Festive Season in Israel

Trip Start Nov 13, 2006
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Trip End Oct 21, 2008


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Sunday, October 12, 2008

It was Yom Kippur (Day of Attonement) in Israel on Thursday. Driving is banned in accordance with Jewish Law and apparently in Tel Aviv there is a beautiful scene as people come out onto the deserted streets on their bikes. I was far away from all that; deep into the Negev desert I am still on Kibbutz Neot Semadar. The 25 hour fast of repentance was observed (well no meals were served), but there was no 'religious bullshit' (to quote Cobi, the opinionated guy who works in the vegetable garden.)

The blistering heat of the summer has given way to a pleasant heat and after getting up late I started to stroll towards the dining hall. A peacock near my room caught my attention (dont ask me why but there is a group of peacocks who wonder round here) 'David!' yelled Jesus. Jesus is the 40 something, long haired, slightly crazy looking guy and Father of 4 who works in the kitchen. I call him Jesus because I dont know his name and he calls me David after the last foreign volunteer to annoy me. I walked into his porch area and looked around at the musical instruments hanging on the walls. 'You said you'll talk to God earlier' he said, 'but how? You can't experience God with words. You can only experience God by being, and being aware in your being. When I eat, I pay attention to every bite, to every morsel as it falls down my throat. Thats the experience of God.'  

We broke the fast with tea and cakes on the patio outside the dining hall and after dinner everone started building a succa. Its a wooden building to commemerate the nomadic structures the Israelites lived in whilst wondering round the Sinai desert and the way everyone on the kibbutz got together to build it has made this a special time. Kibbutz members will eat all meals there for the week of the succot festival which starts tomorrow.

I wont be joining with the festivities as I am finally leaving the kibbutz on Tuesday. My planned 2 week stay here evolved into two months, just as my planned 2 month stay in Israel evolved into a year long rollercoaster adventure, but now its time to move on. There is still at least one more adventure to be had before I leave though. Apparently there is another Rainbow gathering not far from here, or the Bedwin camps of Sinai beckon just down the road.  Keep posted for my final entry.

-photos to follow
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