Talk about a major "Holiday Season"... Woah. The Chaggim (holidays) in Israel are intense, long, exciting, fun, exhausting... That's not even to mention the on going "peace talks" that have been escalating and added energy in the air. You can feel it when you walk through the streets.
There are Succas (pronounced sue-cah) built all over the city. A Succa is a "thatched hut" that is meant to serve as a representative of the mobile dwelling places that the ancient Hebrews lived in for the 40 years we wandered in the desert before reaching Mount Sinai and receiving the Torah. It's considered a "Major Mitzvah" (big time good deed) to build one and to spend as much time as possible in one for the entire week. People eat, sleep, and spend time together in their Succas. Hotels decks, restaurant patios, back yards, front yards, apartment balconies, you name it are all converted into Succas. Watching them be built in and around Jerusalem was incredible. Whole families are together hammering and drilling and "thatching" their (sometimes not so) little huts. Palm branches and bamboo and ply wood are strapped to the tops of cars and driven home for the makings of the perfect dwelling place for their families for the next week.
After Yom Kippur we are in a state of spiritual purity and are able to easily strip away the physicality and materialism of the outside world and live with our families in simplicity for a whole week. I've been invited to some pretty cool Sukkot (the name of the holiday which is pronounced Sue-Coat) parties and festivals over the course of the past week, and have had the pleasure to see some of the most unique and beautiful Succas. I spent the beginning of the Chag and Shabbat with the Brill family in their Succa. We ate and talked and enjoyed each other's company in their lovely Succa.
My friend, Elyse (from Jewel) came for Shabbat and we were able to walk around Tekoa admiring Succas after Shabbos dinner. The Brill's Succa is big enough for a table some beautiful decorations and to be to sit around comfortably and enjoy the meal together. Whereas the Siedner's Succa was big enough to include an enormous table for easily 12 people as well as 2 couches. Then there's everything in between. Big, little, ornate, modest... you name it... you've got it.
The director and Rebbitzen from Jewel invited any alumni who was in Israel to a luncheon at her home in Ramat Shlomo this past Sunday. Rabbi and Rebbitzen Eisenbach hosted about 15 or so girls in their Succa. It was really wonderful to see familiar faces and to meet other alumni from the program (which really touched me and so wonderfully changed my life). From there a few of us left and took a bus back towards the city since there were more Succas to visit. Leora, Ilana, and I decided to walk from the Central Bus Station back to Rehaviya. As we were walking we noticed a festival at Gan Soccer (a park near the Kenesset - Israeli parliament building). Of course we decided to walk through and check it out. There were thousands of people camping out (remember the thatched huts) and BBQing and listening to live music. After our quick walk through we went to Leora's place to freshen up and get ready to go to dinner in Nachlaot at Rabbi Glaser's Succa.
Rabbi Yom Tov Glaser and his family hosted an Asian themed meal that evening complete with sushi, egg rolls, and most important... Saki! Their Succa is big enough to seat about 40 people as well as having enough space for their family of 12 to sleep there at night. Wow. Talk about a major sized Succa. The Rabbi and Rebbitzen were very generous hosts. After dinner Rabbi Glaser, a few friends, and a few sons plugged in their instruments and microphones and had a small concert for us (complete with fog and light machines). A dance party followed, but since it was already passing my bed time I left with my friend Olivia to get some dessert and then call it a night.
The next morning I had my Hebrew immersion classes called Ulpan in Rehaviya. On a side note: as you can see I spend a lot of time in the neighborhood of Rehaviya. It's a beautiful area with an amazing central location in Jerusalem.
Back to the situation at hand. As I was walking to my Ulpan a copy of the Jerusalem Post caught my eye, enraged me, and I quickly bought a copy after reading the headline "Olmert urges 'int'l trusteeship' for Holy Basin, which would involve relinquishing sovereignty over Western Wall, Temple Mt." Another headline read, "PA [Palestinian Authority] may not bolt talks after all when freeze ends". So let me make clear my opinion on some of these issues. First and foremost there has been a lengthy hold on construction on "settlements" (including Tekoa) to encourage the PA to come to the table to engage in peace talks. It wasn't until the last 2 weeks of the "freeze" that the PA finally agreed to come to the table and resume negotiations. Why wasn't any of the time before used to engage in peace talks? So the deadline has passed and we [Israel] are supposed to elongate the freeze on construction for...? I'm sorry what am I missing here? We [Israel] have been ready to talk. We want peace. How long and under who's conditions are we supposed to wait? I read an article online this morning saying that the US is pressuring Israel to extend the freeze. Let me just say that like a parent you can't cave to a child's temper tantrum for missing a deadline. There was an agreed upon date and the PA waited much too long to start negotiating. That is the fault of the PA government... Not Israel.
Second... the Temple Mount. There is no way that East Jerusalem will ever become the capital of Palestine. This idea seems absurd to me. We must understand that the nation of Islam doesn't even consider Jerusalem to be their holiest city. Remember Mecca? That's their focal point. When they pray, they face Mecca with their backs to Jerusalem and the Temple Mount... literally! Every Jew (and Christian) in the world knows that Jerusalem is our holy city and it has been for 1000s of years. It would be catostrophic for peace and for the sanctity of all religions to allow the nation of Islam to have joint control over the Western Wall. Did you know that Judaism is one of the only nations that allows religious freedoms? We don't care if you're Christian, Catholic, Buddhist, Hindi or whatever. We offer a moral code to all nations (the Noahide laws) and still allow religious freedoms. We are a light to the nations and have been the creators of judicial law, ethics, and morality. Also, did you know that King Solomon prayed that not only Jews would be able to go to the Western Wall and pray... and have their prayers answered? Gentiles (non Jews) are invited to the Wall as well. We promote tolerance and peace as a core to our beliefs. If you read a daily prayer book there is included a prayer for peace. What is the evident message of the Koran? To assimilate the nations of the world to Islam or to kill those who won't convert.
So I present this as we finish up the holiday of Sukkot and approach Simchat Torah. Simchat Torah is the day to commemorate when we received the Torah at Sinai. We finish reading the book of Deuteronomy and start again with the book of Genesis. The nation of Israel, the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has had a bit of a rough (to put it mildly) several 1000 years. Yet we still survive as a peaceful people with a rich history and culture. Do you want to know the root of your faith? Pick up the 5 books of Moses, the Torah, and study. Remember that Christianity and Islam are off branches from the root of Judaism. Don't convert and be us. It's hard to be a Jew. Learn love for all of mankind, morality, ethics, justice, compassion, charity, and how to live a good life from a good Jewish book.
Don't be swayed by what the majority of society and media says is right and good. You know in your heart what is right and good. It's called your "Yatzer Tov" (pronounced: yay-tzer tov) which is the inclination to do good. Your "Yatzer Hara" (pronounced: yay-tzer hah-rah) is the little voice in the back of your mind telling you to think and to feel what you know in your head, heart, and soul is wrong. Much like the little angel and devil sitting on either shoulder in old cartoons. The media is going to make Palestinians look like the under dogs and the people who need saving from "big bad Israel". Palestinians only need help from their own government and from Hamas. Terrorism is rampant coming from the nation of Islam, not from the nation of Israel. We're a small country and a nation that only takes up .2% of the world population, a few hundred million at best. We're up against about 2 billion Arabs in about 22 countries, most of which surround Israel. Who's the underdog here?
By the way... I battle with my "Yatzer Hara" everyday, but like my Dad says "I'll never let the bastard win." I, Sarah Judith, am not loosing myself, nor changing the core of me... I'm REFINING who I am aaannndddd who I want to be. Mentally, emotionally, spiritually, physically, intellectually... all of me.
Picture #1: Rabbi Glaser's cosmic Succa
Picture #2: Rabbi Glaser and family concert
Picture #3: Gan Soccer Festival
Picture #4: Rebbitzen Eisenbach's Succa
Picture #5: Gilad Shalit encampment's Succa (I pass by this on my walk to Rehaviya almost every day)
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