Tiyul to Tel Aviv:  Cultural Zionism

by Joanna Ray,     11^th grade,       Silver Springs MD

 

Here I am in Jaffa overlooking the modern city of Tel Aviv!

The day of our Tiyul in Tel Aviv was beautiful and warm, a great day to learn about cultural Zionism and the dreams of those who established Tel Aviv, as well as the modern culture of the city. We learned about the founders of Tel Aviv along with the interesting street art and graffiti.

Some cool Tel Aviv street art

The vision of the founders of Tel Aviv was to eventually create a Jewish state. Their goal was to create a Hebrew speaking Jewish city by bringing their Jewish culture from Europe and other diaspora communities. Tel Aviv was not planned to be a religiously Jewish city, but a cultural Jewish city. The concept was that everything was Jewish, even the sky is Jewish in Tel Aviv!

the carpentry workshop buildings in the Florentine neighborhood have become a graffiti display

My first impression of Yaffo and the first neighborhoods of Tel Aviv was that it was a very beautiful area and had a very interesting history to go along with it. We learned that Jaffa was once a port and that every person who immigrated to Palestine under the Ottoman Empire came through there. All the Jews living in that area stayed there and lived in Yaffo because there was a wall, which was safe. During the Second Aliyah, the idea to create a Jewish city was born.

Here's Omri our madrich posing with some street art

On this tiyul, we also learned the history of the Jewish nation’s language, and how the Hebrew language was revived. We learned that it was a generational process. Through lots of hard work and through the adoption of Hebrew by the Kibbutz movement it was ultimately revived. One method that was even used to encourage Hebrew was people would stand on the street and pass out notes telling people to speak Hebrew and that it’s the language of the Jewish people. One man in particular, Eliezer Ben Yehuda, is credited for being the leader responsible for the revival of the Hebrew language.

The famous graffiti artist "Solomon" made this mural of the Beit HaMikdash on a synagogue

From what we saw on the tiyul, Tel Aviv today is a fulfillment of the cultural Zionist dream. It is a culturally Jewish city and also has a very modern feel to it. Tel Aviv is very different than Jerusalem in its “character” and atmosphere, and after having visited both of them, there are some major things that stand out which indeed make them feel different. In Tel Aviv, it feels very modern with a very progressive lifestyle, where as the atmosphere in Jerusalem feels much more old fashion and traditional. People in Tel Aviv wear all kinds of clothes; often you will see shorts and tank tops due to the warm weather and beaches in Tel Aviv, whereas in Jerusalem, there are a lot more people dressed very modestly, especially in the Old City.  In Jerusalem, the lifestyle and the feel of the city is based a lot on religion, and in Tel Aviv, just as the founders intended, it is based on a cultural form of Judaism and less religiously based.

the street artist Yonatan Kislev made this "27 Club" mural of famous people

This was one of the most interesting tiyuls we have been on and I loved the history we learned about the city as well as contrasting it by learning about how the city has developed into the way it is today. From the beaches to the graffiti the modern city life in Tel Aviv is fascinating to see while learning about the way the city was when it was originally founded.

 

a political message about asylum seekers was written here on this street art

Tiyul to Belvoir and Tzfat

by Justin Giberson,     10^th grade,       New Jersey

 

The 12th century Belvoir Crusader fortress in northern Israel

The first part of the tiyul starts with a heartful shout from Evan “If you bring all of your rain gear, then it won’t rain!” The two classes begrudgingly grab their jackets and make their way towards the massive stone crusader castle that lay ahead of us. As we walk towards the ruins of the Belvoir Fortress, we cannot help but take pictures of the breathtaking view. The translation of the castle’s name from French is “beautiful view,” and we could all see why. We could see for miles, from the farms directly below us, to the Jordanian mountains in the distance. The first ruin we stumble upon is the giant moat, a huge pit surrounding the walls of the fortress. At that time (the 12^th century), the Muslims were trying to take back the holy land from the crusaders, who were fortified in various fortresses, such as this one, strewn across the holy land. The second stop at the Belvoir Fortress was a massive wall, whose base was ascending at a sharp angle, then at the top turns vertical. Our teacher Josh explains to us that the wall was used as the first line of defense against the Salaadin’s armies that were sent to expel the crusaders from the holy land. As we walk along the side of the castle, I can’t help but wonder how the crusaders were able to build such an amazing fortress that protected them for so many years. We move onto the next part of the fortress, a zig zagging path that led to the inner wall of the castle. This was meant to make the advance of their enemy harder. The path would only have been big enough for two people to go at a time, making it quite easy for the defenders of the castle to successfully fend off the Muslim armies. We then entered the castle’s dining room, a large chamber with a big hallway. The ceilings that remained were arched in a very cathedral-like way. We took some notes about how the crusades affected Jewish life in Europe, then went off to our next stop on our day long tiyul, Tzfat.

 

arched entrance way to the inner section of the Belvoir fortress

After a decently long bus ride, we arrived in the small Galilee city of Tzfat. Considered one of the four holiest cities in Israel, I was not surprised when I saw the overwhelming amount of orthodox Jews filling up every part of the city. We started our tour of the city by going into the Yosef Karo Synagogue. The entire prayer section of it was painted blue, representative of the hamsa and its power to ward off evil spirits. The synagogue was set up in a Sephardic manner, with seating and chairs set up along the perimeter of the room. On the wall furthest from the entrance there were old books and scrolls, stuffed into a glass case (geniza). Hundreds of prayer books that are almost impossible to read, hundreds of years old, in a small synagogue for anybody to see. The setup looked like it should belong in a national museum, not in the small community shul. This was one of the most impactful things that we saw on the tiyul, tons of Jewish history just stacked up in a few square feet. From the synagogue the group went into the headquarters for another Jewish organization Livnot U’Lehebanot that sets up Israel trips for young adults from all over the world. At this point, what Evan said earlier about having rain gear was definitely holding true, then all hell broke loose (as in heavy rain). We were rushed inside, taken away from our beautiful view of Mount Meiron, where according to tradition Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai wrote the mystical book the Zohar in the second century, which became the foundation of kabbalah.

 

the interior of the Yosef Karo Synagogue in Tzfat

From then on the rain persisted, only occasionally stopping. The group had time to explore the streets of Tzfat and as Evan says, a “shopportunity.” After being soaked and having thoroughly, we looked at most of the shops in the artist quarter and boarded the and head off back for Tzuba.

view of the artists' quarter in Tzfat

Our Week at Gadna in the Israeli Army

by Briahn Witkoff,      12^th grade,        Denver

We recently returned from Gadna, the Israeli Defense Force’s week-long program for teens to experience the army. It is intended for Israeli teens, to prepare them for their required army service in the near future. The first day was a bit of a culture shock. Coming from a nice early-morning camel ride across the desert, the immediate bombardment of commands was a bit shocking. As soon as we got off of the bus, we were brought to the basketball court and separated into groups and assigned to our mefakdot (commanders). We learned we had to stand in acshev, which means feet together in a V-shape, water-bottle touching the left foot, and our hands behind our backs above the waistline in a diamond-shape. On top of all of this we had to stand in together in the shape of a ח (the Hebrew letter chet). If you were caught not doing any of these things when you were supposed to, or not following any other command, you had to do push-ups.

the view from the camel ride

Some of us standing in acshev before going to the shooting range

Here we are sitting in a ח

There were many things that were challenging at Gadna, specifically following orders 24/7 for sometimes seemingly no reason at all. For example, we had to hold our arms up in a circle for five minutes. One of the things that was the most challenging for me was bedtime. Our commander set a timer for 3 minutes, and we had to be in bed, alarm set, with everything in order, going to sleep. My heart was racing after those three minutes, which made it much more difficult to fall asleep.

The tents we slept in fit all 14 girls in neat rows of cots, with room for two radiators. Not bad, not great. We spent most of the day outside running drills or in class. We had one gun safety class in a building, but all of our other classes either took place somewhere on the base or in the outdoor classrooms. The weather was pretty nice the whole time we were there so it wasn’t too bad being outside all of the time. Meals were three times a day; most of us prepared for this by stocking up on instant ramen and granola bars, but I found that when I got there it wasn’t necessary. The food was actually pretty ok, and I saved my granola bars and ramen for snacks during our breaks in between activities in the day. 

 

Gun safety lesson with the ממ (Platoon commander)

View of the “classrooms”

Here is a picture of our group tents

Break time in the tents: featuring instant ramen

This was the phone charging situation; there were about 18 chargers for roughly 60 girls

It was interesting being there with a hundred other Israeli teens. It was cool to learn about their experiences as a teen in Israel, and their lives and how they prepare to go to the army at 18 instead of college. The weird thing about it was that they seemed to take Gadna less seriously than we did, and we weren’t even going into the army. I am not sure, but one of the reasons they may have been a bit more light-hearted about the whole situation might be because they have spent their entire lives preparing for joining the army, whereas we were just sort of thrown in there last minute. I am not sure if it felt like we were really in the army. At some points it did; when we were all in our uniforms running in two lines around the base and shooting M16s, but sometimes it felt like we were kids playing dress-up for a week.

This is the shooting range. We shot from inside the white covered area down into this pit that had 10 targets.

The Israeli army is very different from the United States’ army, with one of the main differences being that all teens are required to go into the army directly after high school. There are many pros and cons to this, but one of the benefits is that this helps build a stronger and more unified community. Everyone will have gone through this and in some way relate to one another, and have the shared experience.

Though this was a challenging week, I think we are all glad to have experienced it and come out with a new or more developed perspective on the Israeli army and even on Israel as a whole.

The Chalutzim Tiyul

by Annie Joseph,     11^th grade,     North Carolina

The day started with a long bus ride through the country up north to the Kinneret. Our first stop of the day was to a museum at Kfar Tavor dedicated to the first wave of Aliyah in 1882: the chalutzim (pioneers). These people were the ones who cultivated that land day and night, they dealt with hardships such as disease, overworking, and uneasy relations with the neighboring Arabs. Despite all of this they continued to build a community in hopes of laying the foundation for a future Jewish nation state.

the outdoor part of the Kfar Tavor Museum focusing on the live of the pioneers of the first aliyah

Our next stop was a “practice Kibbutz” called Hatzar Kinneret.  This was a place where young people would come and learn how to farm and be kibbutzniks in general in hopes of the leaving and continuing on to cultivate their own kibbutzim throughout the country. Here we learned about the second wave of aliyah that began in 1904. The second wave was caused by anti-semitism in Europe, specifically the porgoms which caused people to immigrate to a Jewish land. We also learned about the Hashomer defense organization which is the basis for the present IDF. This is when protection of the land became a main priority and not just a case by case basis. The early waves of aliyah brought the Chalutzim, the people who really made Israel a country in the making, they brought infrastructure and modern technology to really lift the land to its full potential.

Hatzar Kinneret was the site of a kibbutz training farm during the second aliyah

 Later in the day we went to the Kinneret Cemetery where we discussed Rachel the poet who discussed the beauty of Israel in her words and really brought the land to life. Overall, I really enjoyed this tiyul, I learned a lot about the creation of the country and how regular young people had such a large impact on creating the Jewish country.

grave of Rachel the Poetess at the Kinneret Cemetery

ISRAEL MUSEUM:   JEWISH LIFE IN THE MIDDLE AGES

by Raina Farmer,       10^th  grade,          Pennsylvania

By the time of the Middle Ages Jews had officially become a diaspora community. The Holy Temple had been destroyed in 70 CE, and Eretz Yisrael, then called Palestina was under foreign control. Some Jews migrated to Sfarad (Spain), and some to Ashkenaz (Germany). Jews in Muslim Spain enjoyed Dhimmi status (protected yet second-class), which allowed them to prosper both financially and spiritually. However, All Jews were expelled from the country in 1492. This dispersion led to the creation of Jewish communities all across Northern Africa and in the lands of the Mediterranean. In the middle ages, Ashkenazi Jews often made their livings as merchants and traders, using their connection to other Jews as an advantage in international trade. This success led to the Ashkenazi Jews later being invited into Eastern Europe to improve the economies there. These circumstances led to Judaism spreading across the globe, and merging with the surrounding cultures to create traditions we are still influenced by today. These medieval traditions are showcased in a fascinating exhibit in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

Heller High students at the Israel Museum on the way to the Jewish Life exhibit

A few weeks after our first attempt was thwarted by Angela Merkel’s arrival, we had finally made it to the Israel Museum. (Our first scheduled visit to the museum was cancelled at the last minute when it was closed for the visit of the German chancellor.) Of course, we couldn’t start our tiyul without first seeing the colossal model of Jerusalem from the Second Temple Period. From a bird's eye view, we saw in tiny detail the ruins we had explored brought back to life in the ancient times. From this angle, we saw the mansions of the cohenim, the incredible Beit Hamikdash of Herod, and the ancient Ir David (City of David). After this flashback to the 2nd temple period, we continued our educational journey through the Middle Ages, and across the world.

the model of Jerusalem in the Second Temple Period at the Israel Museum

Synagogues of the Middle Ages

Since the time of Galut Bavel in 586 BCE (Babylonian exile), Synagogues have been the center of Jewish life and community. To see how the surrounding cultures impacted these spaces, we examined 4 synagogues from across the diaspora.

Vittorio Veneto Synagogue, Venice Italy 17th Century

When we first entered this Italian synagogue, it was like walking into a piece of art from the baroque period. The Holy ark took up nearly the whole eastern wall, and was covered in ornate decoration with gold plating. Even the wallpaper showed impeccable detailing, with a blue filigree pattern. On first glance, this could have been mistaken as one of Europe’s famous churches, but on closer inspection, we see the difference in cultures. Where churches often show Jesus, or other biblical figures, the Vittorio Veneto displayed crowns of Judah and Torah, abstaining from unkosher images.

the ornate baroque-style ark of the Vittorio Veneto Synagogue from the region of Venice, Italy

Another staple of synagogues of the time was the seating, instead of rows like we often see today, these medieval sanctuaries offered 360 degree seating, and an elevated women’s section.

Kadavumbagam Synagogue, Cochin India, 16th Century

In medieval times, builders used, and mastered only the materials they had nearby. India, like most countries, had a lot of wood. The first thing I noticed walking into the reconstructed synagogue was the incredibly carved wooden ark, displaying sfaradi style Torahs. Still avoiding graven images, the wood carvings show grapes, flowers, and a menorah- the symbol of our Beit HaMikdash.

intricate carved wood ark of the Kadavumbagam Synagogue from Cochin, India

Beyond the ark however, we do not see much Judaism displayed. In fact, the middle eastern decor and lack of seating means that without the ark, this building could have been mistaken for any other mosque from the time.

torah scrolls encased in metal covering in the Kadavumbagam Synagogue from Cochin, India

interior of the Kadavumbagan Synagogue.  Cochin, India

Horb Synagogue, Bavaria Germany, 18th Century

Relocated to the museum after most of it was destroyed, this synagogue was unlike anything I had ever seen before. The wooden walls, and curved ceiling of the small building were completely covered in brightly colored paintings of fruit, flowers, and detailed animals, some mythological. By this point in history, it had been decided that pictures of animals could be considered kosher under Halacha.

painted ceiling of the 17th century Horb Synagogue from southern Germany

Unlike the other synagogue’s we’d seen, this one had a small ark, a simply decorated hole in the wall. We don’t know much about the rest of this synagogue, as most of it decomposed, but it is beautiful nonetheless.

Tzedek V’Shalom Synagogue, Pari Maribo Surinam

While the other Synagogues showed clear ties to the land they were located in, our group had trouble recognizing this one’s roots. This was due to the signs in both Dutch and Hebrew. We automatically assumed it must be from the Netherlands, but we were wrong. This assumption led to a discussion about the migration and colonization of the Jews in Suriname, the only South American country that speaks Dutch.

the interior of the Tzedek v'Shalom Synagogue from Suriname in the Sefardi style

While the synagogue is more modestly decorated than the others we’ve seen, it still contained many Jewish identifying features, such as the colossal ark, decorative menorahs, 360 degree seating, and pulpit set at the back of the sanctuary.

the floor of the Tzedek v'Shalom synagogue is covered in sand!

the bima of the Tzedek v'Shalom Synagogue from Suriname

Another unique and interesting element of this synagogue is the sand floor, an old sfaradi custom. The reasoning behind this flooring choice has been explained in many ways, such as- a fireproofing implement, a way to keep floors clean, or even a metaphor for the diaspora communities.

Standing Out In a Crowd: Jewish Dress in the Diaspora

Whether Ashkenazi or Sfaradi, wherever in the diaspora they called home, Jews have always stood out from their neighbors. In language, in culture, and more visibly, in dress.

examples of wardrobe of Jews from north Africa on display

A main way of identifying the Jews in a society was hats. As a sign of modesty, and devotion to god, both men and women covered their heads. Sfaradi Jews used a number of different hats, scarves and other coverings. Ashkenazi ultra-orthodox men wore yarmulkes or streimels (large fur hats), and the women wore wigs over shaved heads.

traditional shabbat garb and streimel (fur hat) of  hassidic Jews from eastern Europe

kippah from a north African Jewish community

Another distinguishing feature of many sfaradi women was their intricate jewelry. Fashioned mostly from the plentiful silver, and colorful beads, women would wear these giant necklaces on the days of their weddings

a decorative necklace worn by Yemenite Jews

Jewish traditions follow Jews throughout the year, and throughout our lives

Holidays

While the Jewish culture has many traditions related to holidays, the implementation of these traditions differed in the various diaspora communities. A great example of this is the Israel museum’s wall of hanukkiot, showcasing the different materials and styles used across the world to make Hanukah menorahs.

this set of nine oil vessels is actually a Hanukah menorah, one of dozens on display

Birth

Upon the birth of the firstborn son, his parents gave a cohen 5 silver coins to redeem him in the eyes of god. On his Bar Mitzvah, the boy would get the coins back. This custom represents the long lasting commitment of the Jewish people to their ancient traditions, and to the temple.  This custom is called pidyon ha ben.

coins on display from a "Pidyon HaBen" ceremony

Bat mitzvah

It was during the Middle Ages that girls started getting bat mitzvahed. While they did not get a tallit, or to read from the Torah, it was still a monumental step forward towards gender equality in Judaism

a bat mitzvah dress from the U.S. on display in the Jewish life-cycle exhibit

Weddings

On top of the exceptional jewelry and prayers, Jewish weddings carried one more meaningful tradition- the breaking of glass against a huppa stone. This shattering on such a happy day reminds the couple of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, and is said to ward off evil. This tradition has transformed over the years into the stepping on a glass at modern Jewish weddings. A less well-known tradition from the Middle East called “The Red Tent” had the newlyweds consummate their marriage in public, only protected from public eyes by thin tent fabric. The sheets would then be paraded around the guests to prove the bride’s virginity.

a "chuppa stone" from a synagogue in Germany used for breaking the glass at a wedding

Death

In Judaism, death is regarded as something impure, so bodies are buried as soon as possible. Instead of being put in caskets, bodies are wrapped in shrouds and put in the ground. Some ancient Jews would wear their burial shrouds for the first time on their wedding day, as a reminder that death is a part of life, and unavoidable. At the time, there was an organization who carried out the burial practices called “the holy friends” hevre kadisha these people would collect donations on the anniversary of Moses’s death to help pay for these services.

a collection glass from the burial society (Hevre Kadisha) of the Prague community

While the Middle Ages are over, and Eretz Yisrael is once again under Jewish sovereignty, the diaspora is not over. We, as global Jewish communities, are still creating, and adapting traditions. Perhaps in a few centuries there will be a new exhibit in the Israel museum on us, the American Jewish community.