"Home"

After arriving at JFK, I rented a car and drove to Locustwood Cemetery to visit my Mom.  There I was able to journal and remember how we went to college together, how she typed my papers with her 'one finger' style late at night while I slept, how she put together holiday dinners, how she touched so many student's lives as an English teacher, how beautiful she was as a teenager, how she always had music on in our home which is why I know the words to every show song and standard, how she especially loved "My Ship," how she cared for her mother, how she wrote letters and poems and loved to draw, how she made sure I got a guitar, and how she made me feel very special and loved.  I know she is a happy, free butterfly somewhere....

Then I went to visit my Dad which was wonderful.  I am so proud of his routine, how much he has learned on the computer, how he is loved by so many where he lives, how he keeps my mom's memory alive in his home, how he exercises, how he keeps up with the news and his strong opinions, and how kind he is.  We had a lovely dinner with my sweet brother Gary and Donna.

And then the flight 'home' to San Diego.  Where my true home is I still have yet to discover.


I awakened to the sad news of the bus bombing in Jerusalem.  

Breakfast of Champions

We say that Avraham and Sarah are our models for hospitality, as they rushed to greet guests from their tent.  I  want to thank Necha Golda and Mendel who were my "Sarah and Abraham."  Their generosity, warmth, and kindness is a model that I will treasure.  Their peaceful home was filled with learning, Torah, humor, and delicious food.  Thank you so much! 

G-d Is In This Place...and I Know It...

l'hitraot...

The Hurva Synagogue

The Hurva Synagogue has a long history in Jerusalem.  It was first built by the Ramban in the 1200's.  It was destroyed many times.  Finally, it was rebuilt in 1867.  Our guide's father, a 3rd generation Jerusalemite, remembers singing in this magnificent, rich Shul with the large, established Jewish population.

During the War of Independence in 1948, it was demolished with the promise that all traces of a Jewish presence in the City would also be gone forever.

My last visit to Israel, I visited the Arch Memorial to the Hurva Synagogue...

The Hurva Synagogue has once again been restored!  The Aron Kodesh is an exact replica of the old synagogue.

Notice the old wall incorporated into the new structure...

I look forward to watching the sun come through the windows, bringing golden light onto the ark this Shabbat.  What a privilege to hear the story of this synagogue...

Machane Yehuda

"And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and gather in the increase thereof; but the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of thy people may eat; and what they leave the beast of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy olive yard."

Shabbat in Jerusalem

"Yerushalaim all of gold, Yerushalaim, bronze and light, 

Within my heart I shall treasure, 

Your song and sight."

Shabbat in Jerusalem.  Walking to the Kotel.  Dancing circles of American teens.  Religious men rushing by.  Weeping women by the wall.  Laughing children.  Babies in strollers. Soldiers having a ceremony.  Tour guides speaking to groups. People gathering for conversation.  Prayers.  Songs.  Peace.  

Our GEM group went to the home of Rabbi Efim Svirsky for a wonderful dinner.  He is the Education director of the Russian Program at Aish Ha Torah and also the Director of the Institute of Jewish Spiritual Therapy.  His wife teaches classes to young women ready for marriage.  Delicious food infused with words of Torah and questions about family life in Jerusalem.  Then we went to the home of the Cohen's who welcome guests every Friday evening to their home.

On Saturday we were invited to the Chernin's for a delicious meal.  Renee has a website www.thekosherchannel.com where she has recipes mixed with torah insights.  Her wonderful guests shared their stories of moving to Jerusalem and life in Israel.

Back at Necha Golda's we continued to learn how to elevate the mundane into the spiritual realms, got a lesson in burning wicks in olive oil (very valuable!!) had our third meal, more fascinating study, and bid farewell to Shabbat with the blessings over sweet-smelling spices, candles, and wine for Havdalah.

Then our wonderful Esther took us to Ben Yehuda Street to see the happiness of 'motzi shabbat'...the after Shabbat joy of shopping on the best street in Jerusalem!

Here's the deal....

Straight from Rabbi Mottie Berger:

G-d told Adam and Eve not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. 


At first glance, it would seem that good and evil would be opposites.  But that isn't necessarily so.  


The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil connotes the World of Experience.  Good and evil really depends on the reality of the circumstance.   Let's take killing.  At first thought, we would think killing is evil.  But killing for the sake of self-defense might be good.  But even that gets sticky.  So you need wisdom.  You need a manual.  You need the Tree of Life to go with the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.


In Hebrew, the Torah is called "Etz Chaim" or the "Tree of Life."  It's the manual that connects you to G-d in the world of experience that is good.  What disconnects you from G-d in the world of experience is evil.

Rabbi Berger also states that 'pain is the notification of a problem.'  We are fortunate to get the notification so that we can deal with our problem.  If we constantly get notifications, we can constantly work things out.  


Rabbi Berger reminded us that our essence is our soul and our body is our 'horse.'  Who shall be the driver?  We are animals who are then blessed with the ability to make choices on the highest levels.  For example, we eat like animals do, but we say blessings on our food because we are human beings. Which do we invest more in?  Our bodies or our souls?  This is the challenge that Rabbi Berger put before us.  What is our soul hungry for?  What is our body hungry for?  Lots of food for thought today.


Shabbat Shalom...

The Mitzvah of Challah

This afternoon we went to Raize Guttman's who taught us about one of the three mitzvot for women:  the making of Challah.    Why Challah?  Here are some explanations from Raize:


She told us Adam is called the "challah of the world" - Adam is the only man not born from a woman, but formed from the earth of the four corners of the world and kneaded together.  Challah rectifies the sin of Eve.


Women bring blessings into the home through challah


Women bring the Divine Presence into the home through Challah...every home becomes a sanctuary. 


Women have the power to take the physical and the mundane, like making bread, and uplifting it, infusing it with spirituality, and making it holy.

Challah is made from flour, yeast, salt, sugar, warm water, and oil.  First you put the dry ingredients together and then you add the oil....


While kneading the dough, women have the power to offer prayers and blessings.  Then you perform the mitzvah of separating a piece of the Challah which is to be burned. This mitzvah brings Tikkun to the world, blessings to your home, the Shechinah to dwell therein, qne healings into your life.  The mitzvah of separating the Challah reminds us of the role of Jewish women to take the physical and raise it to a holy spiritual level.


Raize taught us to make flowers, six braided loaves, round loaves, and even doves!
Here is what our challot looked like before and after we baked them!

On the Hebron Road

"And Yaacov told Yosef, go down and check on your brothers..."

What an emotional day on the Hebron Road, hearing the true stories of Hebron and learning about our first purchase in the land of Eretz Yisrael.


First stop, Rachel's Tomb.  Rachel was buried on the road, and you can still hear her weeping for her children to be gathered from the four corners of the earth and return...

The Cave of Machpelach was the Jewish people's first possession in the Land of Israel.  It is the burial place of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Rebecca, and Leah.  According to an ancient Jewish tradition, this place has a special kind of sanctity. The Zohar states that Ma'arat HaMachpela is the entrace to the Garden of Eden and that Adam discovered this secret by smelling the aroma of Eden there.  After his discovery, Adam dug out the cave, buried Eve in it, and is entombed there as well.  The special fragrance was revealed to Abraham and he chose to purchase it and designate is as Sarah's burial place (the first purchase of the Jewish people in Eretz Yisrael, 2000 years ago).  According to Jewish tradition, it is through Ma'arat HaMachpela that souls ascent to the Garden of Eden and prayers rise to the highest realms. How meaningful and emotional to enter this sacred place and offer a prayer.  I know when I say the Amidah I will always close my eyes and return here.

Finally we visited 3 Jewish neighborhoods in Hebron.  King David built his capital in Hebron.  After the Spanish Inquisition there was a large Jewish population in Hebron.  Jews and Arab neighbors lived side by side until a massacre in1929.  The synagogue was destroyed and a young teen saved a Torah as the British evacuated the surviving Jewish population.  That boy vowed to return that Torah one day, and when a new synagogue was recently dedicated, he had the joy to return it to the ark.

Siddur in the synagogue:  "Od Avinu Chai"