Poland Pilgrimage Spring 2017

Shtetl Life in Tykocin and memorial in the Łopuchowo Forest

by Melissa Scianimanico,   11^th grade,   Louisville KY

Modern Tykocin exists as an average, small Christian village in north-eastern Poland; a tall Cross marks the middle of the main road and quaint, red-roofed houses stamp themselves to the groomed grass, yet beneath the bland facade, hides a rich and diverse Jewish history. Tykocin stands as a symbol for what used to be; a symbol for Judaism, and thriving Jewish shtetl life. Shtetls like Tykocin are small, Jewish towns with a unique socio-cultural communal pattern, that existed in Russia and Poland during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Interior of the restored Tykocin Synagogue with words of Hebrew prayers written on the walls. 

Although Tykocin is no longer home to thousands of Jews, fragments of its former Jewish life still stand out. For example, adjacent to a small white house, with a cross in the window and blooming flowers in the garden, stands a synagogue.  In the sanctuary, brilliantly colored paintings, including the text of prayers, line the walls and shed light on the devoted kehila kedosha that inhabited the village for centuries. In order for a synagogue to not only exist but be as alluring as the Tykocin synagogue, there must be respect for the Jewish community. Therefore, this synagogue not only confirms that Jewish life thrived, but that Jews peacefully coexisted among the other faiths and ethnicities in the area. 

In addition, true to most shtetl life, the Jews were also active economically in Tykocin. While an aspect of Tykocin, like its market square is less glamorous and more commonplace than the large synagogue, it still offers relevance regarding Jewish life in the shtetl. The market square was a place rich with culture; Jews earned a meager living in the marketplace, but for them it was enough. They were free to be Jewish while synchronously immersing themselves in the food, clothing, and attitude of their community. Yet, many Jews earned a living outside of the market. It is important to recognize that the shtetl was not uniform; there was a vast diversity of ideas and experiences that characterized these communities. 

As we visited Tykocin, we were walking on the lives that used to be. We stepped on their streets, sat in their market square, and even prayed within the walls of their synagogue. Yet, we took the aforementioned to a literal level, when we visited the cemetery. The cemetery was a somewhat paradoxical experience for me. Yes, it represents death, but in a way illustrates the thriving Jewish community that inhabited Tykocin. For there to be a Jewish cemetery there must have been a flourishing Jewish community, therefore, the cemetery is an apt depiction of the generations of Jewish life that dwelled in Tykocin for centuries. 

Tykocin Jewish cemetary in a state of disrepait

Unfortunately, not all of the Tykocin Jews made it to the cemetery and had the opportunity to peacefully end their lives. Five miles west of the village stands a forest; it is filled with towering trees and sporadic tufts of grass, the pinnacle of innocent wilderness. Yet, on August 25, 1941, the Łopuchowo forest, with its flowers and soaring birds, became a place of mass destruction and death. That summer morning the German SS ordered all the Jews in Tykocin to gather in the market square, the center of life, in order to be relocated to a nearby Ghetto. A deceived 1,400 people were soon seized from the square and from life as they knew it, only to be transported to their death. The Jews of Tykocin were marched on foot down the winding, wooded path. Even in the peak of their death, with guns pointed to their heads and an open pit at their feet the Jews could bask in the streams of sun that poked through the trees, and admire the prickle of grass on their ankles. But any trace of  life and humanity was ravished as women, children and men watched their loved ones fall to their death, limbs muddled with their neighbors. 

Although the fate of Tykocin ended in destruction it is pertinent to remember the lives that thrives before; the lives in the shtetl.

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Lublin and Majdanek

by Leah Hurwitz,   11^th grade,   Chicago

In our class meeting the night before, David told us that there is nothing I can say to prepare you guys for what you will be seeing tomorrow. That is when I knew that the day ahead of us will be extremely challenging. Before bed, my roommate and I discussed our fears, how we thought we would react, what we thought we would see. I tried so hard to ready myself for seeing a concentration camp in real life. Much of my life, I have learned about the Shoah, whether it was at school, Sunday school, or through my own research. The stories I have learned, movies I have watched and pictures I have seen have taken place in a concentration camp. There was a lot of buildup and anticipation but there was nothing I could’ve done to prepare myself.

The "Jew Gate" at the entrance to Lublin's walled old city where Jews resided in the Middle Ages

            The day started off in Lublin, an old city with a vibrant Jewish history. Upon arriving, we learned a bit about the history of Lublin and then were set free to explore the city. After grabbing a coffee at a local shop, we walked around admiring the charm and beauty. We stumbled upon a restaurant called the Jewish Restaurant. Obviously, this was not owned by Jews but was made for the Jews (i.e. Jewish tourism).  My friends and I discussed whether we thought this was appropriate; having a “Jewish restaurant” even though it isn’t owned by Jews and authentic. On the other hand, they are trying to bring back Jewish culture into their society. It is there way of acknowledging that there was once a Jewish community there?

            The rest of the morning was spent learning at the renowned Sages of Lublin Yeshiva. We took a quick bus ride to one of the most prestigious Yeshiva’s when it was in use in the 1930s. They had not only classrooms but dormitories, dining halls, and other things that made it modern and practical. While only open from 1930 to 1939, it provided the Jewish world with many excellent scholars. It was a burst of Jewish scholarship. At the opening ceremony, thousands showed up; both Jews and non-Jews alike. The Polish neighbors wanted to show their support for the Yeshiva. This shows that the Jewish people in Lublin had very good relations with the Poles and they were acculturated into their society. In the Beit Knesset, with our principal Rabbi Loren Sykes, we studied a page of Talmud. We debated whether learning is more important than action. During our discussion, I understood what it was like to be a student at this Yeshiva.

           

The large Beit Midrash at the renowned Sages of Lublin Yeshiva

        From Lublin, we had a strikingly short drive to Majdanek, a death and concentration camp. Walking around at Majdanek was one of the hardest thing I have ever done. I saw were thousands lived, worked, and died. Walking into the different barracks, we saw many different horrible things. In one of the barracks, there were thousand and thousands of shoes. This showed me just how many people were killed. Visualizing six million people is not possible for me. But seeing the shoes gave a demonstration of just how many were killed during the Holocaust. To add on to that, those weren’t even all of the shoes of the Holocaust victims. The memorial at Majdanek was the hardest part of the whole day. Seeing a huge pile of ashes was horrific and chilling. It struck me to my core. Following the testimony of a Majdanek survivor, we got a better understanding of the atrocities that occurred at Majdanek. The most rewarding part of the day was walking out of Majdanek. With me, I carried with me the memory of all of the innocent people murdered there. I carried with me the memory of all of the owners of the shoes. I carried with me the memory of all of the peoples who ashes were being held at Majdanek. I walked out of Majdanek for all of those who couldn’t.

Crematoria building at the Majdanek Concentration Camp in Lublin, Poland

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                              Kazimierz:  Jewish Krakow

   by Hannah Marcus,   11th grade,    California

          The neighborhood of Kazimierz within the city of Krakow, known as the “Jewish Quarter”, houses synagogues, a Jewish cemetery, and a number of Jewish shops and restaurants. Yet few, if any, Jews remain today. Due to the Holocaust, the rich Jewish life within Krakow was all but wiped out, and most Jewish sites there today are simply replicas of their former selves. Our group visited multiple shuls around the neighborhood of Kazimierz in order to gain an understanding of Jewish life in Krakow before the Holocaust.

          The first shul we went to was the Altshul, or “old shul”, built in the 15th century. The Altshul has beautiful Gothic-style architecture, and while it was ransacked during the Holocaust and is no longer in use as a synagogue, it has been restored and made into a museum housing exhibits on Krakow’s past Jewish life. I really enjoyed seeing this synagogue, both for the architecture and the exhibits. However, it was difficult to imagine people praying in it because it has been so museum-ified.

Interior of the Altshul in Krakow's Jewish quarter Kazimierz.  Ceiling is built in the gothic style.       

          Our next destination was the Ramu Synagogue (also known as the Remah synagogue), named after Rabbi Moshe Isserles, the Ramu. In the 16th century, the Ramu wrote and published a book detailing and solidifying Ashkenazi customs for following halacha. Unlucky for him, a very similar book of Sefardi halachic customs, Rabbi Yosef Karo’s Shulchan Aruch ('the set table'), was published before the Ramu could publish his version. Both the Shulchan Aruch and the Ramu’s book the "Mapa" (meaning 'table cloth') are still relevant, however, because Ashkenazi and Sefardi Jews have slightly different traditions and rules. Rabbi Moshe Isserles lived in Krakow, and this synagogue is named after him to recognize his contribution to the Jewish body of texts regarding halacha. The Ramu synagogue is one of the few in Krakow that is still operational today as a house of worship, and it holds weekly services for the small Jewish community remaining in Krakow.

Remu Synagogue in Krakow's Jewish quarter 

          After the Ramu synagogue we toured the Tempel synagogue. This synagogue was a “Reform” synagogue in the 1860s when it was built, although today we would describe it more as Modern Orthodox. The Tempel synagogue gets its name from the decorations of the ark, which is designed to look like the Beit HaMikdash in Jerusalem. Out of all the synagogues we visited, I liked this one’s decor the most. The ceiling and walls were adorned with gold, and the overall design and structure were very visually appealing.

Bima of the Tempel Synagogue in Krakow

          The final two synagogues of the morning were opposites in a way. One, the Kupa synagogue, is also known as the poor man’s synagogue. A donation of 200 zloty during the 17^th century allowed it to finish construction. The Kupa synagogue was created for those in the community who did not have a synagogue of their own. On the walls and ceiling of this synagogue, there are paintings of various locations in Israel as well as scenes from the Tanakh. In contrast to the Kupa synagogue, which was founded for poorer people off of charity, the Izaak synagogue was founded by a rich man named Isaak Jakubowicz in the 1600s. The Izaak synagogue thus has the nickname of the rich man’s synagogue. According to a Krakow legend, Izaak Jacubowicz had a dream that treasure was buried under the famous Charles Bridge in Prague, so he travelled all the way to there and attempted to dig it up, only to find that the treasure had been in his backyard all along. Although this fable is not necessarily true, it is a good example of how popular urban myths were in the Krakow Jewish community whether it was the poor man’s or the rich man’s synagogue.

          Overall, the morning we spent touring Krakow shuls was incredibly enlightening and enjoyable. However, I felt that there was something missing from each synagogue - a community to pray in it. The synagogues have been restored since they were desecrated in the Holocaust, and it’s a little sad to think that the majority of them are no longer in use. These synagogues are shells of their formal selves, and while each provides an insight into Jewish life before the Holocaust, it is also a reminder of how much was truly lost.

Mysticism in Tzfat

by Ethan Wellerstein,  11^th grade,   CA

The Kabbalists were a unique group of Jews that were obsessed with the bringing of the Mashiach. They believed that if all Jews strictly adhered to the same Halacha, the Mashiach would come. This was the goal of Rabbi Yosef Karo with his book, the Shulchan Aruch, or The Set Table. This was a complete guide to Sephardic Halacha and was meant to set Jewish Law in stone. The Kabbalist rabbis tried to bring themselves closer to God by positioning themselves on one of the highest points in Israel. Rabbi Luria and Moshe Cordovero also started teaching the ideas of Kabbalah, in hopes that this, combined with the Halacha of Rabbi Yosef Karo could trigger the Messianic Age.

In Judaism, it is thought that after a great tragedy, the Mashiach will appear and the Jewish people will return to Eretz Yisrael. After the destruction of the Second Temple, for example, Bar Kochba arose and was thought to have been the Mashiach by many, including Rabbi Akiva. This same phenomena occurred after the Chmielnitzki Massacres in 1648. This led to many Jews believing that Shabbatai Zvi was the Mashiach, sent to fulfill God’s promise. And the expulsion of the Jews from Spain proved no different. This ended the Jewish Golden Age and forced Jews to flee the country that many of them saw as home. This tragedy prompted many Jewish scholars to believe in the imminent coming of the Mashiach, thus they tried to trigger this event in any way possible. This caused this group of rabbis to move back to Israel and try many new methods to bring about the Messianic Age.

Interior of the Yosef Karo Synagogue in Tzfat

Tzfat is an incredible place. The architecture is beautiful and has the effect of transporting one back in time. The cobbled paths, narrow walkways and rustic synagogue made me feel like I was in a different era. The people there were mostly shopkeepers but I did see several Chassidim in the city, going about life as usual. Almost all of the buildings had the same off white color and pale blue accents. This looked beautiful during the sunset and reflected the calm nature of this place.

Before Yosef Karo wrote the Shulchan Aruch in the early 1500s, Halacha was often debated over and differed from group to group. Since observance of the mitzvoth was the most important thing for Jews during the time in the Diaspora, it would make sense that they should all have a universal and agreed upon set of laws. This would help keep the Jewish people united, despite the large distances between them, and hopefully bring about the Messianic Age. As David mentioned, the Halacha was like a chessboard, and the pieces were frequently being moved around. Then, Rabbi Yosef Karo covered the board with the Shulchan Aruch. This finalized set of Halacha was according to Sephardic tradition ended most Halachic debates.

Kabbalat Shabbat was a tradition that was created by the men living in Tzfat in the 16th century. When they were in the fields, they wanted to welcome in the Sabbath bride from where they were, without having to go back to the Synagogue to pray. Shlomo HaLevi Alkabetz wrote L’Cha Dodi, a tune welcoming the Sabbath Bride, which today has over 2,000 melodies. This tradition of Kabbalat Shabbat started in Tzfat and quickly spread all over the Jewish world.

Beit HaKnesset Ha Ari in Tzfat named for 16th century kabbalistic rabbi Yitzhak Luria

Today, Kabbalah is not incredibly important to Reform Jewish life too. The basic rules for learning about Kabbalah restrict most Jews from even attempting to study it. It is meant to be a way to learn the secrets of the Torah and read in between the lines of the word of God. I believe that some Jews might be able to find a way to apply this to everyday Judaism and life or find it to be genuinely interesting. But as for me, I’m content with good ol’ vanilla Judaism. I think that people should learn about what they want to. If Madonna wants to study it, why not let her. We live in a time when exploring other cultures and faiths is more possible than ever, and I believe it should be encouraged and open for all who express a genuine interest.

Oral Law Tiyul:  Beit Shaarim & Beit Alpha

   By Evie Kerner,    11^th grade,    Dallas

There was a time in 200 CE

The Sanhedrin ran with no place to call home

There only chance was to move all around

And just for the future of the Mishnah too

Then one night they decided that

The Mishnah was to be written down

Oral law was passed ledor vedor

But stood no chance without Yehuda Hannasi

Rabbis said, “ There is no future without teshiva

They promised that they’d argue for future plans

And ever since that day…

I am a Jew in Israel

Usually hanging out with the haza’’l

And when we’re bored we write halecha

Always writing oral law

Write read learn teach the Mishnah

Write read learn teach from all of talmidim

Jews prospered through time from assimilation

And now we’ve got the oral laws

In tradition views we came with written law on Sinai to

But modernists say different in gemura

One says we were there on Sinai receiving all our laws

Ten commandments and oral law too

And the modern cap says everything was developed

Oral law developed and written down too

Soon enough we learned our memories

Peacefully in diaspora we lived as Jews

And ever since olden days…

I am a Jew in Israel

Usually hanging out with the haza’’l

And when we’re bored we write halecha

Always writing oral law

Write read learn teach the Mishnah

Write read learn teach from all of talmidim

Jews prospered through time from assimilation

And now we’ve got the oral laws

70 rabbis, first generation all in yaveh

Making calendars

Legislate and judiciary government

Is now the way for the Jews future

Forever with oral law…

And for always I thank Sanhedrin…

I am a Jew in Israel

Usually hanging out with the haza’’l

And when we’re bored we write halecha

Always writing oral law

Write read learn teach the Mishnah

Write read learn teach from all of talmidim

Jews prospered through time from assimilation

And now we’ve got the oral laws

The Bar Kochba Revolt Tiyul

By Hannah Eggleston,    11^th grade,     Virginia

The Bar Kochba Revolt of the Second Century differed from the Great Revolt of the year 70 CE in many ways.  For one, during the Great Revolt there was little unity.  Not everyone was behind the idea and not everyone wanted to revolt.  During the Bar Kochba Revolt, however, people were unified behind an idea and supported a revolt.  An example of this is the coins that were minted during this period, which was a form of rebellion demonstrating that the Jews didn’t agree with the current rule.  Another reason these two revolts differ is the army and strategy.  The Great Revolt wasn’t really an army; it was just the zealots fighting the Romans.  They also lacked real strategy.  The Bar Kochba Revolt, however, was more unified as a fighting force and used a specific strategy to accomplish their goals.   Finally, the Great Revolt lacked real leadership.  The Bar Kochba Revolt had a leader, and the entire revolt was named after him.  He was a false-messiah, and for a long time rabbis refused to acknowledge him – when they did, they renamed him Bar Koziba, or “Son of Disappointment”.  Bar Kochba lead the revolt against the Romans from 132-135 when the Jews were unable to suppress their nationalism.

Roman Amphitheater in Beit Guvrin National Park

During the Bar Kochba revolt, the Jews were heavily reliant on underground caves and tunnels.  These tunnels and caves were extensive, and were a great place for the Jewish people to wait out their attackers.  They could stay in these tunnels for long periods of time, popping out and surprise attacking the Romans with guerrilla tactics.  It was essentially a giant game of whack-a-mole – the Jews would appear and attack the Romans and then retreat to their caves.  It was difficult for the Romans to follow Bar Kochba and his followers because their bulky armor made it difficult for them to fit through the tunnels and forced them to follow each other single file.  Because of this and their tactics, the Jews were able to hold out against the Romans for three years.

            I personally think that the Bar Kochba Revolt was justified.  The Jews couldn’t get rid of their sense of nationalism, and felt that the only way to fight for it was to start a rebellion.  Even the rabbis agreed that revolting was the only way to go.  The Romans were oppressing the Jews and their beliefs, and the Jews were not okay with that.  They collectively agreed that revolting was the best option in terms of getting the Romans to understand their unhappiness.  Had I been in that situation, I would’ve joined the revolt as well.  It’s unknown whether or not the Bar Kochba Revolt lead to the Hadrianic decrees or whether the decrees led to the revolt, but either way, having your religion and culture taken away from you is incredibly upsetting, enough so to start a revolt.

            There are many ways to see the Bar Kochba Revolt from the point of view of the Romans.  For one, you can look at different Roman sources.  There are more Roman sources relating to the Bar Kochba Revolt than sources of any other origin, such as Jewish, early Christian, and archaeological.  The Romans were so perturbed by the behavior of the Jews in Israel because they didn’t understand their customs and didn’t understand how the Jews could be monotheistic and believe in only one god.  Romans, at this time, were still polytheistic and used their gods and goddesses to explain everything, including every day happenings.

            Rabbi Akiva is known as “our greatest sage”.  He divided all of the Talmudic study materials into six parts, or the “Six Orders of Mishna”.  He lived through the destruction of the Second Temple and studied for 24 years with 24,000 students, or so the midrash says.  Because of his devotion to Torah and how learning Torah affected both his personal and spiritual life, he refused to stop teaching Torah.  The Roman emperor Hadrian banned the study of Torah.  Rabbi Akiva was one of the ten martyred rabbis.  He was executed at Caesaria and was willing to die for Torah.  His last recorded words were those of the Sh’ma prayer, holding out the final “echad”.  These events are highly inspirational.  Although the study of Torah was forbidden, Rabbi Akiva was not willing to give up doing something that he completely believed in, even though he knew it would probably end with his death.  The Romans tried to tell him to stop, but they couldn’t take away how he felt no matter how much they tried.

Masada

                                     by Chanah Haigh,     11^th grade,         New York

    The stars turned to a blue sky and still we climbed. Up and up and up, even when the path thinned to single file and the cliff edge reached out for us. Through the fatigue of waking up at four am and the physical strain of dragging our bodies up a mountain, we marched on. We had started in the dark at the bottom of  the mountain we could barely see yet as we reached higher the world was illuminated. Soft rays of the rising sun hit the sea below as we struggled through the never ending pass. People were doubled over or pouring water over themselves, all of us determinedly battling on despite the pain. The monotonous red stone couldn't tell us our progress as we stared at our feet, willing them to go on. And every time we glanced above, sure we were nearing the end, another turn in the path met our eyes. But then it was only five switchbacks left and then a hundred feet and a flight of stairs and suddenly we burst through the opening to the very top of the mountain. Beyond exhausted and swelling with the pride of our accomplishment, we didn't sit down until we had reached the wall looking over the Dead Sea and the sun and taken it the true magnitude of the height we had reached.

After a quick service under some shade we split into our class and took off in different directions. Traveling through ancient buildings, complete with waterways, David told us about the rich history of the mountain top. It was picked as a fortress for its defensive advantage, it was a very hard mountain to scale, as we could attest, and an entire army could surely never have gotten up there in one piece. Its history could be divided into three main stories, each more fascinating and violent than the last.

King's Rule

King Herod, the great. Well, I suppose great is a relative term. He built up much of Jerusalem and the temple mount in his reign from37 to 4 BCE. But he was constantly clinging to the power the Romans had granted him as their puppet king, and was always terrified of losing it.  In his paranoia he built up a fortress on Masada, one of many he could retreat to in times of danger. He built it lavishly, a palace befitting the grand king, built it in the image of the Romans. It was strategically placed and well stocked. Trenches guided the water from the desert hill tops to caves and water passage ways halfway up the mountain, after that slaves and animals would bring it up the rest of the way.

Sally With Her Dried Fruit

Herod's Water Ways

We had smuggled in dried fruit and sat in what used to be a bedroom, with a magnificent view. We ate our replica of ancient fruit and imagined what it would be like to wake up to the grandeur and natural beauty of King Herod's palace. And then to our dismay considered how easily a sleepy person in the morning might topple over the edge. We put ourselves in the mindset of a paranoid king with too many enemies, too much money, too much allegiance to the Romans, and not enough subjects who actually liked him.

Life

The zealots who refused to live under Roman rule went up the mountain in year 66. Under the leadership of Elazar Ben Yair, they conquered Masada after the destruction of the Second Temple. They had captured the fortress from the Romans in a sneak attack in the dead of night. Much of King Herod's old technologies they used to sustain life, such as his water tunnels and bath house. With their families they built a working Jewish community. The 900 Jews had a synagogue, houses, mikvaot, plenty of water and enough food to last them for years. In their little pocket of the world they created what might have been, for all they knew, the last Judaism in the world.

David Imitating The Zealot's Sneak Attack

The beit knesset of the Jews resided in an old amphitheater of King Herod's. In the corner was a geniza where they stored old holy texts that had been broken beyond repair. We sat in their old seats and wondered what it must have been like to pray there, in the Roman-like stage. We theorized whether the area held men and women, or just men and how that represented all the changes Judaism had made over time. WE have the same religion as these ancients, but maybe different traditions and beliefs despite that.

Defeat

Romans had been setting up camp around the mountain for a while. More and more campfires could be seen at night, as the predators surrounding the Jews grew. It was a threat to the Romans to have even one community not under their rule, but the mountain was nearly impregnable and the Jews had spent 3 years on its top in safety. It was steep and could only be climbed single file. But eventually, the Romans were able to build a ramp and a battering ram. The Jews saw this and knew the end was near. But these were the people who fled to the dessert to avoid Roan rule, they weren't about to accept it now. According to the historian Josephus, they didn't accept it.  All the men went home and killed their wives and families. Then they reconvened and picked lots and ten men cut the necks of all the rest. Then lots were drawn again and one man killed the other nine. Then that man killed himself. They had burned their whole village to the ground, razed their houses and destroyed everything that might have been a spoil of war to the Romans. They left only one thing untouched, their food, a message to the Romans  saying “We could have survived longer”. In one final act of rebellion, they left on the floor of their synagogue a quote from Ezekiel's prophesy of dry bones, the prophesy that we would return to Israel, that we would be a great people again.

We sat among the ruins looking out at the Dead Sea. Leaning against the rocks, we contemplated whether these people who died willingly were ones to admire or condemn. Where they wrong for taking their own lives, surely they were for taking the lives of their families. Is this really what we should be aspiring to as a people? This is a story that was recounted at army ceremonies and bnei mitzvot and had truly become a symbol of Israeli independence, until the last 20 years when we started reconsidering the wisdom of promoting group suicide. On the other hand, these were a people who knew the end was coming, they could die at the hands of the enemy or be taken into slavery to be raped and beaten. Maybe they were exercising the last right they had left, the choice of how they died. In the end they took it into their own hands, they died on their own call, not by the swords of the Romans.

Three stories happened on the mountain in the desert, but I'd like to add a fourth. The story of a group of  highschoolers who faced a mountain and managed to climb it. Who went up to learn the history of their people and revel in collective memory. Who achieved a goal that looked so daunting from the ground, but one they fought for and were able to conquer.

Jerusalem in the Second Temple Period

      By Tanner Smith,     11^th grade,       Illinois

One, two, three, four, five steps. In just these few steps, statistically speaking, I have almost definitely followed the exact path of one of my predecessors. Two thousand years ago Jews would venture forth up the very stairs I climbed, carrying sacrifices for God.

I make it to the top, hit the wall, and search for shade. We proceed down to the fallen Robinson's Arch. I contemplate the path that the cohenim of the Temple would follow. Right above me, two thousand years ago, the great priests in control of the Temple would lead the Jewish people in their daily life.  The modern day leaders of my community have the last name Katz, one of the names indicating forefathers that were cohenim. To think that their forefathers were right next to me, displaced only by time. Just before this we traveled underground in the Old City, into the ancient mansions of the cohenim. Inside we found approximately six mikvaot, the remnants of rich Jewish life, and the cutest cat (we can only assume that he is two thousand years old and has lived there all this time).

It strikes me now how close to history I was. There are four dimensions and I was only separated from my forefathers by one of them. In fact the wall I stood in front of and the steps I walked upon made it through that fourth dimension, calling out to me, saying ‘hello’ in David’s terms.

Israel Museum:  Rome, who survives?, and the oldest and the smallest Tanachim

                by Maya Epstein,     11^th grade,        NJ

On September 21^st, Kitat Yarden traveled to the Israel Museum. We started off our day by talking about the Hasmoneans (more commonly known as the Maccabees) and their dynasty. They started out as a very powerful family and a people that are very loyal to Judaism, but as time went on and there were new descendants they became more assimilationists. They also began forcibly converting people to Judaism, which as we know is a huge No No.    Within about 100 years a group of Jews who fought to protect our Judaism and right to practice became Greeks. 63 BCE was the start of the Roman rule, and the start of some good and bad things in the province of Judea. The Romans actually brought some good things.  For example they brought more civilization, more technology, they built aqueducts, and overall they were good for the economy and for law and order. Although they brought all these good things they also brought about a period of Sinat Chinam (Senseless Hatred), and a time where people were not able to practice freely. Sinat Chinam was the Avodah Zerah of this time period.

During the time of the Roman rule there were 4 different sects of Judaism, each who had senseless hatred towards each other. You had the Sadducees (Priests), Pharisees (Rabbis), Essenes (Messianic/hippy Jews), and the Sikarim (Zealots/Militant Jews). Throughout our trip to the Israel Museum we met some people from these sects to learn about their life. First we met the Priests, and learned that they actually admired the Romans. They were rich and lived in really large houses with many mikves, and they also were not messianic at all. We then met the Rabbis who were the poorest class. They focused on Torah study and cared a lot about oral law and the interpretation of the Torah. They were the most adaptable and thought about what was good for the future of Judaism. Next we met the Essenes. They lived in the Kumran and near the Dead Sea in something resembling a Kibbutz. There were no women allowed. They consistently thought the messiah was coming and would go in the mikve as often as possible, many times before meals and working, to purify themselves for the coming of the messiah. The last group we met was the Zealots who were the ones who wanted to fight and wage war against the Romans. They were the ones held out at Masada and believed that the Romans and liking them meant Avodah Zerah. Only one of these groups survive. I believe it will be the Rabbis because we still have them now.

We also met King Herod, the first Roman puppet king of the Jews. His mother was one of those forcibly converted into Judaism during the Hasomean Dynasty. A puppet king was someone who was Jewish but was loyal to the Romans. This was because the people would trust him but the Romans still had control. King Herod reigned from 37-4 BCE. He was a massive builder, and whatever was built during his time period was called Herodian. The saying we started going by was “Think Herod, Think Big”.

 We have seen many models over the past few weeks, and at the Israel museum there was a huge model of Jerusalem during Roman rule. It used to be behind where the museum is, but once the hotel it was in got sold, the model got sold too. It had to be taken apart and moved piece by piece, and put back together at the museum piece by piece. It is also consistently being fixed as they find new information about what it looks like.

After that we went to a metal sculpture that said אהבה (Ahava, Love). The only thing that could combat Sinat Chinam was Love, only thing that could combat hate was love. We all took a picture together on the sculpture. I had seen this picture from many semesters of EIE students and finally being able to see it and take a picture in it myself made me feel like I was a part of the EIE legacy.

From there we went to the Dead Sea Scrolls. These scrolls were thought to be written by the Essenes. The story of the finding of them goes that the guy was a shepherd and 2 of his sheeps ran into this cave. He threw rocks to get them to come back to the flocks, but instead of hearing a rock hitting a rock was things breaking. Later he came back with his brother and they found these jars with scrolls inside of them. Inside were scrolls with writings from the Tanach and many from the book of Isiah, and writings about the rules of the Essenes. They longest scroll they found was the Book of Isiah. Before they found these scrolls the oldest scrolls were 1,000 years old. Once we found them we know have scrolls that are 2,000 years old.  We went inside where some of the Dead Sea scrolls were as well as where they had some of the tools from the area of the Essenes. Also, where the dead sea scrolls are place are very strategic. It is facing the Knesset to show the connection between the past and the present.

After that we went to where the nano-tanach was. When Barak Obama came to visit, they took him to the Israel museum where they put a lot of displays around. It also customary for leaders of countries to present other countries with a present. Israel presented Obama with the nano-tanach. It is the entire Tanach engraved onto a tiny piece of metal that could fit on the tip of your finger. Every word of the Tanach is on the piece of metal.