Jerusalem of White! (...and my final post)

So, today Yerushalayim received a major snow storm. It is not "major" in terms of inches/centimeters, but it IS major in terms of "storm." The wind gusts to over 50 miles an hour, the snow is going sideways, visibility is near zero at times and the cold is pretty bone-chilling like yesterday. The busses are not running, school is not in session and there are some very HAPPY children and frustrated tourists. Looking at the long faces of those sitting in the lobby of the hotel just looking outside, that itself speaks volumes.

I decided that no matter the weather, I needed to go to the Kotel (to say good-bye) and to take pictures of the Old City in the snow. In the interim until I got there, the snow turned to strong/heavy rain and I was soaked to the bone! I got SOME pictures, see above, but paid the price in physical "discomfort" (did you ever notice there is no more "pain"...just discomfort!).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANIELLA!!

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And now it is time to say L'Hitaraot to Israel and to all of you who have been reading this blog. It seems like it has been weeks since I left Chicago for Belarus. It seems like a long time ago since I landed here at Ben Gurion. And it seems like a long time since I saw any decent weather!!

As always, it is an emotional time for me as I pack up and prepare to return to the USA. While I, of course, am excited to be back at home with my family and Shul, at the same time it is a sad moment when I step onto the jetway and leave this country...the one that is home to ALL Jews.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this travel log and have gained a little insight into both Belarus and Israel. It has been a terrific journey.

Finally, I want to express my Hakarat HaTov to Congregation KJBS. My ability to travel to such places as Belarus and Israel would not be possible without them! Thank you ever so much...

L'Hitraot from the City of Jerusalem

First day "group-less"

Today was the first day I was without the group. It is such a different feeling when there is no required time schedule. I found myself actually sitting somewhat relaxed at breakfast without looking at the clock!

The main story today is the weather. All day long are dire predictions of a terrible snow storm to being Tuesday night and run into Wednesday. Today, Tuesday, we had a precursor of things to come. For ISRAEL, today was great weather! For me it was not the greatest…we had wind gusts over 60 miles an hour (I can hear the wind howling as I write!), heavy rains and bone chilling temperatures. All in all, if you are into that kind of thing, then it was a gorgeous day! Reports vary between a dusting to 10 inches (!!) of snow. My flight is early Thursday (meaning, leave for the airport middle of the night on Wednesday. Better not mess up anything…)

[Addition...added later: IT HAS BEGUN TO SNOW IN JERUSALEM!]

A couple of observations about today….Considering the weather, I decided to do something I had wanted to do for a while: I went to Yad Vashem without a group..alone…solo. The weather was SO right for this visit. It reminded me (although no snow on the ground…yet) of the weather in Poland, when I visited the concentration camps. It was a very moving experience to be there and to realize that I had the chance to visit SO many of the communities “highlighted” in Yad Vashem. So much resonated within me as I looked at the documents; watched the videos; read the signs; and as I listened to the voices…the very haunting voices…of the witness reports. The piece-de-resistance was the Children’s Memorial. Those of you who have been there know what I mean. Everyone else—I will let you discover that on your own.

The final observation had to do with a shopping mall. I went with my daughter to the Malcha Mall (I hate malls…). While I was there, it was time to daven Mincha. Where else in the WORLD can you be in a shopping mall that has a BET KENESSET with a minyan!?!? There were over 50 people there for Mincha. I marveled at the Aron HaKodesh that was brought from Italy and made in the late 17th century (Do you think that the ones who built this EVER could have conceived of the Aron being in a Bet Kenesset in a MALL ?? Yet, there it stood…

Well, tomorrow is my last day here (weather permitting!!) and am hoping all will go off without a hitch. On a personal note, I get to celebrate my daughter’s (Daniella) 18th birthday with her tomorrow. This will be the first time I am with her on her birthday since she was 12 years old! I am always in Israel at that time! So from that perspective, I am very happy also to be where I am!

Layla Tov…L’Hitraot.

The last day of the group...

(L-R: Rabbi Moshe Kushner, Rabbi Leonard Matanky, myself, Rabbi Schwartz, shlit"a, Rabbi Alan Abramson in Volozhin)

Today marks the last day that the group will be together in Israel. (I am staying a couple more days, but I will write about that later).

Our day began with a briefing by David Roet (fomerly of the Chicago Consulate office), the Director of Resource Development & Public Affairs Unit for the Jewish Agency. He reported on various items such as:

* The upcoming elections in the USA

* How Israel has a stake in the Diaspora Jews and how the average Israeli child does not know much about many Diaspora communities and how that needs to change.

* The issue of Iran being a WORLD issue and not only an Israel issue (and the world needs to "wake up")

Next we visited Ulpan Etzion. This is the very first Ulpan set up in 1949. Amazingly, they have taught English to over 20,000 people, housed thousands of students and helped the Klitah (absorption) of them as well. Our session included a half dozen or so students from: USA, South Africa, Columbia, Argentina, Russia, Serbia and France. To hear their comments about what this facility means to them in terms of their Klitah and their Hebrew education.

We then had the opportunity to share our reflections of this trip. It was a VERY emotional meeting as we all shared various high points and items that touched our neshama. I spoke about the man whom we visited in Belarus in his home. I said that it occured to me that on my Starbucks card I had more money than he received from the Belarus government in a month! How sad...what a different world he and I live in. Thank G-d he has the resources that are available to him through JDC. Each person's story truly touched ME as to what was emotion-laden to THEM.

At this point the group split up for the afternoon to re-group later at the Kenesset. I did not re-join the group for that session as I had other itmes to tend to. Among them was a "funny" story and an interesting evening. The story...I had a ride with (no name!) to meet my in-laws in Pisgat Ze'ev. We took a slightly wrong turn and ended up driving through a little of Shu'afat (on the wrong side of the security fence!). No problem...just keep this to yourselves :)

The interesting evening....I was invited to speak at the seminary MMY to the student body. I spoke once again about Tefilla and it was truly a wonderful experience. It also brought together two "old" friends from Shaalvim (myself and Rabbi Baruch Felberman) which made for a great evening!

And now the "official" mission time is over. I must say that this was a great group and a great trip. I am proud to have been a part of this and to have had the opportunity to do this as well .My thanks go to Rabbi Gedaliah Dov Schwartz, shlit"a, Rabbi Yehiel Poupko, Jeffrey Cohen, Rabbis Leonard Matanky and Carl Wolkin (as leaders), all the members of the group and of course to the Federation for all the hard work on this trip (special mention MUST be made of Sandi Kaplan and Melissa Chapman).

While this blog will continue for the next couple of days, there is one other item I MUST mention. I have had occassion to mention to many people here in Israel that IYH we will be making Aliya in 2009. The response, support and offers of assistance have been manifold and genuine.

So, that is it for today and I look forward to being in touch again soon.

Have a great day!

Sunday in Jerusalem

Today was a fascinating day in regards to education. We began our day at Hebrew U in the Bet Kenesset overlooking the Old City (what a breathtaking view!!) to learn about Yerushalayim through the eyes of Midrash. It was a magnificent presentation by Professor Avigdor Shinan, an expert in the field. We saw the various characterizaitons of Jerusalem over the various time periods of Midrash and did some in-depth study to understand these Midrashim on a much deeper level.

Our next stop was at the Israel Foreign Ministry. Here we spent about two hours learning about the move by the Ministry to introduce a program of BRANDING Israel in the eyes of the world. Acknowledging that Hasbarah has not worked effectively at all, this concept that has been researched extensively over the past 3 years and has a time table of approximately one more year until launch will (B'ezrat Hashem!) have a major impact on the way the world views Israel.

Our final program for the day dealt with the borders of the city of Jerusalem. These borders were looked at from the perspective of 1948, 1967 and today. We discussed the security fence; the enlarging of the municipality and other current issues. It was a non-political discussion for the most part but did deal at great lengths with the demographic issues facing Israel. It was quite obvious that there were a wide and varied set of opinions in our group about so many issues relating to this subject. Dialogue is good! After this briefing, we spent about an hour and a half driving around the various areas of which we learned to see with our own eyes what we had only seen on a map earlier inthe day.

I forgot to mention a very important point the other day in my blog. While we were still in Minsk, we had the honor of sharing in a birthday celebration for HaRav Schwartz, who celebrates his birhtday every year when we are in Eastern Europe. May he be blessed with Arichat Yamim!!

Ok, that is it for today. Will be in touch tommorow. For all of you who emailed me to ask about my health since Shabbat, I am pleased to report that BH, I am feeling considerably better!

Shabbat in Maale Adumim

Shabbat ended a few hours ago, and I now have the chance to sit and write about it. I spent Shabbat in Maale Adumim (in Mitzpe Nevo neighborhood). As I mentioned before this is the neighborhood that my family is planning to live in IYH when we move.

I stayed with my daughter and a friend of her's at the home of Dov and Shoshana Frankel. What lovely people and what a lovely home! Everything was so special and a beautiful Shabbat was had by all.

Before the beginning of Shabbat, I took my daughter on a little walking tour of the area. Both of us were/are just blown away at the magnificent beauty of this community and its environs. Breathtaking views, including being able to see Har HaBayit from one vantage point!

On Friday night, an Oneg Shabbat was held at the Frankel home, where I spoke on the subject of Tefilla. Over 50 people showed up and it was such a nice evening!

On Shabbat morning, I was to speak in the Bet Kenesset before Mussaf, but sadly, I took ill late Friday night...I made it through a brief part of Shacharit before I found myself at home, back in bed for most of the rest of Shabbat. I felt very frustrated by the whole thing, as I wanted to make use of the opportunity to say words of Torah on Shabbat, specifically in this location! But, as we all know...Gam Zu L'Tovah!

Tomorrow, we have a pretty full day...so until then, have a Shavua Tov!
ZMS

Back Home in Jerusalem...

Yesterday, I stood in the place where 5,000 Jews were murdered. Today I stand where every Jew from around the world is welcomed. What a stark contrast. What a remarkable feeling, and what a wonderful way to enter into Shabbat! I must say that although I was here only three weeks ago, I was just as emotional upon landing at Ben Gurion as if I had not been here for years. I can not begin to explain nor to properly describe the exuberant feeling I had as the wheels touched down. I was HOME…

Our group arrived at 12:30am Friday morning and we were already at a briefing by 8:45am! No rest for the weary…We heard from Linda Gradstein, a NY Times correspondent and NPR personality. She spoke of the current political situation in Israel; the great economic divide and many other fascinating topics. After that it was off to Ir David and a briefing from Shahar Shilo an “Ancient Jerusalem” specialist. The amount of tourism to Ir David has grown ten-fold in the past few years...from approximately 50,000 visitors a year to a half million. Having been here about 7 times in the past few years, I can say that it is incredible to have watched the PHYSICAL growth and change along with the popularity growth as well.

For Shabbat, the group will be together at the hotel (Dan Panorama). During Shabbat, the group will also have the zechut to hear a Shiur on Parashat haShavua from HaRav Schwartz. I wish THEM all a Shabbat Shalom…as I will be heading out for Shabbat!

I will be in Maale Adumim (IYH, our future home) for what will be a wonderful experience. I personally have the zechut of speaking (English) at an Oneg Shabbat on Friday night and then again (ikn Ivrit) Shabbat morning at a Bet Kenesset near my host. It is a thrill to be able to combine Shabbat + Torah + Maale Aduimim into one experience!

That is it for now…time to get ready to go! I wish each and every one of you a Shabbat Shalom and greetings of peace from the world capitol of the Jewish people….Jerusalem of Gold.

From Minsk to Jerusalem

Today, our last day in Belarus, we spent the time in Minsk learning of the WWII history of the Jewish community and visiting some of the establishments as well.

We started with a walking tour where we saw 1 of the 99 (!) shuls that had been active in the early 1900’s and had been taken over by various governmental interventions. The one we see, a choral shul, is monstrous, as is the parsonage home that was used by the Rabbi.

There was a law under Soviet rule that said that a cemetery that had not had a burial for 25 years may be plowed over or paved over to be used as public parkway. We stand in one of those Jewish cemeteries that no longer is recognizable as a cemetery. Over time, some of the community have taken the few remaining headstones that had been visible and lay them near each other on the ground to mark that, indeed, this was/is a cemetery. How sad it was to see these headstones strewn about as if they were mere rocks. We read some of the headstones that are still legible. Some are of little children and some of elderly…how heartbreaking.
Our next stop was the Minsk ghetto. We visit a place known as “Appelplatz.” This is similar to Umschlagplatz in Poland where from this point 100,000 Jews were sent to their deaths in the camps. In Minsk, as opposed to many other communities, thousands of Jews were murdered in the city and often in front of their neighbors and (non-Jewish) friends.

Our final stop in the area was a large ravine in the heart of the city. This location reminds me of Babi Yar and other killing fields that we have visited over the past few years. Here, on Ta’anit Esther 1942 approximately 5000 Jews were rounded up and shot to death in this ravine. It is a mass grave, that has a memorial to these Kedoshim. We once again, pause to reflect on their sacrifice as Jews and recite the Kel Maleh memorial prayer.

It is somewhat ironic that during our final few hours in Minsk, that for the first time since we arrived, the sun has begun to shine. The weather has been relatively speaking, not too bad. The temperatures have hovered between 20-30 degrees all of this time. (Compared to the 10 degree weather back in Chicago, I feel fortunate to be in the “warmth” of Belarus!)

Our last stop before our trip to the airport is to a location that I had honestly never heard of—Khaytin. During WWII, there were 619 villages around Belarus that were literally burned to the ground. Of those, 168 of them were never re-built. That means they were physically wiped off the face of the Earth. In Khatin, there is a memorial unlike any other I had ever seen. It spans the area of the entire village (that used to stand here). There are 26 houses represented by foundations and a chimney…houses that were burned to the ground with all of their residents inside. At one point, almost 150 people, men, women and children, were ordered into a barn, and the barn was set on fire. Those who tried to escape from the barn were shot to death outside the barn. Only 3 people survived…There is a massive sculpture of a man, face twisted in pain, holding the body of a child, his child, that died in the father’s arms. There are bells that ring every 30 seconds memorializing those who perished here. While there are many other symbolic items, I will mention only these. I must say that while we were standing there, it was perfectly silent. Yet, in my mind, the silence was broken by the sounds of the flames as they licked the wood buildings. A stark contrast…the sunny sky and the peaceful area…

And now, we are off to the airport (I am writing this on the bus ride to the airport). I can hardly contain my excitement knowing that in a few hours, I will arrive home in Israel. Although I was there only 3 weeks ago, I feel like I have not been there in months.

Every year, at the end of this part of the Mission, I think about the same thing. On Tisha B’Av, we recite a Kina that juxtaposes what the Jews felt like as they left Egypt compared to how they felt as they left Jerusalem to go into exile. The end of this Kina closes with the prayer, the hopeful prayer that once again we will sing in joy as we RETURN to Jerusalem. Today—I return to Jerusalem!

I can now say: "I learned in Volozhin!"

Our travels today took us to Volozhin. I had been waiting with great anticipation for this visit. After all, Volozhin is in fact the mother of all Yeshivot around the world.

The founder of the Yeshiva, Rabbi Chaim Itzkowitz (R Chaim Volozhiner) is buried in a nearby cemetery. So we visited both the Yeshiva and the cemetery. It is quite difficult to describe this visit. First of all, I had a mental image of the yeshiva which, of course, was nothing like I pictured. Sadly, it is in complete disrepair, but it is a building inside which we can stand.
Once inside, we gathered around Rabbi Schwartz as he taught a section of the Nefesh HaChaim written by R. Chaim of Volozhin (See picture to left) . In addition to the moving experience of learning the words of R. Chaim in the location where he himself taught, there was yet an additional that made this such a moving experience. Rabbi Schwartz was teaching us this Torah in the very Yeshiva that his grandfather learned in…right there in Volozhin! While it was freezing in the Yeshiva, it was a truly heart-warming experience.

After the visit to the Yeshiva, we visited the cemetery where R. Chaim is buried. The cemetery itself is also in complete disrepair with headstones all over the ground. However, the Kever of R. Chaim is maintained and has a relatively new headstone. We said a Kaddish at the site and pause to reflect about the the master of Torah, at whose grave we stood.
It should be noted that there are no Jews at all in Volozhin today.
I can now truthfully say, “I have learned in the yeshiva in Volozhin” !

We returned to Minsk in the early afternoon, and our first stop was the Jewish Campus. It is here that most of the services that are available to the Jewish community through JDC are housed under one roof in one complex. (Such services as I mentioned yesterday: Jewish Family Services, Hillel, Chessed Organization, etc). We visted the Jewish Museum, that while small in size has a rich amount of artifacts and archival information. One amazing story that we heard had to do with a Torah that had been discovered only a year ago. It had been cut into sections and used as a base for this person’s attic insulation (rachmana litzlan) just after the war. When the museum curator went to the home to verify if indeed what was being reported to her, that this Torah was there and in such a condition, she interviewed the homeowner. She asked him if things were okay in his home. He said that in fact there had been a tragedy onlya few years back. His wife (Jewish) had died in a fall from the upper level of the home. The curator told him that in her opinion it might be due to the fact that he was keeping a Jewish Torah in his attic in such a disgraceful position/condition. He gladly gave up the entire scroll but asked for no money. He only wished to have new “insulation” placed in the attic!

One of our final stops of the day was a visit to the JAFI (Jewish Agency for Israel—the Sochnut) Center. Here we learned of all the programs that are available to the residents with the focus in every way being ISRAEL. These programs include:
· Ulpanim
· Youth Clubs (strengthening Jewish identity and roots)
· Aliyah Programs for Youth (Na’aleh, Sela and others)
· Summer and Winter Camps
· Heftizbah Jewish Day Schools
· Aliyah Clubs
· Taglit-Birthright
· MASA/Israel journey

This truly was an amazing day filled with vibrancy, learning and growth. Tonight, we are to be addressed by the US ambassador to Belarus.

Bobruisk or Bust...

Today we learned of the history of the Jews of Minsk and travelled 2 ½ hours from Minsk to Bobruisk. On the way, we learned of the work of JDC in this region. Among some of the general facts that we learned about Belarus:
· 2 million residents of which 80% live in private-owned apartments
· There is a very high rate of divorce…nearing 55%
· If a resident wishes to leave the country for more than 72 hours, he must register at the Ministry of the Interior
· Once a business is successful, the government often steps in and “asks” the company to become their partner and then the company “offers” to give the government 55% (!!) of interest in the company

The JDC was faced with a situation when the doors of post-Soviet times opened that looked like this: In 1989, there were no Jewish schools, no synagogues, virtually no identification of any Jewish affiliation, illiterate in Hebrew and on and on and on…There also was no infrastructure for supporting the Jewish community. Rebirth of Judaism and Jewish life began in earnest in 1991.
Currently, Minsk has 30,000 Jews. Many have made Aliya and many speak of moving. Yet, the vast majority seem to be here for the long haul. Since 2001, Minsk has a Jewish Campus housing all forms of services under one roof. It is open to ALL Jews.

JDC’s work breaks down into three main areas:
a) Chessed: What began as packages of food for the poor in 1991 has evolved into a network of institutions all across Belarus. Hundreds of needy Jews are fed daily; home health care, home visits for those who can’t leave their home, subsidies for those needing medicines…are merely a small portion of the work done by The Joint. They even arrange to repair small appliances and other items for those who would not be able to afford it.

b) Jewish renewal: For 70 years, Jews were cut off from being able to practice (publicly) ….life and tradition was lost for 2-3 generations. Via many different means and methods, JDC has been instrumental in the re-birth of Jewish life. Something as small as baking challot before Shabbat as a method to re-introduce Shabbat is only one of dozens of such actions to bring about this re-birth. They also run over 50 different programs with the same goal. One example is summer camp. Another amazing example is something we, from the USA, take for granted but is un-heard of in Belarus: Mainstreaming children with mental and physical disabilities into various programs and schools.

c) Children’s Initiative: This section deals with children at risk. This encompasses anything from kids from abusive homes, alcohol-related issues, etc.

After our long bus ride, we arrive in Bobruisk. This city, until 1941, was home to 26,000 Jews. On November 7, 1941, there was a mass murder of 20,000 of those Jews in a 24 hour period. We arrived at the site of a mass grave to 10,000 of the murdered where a memorial stands in their memory. There are two ravines on either side of this area where Jews were lined up and summarily executed. Besides a marble memorial, there are large numbers proclaiming “10,000” with no other description. It stands in silent memory of those buried there. A number of people light memorial candles in their memory after reciting a Kel Male. The memorial has steps leading up to it that are made of red granite as a reminder of the blood that flowed there years ago.
Next we visited a JCC where all of the activities, whether for the young children or the adults who are there for Yiddish club revolved around the theme of Tu B’shvat, as today is indeed Tu B’Shvat.

We had the opportunity then to meet at the home of one of the clients of the Chessed. He receives aid in terms of food, money and medicine from JDC. But that is only half the picture. To see his living conditions is to understand abject poverty. While the square meters of his apartment are not too small, the CONDITION is atrocious. His “kitchen” (the seize of a closet) is in total disrepair and his bathroom (you will excuse me) is made up of a tub from 60 years ago and has a pot next to it. How very sad.

A visit to the cemetery where we encountered some very interesting history regarding Chabad and a visit to the JAFI (Jewish Agency for Israel—the Sochnut) where WE participated with some of the local teachers in a Tu B’Shvat activity rounded out our time in Bobruisk. All in all, a VERY interesting and enlightening day.

We had the honor of hearing from the Israeli ambassador to Belarus at dinner.
Tomorrow it is off to Volozhin. I am VERY much looking forward to this day as the history of the location and the personalities who came from there are legendary.
Until then…off to try and get some sleep!

(And I keep thinking to myself: “Thursday night I will be home in Israel…!”)

Welcome to Minsk...

Our journey began in Chicago, jumped to Washington, DC, lumbered to Vienna and meandered on to Minsk. The bulk of our flights were on Austrian Air. I must admit that it was disconcerting to hear the announcements in German and doubly disconcerting to see the flight attendants all dressed in bright red.

(In my mind, all I could see on their sleeves was a black swastika…it is hard to separate the history of Austria vis-à-vis the Jewish people and modern times. While not one of the attendants was old enough to be alive during WWII, I could not help by wonder, “what were their grandparents doing in the early 1940’s?” )

As in past trips, we had the opportunity to daven with a minyan in the airport of a country that once wanted to eradicate Jews from the planet….such a nice feeling!

I must make mention before continuing this log of a few points. We are privileged to have with us on our trip (as in all past trips) HaRav Gedalia Dov Schwartz, shlit”a, Av bet Din of the Chicago Rabbinical Council and the Bet Din of America. His knowledge of both the depth and breadth of Halacha, Jewish history and its personalities and his undying love for his fellow Jews adds an immeasurable dimension of wisdom and sagacity to our trip. In addition, we are privileged to have Rabbi Yehiel Poupko as our scholar-in-residence and as our teacher/guide. His ability to bring to life both the old and the new as far as history, people, places and time periods helps to make this trip that much more meaningful.

(MINSK) I must say that when we (finally) arrived in Minsk and after going through the airport, I felt like I was back in Kiev; the Soviet garb, Soviet-looking facility and the uniformed airport personnel. (The woman who stamped my passport had an army uniform complete with three stars on her lapel. Does she receive another star with every 1,000th customer??) The personnel looked like they were right out of central casting for Stalin-era actors! I assumed that this would be the type of city that would greet us, but the truth is that it turns out to be much more cosmopolitan and Western than I had anticipated.

Already on the bus from the airport, we learned some of the recent history of Minsk and of its Jewish population…how at one time Minsk was nearly 50% Jewish (!). Since the brain is a little fuzzy due to the long trip, I will save the details and add them to the events of Tuesday.
No matter all the travelling…this is going to be a wonderful and educational trip.
Assuming I am able to get an internet connection each night, I will add to this blog on a daily basis.
Your comments are always welcome!

The Journey Begins

For the sixth year in a row, I have the privilege of participating in a Federation-sponsored trip to Eastern Europe and Israel. This trip by a group of rabbis from Chicago has evolved over the past few years into a wonderful mix of history, culture, learning and personal growth. We learn so much of Jewish History in the places it occurred; we learn of the wonderful work of the JDC (Joint Distribution Committee) and the Federation; and we have the opportunity to meet Jews of all types in large communities and small rural settings.

As in the past, I plan to document our trip via this blog. Unlike in the past, I am doing this via a "regular" blog and not regular email. This is my first shot at a regular blog, so we'll see how that goes!

Our trip this year is taking us to Belarus; specifically to Minsk, Volozhin and other towns in-between. We will be arriving IYH in Minsk on Monday afternoon and remain there until Thursday evening when we will board a plane to Israel.

I welcome your feedback and comments on this trip and hope you will enjoy "travelling" with me via this journal.