Our Israel Experience

Chavayah 2017

In last week’s Ma Nishma, we were happy to share with you the reflections of our Emanuel staff members who participated in the inaugural JNF Educators Israel Study Tour in January 2018.

In this edition of Ma Nishma, we hear from students of our Chavayah 2017 cohort whose unforgettable experiences and lifelong memories of Israel we know you will enjoy reading.

We are most grateful to Y2i (Youth to Israel – www.youth2israel.org.au) whose generous support made it possible for a great many of our students to participate in our Chavayah program and have the experience of a lifetime.

We begin with the words of Daniel Samowitz, our Informal Jewish Life Educator, delivered at the closing ceremony of Chavayah 2017, in Israel.

Rabbi Daniel Siegel

 

Daniel Samowitz

Hachanakhim sheli (my students), there is something else I want to let you in on.

Martin Buber said in Zion and the Youth:

“The youth are humanity’s eternal possibility for happiness. This possibility occurs repeatedly and humanity misses it again and again. Generations of [young] people…return to the stage again and again with the passion of absolute yearning in their hearts, devoted to ideals, ready and waiting to break through the blocked gates of Eden. Nothing stands between this generation and the fulfillment of its obligation but the deed itself; and hence they prepare themselves. But in the hour of preparation an abundance of inferior and unimportant goals from the society around them take control of the youths’ souls. Vain urges of egotism and the urges for excellence and power take control of them. Their environment preaches the perception that the ‘facts’ are stronger than the ideals and that we are subjects in a sequence of events that we cannot change, shape, or control.”

I want you to know I believe in you. In completing Chavayah you are ceasing to just be my chanichim. What lies before you is a choice, a choice to become my partners at Emanuel School. What you have learnt, experienced, questioned over here during the last 6 weeks is what Jewish life at Emanuel is based on. Chavayah is a 6-week immersion experience of what we would like every day to look like in the MPH, in the LLC, on the basketball courts, in B21 or K20 something.

We want to learn with our hands, we want to pray with our feet, we want to create engaged Jews not necessarily with the RIGHT answers but rather people who are willing to ask the hard questions – people learning about themselves and questioning their friends, their teachers, their community. We do not want you to walk blindly. We do not want you to walk behind us, we want people who are willing to create. To create meaning, to create community, to find kedushah (holiness). We want Emanuel to be a place that students can explore themselves and find answers for who they are and who they want to be.

In 1933 Berl Katznelson, a leader of the Zionist movement said:

“This is the rule of sociology: ‘Do not look at the outer shell’…The active forces within Zionism should…be evaluated not by what they are saying but by viewing the rolls each one of them plays in the making of Zionism. If this will be the way in which things will be looked upon it will be found that we have accepted upon ourselves certain rolls and also fulfilled them, in different levels of perfection…

“…And also when looking at Zionism we need to ask: since when has ‘I believe’ became ‘I do’?”

An idea doesn’t become into a movement as long as it didn’t find its barriers, its “realiser” (Magshim). Meaning: not those who are willing to come to what is already made, but a man who will come and stand in line to face all the hardships and won’t be overcome by difficulties that may be.

Early on in Chavayah, Sarah Sharwood said to me: “Samo you love the word ‘responsibility’ ”. She isn’t wrong and I’m not going to apologise for it.

I do not believe people who say I believe in equality, I believe in people who act with equality at the center of who they are. I believe what makes me a Zionist is that I have a whole lot of criticisms of the current reality in which the Jewish people finds itself in and I choose to be responsible over that reality, over my criticisms and I’m here asking for partnership.

Let’s create together a vibrant Jewish life in our Emanuel community, be my partners in creating an Emanuel community based on Mind, Spirit and Being – an Emanuel community that is accepting and something that I want to be a part of. It’s something I want you to be a part of. Let’s create a community that no one has to lie to themselves about who they are or who they want to be, what they believe in and what they don’t and what we are trying to create together.

To my chanichim, thank you for living the journey we have been speaking about for such a long time. The world’s not waiting for you to change it. If you want to change the world start by looking at the man or woman in the mirror… that’s the place to start. Dugma ishit (leadership by example) is our tool to change the world, the quicker we learn that, the bigger effect you can have.

Chavayah thank you for 6 weeks that we will all take with us for the rest of our lives.

 

Paris Spennato

As a teenager who had never been to Israel, but had heard about its uniqueness all my life, going on Chavayah and seeing Israel for the first time completely blew me away! The country, as well as the Chavayah program, exceeded my expectations as I got to experience and be fully immersed in a new culture, which was the most vibrant, innovative and rich culture I had ever experienced.

It was such a fun experience, especially when we visited the one-of-a-kind Israeli markets, where I stuffed my face with all sorts of delicious Israeli food and when we had the freedom to explore all different areas and buy ‘dinner on the streets’ (aka D.O.T.S.) with our friends. Of course I’ll never forget our many extremely entertaining programs run by our energetic madrichim, including karaoke, making almost edible biscuit balls, doing Just Dance and our Hanukkah and New Year’s Eve party!

However, the program was so much more than that, as it gave us a serious insight into Israel’s complexities, including its everyday struggles and how the strong Israeli people deal with it. We got the opportunity to have such eye-opening experiences, for example when we went to the Save A Child’s Heart organisation and played with seriously ill children; or when we visited the city of Sderot and saw how people live their daily lives as normally as they could while overcoming the fear that they could be bombed; or when we visited Ben Gurion’s house and learnt about his story of both struggle and triumph and how he helped to shape the amazing country Israel is now. Overall, Chavayah was a once-in-a-lifetime experience where I learnt so much and grew as a person and as a Jew and I will forever cherish the memories and experiences that came with it.

 

Gabriella Amoils

The 6 weeks on Chavayah was an amazing, eye-opening and incredible experience for me – travelling all across Israel, from down in Kibutz Ktura in Eilat, through Masada and the Dead Sea, to up in the beautiful Golan Heights and Rosh HaNikra.  Apart from all the fun activities and interesting places we visited, we all learnt so much about Israel’s history and how it stands with its countries surrounding Israel. Every day I learnt something new, whether that be about the Arab-Israeli conflict, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, or even something new about my fellow peers. Chavayah was a growing experience for me as I learnt a lot about myself as well as my Jewish heritage and people. I have always had a love for Israel, and going for the 2^nd time made me have a stronger connection to the home of the Jewish people. A memorable experience for me was staying overnight at the Bedouin tents and riding camels with my friends. We made s’mores around the camp fire and sang songs and it was such a great vibe being with all my friends in Israel. Altogether, Chavayah was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I will never forget and I am so grateful for it.

Eden Sadra

Where do I even start? Chavayah 2017 was a once-in-a-lifetime trip that I genuinely wish everyone could experience. As someone who’s been to Israel before, I didn’t know what to expect. I did know that travelling and actively learning with my friends and with amazing teachers would be different to going and staying with family, and it certainly was. The whole rollercoaster of emotions we each experienced, living with each other for 6 weeks, really brought us all closer together. We saw the highs and lows of everyone’s experience and could therefore support each other when we opened up our minds together to things none of us had ever learnt or spoken about before. We listened to stories and went places that seem surreal until you’ve actually been there or heard them first-hand, and the thought provoking discussions we had throughout the trip added a whole new level of meaning to travelling such an incredible country. Here is a little excerpt from the diary I kept, which I wrote in every single day: 

“DAY 2: My highlight of the day by far was Shabbat at the Kotel. I really wanted to feel something special when we got there and even though Mr Bloom and my friends around me had said not to force it, I just couldn’t help dreading the idea of seeing it and thinking ‘oh wow a wall’. But I did feel something… and it was so special. I started to get really emotional just as we were walking down because I just felt so lucky to be there. And then when we got there I just couldn’t help crying, I couldn’t even explain why. I said the Shema at the Wall and then turned around to see a friend there feeling the same way. A very special moment .

To think that was only the 2^nd day. The many more moments I experienced when we visited places like the Green Line near the West Bank, Kibbutz Keturah, the incredible 2 day hike in the middle of the desert and hearing from Arab-Israelis and Ethiopian refugees, were not only special in the moment but life-changing. Experiencing these things first-hand is something I’m so grateful for and I can’t begin to thank the people who made this happen. The time and effort put into this trip by all the staff was 100% worth it! I know that I really do miss it already.

Olyvea Akres

Chavayah was the experience of a lifetime and provided me with new perspectives on Israel as well as amazing memories which I will never forget. Spending 6 weeks with our best friends in a country with so much history was one of the most inspiring and thought-provoking trips I’ll ever take. The most memorable part was the 2-day hike in the desert through Makhtesh Katan where we pushed ourselves physically and mentally throughout the day to be rewarded with the most outstanding stars you could see and a meteor shower. Sitting around the campfire and singing songs with the rest of our cohort made me realise how lucky I was to be at a school where opportunities like this are not only given but encouraged.

Matthew Joffe

Chavayah was one of the most life-changing, moving experiences so far in my life, changing the way that I look at Israel, and my overall feelings towards Judaism as a whole. We travelled to a vast variety of locations, up and down the whole country, exploring all different aspects of Israel, viewing it from a religious, historical and geographical aspect, analysing its significance, and generally enjoying and experiencing each place. This is what made each place we visited unlike any other.  

A highlight of the trip was to spend Shabbat on Kibbutz Keturah down south near Eilat. From the perspective of someone visiting a kibbutz for the first time, it was a truly eye-opening experience. Seeing the vastly different, yet somewhat familiar, lifestyle of the kibbutz, especially over Shabbat, was quite special. As guests, we were invited to Friday night dinner in the dining room with the 400 other members, residents and guests on the kibbutz. Whilst in Keturah, we toured the kibbutz and learnt a lot about the kibbutz lifestyle and why it is so popular across the country, a very unique feature of Israel.  

The 2-day, overnight hike in the Negev was another unanimous favourite, being both educational and beautiful. The scenery and experience of hiking through the desert was so different compared to Australian hikes, and is unique to Israel, which contributed to why it was so popular. The highlight of the hike was the night, in which we fortunate to witness the peak of a meteor shower, and due to the lack of city lights, everyone got to see dozens of shooting stars across the night sky. Scenery aside, the hike was a great bonding experience for all who came, including the madrichim and teachers on the hike too. 

Even though we visited some incredible places throughout Israel, one of the most memorable highlights of the trip was meeting the people we did. Our 3 teachers were by far some of the most inspirational and insightful people I have ever met. Akiva, Maor and Miriam guided us through the country, teaching us everything there is to know about each and every place we visited. Our 4 madrichim were also unbelievable, taking care of us 24 hours, 7 days a week, for 6 weeks straight. A massive thank you also goes out to the Emanuel teachers who supervised us, helped us, travelled with us and learnt with us throughout the trip.  

Chavayah was honestly the most amazing of experiences, and I highly recommended it for every Year 10. 

Adena Sheps

Chavayah was an enjoyable, fast-paced and inspiring experience, particularly as it was my first trip to Israel. We visited a myriad of cultural and historical sites across the country. Every day was filled with new sights, sounds, smells and tastes. Here are some of my personal highlights:

Jerusalem

Unforgettable Jerusalem with its unique sandstone architecture, sacred sights and fusion of people from different faiths. The city comes alive on Friday evening with everyone converging on the Kotel. We would start singing Shabbat songs and complete strangers would casually join in, to my amazement. 

The Blind Museum – Dialogue in the Dark

Dialogue in the Dark was a remarkable, if not confronting experience. We were directed by visually impaired guides through routine environments such as a boat or supermarket, in complete darkness. It was highly disorientating as we had to rely on our other senses to identify objects and navigate through the museum. This experience gave us an appreciation of how challenging daily routines can be for the visually impaired.

Israel Museum

As part of an optional cultural tour, we visited the Israel Museum. The museum contains different pieces of art and archaeology from pre-history to the present day. I explored several exhibitions including:

• Jerusalem in detail, which focuses on the highly symbolic design motifs of Jerusalem’s architecture
• Torah cases from different time periods and countries
• Menorot from all different countries with distinctive and intricate features
• An Inca exhibition which showcased the symbolic and aesthetic traditions of this ancient civilisation.
• Contemporary art which included fascinating installations, large sculptures and 3D objects.

Tzfat

Tzfat is very picturesque with a rich history and is considered one of the holy cities of Judaism. We visited the Tzfat Gallary of Mystical Art where we met an artist whose work is inspired by the Kabbalah. We also travelled through the artist markets and viewed paintings, ceramics, silverwork, sculptures, candle artists and metal work. I was particularly impressed by the candle factory which made superbly detailed scenes and characters from wax.

Chavayah was a very worthwhile and enriching experience and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is considering participating in the program.

Isabella Rosenberg

The 6 weeks I spent in Israel on Chavayah were most adventurous, life-altering and educational 6 weeks of my life. From hiking in the Negev, to snorkelling in the Red Sea, I can easily say that adventure did NOT lack. And, of course, wherever there is adventure, there is fun.

And not only did we have lots of fun, but we learned. I’m sure all the parents will be happy to hear that during our 6 weeks we also maintained class time almost every day where we learnt about ancient Jewish history and contemporary issues that Israel faces today. We were also privileged to get to meet with and talk/listen to a variety of different people with different views on Israel, which was both enlightening and interesting.

Singing was definitely a key part of what made Chavayah, Chavayah. We sung almost everywhere. To name a few: The Kotel on Shabbat (a moment I will never forget), the incredibly narrow water tunnels in the City of David, a cave in Tzefat and of course, being in a different city on every Shabbat.

Although the trip, at times, was challenging, our support system never lacked, we had a whole team of Mads (Madrichim) that were there when we needed them, even if that was in the middle of the night because we were sick. And if the Mads weren’t around we had our amazing teachers that had to put up with us! Thanks so much to Mr Bloom, Mr Furman, Ms Jenkins, Mr Samowitz and Ms Slender for making the trip what it was!

Joel Ephraim

Chavayah was surely the most amazing experience of my life. Chavayah gave our year the opportunity to grow together and become friends with each other.

Having Akiva as my teacher really made the trip and classes really enjoyable as he had such an interesting life story about making Aliyah. His stories made the trip such a wonderful experience for me and I’m sure for the rest of my year. Since this was the 1^st time I had been to Israel, I went there with an open mind and some expectations and every single one of them were met. To anyone who is considering going on Chavayah, do it, it is the most incredible thing you will do while you are at Emanuel and a very big thanks everyone who made this trip possible and a special big thanks to Y2i for the generous donation to all the kids in the year.

Rachel Turtledove

Chavayah 17/18 was the most incredible trip I have ever been on and I wish it had never ended. Being my 1^st time in Israel, I loved every place we visited, especially as it was nothing like I had seen before. From the Shuk in Jerusalem, to the Dead Sea, Masada to Tel Aviv beach, Tzefat and the Kotel, and everywhere in between, I loved it all. Along with all the new knowledge I now have about the interesting, beautiful country that is Israel, I learnt so much about my peers and myself, which I am so grateful for. I came back from these 6 weeks feeling more independent and with more of an appreciation of nature and the natural world, which I noticed during our first time in the desert where we meditated on top of a mountain. It was from this point that I realised the desert was my favourite place, as in the desert, you feel so small, but yet so powerful. Lastly, the feeling you get from being in a country where the majority of people are Jewish, just like you, is indescribable. Dancing with Jews from Israel and America at the Kotel on our first Shabbat and seeing people dancing and singing in synagogues around the country, was not only so much fun, but truly moving. Overall, Chavayah truly was the best experience, which I am so thankful to have been a part of. Thank you to everyone that made it possible!