May 2

Witnessing the observance of the Jewish holidays here in Israel has probably been one of the greatest highlights of the last ten months.  I walked down the middle of normally very busy roads on Yom Kippur, and I saw giant chanukiot being lit on the sidewalks on Chanukah.  I saw people of all ages wearing costumes on Purim, and I celebrated Passover, the Exodus from Egypt, in Jerusalem.  Most recently, I have sensed the unity that is made so distinct by Israelis during the days of Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day), Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day for Soldiers), and Yom Ha’atzma’ut (Independence Day).

 

Just a couple of weeks ago, I attended a program at Yad VaShem (the Israeli Holocaust Museum) to honor Yom HaShoah.  It was a very emotional program with a remarkably large attendance. The Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu spoke in addition to many others who are important to Israeli government and society.  This year, they highlighted the plight of children during the Holocaust.  They chose 6 people who were child survivors of the Holocaust to tell their stories and light 6 torches in memory of the 6 million.  It was an incredibly moving event.

Twin-sister Holocaust survivors Lia Huber and Iudit Barnea light a torch for the opening remembrance ceremony Monday at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem. (AP)photo from the Huffington Post online
IDF soldier stands at attention at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem. (AP)photo from the Huffington Post onlinePrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu giving a speech at Monday's opening ceremony at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. (AP)photo from the Huffington Post online

Also, on the day of Yom HaShoah, at 10 a.m., there is a siren that goes off all over Israel for 2 minutes.  People all over the country take these two minutes to completely stop what they were doing and pause to reflect in silence over the Holocaust.  The picture below is taken of cars stopped in the middle of a busy Tel Aviv road.Israelis in Tel Aviv stop, mid-commute, to stand in ceremonial solidarity while a siren blares. (AP)photo from the Huffington Post online

 

More recently, I attended another Israeli program honoring Israel’s soldiers as well as Israel’s 61^st birthday!  It was an event that combined Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzma’ut.  Israeli soldiers in many different uniforms paraded around with Israeli flags in unique formations.  They also took the opportunity to celebrate the city of Tel Aviv’s 100^th birthday this year.  On the eve of Yom Ha’atzma’ut, it seemed like everyone in the city of Jerusalem was out in the streets celebrating.  There were bands playing while kids and adults with silly hats and glow sticks ran up and down the streets spraying shaving cream all over the place.  There were also hot dogs (kosher ones, of course!), drinks, and souvenirs for sale.  When it got very late, a few friends and I found our way to a street party where a DJ blasted techno music and Israelis in their 20s and 30s danced and drank the night away while waving around (and some even wearing) Israeli flags.  I don’t think that’s something I’ve ever experienced in the U.S. on the 4^th of July!

People here tend to call these “Yom’s” the secular Israeli High Holy Days.  And they truly are holy days to Israelis and are taken extremely seriously.  To be a soldier is a great honor and is given incredible respect on each of these days, especially Yom HaZikaron.  It’s not too difficult to get used to constantly seeing soldiers carrying guns half their size on their backs walking down the streets every day.  But their presence and their contribution to Israeli life is always felt and a source of great pride here.  For more information and a different perspective, check out the following:  http://makom.haaretz.com/blog.asp?bId=142

 

Well, now I only have 2 more weeks of classes, followed by 1 week of final exams.  Then I must pack and make my way back home.  The cantorial students have one more concert to deliver this Thursday as a showcase of some of the Israeli art music we have learned about this semester.  I have a lot of work to do, and I hope I can get it all done in a timely fashion without too much stress!  I look forward to seeing you all soon as I return home in less than a month, but I think I will miss Israel!

March Update

Hi Friends!!!  I have lots to tell you!

 

First of all, at 7 a.m. one morning a couple of weeks ago, I went to a Rosh Chodesh service at the Western Wall with a group of progressive Jewish women who call themselves the “Women of the Wall.”  I believe I told you a little bit about them in my previous blog entry.  Because there was a Reform Rabbis’ Convention in town, there were many people attending.  There were probably 50 women, including the regular Women of the Wall, some female reform Rabbis, and other HUC students like me.  There were also about 15-20 men that came to support us.  We stood, huddled together, just inside the entrance to the women’s section of the Western Wall and held our short service.  Most of the service was sung by one leader, but there were a few songs that we sang together, out loud.  Because men are not allowed to hear female voices singing in prayer, we raised more than just an eyebrow or two!  There were men from the men’s side of the mechitzah yelling at us to stop singing.  Eventually, a female guard began to yell at us—louder than we were singing—to stop.  When we didn’t stop, she brought over multiple male guards with guns as well as others who appeared to be her superiors.  (See pictures below)  We were able to finish the first part of our service and continue with the Torah reading elsewhere (women reading Torah at the wall is highly illegal).  It was an intense morning, to say the least!  I felt my body fill with adrenaline.  I was terrified and excited all at the same time!  I am so glad that I went.  I have recently been contemplating my personal/religious relationship to the Wall, and after this experience, I feel I have more of a connection to hold onto.  

photo by Mirah Curzer

“Women of the Wall”

photo by Mirah Curzer

A brave reform rabbi (blue shirt) speaking with the orthodox men who were yelling at us from the men’s side of the Wall

photo by Mirah Curzer

just a few of the men who came to support us

photo by Mirah Curzer

the angry female guard who yelled at us to stop singing

photo by Mirah Curzer

multiple guards get involved and speak directly with Anat Hoffman, a leader of the Women of the Wall

 

 

 

In other news, I led my first HUC morning (Shacharit) service with two rabbinical students on Monday, February 9^th.  It was Tu B’shevat, so we had fun incorporating Israeli nature-type songs into our service.  We all felt really good about what we put together, and we got positive feedback from our peers and from our evaluators.  

 

 

 

Maybe you all remember Benny Maiser who came and worked with the cantorial students in a master class last December?  A fellow student, Nancy Bach (who has a great HUC blog on www.huc.edu) posted a picture of him working with me in the class:

Also, last night, I went to a MASA sponsored Idan Raichel Project concert.  MASA is an organization that helps fund students who want to study in Israel.  The Idan Raichel Project is a fantastic Israeli musical group with many talented musicians that attempts to incorporate musical sounds from all over the world.  Their website is: http://www.idanraichelproject.com/en/.  I highly recommend checking out their message and their music. 

 

Purim is coming up!  The cantorial students and a few brave rabbinical students who volunteered will be chanting the whole megilah!  The trope system for the megilah (which is different from Torah and Haftarah trope) is very dramatic and interesting to listen to.  A few people are also doing some short Purim shpiels.  My roommate, Aviva, for example, is performing/writing/directing/starring in “Shacharit, the Musical.”  We’re also all dressing up.  It should be a fun night! 

 

All of the students are currently working on applying and interviewing for next year’s student pulpit jobs.  I am applying to about 7 or 8.  Congregations (especially the smaller ones) apply to the school for a student to come for High Holy Day services, and various times throughout the year, either multiple times per week, twice a month, or once a month.  As much as I will miss Temple Emanuel, I am excited for next year.  I should find out by the end of March my congregation placement.  My job could be in New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Alabama, Florida, or who knows?! .  I am truly looking forward to spending the summer with my Temple Emanuel family, though!

 

Well, I guess that’s enough for one blog!  I hope everyone is doing well!  I hope to hear from you soon!

 

L’Shalom,

Amanda

Hello all!  Firstly, I want to apologize for my lack of blog entries!  I promise to try to be better about that in the next 4 months or so.

Well, the first week of classes for our 2nd semester has come to an end.  I haven't found out my grades/results from last semester yet, but I feel pretty good about it.  For the first 3 days of this week, we had a colloquium.  Professors from the 3 North American campuses came to lead us in discussion about many interesting issues currently facing the Reform Movement.  Mark Kligman, from the New York campus, is a Professor of Jewish Musicology.  Sara Lee, from the Los Angeles campus, is a Professor of Jewish Education.  Richard Sarason, from the Cincinnati campus is a Professor of Rabbinic Literature and Thought.  Dean Rabbi Michael Marmur, from the Jerusalem campus was also involved in much of the colloquium.  We focused on three themes:  America and the American Jewish Context, Reform Judaism and Reform Jews, and Jewish Peoplehood.  We discussed the growing diversity of Jews and the implications for our institutions of Jewish life, embracing inclusivity and pluralism in our communities while coming together around core values, as well as the perspectives on Judaism as a religion and as an ethnicity that shape the self-understanding of Jews.  Although I was jet-lagged, the this we learned and the discussions were definitely worthwhile.  

On Wednesday, we continued in our series of classes called "Israel Seminar."  Every week, we discuss different topics that relate to Israeli society and culture.  This week, we learned about women in Israeli society.  A fantastic speaker, named Anat Hoffman, explained one specific issue relating to women and religion in this country.  She is the Executive Director of the Israel Religious Action Center and a former Jerusalem councilor.  She is also a part of "Women at the Wall," a group of religious women (from all different observances of Judaism) who like to hold Rosh Chodesh services at the Western Wall 11 months out of the year.  Their group has been in existence for about the last 20 years.  She explained all of the MAJOR difficulties her group faced against the super-religious facet of the government.  They were opposed to women holding the services they were holding, and it's been an ongoing battle for many years between these women and the government.  I found it very interesting to hear how much more difficult it is here in Israel for women simply because of the religious influence on the government even though the Orthodox/Haredi population only makes up less than 15 % of the whole Israeli population.

And today, Thursday, we're back to a regular class schedule.  I've added two new classes this semester:  Bible and Israeli Art Songs.  Both of which, I'm very excited about!  It's good to be back and in a routine again.  It was also really great to be home for a little while.  It was so nice to see so many of you, even if it was only for a short amount of time!  I can't believe I only have four months left before I come back home again!  My goal is to make the most of my remaining time here.  I hope to report back to you on how that's going soon!

Thanks for reading!

Amanda