Images from Israel

It's been a phenomenal week in Jerusalem at the Shalom Hartman Institute.  The weather has been absolutely spectacular.  The daily temperatures have been in the mid 80's and the nights have been downright chilly; worthy of a light jacket.  The overarching theme of our summer session is "Jewish Peoplehood: The Meaning of the Collective in Modern Jewish Life".  Each and every day as I walk onto the Hartman Institute campus I feel like a child walking into a candy shop; our faculty are the best Judaic scholars in the world.  Everything I've learned from them has enriched my knowledge and provided me with material for dozens of sermons and classes.  

The Pomegranate (Rimonim) Tree that Rabbi David Cohen and I Walk Under on Our Way to The Hartman Institute

One highlight was studying this week with the director of my RLI (Religious Leadership Initiative) fellowship program.  Rabbi Rachel Sabath Beit-Halachmi, who was ordained by HUC-JIR and received her doctorate from JTS, taught a seminar entitled "Between God, Community and the Individual: Modern Jewish Thinkers on Religion and Religiosity".  She gave us a compelling and new read on Leo Baeck, Martin Buber and Mordecai Kaplan.

Last night I attended a very powerful and wonderful concert featuring secular Israeli musical artist, Kobi Oz.  Oz  's music - a blend of Ashkenazi and Sephardi musical motifs woven together with religious themes and librettos - best exemplifies the growing trend in Israel of secular musicians using religious themes and imagery to comment on the major issues facing Israeli society.

Kobi Oz Performing in Liberty Bell Park in Jerusalem

Today (Friday) saw a dramatic change in the weather.  The mercury hit an easy 100 degrees and the forecast call for the same weather for Shabbat.  I walked with my friend and colleague, Rabbi Eric Gurvis to the Museum of the Seam which is located on what was the seamiline between east and west Jerusalem before and up to 1967.  The museum is located in Beit Tiurjeman, the forward position of the Israeli Army during the Six Day War.  The museum's mission is to promote tolerance and pluralism between Israel and Palestinian, secular and Haredi.  Rabbi Gurvis and I walked through the museum's current exhibit which explores the issue of war and violence.  It was both provocative and fascinating.

Museum on the Seam

We then walked to Mahane Yehudah for some pre-Shabbat shopping and lunch.  The shuk was buslting with people and activity.  There's nothing like buying freshly baked pita, hummus, fruits and nuts (no pun intended for MJDS families!) in Mahane Yehudah!

Mahane Yehudah on Friday

Shabbat shalom from Jeusalem!