Dead Sea & Rosh Hashanah

  Ein Gedi, Israel
Saturday, September 15, 2007

September 6-8, 2007
To fulfill all of Evette's requirements for school, she has her classes spread across 4 schools; Pardes, Conservative Yeshiva, Hebrew Union College & Schechter.  Most of her classes are at Pardes, which makes her very happy because that is where she studied for 2 years when she lived here right before we met.  She is so loved at that school, it is amazing.  We went there the week before classes started & all the teachers & faculty were so glad to see her, you would have thought she was a celebrity. 

Pardes had a Shabbaton at the Youth Hostel/Field School in Ein Gedi from Sept. 6-8.  We left on a bus at 2pm on Thursday.  As we drove along the Dead Sea, the mystery, wonder & awe of the sea & mountains were amazing.     Let me tell you a little about Ein Gedi, for those of you who are curious.  Ein Gedi (Hebrew: Kid Spring (as in young goat) is an oasis on the western shore of the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth, some 400 m. below sea level. Extreme heat and dry heat prevail in this desert region throughout most of the year.  It is known for its caves, springs, and its rich diversity of flora and fauna. Ein Gedi is mentioned several times in biblical writings, for example, in the Song of Songs; "My beloved is unto me as a cluster of henna flowers in the vineyards of Ein Gedi" (1:14). Accorded to Jewish tradition, David hid from Saul in the caves here; "And David went up from thence, and dwelt in the strongholds of Ein Gedi" (Samuel 1 24:1).   Just North of Ein Gedi is one of Israel's most important archeological sites, the Qumran National Park.  It is in the caves of this ancient settlement that the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947.  Evidence has been found of the cave's inhabitance as early as the 8th-7th centuries B.C.E.  The Romans stormed the area and occupied it for 20 years.  In 132-135 C.E., Bar Kokhba's Jewish fighter's lived in the ruins.   

 During the Shabbaton weekend, there were several workshops, "getting to know you" activities, Shabbat services, hikes, etc...  I went to a creative writing workshop, a workshop called "Talking to God" and a workshop about diversity.  During the "Talking to God" workshop, we had to find a quiet spot by ourselves & talk to God.  I went to the outside balcony, overlooking the Dead Sea.  Right below the ledge was a lovely garden, trees, flowers, etc... As soon as I got to the overlook, the first thing I saw was a snow white bird.  I think it may have been a dove.  It did not fly away the whole 10 minutes I stood there reflecting.  When the other's returned, it was gone.  I found it to be very symbolic that the bird was the first thing I saw.  We never saw the bird the rest of the time.    I like to think she flew there just for me.

Friday morning, we went on a hike to the Dead Sea to watch the sunrise.  There were about 140 students & a few partners & children.  I met some really interesting people & it was great to meet Evette's classmates.  One of the "getting to know you" activities was called 2 truths & a lie.  This is where I learned something new about my bride.  So, to see if you are paying attention, I'm going to make it a contest.  I will tell you Evette's 3 statements.  The first person to email me the correct answer will win a beautiful bookmark or refrigerator magnet (your choice) from Israel.  If your last name is Lutman, I'm sorry, but you are not eligible to play.  Here are the 3 statements.  2 are truths & 1 is a lie.  You tell me the lie.

1.        Evette was kicked out of ballet class.
2.        Evette graduated from Charm school.
3.        Evette is a big hockey fanatic.

GOOD LUCK!

   As a married couple, we had our own room.  The view was glorious, but the heat was awful!  Our air did not work.  We thought that's just how it was, but I spoke to other people who said their air worked so well they had to use comforters.  Just our luck!    On Saturday, during Shabbat services, we could see about 25-30 ibex (tiny deer) outside the window.  We went outside after services & watched them grazing under the trees.  A perfect Kodak moment, but alas, I could not take a picture because it was the Sabbath.   When Shabbat was over, we did Havdalah, got on the bus & came home.  If you forget what Havdalah is, I told you all about it in my July 24th entry. 

September 14th
Tonight at sundown ended Rosh Hashanah.   Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. While the secular New Year is often celebrated by forgetting - we tear up the calendar, get drunk, and attempt to wipe the slate clean - the Jewish New Year is about remembering. The shofar, the ram's horn, wakes us from our stupor and demands that we face ourselves and our wrongdoings. The liturgy of the holiday stresses that life is short, our days are numbered, and our chance to change, do good, repent, accomplish the things we dream of, and treat the people we love as they deserve to be treated is now.

The High Holidays, unlike most Jewish holidays, are heavily focused on the synagogue. Many Jews who rarely or never attend synagogue will do so on these days. Although the process of teshuvah, repentance, is highly personal and introspective, we do it in the presence and solace of one another. The liturgy, which is lengthy and often difficult, focuses on the themes of judgment, repentance, God's kingship, and memory. The Torah reading for first day of Rosh Hashanah is of the birth of Isaac - through the birth of one small and much longed-for infant, we are reminded that every child, and in fact each of us, contains worlds. Through each of us, the world will be renewed.

This is the first time in 3 years, & probably the last time, that Evette & I were able to share the holiday together without her working.  The high holidays are a very busy time as she has had & will have her own pulpit to lead services.  On Wednesday night, we went to services and when we came home, I cooked a nice holiday meal for 2.  It was quite lovely to share that together.  Thursday, it was back to services & then we were invited to one of Evette's classmate's home for dinner that evening.  There were about 13 of us there.  They did a ritual of Culinary Prayers - "Yehi Ratzon"; a women's tradition, followed largely in the Sephardic community, that provides a tasty counterpoint to the traditional male liturgy of the High Holidays.  Historically, the prayers of Jewish women were not included in the official Rosh Hashanah liturgy, yet this did not stop them from expressing their desires. With a great deal of creativity, they literally cooked up their own efforts to shape the year ahead. Traditionally it was women's responsibility to prepare the special Rosh Hashanah foods that give new meaning to the saying "you are what you eat!"

The best known examples of these culinary prayers are apples and round challah. The sweet fall apple, made sweeter still by the addition of honey, symbolizes the sweetness we hope fills the New Year. The challah is round like the circle of life we hope to continue living. Its sweetness is enhanced by the addition of raisins. As we eat these foods and make them part of us, we hope to realize their symbolic meaning in the year ahead.

From the time of the Talmud, a fanciful combination of word play, visual association and flavors designated a whole series of foods as totems for the year to come. The head of a fish, like the round challah, was traditionally eaten because of its physical form. It symbolizes our desire to come out "ahead" in the coming year. Dates, fenugreek, pumpkins and leeks were all eaten because of linguistic links between the Hebrew names of these foods and requests for the year to come. The puns are subtle and often stretch meaning and pronunciation.  The pomegranate with its many seeds may be eaten with an eye towards having a fertile or productive year. Consider eating fresh figs cut in half lengthwise. Visually and biblically, this fruit is linked with women's sexuality; dip it in honey and bless the physical fulfillment of the year to come. Serve a sweet multi-grain challah that celebrates the diversity of the world around us.  All the traditional blessings over these meaningful foods begin with the same phrase that is recited before eating the apple and honey: "May it be your will, our God and the God of our ancestors that..."

So, for those of you who know us well, Evette & I did not partake in the fish head.  We were not pleased at its presence at all.  When we were done & ready for dinner, we had to request they remove it from the table.  EWWW!!!  We were very excited about this dinner invitation because we were told it was a meat meal.  More often than not, when we are invited to any of Evette's classmate's house, or there are any school functions, they are vegetarian.  Evette & I like meat!  So, we do get excited when we are invited to a meat meal.  Finally, at 10pm, they finally start bringing out the dinner; salad, sweet potato risotto (that I made), another rice dish, okra (yuck)...we don't take too much because we are waiting for ...a roast perhaps?  A nice roasted chicken?  No, they now proudly present...a goose.  UGH!!!  I do not, nor will I ever eat a goose or a duck.  I've never even tasted it in my lifetime.  Many people have tried to get me to taste it over the years.  It is my personal preference, but I will NEVER eat it.  So, I quickly grabbed more rice & salad & ended up with a veggie dinner nonetheless.  Well, at least the company was nice & we had a good time. 
 
Hebrew Word of the Week:
Haverot = friends