Boker Tov From Israel!

It's Sunday morning here and I'm blogging from my Baka apartment while drinking an expertly made cafe afukh (purchased from a neighborhood cafe bearing the same name) and a delicious freshly baked chocolate rugelach.  On the way to the cafe I had the pleasure of running into Judy Werlin who was on a walk with a friend from Chicago.   Judy and Steve are also spending the month in Jerusalem.  They're living in nearby Talpiyot. 

Many of you know that I've returned to Jerusalem for the month of July to begin my second summer session of the Shalom Hartman Institute's Religious Leadership Initiative, an intense, three-year rabbinic fellowship program.  Joining me is my friend and colleague, Rabbi David Cohen, Temple Sinai's spiritual leader.  Rabbi Cohen is in my RLI cohort and is my hevruta partner during the course of the year when we study with our Hartman faculty via weekly distance learning.  Rabbi Cohen and I are sharing an apartment in this vibrant southern Jerusalem neighborhood sandwhiched between the German Colony to the north, Arnona to the south, Talpiyot to the east and the Greek Colony to the west.  Our apartment is literraly around the corner of the offices of Tenuat Masorti, the headquarters of the Masorti/Conservative Movement in Israel.  I'm hoping to drop by to visit with Rakefet Ginsberg, our former sh'liha, who works for the Masorti Movement.

Getting here was a bit of a challenge.  My US Airways plane sat at the gate for about an hour as maintenance crew worked to fix a blown circuit breaker.  We then had to wait in a very long line for takeoff because Air Force One was given departure priority (I guess being President of the United States does have its benefits).  By the time I arrived in Jerusalem the city was in shutdown mode as Shabbat was fast approaching.  

After unpacking and taking a very quick shower I walked 30 mins to Shira Hadasha, the feminist Orthodox minyan in the German Colony founded by Tova Hartman, Rabbi David Hartman's daughter.  Shira Hadasha is the closest thing you'll find to an egalitarian minyan in the Orthodox world.  While it utilizes a mehitza, men and women lead the davening, chant from and are called to the Torah.  The music of the service is spiritually moving; a blend of Carlebach,  traditional Orthodox and Camp Ramah.  What's more, everyone present knows the melodies and sings along.  It makes for an incredible davening experience.  

As I made my way to what was one of the few empty seats in the packed room I sat down and looked around to see if I knew anyone.  In front of me was my teacher Dr. Ismar Schorsch, Chancellor Ermeritus of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, behind me was Rabbi Joel Myers, Emeritus Executive Vice-President of the Rabbinical Assembly and throughout the congregation were five or six other Conservative colleagues of mine.  Sitting just to my left was Steve Werlin.  By the time I had gotten to services the minyan had already completed Kabbalat Shabbat and was in the midst of Ma'ariv.  When I explained to Steve about my flight delay he said he knew something must have happened because he had expected to see me much earlier.  It's the first and I sure the only time that Steve Werlin will ever get to services before me!

After attending Shabbat morning services at Shira Hadasha I returned to my apartment for a quick Shabbat lunch and a much needed Shabbat shluf.  Later in the day I went on an hour long walk.  I wasn't alone.  Everyone was out walking - families, couples, groups of young people - enjoying the glorious, sunny day filled with a cool breeze from the west.  The rest of the day and evening was spent reading and preparing for the start of the summer session.  The summer session is entitled, Jewish Peoplehood: The Meaning of the Collective in Modern Jewish Life.  I'll give you just a sampling of some of the shiurim (lectures) I'll be taking:  Jewish People - What's at Stake with Rabbi Donniel Hartman, Halakhah and the Challenges of Peoplehood with Dr. Micah Goodman, Hilkhot Melakhim: Foundations for Political Community with Menachem Lorberbaum, and The God Who Hates Lies with Rabbi David Hartman.  A week from today I'll be leading a round table where I'll be teaching my colleagues and leading a follow-up discussion.  The title of my shiur is A Case of Mistaken Identity:  The Surprise Encounter Between Rabbi Yohanan and Resh Lakish.  You can read all about this fascinating talmudic story in Tractate Bava Metzia 84a. 

Well I've finished my cappuccino (cafe hafukh in Hebrew) and managed to consume three rugelach during the course of writing this post which means I need to walk off my rather indulgent breakfast.  I look forward to keeping all of you posted on my experiences at Hartman and in Israel.

L'hitraot!