Sara's Chanukah School Trip

This week I headed out with Sara and her Gan for a chanukah tiyul to Bible lands museum. Sara and her Gan have been learning about the beit hamikdash and all the keilim (vessels) in the beit hamikdash. They have also been learning about the chanukah story of course, so her ganenet decided to go on a class trip to do some hands on beit hamikdash and chanukah learning. Here in Israel you can find a trip for every holiday and for other important subjects such as chumash, mishnah, gemarra etc. Actually, for chumash you just have to look out our window to derech avot and there is your trip. Here class trips aren't just for science, or geography but for our own personal history! Other class trips our kids have gone on include: kever rachel on rachel immeinu's yahrzeit, maayanot (springs) of gush etzion, and the caves of tekoa and Herodian.....no pioneer village yet.

We met at the museum and were introduced to our very sweet and dramatic guide ...Rivka. The kids were shown maps of where israel is and where the beit hamikdash was. We were taken to an open space and shown the model of the beit hamikdash. Rivka also spoke about kohen gadol and proceeded to dress up one little boy, actually Chagit Barnea's son (former Toronto shlichah at ulpana). The kids were then given special material which they decorated and put on. They were given crowns and a piece of paper. We then had to go through the museum and look for the keilim that were pictured on our piece of paper: the menorah, the shovel and oil container. We found all the vessels.....they were actual archeological finds. Then the kids were allowed to color in their papers and they were attached to their crowns. Following the whole expedition the kids sang a song and then were treated to a play in a little theatre starring our guide. It was fun and sweet. Sara totally enjoyed herself. At one point Chagit leaned over and asked if this was another one of those only in Israel moments. Of course it was, where else could you go to a museum and learn about the beit hamikdash and the story of chanukah.

CHODESH IRGUN

What you ask is Chodesh Irgun? I too asked the very same question, only a short time ago when people began to warn me about this very curious chodesh we were about to enter. I didn't know about the jewish month of irgun but was soon about to discover its all encompassing grasp on the youth of Israel. "Get ready , you won't see your kids for the next month!", "put aside some painting clothes and tell them to paint only in those", "oh yes, I remember when my kids were busy with chodesh irgun" , so maybe it wasn't a new month I knew nothing about but rather was a person named Chodesh Irgun , who with they would be very busy! Yeah, that was it!

Then one night all the kids went up to the snif for some peulah, something about the opening peula for chodesh irgun. Our three oldest, made there way up to the top of the hill. Darrell and I put Sara to bed, when we began to hear beating drums, and singing, sounds like kids singing and this went on for hours, singing and drumming , drumming and singing. When the kids came home , one by one , youngest to oldest, they were hot, sweaty and very very happy. They had been singing and dancing up at their snif for hours and had a grand old time. David had been hoisted up on many an older boys shoulders. This was the beginning of chodesh irgun.

So what I have gathered and understood about chodesh irgun is as follows. This is a month in which the shevets, scrape and paint their rooms in the snif in relation to a theme given to bnei akiva throughout the country. They paint murals and decorate in this theme. The theme this year was Gush Katif and Unity. The shevets divide up into commities and begin a month of work. Painting is just part of it. Each shevet comes up with a play or presentation to put on at the end of the month on motzei shabbat of "shabbat irgun"(a new parsha which is added in the month of irgun). The kids got busier and busier as the weeks passed and in the last two weeks most of my three big kids were out and about practising and painting and all that stuff almost every night. Each shevet had to prepare something special for the whole snif to partake for instance Yonatan's shevet prepared tea on a fire. One night I answered the door to my son Yonatan, covered from head to toe in blue paint.....with the hugest , happiest smile. We would look up the hill from our house and see the migrash (the playing field) and we could hear the music and see the flags of Avital's shevet practising their daglanut number. The whole focus of the shabbat irgun was to inaugurate the new shevet, those kids in kita Daled (David's group) and to give the oldest shevet(Avital's group) their new name, that would be their shevet's name forever. Each of the younger shevets moved up one level taking on the name of the shevet before them and the oldest or graduating shevet was crowned their new name. There was of course lots of murmuring about what that name would be and everyone was guessing. Of course, my Yonatan, found out what the name would be the week before and was so excited when it turned out he was right.

By the end of the four weeks most parents were ready for the finale and just in time for shabbat irgun. Friday night the kids all davened up at the bnei akiva snif with their shevet and madrichim. There were visiting madrichim called shlichim from other parts of the country. Avital's shevet had a Friday night meal together. The other kids quickly disappeared after our meal and headed up to the snif. They had peulot and singing and dancing and came home exhausted. Shabbat morning after davening there was a kiddush for the whole yishuv for chodesh irgun, then the kids took their parents to the snif for a grand tour of their finished products. We went from room and were completely amazed.
See for yourselves.






The kids all ate with their shevets. One week before , each kid came home with a list of items they had to bring for their meal...Avital 25 plastic settings, Yonatan 6 chicken polkas, and David two drink bottles. This phenomena always amazes me in Israel......kids organizing kids and succeeding. Nothing fancy, everyone pitches in and it always works out beautifully and even when it doesn't it isn't a big deal. After shabbat the kids burst in the house, they had already had their havdalah chagigit and were getting ready to go for the big show. We (Darrell, Sara and I) headed to the migrash and found ourselves seats and watched as all the parents in the yishuv began to congregate on the migrash. Soon we heard drums and singing as the kids all marched down to the migrash to join the parents.

The Rav of our yishuv spoke to us all and especially to the youth. It was quite moving, he spoke about Gush Etzion and how it fell after 1948 and how its members had to leave their homes and then it was refounded after 1967. He said that hashem runs the world in his own way and we don't know what will be tomorrow and just have to move forward always doing our best. The kominarit spoke...what is a kominarit?...this is the bat sheirut girl who is in charge of all bnei akiva neve Daniel. I was amazed when i heard her speak, her maturity, the issues of which she spoke in such a deep manner. Then the youngest group did their dance and were welcomed into bnei akiva. David chose not to participate, I guess he felt shy or not yet comfortable. Then Avitals big daglanut debut was introduced. The music blared on the loudspeaker and my daughter and her friends ,her chevra, marched onto the field wearing their bnei akiva shirts and carrying their israeli flags and proceded to perform the most beautiful daglanut I ever saw. Well, you know how I always tell you how I blink rapidly to keep my tears at bay. There was no blinking happening because my eyes were experiencing a major flood happening. I was sobbing my eyes out and couldn't stop. Here I was out in the middle of the Judean hills, the lights of Efrat twinkling beyond the migrash, sitting with other parents of our israeli children and watching my daughter be a part of Israeli society at its root. There were no words, I held Darrell's hand and we watched our happy, settled, Israeli Daughter and were just awed by her and by all our childrens braveness over these last months. A mifkad was held and parents were invited down to join their shevets and Avital's shevet was given their new name.....Netzach...eternity. I watched Yonatan from a distance, and also with the zoom on my camcorder and saw him singing his kishkas out, smiling and having a great time. Thank you Gd. We all headed to the olam smachot (simcha hall) and grabbed chairs to watch the plays. I watched yonatan's group come on stage and I was amazed to see my son, yonatan , up on stage in front of all the yishuv, singing in hebrew and so obviously enjoying himself. We watched play after, play, each one different and meaningful. What was most amazing once again, is that the greater play and all its smaller components was put together and written by the kids themselves. No parental input here! And the finished product was thoughtful, meaningful and simply beautiful!

I know all the kids loved chodesh irgun and love bnei akiva, but this year was especially special for my kids and for us. What a blessing to sit in the hills of judea and watch our children as they integrate into a thoughtful, meaningful community. Thank you Bnei akiva, you have helped my children to feel part of something wonderful and to begin their integration into Israeli life here!!!

remember: you can click on the photos for a better view.

Noises in the Night

Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night and hear strange, whiney voices in the distance? Do you sit up in bed and ask "what is that loud, whiney song outside my window?" It is usually then that I shake my head and pinch my arm and realize that we are not in "Kansas" anymore!! I actually like the sound of the Arabs calling to prayer..I just wish it wasn't in the middle of the night and another four times in the day. Somehow it has a middle eastern sound that reminds me of where we are and the uniqueness of this place we call home. Sometimes when we are walking on a Friday night in the yishuv, out of the darkness suddenly jumps these calls to prayer or music from their simchas. They play some kind of flute or wind instrument that has a unique arab sound to it. Sometimes we can even see fireworks ...supposedly this is customary at weddings.

Now you should know, that everyone in israel lives close to Arabs in some way, even those that don't want to think about it or acknowledge this fact. In Jerusalem, Jewish neighborhoods are directly next to Arab neighborhoods as in many other cities as well. Yesterday we met with a Tehilla Pilot Trip group (the same trip we were on last year at this time), Darrell and I were asked to address the group about our experiences and feelings about living in the Gush. One of the group asked me if I felt like I was living in a "military fortress"...i was astounded and afterwards I was astounded that I was astounded. First of all fyi, my answer was that I absolutely do not feel the military fortress feeling, in any way, when driving out to the gush. Yes I have to go through a machsom (checkpoint) and yes I do see Arabs along the road on foot , donkey or in cars/taxis etc. but that I know rationally that it is no different anywhere else atleast I am aware of what's around me and know what I am dealing with. I think it is a very comfortable illusion to think the security situation is any different to someone walking the streets of Jerusalem. In fact during the height of the intifada, there were more deaths and injuries in the cities of Jerusalem, Netanya, and Haifa than there were out here on our roads.

So why was I astounded that I was astounded about the military fortress question....I remember when we came two years ago for the summer with the family, I was nervous about security and I had rules about where we could go and where we shouldn't, how we should get there and how not etc. and as the summer progressed i readjusted my perspective and while I still held by some rules I let up on others. I came to the realization that "safety" and my control over it was really an illusion I created to make myself feel better. Really it is all out of my hands and under Gds. watchful eye and I would be better to pray to him than make a list of rules for all my family to obey. This said you still have to be responsible and not take crazy risks.

Darrell gave a good analogy to the group...when you come to Israel the first time you see soldiers all over, and you notice every gun and every chayal and after a short time it becomes part of the picture , just everyday life. In that summer we were here we drove out to visit friends in Efrat and I remember feeling nervous and uncomfortable on the first drive out but then as we came out more often it didn't bother me and now I drive that road back and forth on a regular basis and when I go through the machsom or see the soldiers I thank gd. that they are here to protect us and he should protect them. And I do feel protected by them, actually moreso out here than in the city! It is interesting, Darrell came to visit on his own for a family wedding and Natan Kandler took him for a drive around the Shomron in his car. Darrell describes speeding along highways in areas he wasn't so sure about...Natan stated he takes this road but makes sure todrive quickly. Then he points to another highway and says this one I don't drive on...it struck Darrell how everyone has their own comfort zone and you get use to different levels or you create your own relative illusion that works for you. The idea of a safe world or safer places in the world exploded for me with the Twin Towers on 9/11 and it was then that I realized I had grown up in a bubble and the last half a century since the shoah was an 'out of the ordinary' period in Jewish History rather than what was the norm or what would continue on.

It is interesting how the sounds of Arab prayer evoke many different kinds of feelings for all of us. Some of the women on the yishuv, talk about a time when they use to shop in Bethlehem and when it wasn't a problem to go into the neighborhood Kfars to buy different items. They sigh as if remembering the good old days and longing for them once again. Some feel anger, other sadness and others longing for a different situation....or all of the above depending on the day. And sometimes I just feel that they really should just adjust the volume on their speakers, that if I am hearing it so loud in my bedroom what about their own villagers, they will be a cranky bunch come the morning if someone doesn't TURN DOWN THE VOLUME!!!!!