RAMIM – some thoughts

It would be easy to say that I have not posted a Final post for the RAMIM trip because “RAMIM is not over; it’s a process; it’s about relationships that will go on; the Israelis are coming to Rochester in November” – and all of that would be true.

But not complete or accurate.

Another part of the truth is that I was overwhelmed by the openness and connection that developed from people who had never met until last Shabbat in Jerusalem (hard to believe that it was only one week ago).

Another part of the truth is that we had so many activities, so much going on, that I did not have time to post.

Sadly, I must admit that 4 hours of sleep a night trying to keep up with a group of 28 who are much closer to my children’s age than to mine, also took a toll. I slept almost the whole flight home. Those who came back to the U.S. and I arrived at about 4:30 a.m. today; it is 6 a.m. as type.

So – a summary of the activities of Tuesday and Wednesday, and then some reflections.

Tuesday:

• A study session using Jewish source texts to explore the foundation for the rules around conversion to Judaism.
• Presentations by a rabbi of the conversion court in Israel and the professional leader of the Masorti (Conservative) movement in Israel that revealed more consensus and more challenges … and more understanding of the challenges and impacts in Israel and the U.S. … than one might have expected. There was intense discussion of the many challenges that remain unresolved.
• A meeting with Mayor Haim Bibas, who in his relatively brief time in office has been a strong supporter of our work together.
• A tour of Modi’in
• A visit to Yachad school, a unique, for Israel, model where religious and secular students study together.
• Dinner at the Nalagaat Center in Tel Aviv, a meeting place for deaf, blind and deaf-blind and the wide public that through an artistic and cultural experience engage in a dialogue between equals by means of the Nalaga’at Theater, “Kapish” café, “Blackout” restaurant, workshops and training programs. Dinner was followed by a play “Not by Bread Alone” performed by deaf-blind actors.
• The Israelis and Americans then kissed, hugged, wept and separated for now, as they returned to Modi’in, and we slept the night (well, more like the early morning) in Tel Aviv.

Wednesday:

• The Rochester group visited the Hall of Independence in Tel Aviv, where a brilliant presenter inspired us, and the birthright Israel group who joined us, with her humor, passion, and knowledge. We wept as Ben Gurion spoke and Hatikvah played from a recording of the historic declaration of the modern Jewish state of Israel:
• A walking tour of beautiful Old Jaffa, lunch at Dr Shakshouka, a visit to the Carmel market and then free time until our closing dinner at a wonderful Kosher meat restaurant in Tel Aviv called “Goshen”

Enough of the external travelogue, what of the internal transformation.

Many of the participants wanted to know how we managed to find their twin, that they never knew they had.

The understanding in each of them of the “other” grew, and then vanished … “we” are now “we”, a people struggling to know each other as one.

A commitment grew among the group to merge what had been sort of parallel study tracks – from now on “we” learn together. I have 8 pages of notes of what they would like to do next and over the upcoming years. I’m exhausted re-reading it.

Also inspired. For I had my own internal journey during the week:

• From fear of failure to exceeding our goals.
• From anxiety to pride.
• From frustration to inspiration.

The future of the Jewish people will continue to be great, in the hands of these leaders, as long as we give them space, understand their language, and trust that in their interactions they will find a way.

We must share with them our eternal values, including that all of Israel is responsible, one for the other. They will then, as each generation has, make anew for their generation. I no longer doubt that they will.

3 pictures in closing, one a repost:

I defy you to identify, with certainty, who is Israeli and who is American in this picture:

The following 2 pictures will probably have special meaning only for the Rochester and Modi’in participants, but see them as a metaphor.

There is much in our basket, when we each share what has meaning to us, great power is released. There remains much to explore and to share:

Enough for now – so much more to come.