Always playing catch up...

This past week marked the first full month in Israel as an OTZMA participant and what an incredible month it's been.


OTZMA spent Yom Kippur as a group in Jerusalem. We left Ashkelon early on the Friday morning of Erev Yom Kippur for a series of lectures and seminars before the Holiday began. I really have to credit OTZMA with providing such phenomenal educational opportunities. More than the learning that happens on a day to day basis from living in a new country and learning a new language, OTZMA provides us with extremely unique opportunities specific to our situation as Jewish Americans in Israel. I went to 3 seminars on the following topics:


-Writing your own confession
-Yom Kippur and Israeli Secularism
-Torah Yoga with Diane Bloomfield


All of the lectures were equally inspiring and unique. Before the seminar I was having a tough time getting into the mindset of the high holidays. I've really only experienced Israel in the summer, on vacation. September came and it was still hot and I was still here. Although I was in Ulpan (intensive hebrew class) it still didn't quite feel like the beginning of a new school year to me. For Rosh Hashanah I didn't even step into a synagogue let alone spend all day there as I've done in years past. Obviously with new beginnings come change but even so, the markers that never seem to change regardless of occasion or circumstance have indeed changed. In Israel I can't count on the leaves changing, or a brisk wind to tell me it's time to atone. Instead, I can still sit on the beach.

The seminar primed me. It made me stop and look around and realize that the energy in Israel is indeed palpable. I spent Kol Nidre at HUC (the Jerusalem Seminary for the Reform Movement) and even ran into my old friend Alexis (Shoutout to Kvutzah Dekel, NFTY in Israel 2005!) After a beautiful service it hit me:

The streets were completely empty of cars.

Absolutely no traffic in one of the world's busiest cities.

Simply Magical.

I spent the next day adventuring through the old city, slowly making my way to the Kotel (the Western wall) for the second time in a few weeks. The combination of the fast and the Israeli heat exhausted me and I slowly walked back to my hotel to rest for the remainder of the day. It was unlike any of my previous Yom Kippur experiences.

OTZMA broke the fast together and headed back to Ashkelon while Becca and I stayed in Jerusalem for a night on the town with Yoni.