Nachlaot Tiyul

On Friday morning, we all took a short drive to Jerusalem, but this time to a part of Jerusalem that we hadn't yet been to. This part of Jerusalem is called Nachlaot. It started out with Jews living in the old city of Jerusalem protected inside the city by walls. Inside these walls, it became crowded with Jews all confined in a space that seemed to get smaller with the amount of Jews that came to live inside the city walls. Because of this, people began building outside the walls and neighborhoods began to spread and flourish. Moshe Montefiore supported this idea and wanted to expand Jewish living, starting Nachlaot. It was called "אבן ישראל" (Evan Yisrael) meaning the "rock of Israel." People came from all over, including Yemen. People coming from Yemen were not treated well, inspiring Montefiore to create a lottery inviting 13 families into the neighborhood. Eventually, a Yemen neighborhood was created in Nachlaot leading to the unity of 20 neighborhoods into this one "mosaic of Israeli society."

In Nachlaot, we also learned about a concept called כלל ישראל (Klal Yisrael) which can be described as the pluralistic nature of Israeli society. This concept is personally one of my favorite part of Judaism, and my favorite part of Jerusalem itself. In Jerusalem, and especially Nachlaot, you can experience so many different kinds of Jewish people: different origins, different traditions, and different opinions. We saw one woman and her daughter washing their dishes to make them kosher, which is not something that we are used to, but we were kindly welcomed to witness the occasion. Not only was it really interesting to learn about this process, but it was really cool to see it in person. There are also a lot of different synagogues in Nachlaot and we got to sit in front of a beautiful synagogue as Lali told us why Nachlaot is so important to her.

Sitting in גן התות (Gan Hatut) or the strawberry garden was a really special experience. Everywhere we looked we could see people of all different kinds. Israeli soldiers, parents with babies, religious Jews, tourists, and so many more. We were lucky enough to sing a song there as well as enjoy our scavenger-hunt lunch.

We immediately transitioned into a fun game that our madrichim and Hebrew teachers created for us to push us out of our comfort zones and into Israeli culture. Our task was to find different supplies for lunch throughout the shuk at Machaneh Yehudah while only speaking in Hebrew. Our instructions were also written in Hebrew. At first I was nervous to speak in Hebrew in front of Israelis because I was afraid of  embarrassing myself by saying something wrong. I did end up speaking in Hebrew to a man selling salad and it went well which made me a lot more comfortable with my Hebrew skills.

After lunch, we all ended up gathering around two Israelis (probably no more than a few years older than us) and sung along while they played some popular Israeli and American songs. Someone offered them an apple in return for their entertainment, but they simply responded by saying that they weren't playing for any money, but that they were just playing for fun. I thought that this was a huge contrast to American musicians who would set up their guitar cases propped open to accept donations while they played as opposed to the friendliness of these Israelis who just wanted to have fun and play music in a public place.

Nachlaot was definitely my favorite Tiyul because of how interesting and beautiful the neighborhood is as well as the diversity of the people there. I hope that if I ever make Aliyah, I will be able to spend my time in a community like Nachlaot.

A beautiful start to an amazing Tiyul.

I'm not much of a cat person, but I really have to hand it this little one. Adorable.

This was a pretty cool painting that looks really realistic when it's this small. 

No caption needed. 

Some questions for discussion: What about this part of Jerusalem is different from the Jerusalem that we've already experienced? What does Klal Yisrael mean to you and how can we promote this value in our everyday lives?

Independence Tiyul

Starting our Independence Tiyul, our class was given the opportunity to visit the Israeli tank museum 'Latrun'. Here, we learned about the great Independence war, visited the memorial wall, and got a chance to talk with a real Israeli Tank corps Alumni - Our very own madricha Neta! We also then travelled to the Ayalon Institute, where we learned about secret underground bullet factory run by Israeli youth in the war effort. Lastly, we ended the Tiyul with a fun scavenger hunt in Tel Aviv where we learned more about the skills and challenges involved in creating start-up companies today.

Originally built in 1940, the fortress of Latrun served initially as a British police station in the time of the British Mandate. The site had a great location; as it was a strong fortress and was positioned so that it had easy access to goods coming in and out of Jerusalem. The fortress was originally taken by the Palmach in 1948, but they failed to hold the fortress for more than 3 days due to Jordanian attacks; this led the site to fall into Jordanian hands from 1948-1967. In 1947, UNISCOP (The United Nations Special Committee on Palestine) is tasked with coming to Palestine to monitor it. At the same time, the British calls on the UN for help in what to do with Palestine, as the situation (both of riots and growing racism against two cultural majority groups), was growing to an extent that was becoming too large for Great Britain to handle. This sets the first UN partition plan in motion, as on the 29th of November in 1947 the UN proposes to split the land of Palestine up between the Arabs and Jews, with 72% of the UN council voting supportive of the idea. Although the land that happened to fall into Jewish hands as part of the divisions may not have been the most favorable, David Ben Gurion urges the Jewish people to vote for the idea. He does this, as he knows the Arabs will vote against it anyway - and even though the UN's idea wouldn't leave a satisfying conclusion - he wants international public opinion to see the Jewish people as positive and open to new ideas and efforts. The very next day, on the 30th of November, the start of the Independence war breaks out. Phase 1 of the war begins with fighting units having been developed, but the war itself is between local Arabs and Jews living in Palestine. Phase 2 begins on the 2nd of April 1948-May 14th 1948. Here, we see the Jewish people taking an offensive position, and in turn winning many more battles. Despite oppositional urges from the American President at the time, this 'turn of the tide' that influences more hopeful and victorious sentiments amongst the Jewish people leads to David Ben Gurion to announce a very important historical statement. On May 14th 1948, as the British troops leave the territory at midnight, David Ben Gurion declares an official Jewish state of Israel. The next and final phase of the war begins the very next day and goes until July of 1949. Arab countries surrounding Israel see a downhill in Jordanian forces, and the combining Arab powers of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon simultaneously attack. This leads to the Battle of Jerusalem and Yad Mordechai. Both were battles that ended in Jewish victory, however they also make us understand the strength in Jewish motivation; this being to not only survive the war, but to win for the Jewish peoples cultural and historical rights to a true home. It was around this time that Evan shared with us the story of David "Mickey" Marcus, an American Jewish military man. Mickey felt a strong connection to the rights of Jewish people after serving in the American army in WWII. Before the Independence war began, David Ben Gurion heard about Mickey - and asked for his help in finding an american military official to aid Israel's plight. Mickey decided he was the only man for the job, and came to Israel to eventually become the first general in the Israeli army. Although his death was a disappointing accident, Mickey Marcus managed to have so many positive influences on the war; including inspiring the Jewish effort and helping to build the 'Burma Road' to enter and supply Jerusalem with goods secretly through the mountains. In the end, the Independence war was a huge success for the Jewish people. However, the war itself also remains an event of remembrance, as we mourn and respect the sacrifice of those 6,000 Jews who lost their lives fighting.

After discussing the Independence war, our class got a chance to visit Memorial wall, where we learned that our madricha Lali's uncle, יןסף עזריה, served and died in one of Israel's wars. Neta also talked with us about her experience working in the Tanks corps, as someone who stayed just inside the border and trained many individuals to use the simulations. She also explained the different jobs inside the tank, and a little about the general tank structure and functions. We then ended our visit to Latrun with an opportunity to play and take pictures amongst the many tanks on display!


After leaving Latrun, we bussed to the Ayalon Institute. Before beginning our tour, Ariella shared a story with us about the Altalena. Here we witnessed a moment in our history that evokes nothing but pain in seeing a division that caused violence against one another, at a time when Israel needed to come together.  In summary; Despite DBG's efforts to assimiliate or get rid of the more radical group Etzel, some Etzel fighters were still fighting in Jerusalem. Although they weren't 'with' the IDF, (as they illegally didn't follow DBG's orders), they possessed the same goals of winning and owning a Jewish state. The leader of the Etzel group had organized a boat called Altalena coming from France to Israel, which was carrying many helpful war goods including new trained Etzel fighters and weaponry. When DBG heard about the Altalena, he demanded the boat be turned over to IDF custody to help the overall war effort, an the Etzel group be disbanded once and for all. However, the Etzel leader disagreed - as he believed in Etzel's methods, and argued that since it was Etzel who had funded and bought all the weaponry they were in ownership of it. After continuous conflict on both sides, the story ends with DBG issuing an ultimatum that was not met in time; and the Altalena - including a few Etzel fighters who had not abandoned ship, and all the weaponry - was destroyed. Although the incident happened many years ago; the story still encourages discussion in modern day regarding the importance of communication, and strength in unity.

Afterwards, we were given a tour of the Ayalon institute. In 1946, the Ayalon institute, the 34th plant set up by the "TAAS", began underground operation in bullet production. The program was run by selected Israeli youth, who were tasked with keeping the operation a secret from family and other members of the Kibbutz. During our tour, we got to walk through the underground factory, and got to hear some of the stories of ways the workers kept the project a secret.


After Ayalon, we went to Tel Aviv where we briefly visited Independence Hall, where David Ben Gurion made the announcement of the state of Israel. Afterwards, we were split into groups to complete scavenger hunts using tablets. We chose different tasks and completed different challenges!
Overall, it was a fun and busy tiyul where we learned more about the motivation behind Israel's Independence and how it was implemented.

Finally, what do you think about the Jewish people's continuous victories in wars throughout history, do you think there is a difference in the motivation of the Jewish people? Also, if you were in the position and had been selected, would you go to work for the Ayalon Institute - even though you knew nothing regarding the operation asides from that it would be greatly dangerous but enormously aid Israel's war effort?

Six Day War Tiyul

On Wednesday, we went on a very interesting tiyul starting off at Ammunition Hill, also known as גבעת התחמושת. There we learned all about the Six Day War and what it consisted of.

After the War of Independence, Jerusalem was divided and the Eastern part was under Jordanian control. Jews were not permitted access to the Old City or Hebrew University. As a result, Hebrew University moved its campus to the another place so that Jews could go to school there. There was a line in the middle of the city that showed the division between Eastern and Western Jerusalem. Today, Hebrew University is in its original location that was built in 1925, and it is still one of the most prominent universities in Israel.

Kitat Dov at Hebrew University's Campus 

In the years after the War of Independence, Israel and Egypt had a variety of border skirmishes. In late May of 1967, thousands of Egyptian troops began to sit on the Egyptian/Israeli border. Additionally, Nasser, the Egyptian president was highly in favor of Pan-Arab nationalism, the idea that all Arabs work together with the end goal of wiping Israel off the map. Nasser also demanded that the UN observers leave and this led the Egyptian troops to be on Israeli borders with no international viewers. As a result of these things, Israel began to mobilize its reserves, however the US advised them not to go to war against Egypt. However, as time progressed, tension grew even more as Egypt blocked off the Straits of Tiran, preventing Israel from having any access to trade through the port of Eilat. This leads Israel to have a preemptive strike, in which Israel attacked Egypt first due to the causes of war. Israel decided to do this so that the war would be in Egypt’s territory rather than in Israel.

View from Ammunition Hill 

Although Israel was at a disadvantage, in the first 3 hours, Israel destroyed ⅓ of all Arab aircraft. After this, Israel told Jordan not to enter the war, yet they choose to join due to false information from Egypt. After this, Jordan bombed Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and the Battle on Ammunition Hill took place as a result of this attack. This battle consisted of hand to hand combat, which was incredibly difficult. This battle was a very important part of the Six Day war because it allowed Israeli troops to be at a certain advantage because it showed the strength of the Israeli troops. From this battle, Israeli troops were able to go and capture the Old City and Mount Scopus. On the third day of the Six Day war, Jerusalem was captured by Israeli troops. And then on the fourth day, Israel retained the Suez Canal.

Bunkers at Ammunition Hill 

Ultimately, Israel was able to win the Six Day War and was able to receive lots of new land. Israel obtained the Golan Heights from Syria, the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt,  the West Bank and Jerusalem from Jordan. Around 20,000 Arabs died, however the exact number was not released because Arab countries did not want to show their defeat. 766 Israeli soldiers died fighting in this war. However, this war led the moral in Israel to be incredibly victorious, euphoric and happy. Israelis were very proud to be a part of this country and they were filled with so much pride. This war led other countries to realize that Israel has a very strong military and it has the ability to take land. Secular Jews in Israel also start to believe that Israel’s neighbors will now accept our ability to be here. However, this is not what the Arab countries actually considered. During the Khartoum conference, the Arab league meets and they decide on the 3 No’s. These are the ideas that state that there will be no peace with Israel, no negotiations with them and no recognition. Although these ideas are still prevalent today, Israel has been able to come to peace agreements with both Egypt and Jordan and maybe someday the issues with the Palestinians will possibly diminish, however this is not very likely.

In your opinion, how do you think you would have reacted to the Six Day War as an Israeli citizen? Would you say that the results would lead to even more problems with Arab countries or would you say that the end justified the means and there is nothing more to be done with the situation?

Yom Hazikaron/Yom Hatzmaut

As a kehillah of NFTY Heller High, we had the opportunity of experiencing the dramatic switch between the memorial day of Yom HaZikaron and the independence day of Yom Hatzmaut

We began Yom Hazikaron with the rest of Israel on Friday night by attending a ceremony at the Kotel. It was a new environment for most of us. All of those attending stood together to listen to the words of President Rivlin as well as the other leaders of the ceremony. It began with the siren that was sounded all across the nation. I found it striking that we were able to hear this symbolic siren standing right in front of the Western Wall, surrounded by so many Israelis. I particularly liked how we all stood together not separated by gender, regardless of stream of Judaism. Something that stood out to me was the first torch lit at the ceremony. This was done by Rivlin along with two sons and a widow who lost her husband a few years ago as he was serving in the IDF. I found it heartwarming that the gratitude was shown to this mourning family as a sign of immense respect and dedication. Another part of the ceremony that stood out to me was everybody joining together in prayer, like the Mourners’ Kaddish. No matter what stream of Judaism you identify with, each person knew how much this prayer meant and understood the appreciation they owed to soldiers that had given their lives for Israel. This is similar with the Hatikva, as there was a large sense of unification amongst the crowd and ceremony participants.

                            Ceremony at the Kotel

The following day we continued to observe Yom HaZikaron. As a NFTY kehillah, we attended the ceremony for the 

memorial day as a part of Kibbutz Tzuba. It was interesting to observe how the community, that sometimes we forget lives amongst us, comes together to mourn over the losses of those who come from here, regardless of if they even knew them. Different members of the Kibbutz rose to speak and share words and songs of memory and appreciation. Specifically, the Kibbutz mourned two men who had given their lives fighting for Israel. 

The very same night after observing memorial day, we traveled to Ben Yehuda Street in order to begin Yom Hatzmaut. The switch from mourning to celebration was very intense. I had never personally experienced an instance in which a community went from such sadness to such vibrant cheer. The area was filled with loud music, dancing, food, etc. It was 

definitely some of the most fun a lot of us had had so far during our semester.

Yesterday, for Yom Hatzmaut, we celebrated by going to Palmachim Beach. It was an extremely relaxing day, where we enjoyed much free time. We shared our joy in the privilege of having Israel as a place we can call home. Many of us swam in the sea, tanned (or burned), played sports, and just hung out with friends. I can definitely say that I personally had much time to reflect and become thankful for the establishment of this state, as it has given me much opportunity and security. 

So, what do you think of the change from the memorial day to the independence day? Is it too dramatic? Is it better in theory or in practice? 

Resistance Tiyul

Josh Matz

Resistance Blog

Today we went on a tiyul to a Russian compound that was built in the 1860’s. At the time, the Ottoman Empire was weakening and countries wanted to build in Israel in order to lay claim to the land. The original purpose of the building was a Hospital. However, in 1917 when the British took over, they converted the building into a jail for Arab and Jewish Criminals. They also housed man political prisoners here. In 1948, Jews took over the building and in 1960, Israel bought the building from the Russians for 3.5 million dollars worth of oranges. From here until 1991, the building was used as a warehouse.

Here is a picture of resistance fighters who died.

In 1917, Britain ordered the British Mandate, which gave Britain administrative control over Eretz Israel. From here, there were multiple waves of Aliyah that took place. In the Third Aliyah (1919-1923), Eastern European jews came and established settlements in the North. However, soon after they arrived, riots took place by Arabs in Jerusalem and Jaffa, killing many jews. After these riots, the British Government issued a commision saying that Arabs are hostile to zionism. To deal with the problem, the government re-stated the Balfour Declaration and declared that the East Bank of the Jordan River should go to Arabs. After this, there were two more waves of Aliyah (4th Aliyah and 5th Aliyah). All started with Aliyah, which led to riots, which led to a commission by the British Government, which led to a white paper (solution).

Later, we learned about Jewish settlements at the time. Jews put settlements in the shape of an N in the North in order to defend their land and borders. They also did this to stretch out the borders as much as they could.

Here is a picture of the jail cell within the Russian compound.

Towards the end of the tiyul, we learned about defense organizations. The first one we learned about was called Hagala (1920), this was the first big-time para-military organization led by David Ben Gurion. Their symbol was an olive branch wrapped around a dagger. This symbolized the fact that you need a big army in order to have peace. The main purpose of this organization was to defend Jewish interests and Kibbutzim. The next organization we learned about was called Etzel. They wanted all the land east and west of the Jordan River (aka the ancient borders of Judea). This organization led by Jabotinsky was illegal because it resisted the British. In class, we discussed an act committed by members of Etzel. The King David Hotel was blown up by members of Etzel because there were British offices in the building. They called in the bomb threat but the threat was not taken seriously and the hotel was not evacuated. Unfortunately, 91 people died. We discussed whether this was an act of terrorism or an act of resistance.

The last organization we learned about was Lechi (1940) founded by Abraham Yeir Stern. This group didn’t want jews to enlist in the British Army. This was the most extreme and radical group. They even mailed bombs to British Officials. Finally in May, 1948, they joined the IDF.

After learning a lot about the different fighting groups, which one would you have joined and why?

Rural Zionism

We started off the day super early around 6 a.m. and followed that with a 2 hour bus ride to our first destination the Aliyah Museum. Where we learned about the following:

The First wave of Aliyah took place between 1881-1903. Around 25-35,000 families with young children came here to escape persecution. They had absolutely no farming experience, yet their primary occupation was agriculture. JCA and Rothschild funded the Moshavim (agricultural settlements). Rothschild helped to financially establish several settlements. The first four that were founded in the early 1880’s: Rishon L'tzion, Zichron Yaakov, Rosh Pina, and Yesud Hamaala. The Old Yishuv includes Jews that had been living in Eretz Yisrael prior to the aliyot. They were divided into two independent communities – the Sephardim mainly constituting the population in the four Jewish holy cities - Jerusalem, Tiberias, Hebron, and Tzfat and also some Ashkenazim. The Second Aliyah took place between 1904-1914. 40,000 halutzim (pioneers, young idealized people, ages 15-18) settled here. Their community was based on socialism and collective living for the greater good of society. These people created kibbutzim, infrastructure, and the self defense organization called the Hashomer. The eruption of anti semitism had a profound impact on the new wave of modern Jewish settlement in Eretz Yisrael and created the new Yishuv.

    The Chalutzim were a valiant and courageous group of teenagers. It’s crazy how they were capable of all the things they established when they were all on their own. They faced complications like droughts, malaria, and going into debt to their benefactors (Rothschild).

They had no parents, or advice from any older/wiser people. They were so strong and independent and I respect that so much.

    Later that day we went to the Kinneret cemetery. We first learned about the oldest grave at the cemetery: a small baby named Lotus who died at 6 months. During the 2nd aliyot teenagers were having babies at young ages. They had no experience with taking care of a small infant. Personally if I had a baby I would go straight to my mom for advice because I would be clueless on what to do to keep this thing alive. These teenagers did not have any parents with them nor any older experienced people to ask for help. Lotus was fed meat which made him sick and then he was overdosed on medication and died. Lotus’s parents managed to keep this baby alive for 6 months. Another inspiring story was a man who changed his name to modern Hebrew Natan Icar (Nathan the Farmer). This man made a sacrifice to come here and things got too rough for him to the point where he couldn’t deal with it anymore. He was “bit by the bug of despair”- he killed himself. This fit in with what we learned about the difference between hopes and reality in terms of the aliyot.

    It was interesting to explore through the life back in the day of the 1st and 2nd Aliyot. At the Kinneret cemetery we learned about a few and people and their stories. Which story did yall find most interesting and why? Do you think you could’ve made aliyah at this time?

Cultural Zionism: Tel Aviv

On Sunday we got to spend a beautiful day in Tel Aviv learning about the rich history of the most amazing city in all of Israel. The first ever modern hebrew speaking city went from a not so glorious start to the modern marvel it is today.

The first part of the day we received an amazing graffiti tour from Evan's best friend, Aaron. He showed us the art scene of the city. Although graffiti may be illegal, the liberal city has no problem with the art, so long as it is kept in line. This kind of art is the number one form of expression throughout the city and it is not uncommon for pieces to last a very little amount of time, but rather have new stuff painted over all the time.

A tribute to Banksy put up in the city

After that we all had a bunch of free time on Rothschild Street. This was our second time there, and yet again we were able to experience the amazing food scene in Tel Aviv. I don't know about everyone else, but I broke Kosher multiple times within this 90 minutes. Rothschild was supper affluent, so it is only fitting that the street named after him is so nice. To cap it all off, Evan's friend, a food expert talked to us about food and judaism and how it's all tied to Israel.  

Ben enjoying some good, home-style pizza

The coolest part of the whole day was when we were taken to Soluto, the company of Evan's  wife, Yaara. In order to understand cultural zionism, we have to understand how the modern state runs. This is partly thanks to the country's number one industry, the high-tech industry. Whether it's silicon chip manufacturing to "tech-support" from Soluto, Anything modern and computer oriented is a major part of the Israeli economy. The high-tech industry is very modern. Most companies' offices are open concept, with new things like ball chairs and standing desks. The whole idea is to make a work environment where you can have enough fun and comfort to motivate you to do your work. It works great for companies and there's a reason israel is flourishing.

Yaara shows Kitat Dov around Soluto

Sme final questions to reflect on: 

Whqt was your favorite piece of art, how do you think food contributes to culture, and what does cultural zionism mean to you/how does it apply to your life.

Yam L'Yam

As a group, we entered our weekend dividing separate ways. Many of us found ourselves with family, friends, and in some cases within the home of strangers. Although a few began the weekend with some doubts about being thrown in a new environment with people they'd never met, I can confidently say that I think the majority of us had a pleasant weekend, and started or strengthened friendships we look back on happy that we were given the chance to create. It is also likely that a great deal of us entered our Yam L'Yam adventure with differing amounts of worrying questions or uncertainty. However, I feel that in the end through those 5 days of shared moments, challenges, and activities, we created a bond unique to anything we've experienced so far this semester. As we stepped onto the bus ride that would lead us to start Yam L'Yam, everyone was excited and buzzing with stories from Pesach, and thoughts of a trip to come. After a couple hours of chatting and rest, both buses reconvened at a water path, where the entire NFTY EIE group was divided into two separate groups that each possessed their own individual guide. Personally, I found this composition of new groups a refreshing change from our usual Adama and Shmayim setting, and I think for many it gave the chance to interact with, and form stronger relationships with people they hadn't engaged with as much before. Each group then set out for the opening part of Yam L'Yam, where everyone's little efforts to keep primarily dry became short-lived after some water games with our guides. Needless to say, everyone that trudged back up on shore ended up much more soaked than expected!

After a fresh change of clothes, our bus brought us to our campsite where we would end up staying for two nights due to some 'rain difficulties'. We were also divided into smaller 'sub-groups', where we would cook breakfast and lunch, and on one day complete a team navigation hike together! I found these groups a fun bonding experience, as they offered the opportunity to both eat and have conversations with individuals in a close environment that we otherwise might not have. It was also fun to challenge ourselves in stepping up for different leadership positions within the group, whether that be trying to cook a meal, chop some vegetables, or spy on other groups for food ideas. When we arrived at our camp sites, I think many of us were surprised to find set tents, ice-cream, and even bathrooms, (and porta-potties). Over the course of the next few days, we embarked on multiple hikes down our first mountain, to a water pool, and through so much breathtaking scenery. Our Saturday night also ended with a wonderfully planned Havdalah, that ended in rap presentations from different people, Israeli dancing, and an all-inclusive song sesh. Although our hikes from the trip were occasionally separated by bus rides, there was still an overriding sense of fun and accomplishment as each day passed! This also included one hike that was back up a mountain we had walked down after visiting a water well on our second day, which I think many of us would agree to be the most challenging physical work of the trip. Although the walk was about a 20-30 minute steeper uphill, many of us finished the hike bubbling with energy and a perception of personal pride and achievement. I also found the amount of encouragement I heard being shouted from person to person, no matter their place on the hill amazing. 

Some of my favourite memories of the trip were also formed as our day came to a close, and a fire started at night that was surrounded by marshmallows, stories, and the laughter of our group. It was important that although many of us still had access to our phones, we chose the presence of one another after a long exhausting day. It was in those moments that were filled with the noise from talking and music, that I think many of us felt the strength of community we had established over the course of the past 2 and a half months. 

As our final day on Yam L'Yam approached, we changed our pace from hiking to biking. Although many of us started peddling with doubts and skepticism about our 'biking abilities' covered up by humour, the overall ride was about an hour and a half pleasant journey with beautiful nofs! Most of the ride was on the paved paths of village streets or more main roads, with some downhills and some uphills many stopped and walked up. However as we finally approached the Mediterranean Sea there was a sense of finale in spending the rest of the afternoon cooling off with ice cream, tanning, and washing off the grime of the past few days with fun (and safe!) fights in the cool water by the beach for a few hours.  

Although some of us may have been 'more in our zone' than others beginning the trip, we all took huge steps out of our comfort zones; whether gaining the confidence to try new activities, or interacting with newer individuals. Inevitably, we all grew together as a community in sharing such an unforgettable experience. 

Also a huge shoutout to Eliora Goodman and Ryan Gordon for providing 99% of the photographs featured on this post! Thank you for documenting this experience for us :)

What was your favourite memory from Yam L'Yam? Do you think you would embark on a similar 'hiking adventure' again?

Modern Streams of Judaism

On our Tiyul to HUC, we heard four different people speak about their stream of Judaism that they practice; reform, modern orthodox, ultra orthodox, and a conservative. They talked about their family history, how they adapted their religion, and some struggles that they went through when practicing.

The main difference between the different strands of Judaism is how much we believe that God has impacted our lives and how strictly they follow to Torah and the ten commandments. In Reform Judaism we are taught to constantly question what we are being told, to explore different elements of our Judaism. It’s an inclusive community where everyone should feel comfortable being who they are, and believing their own beliefs; even if it means they do not believe in God. We are able to mold the torah around our own ethics, and shift it to align in what we believe in. We use Judaism to help form us as people and the values we live our lives by.

In the Orthodox community, it seems as if their entire life revolves around God and praying. The Ultra Orthodox communities are very sheltered to the outside world, and selective to what they allow their children to see. Most of their lives are gender separate; men and women do not pray together, and starting at age three boys and girls go to different schools. Genders often don’t collide until a couple meets to see if they are suitable for marriage. Men wake up especially early to go to temple and pray, and then the rest of their day is shaped around when they need to pray. God plays a very big role in their lives, most orthodox believing that God has already planned out their entire life. They also believe that their souls will never leave Earth because it is a part of God, and God is eternal.

The bridge between these two streams is Conservative. Conservatives preserve the tradition elements of Judaism, while also allowing people to modernize it. They see the Halacha as an element that unites people, saying it’s important but not crucial. I believe that being a Conservative Jew is very similar to being a Reform Jew because you are allowed to modernize and change it.

Something new that I learned was how sheltered the Orthodox community is. When Rabbi Tamar was talking about her childhood being raised as Orthodox I was shocked to hear that she didn’t know of any other stream of Judaism until she was older. I can’t even begin to imagine what it is like to have something so big hidden from you.

This tiyul made me very proud to be a reform Jew. I love that we are able to explore Judaism, and question it without being judged. I can’t imagine having my entire life being revolved around praying and being a Jew. I think that if it was that way I wouldn’t feel as much pride in being Jewish because it wouldn’t be special and unique to me.

Some questions that I was left with were mainly for the Ultra Orthodox, Yoshua. I wanted to ask him if he ever wished that he was able to not be as religious as he is, or if he ever felt that being Jewish was a burden. I also wanted to ask Tamar how her parents were able to keep so many things from her, and how she felt when she saw them for the first time.

Which speaker did you connect to the most? Do you ever find yourself wishing that you were not a reform Jew?

Krakow

On Tuesday, March 30, we visited the amazing city of Krakow. While in Krakow, we were able to explore the culture and the wide variety of synagogues built throughout the city. We started the day by seeing graffiti art made by a group called The Broken Finger. The City of Krakow specifically asked this group to make a graffiti memorial of a man named Moshe Lilian who was a Modern Artist. This shows the progressiveness of the City because they paid graffiti artist to construct a memorial which a normal city might not want to do.

When the Jewish community of Krakow was thriving, different people had different jobs. One job a person might get is the knocker. It is this person’s duty to go to houses on mornings of Shabbat and wake them up by knocking on the door. During times of trouble or morning, the knocker would only knock 2 times instead of 3. Also, in the community, there was a job called the Shamash. During this era, there were no street lights or any way to light the roads once night fell. The Shamash during Havdalah would light candles for people in order for them to see where they are going and to help them travel safely. He/She would also help to take care of the synagogue.

Although we visited many synagogues, there was one that really stood out to me. I loved the idea of the synagogue called Kupa. The Kupa’s purpose is a synagogue for those who don’t have a synagogue of their own. This synagogue was built as a donation and is still a beautiful synagogue. On the ceiling, paintings depicting a modern Svat Zion. This shows even during the time this temple was built, people were still encouraging Jews to make Aliyah to Israel. Also, on the ceiling were the words to the prayer Hallelujah and a few prayers were painted on the walls so the congregation could follow along without needing a prayer book. After the holocaust, the Kupa was converted into a matzah factory. Even after the darkest point in our Jewish history, the Kupa was keeping with Jewish culture by producing matzah, a requirement for Passover.

After we visited the different temples, we visited a local JCC and talked with the director. The main goal of this JCC is to try and bring back Jewish life into Poland. Although there are few Jews currently living in Krakow, the JCC is seeming to spread Judaism. There a lot of Jews who are Jewish, but were brought up as catholic or Christian because Krakow used to be a negative place for Jews to live in. However, currently, Krakow is a very pro-Jewish environment. The director believes Judaism can flourish once again in Krakow thanks to the help of the Jews in Krakow and the non-Jews as well. Although at one point in history “Jewishness” was heavily looked down upon, the non-Jews of Krakow are also helping to try and restore Jewish culture.

On March 3, 1941 when the Krakow ghetto was established, 20,000 Jews were moved into a space meant for 3,000. Unlike the Warsaw ghetto, the Krakow ghetto’s walls were constructed of concrete and the whole ghetto was surrounded by Nazis at all times. This means it was almost impossible for Jews to smuggle in food or weapons which made living even harder for the Jews. When the ghetto was liquidated, most of the jews went to camps such as Auschwitz, Dachau, and Belzec. 

This is the ceiling of the Kupa. On the ceiling is pictures of Svat Zion and inscribed are the words of hallelujah

We took a class photo in the Temple which is the more modern of the synagogues we visited.

This is the last remainder of the Krakow Ghetto wall. It is made of concrete so escape would be harder. Also, the wall is shaped like a gravestone to instill the fear of death on the inhabitants of the ghetto.

Visiting the city of Krakow and the different synagogues was a really cool and unique experience. Which synagogue did you like the most and which synagogue did you not identify with and why.

Monday: Warsaw

The plane landed around 7 am to a surprisingly beautiful day in Warsaw. After going through passport control, we hopped on the busses and began our journey through Poland. During the short bus ride we saw what Warsaw generally looks like. In my mind it screams "post-soviet." There are lots of tall, rectangular buildings, all of the the same shape size and color, and the people on the street seem to just sulk about their business.

When we got off the busses we arrived at what was the largest cemetery I have ever seen. When Evan said it was Jewish I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Lavish tombstones as far as the eye could see. Graves packed together, clearly showing the age and extreme use of this space. One of the first things I noticed upon arrival was a retaining wall built out of old, broken headstones, which Evan explained were either destroyed, repurposed, or desecrated during the Shoah. This explanation perfectly set up what came next. Often we think of a cemetery as a place of Maved (death). However, in tradition, we call them Beit Chayim (house of life). As Jews we are taught not to mourn death but rather to celebrate life.

A Look at a Standard Tomb in the Beit Chayim

Wall of Broken Tombs

Moving on from Life to Death. we next visited the remnants of the Warsaw Ghetto. They took all the jews (30% of population) and placed them into a tiny piece of land (2.7% of the city). Only 73 of the 1800 streets on Warsaw belonged to the ghetto. The only way people stayed alive was through acts of Iberlieben (righteous acts during the Shoah). Most often of these was smuggling. 80% of all food smuggled into the Ghetto came through the Ghetto, which was very important when the Jews were only rationed 184 calories/day. The nazis scientifically determined this number to keep people on the cusp of death, in order to extract as much work as possible from them.

From April to MAy of 1943 there was an event known as the Warsaw Uprising. A number of jews managed to smuggle weapons and held off the Nazis for as long as possible. In a month a bunch of hungry, half dead people were able to do more than the entire polish army did against the Nazis. Many people died as a result of this, however it was a significant motivator for the jews will to live.

Last Remaining Wall of Warsaw Ghetto. Only about 8 ft. High

My question for you is, is the warsaw uprising an act of Iberlieben, or was it just a pure act of armed resistance.

Tykocin and Łopuchowo forest

Last Tuesday, we as a Kehilla visited the city of Tykocin and the Łopuchowo forest. In the morning, we visited the cute shtetl that once thrived in this city. A shtetl is a small village with a very strong Jewish community. This shtetl was set in motion when a group of 10 Jewish families first settled in Tykocin in 1522, when they were granted a charter of rights from the Polish authority. The Polish authority also invited them to establish their own community. As time progressed, throughout the 1600s and 1700s, the Jewish community continued to flourish. By the mid 1700s, 2700 Jews, about 50% of the population, were living in this shtetl. This Jewish community created a Beit Knesset inside the shtetl and they also earned a spot in the council of 4 lands of Poland. The Beit Knesset represented the strength of the community because it was a place where the people could come together and gather; it was the center of Jewish life. Additionally, this shtetl was economically advanced because the city of Tykocin is located on a narrow river, which sprouted major trade. Jews and Christians living in Tykocin also interacted in the market.  They would often trade products such as different fabrics, meats, spices, medicine, wood, fish, vodka, etc.

This is writings of tfillot that are written on the walls of the Beit Knesset. After the war, non-Jews went into the Beit Knesset and refurbished the writings after they were destroyed.

Due to these advancements, the Jews living in Tykocin were very proud to be from this place. They would brag about their heritage and they would refer to themselves as “Tiktiners.” The Jews developed a Beit Midrash, a house of study. The Jews of the shtetl would also pray in different styles. Specifically, Rifka Tiktiner, the daughter of a Rabbi, wrote a book about different ways to pray. In addition, a man by the name of Rev Alterhirch encouraged people to learn the Misha and do charity. This shtetl also founded organizations known as סומח נופלים, an organization aimed to help the fallen and feed the poor and ביקור חולים, an organization that promoted visiting the sick. These organizations are still thriving today.

This is the Beit Midrash that we visited. This is where many of the Jewish residents would come to study together.

After touring around the shtetl and learning about the Jewish life there, we had a service at the synagogue, the same place where our Jewish ancestors prayed. We sang and prayed the same prayers that the Jews who lived in this town prayed. We learned a song that the Jews who lived here sang, “לכל מקום שאליו אני הולך אני הולך לארצ ישראל”. This song represents the strong faith the Jews that lived here had and their passion and devotion for the land of Israel.

Students leading the service in the Beit Knesset 

This is the bima of the Beit Knesset

A grave site where victims of the mass killings were buried

Lighting candles in memory of those who perished

Although this Jewish community prospered for thousands of years, the Jewish population was wiped out in the span of 24 hours. In 1941, the Jews of the city were taken to the Market square in the center of town and were arrested. From there, they were taken in trucks by the Nazis to the Łopuchowo to meet their deaths. These Jews were murdered and then placed into pits. Only a few Jews of the town were able to avoid this. It was truly heartbreaking to see how such a strong and durable Jewish community that had existed for centuries could literally be destroyed in a single day. Each individual person that was killed in that forest had their own story, their own family and they all hoped for a future. However, this hope was demolished due to the hatred that was initiated against them. It is very disappointing to see the shtetl today and think about what it could have looked if the Jewish residents were never taken to the Łopuchowo forest. The service we did at the forest was very meaningful and was definitely a highlight of the trip.

After visiting the shtetl and seeing how life was there, would you choose to live in a community where you mainly interacted with other Jews or do you prefer the diverse communities we have in America and Canada?

Lublin and Majdanek

On Wednesday, March 29th, we visited the beautiful city of Lublin and Majdanek, the so-called "Hell on Earth". The contrast of life and death we witnessed as a kehillah was extremely emotional and strange for some people especially me. In just a few years, a thriving Jewish community like Lublin was completely wiped out of all Jewish influences in just a few years.

               

Lublin is currently the largest city in East Poland and was once the center of the arba arusot and had a thriving Jewish community. Lublin, after the occupation of the Nazis was turned into a ghetto and saw the extinction of its’ Jewish population. However, residents of Lublin currently are trying to revive the once popular Jewish culture. There is a theater company which puts on Yiddish shows, there is a kosher store which sells menorahs and kosher foods, and there is a street light which represents a ne’er talmeed to commemorate the loss of Jewish Culture.

          After visiting the beautiful town of Lublin, we learned about rabbi Meir Shapiro in his school ישיבה חכמי לובלינ. To join this prestigious school, you only needed to memorize 400 pages of Talmud. Rabbi Meir Shapiro is the youngest ordained Rabbi at the age of 16. He started this school thanks to donations from people from donations from surrounding communities. The purpose of this school was to combat the assimilation of the Jews by implementing a system of Daf Yomi or a daily page of Talmud. It would take 7 ½ years for someone to learn the Talmud by studying a page a day. This also served as a way of keeping time like a calendar. However, Meir Shapiro died which brought hundreds of thousands to his funeral. Shortly after, the Nazis took control of this building and stripped the inside and used by the Germans.

          To explore on the idea of death which was so prevalent during the Holocaust, we visited “Hell on Earth” or Majdanek. This camp is hauntingly beautiful, and evil actions such as the murder of 78,000 innocent Jews took place here. In 1941, Hitler finally found the solution to the Jewish question. Hitler decided to start the mass murder of Jews all over the world. In the beginning, 1.1 million Jews were killed in the forests by firing squads. However, this method was inefficient and difficult for the soldiers to carry out. Death and concentration camps were soon built all over eastern Europe to exterminate the Jews. Majdanek was a concentration or a work camp and originally started as a POW camp. This camp was not hidden to the public, and had houses of normal civilians right near the barbed wire fences. The Nazis also were extremely disrespectful and abuse to the Jews even after death. Nazis would go to cemetaries and destroy the tombstones. Also, they paved the road in Majdanek out of our ancestor’s tombstones. The Nazis also burned the bodies of the victims of the Holocaust immediately after their death which is wrong according to Jewish tradition.

Throughout the Holocaust, the Nazis were constantly deceiving the Jews. The Nazis told Jews before coming to the camps to bring everything they would need and then the Nazis would steal all of the Jews possessions including gold teeth. Also, the showers which were in the gas chambers were also used for their intended purpose. This would deceive the prisoners because they would believe they would be taking a shower instead of being sent to their deaths.

Throughout the traumatic experiences of the Holocaust, Jews could adapt to the extremely tough conditions of the camps. Their instincts were sharpened but they behaved like wild animals. The prisoner’s capacity to change to their surroundings increased as well. The Jewish people also found ways to bring humanity back into the camp. They impersonated the Nazi soldiers to try and bring humor. They told stories and wrote poems to attempt to bring back culture. Even though these people were being brutally tortured, the prisoners were still able to find ways to bring humanity back into the camp.

 

This is the original building Rabbi Meir Shapiro built for his Yesishva. This building was restored in 2007 and thousands of Jewish writings were returned back to their shelves.

This is the view of the concentration camp Majdanek along with two classmates holing the Israeli flag. The view was breathtaking and its hard to think so many people perished in this place.

 "Let our fate be a warning to you."
This is a Russian monument dedicated to the Jews who perished. Underneath the dome is a pile of ashes. 

This is a pillar designed by the Sanderkomandos with the German eagle on the top. In an act of defiance, the Jews who built this pillar included ashes of those who perished in Majdanek into the base

 Being able to see the contrast between the rich life in Lublin and the immesense death in Majdanek was extremely powerful. By being able to visit two completely opposite settings was strange and moving at the same time. What was the most powerful thing you saw/learned in Lublin and Majdanek and do you believe it is still important for everyone (whether Jewish or not) to be educated on the Holocaust?