Zionism in the Arts Siyur

We just got back from a two-day Zionism in the Arts siyur in the North, and it was absolutely amazing! Our trip started with a visit to Kibbutz Ein Harod, which houses the first art museum in Israel. While there, we saw three main exhibits. The first, was an exhibit of Judaica that the Kibbutz has been collecting since before World War II, and which artists to this day still contribute. The second was a collection of large abstract pieces that you should check out the next time you're in Israel. Third, we saw an exhibit of three young artists just out of Betzal'el art school that was great.

After a packed lunch eaten outside on a grassy field, we re-loaded the buses and kept pushing North to Tsfat.

While there, we met artist David Friedman, who paints Kabbalistic themed pieces. We sat with him for an hour as he explained many of his paintings.

This was followed by an hour of free time to wander through Tsfat's old city. It was getting late, so we drove to Tiberius for dinner on the boardwalk on the Kinneret. From there, we went to Kibbutz Haon; they have guesthouses overlooking the Kinneret where we stayed for the night.

Tsfat Old City

The next morning, we headed out bright and early to the Kinneret cemetery, where many heroes of early Israel are buried. As we moved around between a few select graves, Dr. Avi told amazing stories, without which our country wouldn't be the same today. Among the most interesting were poet Rachel's grave, where we sang one of her songs, and Naomi Shemer's grave.

The grave of Rachel, a well-known poet who once lived in that early kibbutz. Stones left on the grave are a sign of respect. The small black object to the left (with a bench for sitting) is a container for a book of her poetry (in Hebrew, of course!) to be read at the site and then replaced. The book is periodically replaced as it gets worn out.

Watch this video of us singing one of Rachel's songs at Rachel's grave at the Kinneret Cemetery.

When we eventually got back on the road, we headed to Ein Hod, an artist colony just south of Haifa. We met with a couple of artists and saw their work before we split up into groups to do some workshops: one group did drawings and painted, one group did silk-screening, and one group did photograms.

Time was running late, and we needed to get back to Jerusalem for dinner, so when we finished with the workshops (an hour past schedule) we got back on the bus to end our journey. This siyur was an amazing experience, and I can't wait to see where our next adventure takes us!

#99 bus

The #99 bus is a red double decker bus that runs all around Jerusalem giving tours. This semester we sent Section 3 during orientation on the #99 bus as a way to get them aquainted with Jerusalem. For some, it was a great way to see the city, while for others, it was a chance to catch up a little bit more sleep!

Jerusalem orientation, update and classes

Thursday afternoon of orienation at the Judean Youth Hostel, all of Section 3 was welcomed to a moving assembly initiating the new semester in Jerusalem. Mel Reisfield, a Hebrew teacher on Year Course and long time Judaean, delivered an inspiring speech about his childhood, teen-aged years and early involvement in the Young Judaea Youth Movement. He described how he and his friends rallied, paraded, and fought for the freedom of many different types of Jewry at the time. His Zionist-filled lecture was fun, amusing, inspirational and emotional, leaving us all with a strong sense of pride and love for Jews and the land of Israel!

This week classes started in Jerusalem and we've been having a lot of fun learning about Israel, but perhaps the most fun of all is Zionism and the Arts. On Tuesday, Dr. Avi Rose took us on our first siyur (field trip) to the Museum of Italian Jewish Heritage and the Israel Museum to teach us about the origins of Zionism through artwork.

At the Italian museum we got to see an intricate Rococo style ark and ornate torah dressings. Avi taught us about the small Jewish community in Italy and all their experiences after World War One. The museum held all sorts of interesting artifacts from prayer shawls to menorahs.

When we'd seen all we could we hopped back on the bus and went to the Israel Museum. We spent and hour huddled around Avi and the model of ancient Jerusalem learning all about the architecture and the Old City.

Zionism and the Arts is an incredible class. Being able to travel each week to see the things we study is invaluable. I can't wait to see what the next siyur will be.

Israel Update is an opportunity for Section 3, every Monday, to sit and chat with one of the staff members about the current events going on in Israel over lunch. This week, the focus was on the shooting at the Merkaz HaRav yeshiva and the aftermath of such a horrible tragedy. In addition, we spoke with Gabi about John McCain's plans to visit Israel, and Sheldon Shulman, teacher of the Arab-Israeli Conflict class, explained to us how it is in fact quite common for presidential candidates to tour foreign nations before Election Day. The update ended with a chat about bureaucracy in Israel, and comparing it to the United States and Great Britain.

Moved to Jerusalem for 3 months of studying

I'm close to the Biblical Zoo, which is near the southwestern Jerusalem neighbourhood of Manahat (formerly Malkha). I can go to the Mulcha Mall with my roomate, Jodi!

I am far from where the shootings took place at the Jerusalem Yeshiva. We have plenty of security. The attacked seminary, located in the Kyriat Moshe neighbourhood, serves some 400 high school students and young Israeli soldiers, many of whom carry arms.

I'll be in Jerusalem not only for Purim, but for Passover. What will we say at the end of the Seder...I'm here in Jerusalem!!! Next Year again???