|
February 18, 2022 (17 Adar I 5782) Are We There Yet? Dear Friends, I hope this correspondence finds you well and in good cheer. We hope you will join us this Shabbat morning at 10:30am for our services, which will take place in our sanctuary and over our regular Zoom prayer link. Last Shabbat, we were delighted to have a wonderful turnout for our in-person services. We were happy to have members of the three families, whose children are preparing for their B’nei Mitzvot, each have an Aliyah at the Torah and the cacophony of voices at the Kiddush sounded more like music to many of our ears. On Sunday of this week, I will accompany a group of over 165 students from the Leffell School to the land of Israel! In pre-Covid days, the school used to have a trip for those in the eighth grade, who were concluding their middle school education. The trip was intended to represent a “celebration of learning” and offer enriched Jewish energy and excitement to students as they were transitioning to the more rigorous high school Judaic studies program. Unfortunately, the trip was cancelled for last two years due to the pandemic and travel restrictions, so this is a big “catch-up” trip for the school. As I prepare to pack my bags, I can’t help but be struck by how much travel to the Holy Land has changed since my first trip there. Back in my Yeshiva days (don’t ask the year!), one of the exciting parts of going to Israel was having the opportunity to purchase Sifre Kodesh (holy books and commentaries). Believe it or not, we would collect the various volumes and then arrange to have them shipped on a boat, only to receive them stateside some two or three months later. Today, thanks to a plethora of online resources, which I commented about last Shabbat, I have no need to purchase such books, schlepp them home, and then rearrange my bookshelves. Rather, I can access almost anything on websites such as Sefaria.org, AlHatorah.org (from Bar Ilan University) and HebrewBooks.org (from Chabad). In fact, today, my phone carries more access to Torah tradition than almost any Jewish library. Back in the day, one of the most frustrating aspects of travelling to the Holy Land was trying to communicate with family and friends back home. I recall having to travel 45 minutes by bus to the Main Post Office in Jerusalem, waiting in line for an additional hour, and then purchasing a timeslot to use one of the phone booths that would allow overseas phone calls, all the while never even being sure that the person, who I was calling, would be home. Even when successful, there was always a time-delay in the voice communications that usually made it feel like you were yelling into a foghorn. This week, I simply had to call AT&T and have them add an “international calling plan” to my account. Holy cell phone! Finally, back in the day, Israel was a nascent state lacking many of the first-world amenities to which we are all accustomed. In many places, hot water was not accessible throughout the day. There were no “American” stores. Going to the bank was a nightmare. Renting bowling shoes required the presentation of an updated passport. Not to mention, the existence of the country largely depended on Americans purchasing Israeli bonds during the High Holy Days. Today, in resonance with the words of our liturgy, Israel is a light unto the nations and an independent, thriving spiritual and physical home to Jews around the world. Israel has become a leader in technology and innovation and is the only Democracy in the Middle East. Truly, modern Israel represents the first flowering of God’s redemption. I am excited to have this opportunity to show my students the Land of Milk and Honey and pray that upon my return I will be able to share with you uplifting stories and recollections. More importantly, I hope that you too will share with me and others some of your experiences in the Holy Land. And, may the land of Israel continue to be blessed with safety and security, Torah, democracy, and holiness. Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Eric L. Wasser, EdD.
|