On Friday I decided I wanted to try out a bakery. It was a sunny day in Jerusalem and my friend Marc (who incidentally is getting married tomorrow, and I could not possibly be more excited) recommended the David Laor Kiosk in Jerusalem.
So I walked there. It was situated right next to a park. People were lining up outside the kiosk, chatting and smiling. Music was playing from the kiosk itself. After customers got their food (either to go or on a pretty tray), they sat down at the many tables and benches that dotted the landscape. People were clearly meeting up with friends and otherwise enjoying their time together.
I got a chocolate croissant, almond croissant, a berry danish and hot chocolate (or shoko cham, as they put it). No, I did not eat all of the items right then. But, since everything served at that bakery is dairy, everything was delicious. Flaky, buttery, absolutely amazing. My favorite item was the berry danish; I recommend it.
Afterwards, I headed to Matan, since we were leaving to spend Shabbat in Alon Shvut. Before taking us all the way there, the bus let us off by a topographical map of the Gush.
And Tal (the one who I praised in my first post) bought me a crushed icy limonana, because I was overheating.
The bus then took us to the Zomet Institute. This was fascinating. I could have stayed there for much longer. Rabbi Binyamin Zimmerman was the person who presented to us. His presentation was hands-on, interactive, made use of volunteers, was clear- really a phenomenal experience all around. If I could, I would bring all of my students to hear him. As it is, I’m wondering if any of the pieces of his presentation could be replicated on Zoom.
The purpose of Zomet is to figure out how to make needed technologically halakhically compliant, especially for Shabbat. For example, we clearly need metal detectors by the Kotel on Shabbat. God forbid, we wouldn’t want someone to enter while carrying a weapon. But how can one make the metal detectors halachically compliant/ not in violation of Shabbat?
Zomet makes all kinds of devices- ranging from electric wheelchairs that can be used on Shabbat, computers for the Israeli army, hospital devices, hot water urns that heat water for large amounts of people and Shabbos elevators. Rabbi Zimmerman took us through the question of what exactly a melacha [work/ a creative act] on Shabbat entails. He then showed how many of Zomet’s inventions can get around the prohibitions.
For example, imagine an individual who is disabled and typically uses an electric scooter to get around. Let’s call this seven year old girl Shira. Shira knew that once Shabbat came, she would be stuck in one place, as if she were a stone. This obviously would not enhance her experience of Shabbat. Zomet came up with a way to make a halachically acceptable scooter Shira can ride so she can join up with her friends. She spins the jumprope and they jump- which means she is now able to be part of the crowd.
Apparently all of these innovations began back in the day with the question of wearing hearing aids on Shabbat. R’ Shlomo Zalman Auerbach is the posek who permitted it and upon whose rulings Zomet largely relies.
We walked over to Rabbanit Shani Taragin’s house after our visit to Zomet. We prepared for Shabbat, then headed to Beit Knesset Alon Shvut Darom. It was gorgeous- with lots of natural light pouring in, individual comfortable seats and wooden pull-down shtenders at each seat. Many women showed up to Friday night davening. I enjoyed the ability to daven Kabbalat Shabbat, Maariv, Shacharit, Musaf and Mincha at this beautiful location. It was amazing to have the ability to simply connect to God via my prayers- an opportunity I have not had in years, because I usually remain at home on Shabbat to watch my children.
After Maariv, we headed back to the Taragins. We had a delicious Shabbat meal. Each Shabbaton participant was asked to share why she got into Jewish Education or a moment that made her think it was important to stay. I enjoyed hearing everyone’s stories.
After the meal, we had the opportunity to listen to Rav Menachem Leibtag, Rav Alex Israel and Mrs. Molly Brodsky answer questions about education. They talked candidly about their approaches to sharing their own views on hot-button topics, what living/ working as an educator in Israel is like, and strategies for how to interest and motivate students.
I woke up at 4am on Shabbat day and read most of Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole by Susan Cain. Similarly to ‘Quiet,’ she is writing based on her personal experiences. (‘Quiet’ was about being an introvert; ‘Bittersweet’ is about not being an overtly happy person but rather embracing the entire gamut of emotions.) I felt the book was not well-balanced and was more anecdotal than research-based. The main point was beautifully put and meaningful, but I am not at all convinced that there is a “tyranny of happiness” in the way she suggests.
Shul was at 8am. I had forgotten that the kohanim bless us (twice!) at shul in Israel. I felt very happy that I was able to receive the Birkat Kohanim.
After shul we went to the home of Rav Aviah HaCohen, who teaches at Matan. He told us a dvar Torah that to me seemed influenced by a Hasidic approach (which I appreciated). His wife was very welcoming and amusing as well. Rav Aviah also shared fascinating stories about his mother (who was a baalat chesed who took in the poor, including an ex-prostitute, and fed them) and his grandparents. We ate kiddush at Rav Aviah’s home- and Matan had even made sure to get a cake for one of women because it was her birthday.
We then went back to the Taragins for lunch. Rabbi Reuven Ziegler of Koren publishers came by. He introduced the author Oriya Mevorach, who wrote a bestselling book in Hebrew titled Mah At Mevakeshet. It’s now in its sixth printing in Israel. Here’s the description:
The world around us is looking for love, but believes wholeheartedly that the institution of love is falling apart. Western society pursues "liberated" sexuality, but continues to shape it in a dirty and degrading way. Religious society speaks of sexuality as a "sacred" thing, and along the way asks women not to attract the eye, and men not to look.
In her book What Are You Asking For, Oriya Mevorach creates order for our society and provides an alternative. The book defines, analyzes and in-depth criticizes the destructive approaches regarding sexuality that surround everyone living in Israeli society today. It gives us tools to identify them even when they are hidden behind a familiar image, text or idea, which seems innocent and routine to us. While identifying existing failures, the book offers a Jewish, halakhic, healthy, and resource-based alternative.
This is a new-old approach, which has not yet been written in a cohesive way, and appears here for the first time in an accessible way that is suitable for ages 16 and up.
The book is aimed at women and girls, but is also suitable for men, boys, educators, parents, couples, and anyone who has longed for the tools to deal with what is happening around us now.
This book will be translated into English in one week. Rabbi Ziegler noted that if any of us wanted to be part of a focus group who would consider using the book in our classrooms, we should email him. I’m interested.
After lunch, we went on a tiyul of the Derech HaAvot/ Path of the Patriarchs with Rav Alan Haber. The tour was riveting. It became cleaar that this path definitely existed in the times of the Second Temple. We saw the Mill Stones (Roman mile markers) that people would have used in order to know how far they were on this road taking them all the way to Jerusalem. Note that Roman miles are not the same as American miles and are closer to one kilometer. We also saw a mikvah with two sets of steps- one for people who were tahor to come up and one for people who were tamei to go down. He explained that there were over sixty mikvaot found right near Jerusalem. So why this one on the road? He explained that actually, immersing in the mikvah alone does not make you pure. The sun has to set first. This means it might be better for some people to immerse on the path along the way, because that way the sun will have already set by the time they get to Jerusalem and they can bring their korban (sacrifice) right away.
Rabbi Haber also showed us how the topography of Israel is such that certain roads have to be placed in certain places. While at the end of the day, we cannot know for sure that the exact road we walked on is where Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov walked we know it is not far off based on the topography.
We passed by a memorial to Ezra Schwartz z”l on our way back. We then went to Rav Yoel Bin-Nun’s shiur at shul. It was all in Hebrew. Rav Yoel Bin-Nun does shnayim mikra v’echad biur with a call and response method where people repeat back the pesukim from the Parsha he reads, and then he elucidates them. I didn’t understand much of what he said, but I did enjoy sitting in on his class.
We went back to the Taragins, experienced a brief power outage during Seudat Shlishit, had the power come back on, made havdalah, and then traveled to Meshek 48. This is a new initiative created by the same people who ran Pat B’Melach. Meshek 48 is a space for people to come together for experiential workshops that connect Torah and real life. Below are some photos.
Rabbanit Shani Taragin then ran an experiential workshop where she taught us how to make korbanot, specifically the korban mincha. There are many different types of korban mincha and tonight we made (and baked/ fried and tasted) all of them.
Here’s a video of Rabbanit Shani speaking and explaining the process. (Since I just uploaded it, it might take a while to load and actually play.)
After that, we had a music workshop and discussion about how we could use music to help students connect to Tanakh.
It was an exceptionally long but really fascinating day. And yes, I’m exhausted. One point I want to discuss further is the constant insistence of people here that everyone should make aliyah- I may dedicate a full post to why I don’t agree with this approach. In the meantime, I’m super excited that tomorrow (actually, by now it’s TODAY) Muffins is getting married- and now I should go to sleep. :)