By Rabbi David Wilfond, Director of Education
One of the highlights this past Friday was the visit to the mystical mountaintop town of Tzfat. In 1492 when the Jews were expelled from Spain, a large number of Jewish refugees decided it was time to go back home to the Land of Israel. They settled in the quiet and pastoral town of Tzfat, nestled high in the green mountains of the Galilee, in order to be close to the grave of the famous mystical Rabbi, Shimon Bar Yochai, considered to be the author of the Zohar, arguably the most influential book of Jewish Mysticism. The Spanish Jewish community was traumatized by the expulsion from a country where they had been for hundreds of years. They had fully integrated into a multicultural and tolerant society in which Christians, Muslims and Jews lived side by side in harmony for centuries. Suddenly, a new King and Queen, Ferdinand and Isabelle, came to power with the goal of remaking Spain. To achieve this, they said the Jews would have to go.
Sometimes when one is oppressed physically, the only way to cope is to expand spiritually. This is thought to be what led so many Jews to become mystic seekers at this time. They wanted answers to why the world had become so unstable and unsafe. They went to Tzfat for safety and for answers. In Tzfat, there stand synagogues that are almost five hundred years old, built by those refugees who were in search of hope and meaning. One of the most famous is called the Synagogue of the Ari (The Lion). He was a mystic teacher who taught that every Shabbat is a mystical wedding during which the Jewish People and God get remarried on a weekly basis and then celebrate their joy. One of the Ari’s congregants, Shlomo Alkabetz, wrote a mystical wedding poem, Lecha Dodi, which is probably the most popular Shabbat song today. After the expulsion, the Jews were hungry for joy, which is reflected in the liturgical poetry of the time. Lecha Dodi is the song par excellence of Shabbes joy! We want the participants to know that this song that is sung in every Reform Synagogue was born in Tzfat and was created to inspire the soul with happiness and hope.
Another major teaching of the Ari is a concept of “Tikkun Olam” (Repairing the World). The Ari taught that our deeds here on earth have cosmic implications and can increase the amount of good in the world so much that the scales of spiritual balance can be tipped so that the good in the world can exceed the bad in the world. This medieval mystical teaching has become a core principle of Reform Judaism, inspiring our work for social justice. A visit to Tzfat teaches our participants about Jewish values that have become central to Reform Judaism.
Today, Sunday, the Group began the “Kishrei Noar” segment of the NFTY in Israel program. “Kishrei Noar” is Hebrew for “Youth Connections,” and for many of the American teens this is a highlight of the summer in Israel. During this part of the program, eight Israeli teens join the group full-time for seven days. The idea is to break the illusion that the tour bus is like an “aquarium” in which the participants look about upon Israel from the bus window but fail to get to know real Israelis and their lives. The eight Israeli teens spend the week socializing and talking about the “Big Questions” of being a teenager in Israel and America. The program is really like a big family reunion with long-lost relatives. Educationally, this is also the part of the program when we focus on modern Israel in all its complexities. At NFTY in Israel, we believe that the best way to engage with modern Israel is alongside modern Israelis in peer dialogue. Today was a day of fun at the Sea of Galilee with swimming, banana boats and water sports, which creates an atmosphere of fun for making new friends with the Israeli teens and to welcome them to the group. Dinner was at the popular Yoav Pizza which makes boutique pizzas in a wood burning oven. At night the Israeli teens led an activity on Israeli pop music to introduce the American to their favorite Israeli tunes.
This is going to be an exciting week, as there is no better was to learn about modern Israel than through the eyes of, and in conversation with, Israeli teen peers.
