in the gift shop, giving us an opportunity to support a unique organization while bringing home wonderful gifts and souvenirs.

From there, we went to Jerusalem's Old City for a walking tour through the Jewish quarter. We stopped at the Cardo, amazed to be standing on 2,000-year-old pavement, and to see shops in the archways just as they must have been in Roman times.

We saw the remains of the Hurva Synagogue in the Hurva Square, and visited the Herodian Mansions to see how the wealthy Jews lived in the first century. And then we went into the Davidson Archaeological Park at the base of the Temple Mount, where we saw ancient remains of buildings, mikvaot, and sat on the original steps leading up to the doors of the Temple, as our guide explained it all to us. Our morning ended with a visit to the Kotel. After lunch, we visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, before getting back to the hotel at about 5 pm.

The repeaters group left the hotel and headed right for the Dung Gate of the Old City. We looked at the excavations below us as we waited in line to pass through security on our way up the ramp to the Temple Mount. We stepped through the thick wall onto the platform beyond, into an unexpectedly park-like area. The top of the Temple Mount has trees, fountains, stone benches and archways, and of course, is dominated by the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aksa Mosque. We walked slowly toward the Dome of the Rock, while discussing the reasons why Orthodox Jews will not go up there (they do not want to risk defiling the sacred precincts of the First and Second Temple periods), and hearing the story of Mohammed's "night ride" to the site, which is what makes it holy to Muslims. The Dome of the Rock itself is quite beautiful, covered with mosaics and of course topped by the golden dome. We spent about 30-45 minutes up there before leaving through an arched doorway which led directly into the Arab quarter and the marketplace.

A short walk from there took us to the Kotel, where we all visited the Wall, and some of us left our prayers on small slips of paper, wedged precariously into the cracks in the stones. From there, we went to Yad LaKashish, and then to the German Colony area to have lunch. We left Jeruselam at about 2 pm and drove south, past sections of the security wall and the town of Bethlehem, until we came to the Elah Valley. There we visited the Ella Winery. Our guide took us through the plant, explaining the wine-making process, before sitting us down for a wine-tasting.

After leaving the winery, we drove for about 10 minutes past the site of the biblical city of Socoh, and stopping in the valley where David met Goliath. Our guide Mike read to us from the book of I Samuel, explaining exactly where the army of the Philistines was encamped across from the Israelites, and how David must have gone down to the stream bed near where we stood to pick up the stones with which he killed Goliath. We could almost see the two armies arrayed in front of our eyes. As we drove back to the hotel, however, a lot of our eyes closed in exhaustion from the long day.
It was not over yet, however--we still had one more awesome experience. At 9:30, most of our entire group went back to the Kotel to enter the Western Wall Tunnel. This is a truly mind-blowing place, a tunnel which follows along the entire length of the Western Wall from the Kotel to the very end. As we walked, we saw stones which weighed over 600 tons, original Roman columns embedded into the walls, we walked on ancient paving stones, and ended by passing through high narrow walls which could have been from a movie set, they were so incredible, and ending at an ancient reservoir built by the Romans after they destroyed the Temple. We came back outside to a mild night, in the Western Wall plaza bathed by lights, and walked slowly back to our buses. It was truly a magical evening.

Shabbat in Yerushalayim

2008-11-01T16:26:00.013-04:00

Saturday, Nov. 1, 2008

Contributed by: Lynn Sherman and Debbie Cohn

We had a wonderful Shabbat here in Yerushalayim. After a delicious breakfast we walked together up King David Street to Shabbat Services at the Hebrew Union College. We were warmly welcomed, and Rabbi Miller was honored by having an Aliyah. The service was wonderful, we really enjoyed the singing and participation by the students. We shared Kiddush, and met interesting travelers from many other parts of America.

At around noon, the two groups divided. The first timers headed over to the Museum of the History of Jerusalem in the Tower of David, near the Jaffa Gate in the Old City. Our guide Mike was full of fascinating information, and we saw a beautiful Chihuly glass chandelier at the entrance.

We then went into the Old City through the Jaffa gate, had a quick lunch of Shwarma and Falafel, and many of us tried the sesame bagels as well. Fresh squeezed pomegranate juice was a highlight. We took a short walk through the Arab quarter, and ended up on the roof tops overlooking Jerusalem. Mike read some beautiful poetry that touched our hearts.

The “repeaters” followed a similar path. We walked through the new area of David’s City and up to the Jaffa Gate, where we stopped for water and soft sesame bagels. Rabbi Miller made sure to get some zatar herbs to dip the bread into—it is the most delicious combination! After that, we walked into the Christian quarter, where our guide Mike (yes, both guides are named Mike!) explained the complexity of the different Christian sects and denominations which share “custody” of the quarter, and particularly of the Church of the Holy Supulchre. We then walked through the bustling and colorful shuk to get to the church.

The courtyard outside, and the church inside were both simply PACKED with tour groups and other visitors. We squished ourselves inside and were treated to a combination of an Armenian procession with censors scenting the air, Roman Catholic organ music, and a Greek Orthodox priest overseeing the proceedings, because all this was taking place in “his” section of the church. We moved through slowly, stopping once more to see a 1st century Jewish burial cave which is inside the church.

When we left the church, we stopped for 30 minutes for a lunch break nearby, and then we walked back through the shuk again. It was slow going, because it was crowded and was simply a feast for the eyes. We departed the Old City through the Jaffa Gate, stopping to discuss the phenomenon of visitors who have religious epiphanies as a result of their visit to Israel.

Then we walked leisurely back to our hotel, stopping from time to time so Mike could read us selections of poetry by Yehuda Amichai, an Israeli poet who lived in the Yemin Moshe neighborhood through which we were walking. The poetry gave a poignant glimpse of Israeli life and really enhanced our experience of the city today.

At 5:00, we shared a wonderful Havdallah Service in the courtyard of the hotel, and then had the privilege to hear about the current political situation in Israel today from a professor at Hebrew University. Afterwards, we all headed out for some shopping and dinner around and about this beautiful city. Tomorrow—more explorations of the Old City.

Going Up To--and Down Under--Jerusalem

2008-10-31T17:14:00.013-04:00

Friday, Oct. 31, 2008

Early this morning, 58 very bleary-eyed Anshe Emeth congregants arrived at Ben Gurion Airport on two separate flights. The main contingent, including Rabbi Miller, flew over on El Al, and reports have it that almost no one slept very much during the 10.5 hour flights thanks to crying babies and continuous davening in the aisles. After collecting their luggage, they headed to the Haas Promenade to say a shechecheyanu upon their arrival in Jerusalem. Six of us arrived an hour later on Continental, and played catch-up to the main group. And 4 people who arrived in Israel earlier this week came out to the airport to meet the earlier plane. But by about 10:30 a.m., we were all together at the City of David National Park, just south of the Temple Mount.

City of David is a fantastic place which is largely underground. The area consists of the original Israelite city of King David's time, and the most remarkable aspect of the site is the underground water system which has been used for thousands of years to bring water into Jerusalem. The water tunnels are opened to the public, and the park was full of tour groups climbing down endless series of steps, descending into the tunnels and walking on ancient pathways.

Looking down at the Royal Quarter

As planned, we are divided into two groups each day for touring. The "first timers" went to view the archaeological remains of the city itself, the "Royal Quarter", which is terraced onto the side of the hill. The remains of a number of massive buildings have been uncovered and can be seen from the observation areas on the top of the site. The group then headed down to explore the area around Hezekiah's water tunnel. This 1,750-foot tunnel was created in the bedrock of the mount in order to divert the waters of the Gihon Spring, Jerusalem's main water supply. King Hezekiah's

engineers accomplished this task in order to protect the city during the siege by the Assyrian empire (~701 BCE.) Although the group wasn't able to walk through the tunnel itself, as planned, they did go down through Warren's Shaft, a vertical system which meets up with yet another tunnel which accesses the Gihon Spring. They also surveyed the Shiloah Pool, the main mikveh which allowed visitors to the Temple Mount to ritually cleanse themselves before climbing up the long staircase to the Temple.

"First Timers" underground

The "repeaters" group was privileged to be guided by Eli Shukrun, the archaeologist who is in charge of the latest work in this area, exploring the Shiloah tunnel system. This system is not as deep as Hezekiah's tunnel, but it is significantly older.

"Repeaters" listen to Eli Shukrun while looking down at

the "Royal Quarter"

The latest excavations have made it clear that hidden tunnels accessed the Gihon Spring in the time of Abraham, when the Canaanites still lived on the site later conquered by King David. The group also went down through Warren's Shaft, then entered the newer excavation and followed the stairways deeper into bedrock until they came to the area of the original Gihon pool. This large underground pool allowed water to be drawn and then taken up to the surface. It became a dry empty area when Hezekiah's tunnel diverted the water away further below ground, and subsequently houses were built in that spot. Foundations of the houses are still there, deep underground. This area is not usually open to the public, but Eli Shukrun has the key to the gate, and he took us inside.

Descending into the water shaft

At that point, we were given warning that the way ahead was VERY narrow--it is a small cramped tunnel which leads to just above the Gihon Spring water (up until this point, the tunnels were completely dry.) We carefully followed, ducking to avoid the ceiling and in one place, squeezing through a very small space about 4 feet high and 2 feet wide. After viewing the water beneath our feet, we squished back through to another narrow tunnel which led at last to daylight.

A very narrow space

Both groups stopped for lunch in the German Colony area (falafel or shwarma for most of us) and then were taken to the Inbal hotel. We collected our luggage and checked in, but only 2 hours later it was time to meet for kabbalat shabbat services. This time we split into 3 groups, visiting Kol HaNeshamah or Har El (both Reform congregations), or the Great Synagogue, an Orthodox synagogue. At 7:30 we went to dinner at Beit Shalom, a historic landmark building built in the Bauhaus school of design, containing beautiful art and furniture dating to the original owners from the 1930s. The food was delicious and we were invited to walk through the house and simply enjoy ourselves. We were all more than ready, however, to go back to the hotel to sleep, especially when we heard the ambitious agenda that Rabbi Miller and our guides have waiting for us in the next couple of days!

Simchat Torah 5769

2008-10-26T20:04:00.015-04:00

October 21, 2008
Photos by Adam Cohen
and Ira Gordon

On Simchat Torah, it is our AEMT tradition to consecrate all the children who are beginning their religious school education this year. First, we take a group photo of our entering class of 5769. Then, the children go upstairs to wait eagerly outside in the vestibule, holding tightly to their very own miniature Torahs, while the congregation begins our special Simchat Torah service in the sanctuary.

At the appropriate moment, the children are led into the sanctuary and they take their place on the bimah for a special consecration blessing. Then, with the rabbis and lay leaders of Anshe Emeth, the newly consecrated students lead a joyful hakafah through the entire congregation....

....and into Reitman Hall, where the dancing and celebration continue!

Members of our Junior Choir join Cantor Ott and Anshe Emeth's own Awesome Family Band to lead the singing as the dancing continues.

After the dancing, we go back into the sanctuary, unroll the Torahs, and listen to the rabbis chant the verses which complete the annual Torah reading cycle and begin again "in the beginning" with Beresheet. By the time we end the reading, the children are so comfortable that they go up to the bimah to help Rabbi Miller and Rabbi Fellman put the Torahs back into the Ark.

At the conclusion of the service, we all go back to Reitman Hall and celebrate the sweetness of Torah and of learning with candy and juice. It was a wonderful evening!

Junior Year in Israel

2008-02-28T23:04:00.013-05:00

February 20, 2008
Contributed by: Sandra Levine, EIE Participant

[Blog Editor's Note: The Eisendrath International Exchange (EIE) is a program for high school juniors through the Union for Reform Judaism . Currently, four of Anshe Emeth's students are spending the spring semester studying in Israel. Sandra has given her permission for the Blog Editor to share the letter she wrote to family and friends.]

It’s been about three weeks that I have been in Israel and it is really going great! It was very stressful at first and a little bit overwhelming, but everyone adjusted quickly and it has gotten a lot easier.

Adrian, Sam, Sandra and Adam enjoy an unusual snowfall only a few days after their arrival in Israel

My typical day is very very long. We start school at 8 inthe morning and have Hebrew for 2 and a half hours and then Jewish History for three hours. Then I have about two hours off, then I have Spanish, US History, Math, and Physics. I get out of school at 7 at night and then go to a group meeting and then hang out with friends, occasionally do homework, or hang out with our new Israeli friends. The kibbutz is very nice but I am getting a little tired of the food.

Sam and Sandra

I wanted to get in touch with everyone now because tomorrow we pack all of our stuff up and head out to Masada to see the sunrise. Then we spend two days in Ein Gedi and then a day at the Dead Sea. Right from the Dead sea we are going to Gadna--the army training session-- for five days. We have had a few orientations for it and I am so excited. We also change rooms when we get back so I have a lot of packing to do tonight!!

Adam

Today we are taking a trip to some museum--I'm sure everyone knows how thrilled I am about that--and then we just have a regular day. The past few days have been very exciting because a group from Boston was here and Rabbi Gold was with them and I got to spend a lot of time with him. Also my friend Emma arrived in Israel yesterday and she came to visit too! Tonight I might be seeing another friend from home that is leaving Jerusalem soon. It is so nice to see people from home in Israel. I miss everyone and would love to hear from everyone.

6th Grade Retreat

2008-01-19T16:55:00.000-05:00

January 11-13, 2008
Contributed by: JONAH STERN, 6th grade class member

[Blog Editor's Note: Every year, as part of the Religious School curriculum, all of the 6th graders go on a class retreat with the clergy and professional staff of the Temple.]

The sixth grade retreat for 2008 was an awesome experience in so many ways. To start with, there’s the transportation. We traveled to Camp Harlam in a beautiful coach bus equipped with several TVs, a bathroom, and comfortable seats with more than enough leg room. The bus was so comfortable that many of us did not want to get off when we arrived. The bunks at the camp are very neat and clean. There is a shower in both the boys’ bunk and the girls’ bunk. The cots are very easy to sleep on and they are also very comfortable. On the camp grounds there are basketball courts, tennis courts, and a ga-ga court (I will never forget watching Rabbi Kogan playing ga-ga). There is also a synagogue, a library, and a dinning room. So in short, Camp Harlam has everything anyone could need.

The unrolled Torah scroll was to show everyone the different types of writing and how the words can be formed in different ways.

The Pocoannapolis conference was a lot of fun. Everyone was split into 5 groups: Israel, Palestine, India, China, and USA to mimic the peace conference in Annapolis. Each country had to design their own flag, make up a song about their country, and also bargain with the other countries for supplies. This program was a part of each day we were at the camp. We usually had Pocoannapolis after a service.

Members of the Israel "delegation" rap about Israel in our "Pocoannapolis" conference[Click on the arrow beneath the photo, on the left, to watch the video.]

The retreat was not only fun because of the activities, but also because it was a time for bonding and really getting to know anyone in your grade with whom you weren’t as good a friend. I’m sure that if you were to ask anyone in the sixth grade if they made a new friend or became better friends with at least one person, they would say yes.
Another aspect of the trip were the delicious meals. At the camp, breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all served in the dining hall. The food was not only delicious but there was way more than enough for everyone. Before and after meals we said blessings and Birkat Hamazon. Camp Harlam was truly a great experience for any sixth grader who wants to have a lot of fun.

Congregation Breakfast

2008-01-07T22:22:00.000-05:00

January 6, 2008

Sunday morning--always a busy time at Anshe Emeth! On any regular week, our Hebrew High School is in session and the choir is rehearsing. There are usually other programs as well. This week, the religious school programming featured Joanne Doades, author of Parenting Jewish Teens: A Guide for the Perplexed, who led a session for parents and students on relationship issues between teens and their parents. The Social Hall was busy with volunteers donating blood at our annual blood drive. And Reitman Hall was filled with over 100 people enjoying our 2nd annual Congregation Breakfast. Joe Cohn and his team served up eggs and omelets to order, quiche, pancakes, waffles, french toast, fruit salad, blintzes, and a dazzling array of home-baked bagels, rolls, cornbread, and cinnamon buns (click on the links for recipes). Guests began arriving at 9:30, with the final wave of Shirei Emet (our high school choir) members coming through at 12:15 before their rehearsal. No one left hungry!

Commenting on why he loves cooking for our congregation, Joe said, "We are all so busy with so many activities, projects, responsibilities, tasks, agendas, and life.... I believe it is good for a community to just kick back, eat, and shmooze, be nurtured and happy and together, for no other reason. One of my very fond childhood memories is of the congregational breakfasts at AEMT. My father was one of the people doing the cooking back then. I want to replicate and promote and preserve that tradition--it brings me full circle in my life at the Temple."

Contributed by: Chai Points Blog Editor