February 11, 2011
We are leaving Kibbutz Hannaton tomorrow after a three day stay. Time to learn about life in a secular communal, surrounded by Muslim, Jewish Orthodox, and Christian Muslim communities. This kibbutz was located in the lower Galilee, where you can see the landscape of a water reservoir that would serve all of Israel up to two weeks of water in case of emergency. About 40 families reside here, working together and raising their children. There was a house for mikvah, next to a couple grapefruit trees that used to be an entire orchard. Unfortunately, there was no profit in grapefruit sales, so only a few remain.
My group had a chance to get to know each other better over these days, and connection and comraderie grow every day. Ice breaker games, collage making, and movie night in a bomb shelter were some of the cute activities that really helped us laugh and open up to each other.
Everyone has to make time to talk to Elin, our madricha (counselor), about who we are so she can get to know us better. I sat down with her on a picnic table looking out over the beautiful landscape, sun on our faces, and told her about my life. It felt good to talk to her, she’s a skinny, blonde Israeli girl; friendly and warm and always smiling. I told her about how I feel like I'm in a good place in life, & what I've accomplished throughout the years relative to what I can bring to the program. As we were chatting we heard the Muslim community’s Call To Prayer. I've heard it once before. It is so beautiful, and we stopped in our tracks to listen. I think that was when it hit me that I am here in Israel. It’s taken a few days, but that sound was so eerie & amazing, and sitting in front of the vast scenery, it just simply took my breath away.
Today was Shabbat, and I decided to go to the conservative service. I never really went to services in a temple growing up (that is unless I wanted to stay home from school on Jewish holidays!), so I wanted to check out a service on a kibbutz. Some group members and I walked in and sat down, and as the rabbi started, more and more people arrived with their children running around like crazy. A select few parents attempted to shush their little ones to pay attention, but 97% of the parents just prayed and sang and paid no mind to their kids running amuck. All the kids knew each other since they all go to a pre-school on the kibbutz, so they entertained themselves with random toys and children’s books left next to the siddurim. These kids (aged between 1 and 4, respectively) checked my group and me out a lot, a little confused who we were, then would go back to running around. One little boy even fell in love with Ma’yan, a girl in my group sitting next to me! It was hilarious.
Oh, and on the topic of Shabbat, we all made our own Challah today. That was pretty cool. :)
More in a week or so... if you have any questions for me, please email me or post a comment. Photos are coming very soon. Miss you all.
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