It's now Wednesday evening and I've been in the Jewel program for 3 days. Let me start by saying how happy I am that I chose this program. Jewel is a fantastic program filled with an array of interesting and accomplished women from the age of 19 up to 30. When I found this program online I thought to myself that if I was going to be in Israel for a year then I needed to explore my own Judaism to find truth, understanding, and knowledge for me. I'm confident after the classes that I've been attending that I will be able to find that here.
On the first day of classes we started with a short Torah study in a small setting. We learned about Abraham and the parsha (Torah portion) called Lech Lecha. This class was called "Bringing the Text to Life". From there we took a panoramic tour of Jerusalem and visited the Kotel (Western Wall). I've started to get to know some of the girls and I'm currently rooming with a southern girl from Georgia, a Brooklyn New Yorker, and a girl from Liverpool UK. A few of us went out to Ben Yehuda Street and walked around the shops and sights of the vibrant and exciting area.
Today our first class was "What is Chesed?". I can translate that loosely to charity or good deeds, but it's so much more than that. The hour long class touched on the true meaning of giving on several different levels as Jews and through our culture and faith. We followed that with a phenomenal Rabbi who related current and personal issues to understanding of Judaism. After this, we went to a farm and picked onions for the needy. It was wonderful to be out in the fields helping and working for a great cause. We picked over 3,000 pounds of onions (of which I picked roughly 6 bins) that will be served tonight and tomorrow morning in homeless shelters around Israel. Our final class for the night was about Essential Jewish Concepts with, once again, and phenomenal Rabbi.
Before I continue, let me say that so many of us (myself included) have a very stereo typical idea of what "Religious Jews" are and maybe even what that means in our own minds. This is not saying that tomorrow I'm going to become "Ultra Orthodox", but I feel like in such a short time my eyes have opened and I've met some incredible teachers that truly embody what is important to be as a person and as a Jew. Underneath the black hat or the pretty wig (or hair covering), there are amazing, interesting, and very REAL people who have had real life experiences.
Tomorrow afternoon we're going to be studying in the Old City of Jerusalem at the Aish Ha Torah building near the Kotel. For Shabbat (our Sabbath) we'll be having dinner in the Old City.
I am moved, honored, and feel truly privileged to be studying with and learning from such incredible teachers and peers. So as to not innundate with too much information right away please know that I am happy to answer any questions that anyone has about anything I have learned thus far. I have been taking pages of notes and as time allows may send out a separate email with information that I find especially interesting. So let me know if you want to be looped in.
Til next time, remember that your soul is looking for the chance to give to others. That giving doesn't have to be something huge. A smile, a hug, or even listening to your kid's bad day at school can have a monumental impact. You can affect people positively by just being in tune and just listening... or you can pick onions... or both! =)
Picture 1: Onions
Picture 2: Onions
Picture 3: At the Kotel with the Rebbitsen (who is one of the founders of Jewel)
Picture 4: During the panoramic tour
Picture 5: Me!
Dear Sarah , I am fascinated by your experiences and truly glad to be included. I would like all the information and insights that you have to share. All of the worlds great religions have common themes running through them and if one can remember to pass on that smile, that hug and even the onion that you picked, we can slowly change the world one moment at a time as we discover our own depth .
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