"How great are your works, Eternal One!" - Israel Kallah 2000!

Twenty-eight spiritual seekers joined a wonderful band of shepherds for twelve wonderful days in Jerusalem and the Negev. This is a growing collection of our recollections of our time together from Thursday, January 13 to Sunday, January 23, an unforgettable time blessed with kadosh.

Our thanks to our Artist-in-Residence, Miriam Stern, who drew this mood-catching emblem for our Kallah t-shirts.

A note to all participants. This page and its links are a start of what we hope will be a group write-in. Please send your recollections and anecdotes, and pictures that we can share. As items arrive, we will include them, either as part of this page, or through links to your own page. Please also feel free to edit! Send suggested changes of wording and grammar corrections. (Ethel, we need you!) Almost all of these notes (so far) are derived from Aileen's voluminous field notes, which are now housed in a fat 3 inch binder. If we included all of our notes and pictures on one page, only fast, fat browsers would allow us to read them all. So they are broken into many pages. If some words are underlined, it means there is more on this subject. Just click on the underlined words.

Many parts are still missing. We need pictures and anecdotes. Help! !!

Send pictures in any form. We can scan them in here, or use your electronic file.

Contributers to date: (Click on their names to see some of their items)	Aileen-Stan-Spence	A 3 inch thick binder of field notes and clippings. The main text is based on these notes.
	Ann Cohen	Six glorious pictures of the Chihouli exhibit
	Helen Tannenbaum	The first big set of pictures to arrive
	Lee Egerton	The article she submitted to the Synagogue Bulletin
	Edie Miller	Warm regards
	Leon Morris	List of fond memories
	Lori Stark	A note from Kibbutz Yahel

It's hard to say where it all began. Some of us had boarded the plane in Newark on Wednesday afternoon. Others had arrived earlier. But on Thursday evening we all gathered together and enjoyed an evening meal at Jerusalem's Windmill Hotel, after which we gathered and heard from Michael and Leon how filled our days would be. They taught us the first of many songs, then told us "go shluffee."

Friday began with an Israel breakfast, then a brisk walk by 'the flattest route' to Beit Midrash at the HUC-JIR Jerusalem Campus, where we were treated to the first of 15 thoughtful, timely Study Sessions. Our first session was with Rabbi Levi Weiman-Kelman, who helped us learn that silence is praise.

Study Session # 2 was with Stuart Schoffman, a regular writer in the Jerusalem Report, on Jewish Thought. He suggested that "Judaism is an argument about what Judaism is."

On to the Old City with Michael and Leon. At the Museum of the Tower of David we were enchanted by the works of Dale Chihouli. His blown glass sculptures are at once playful, beautiful, stunning - and everywhere - overhead, peeking out of the ruins, on the ramparts, and the ceilings of tunnels. An artistic dessert.

	On to the Jewish Quarter and the kotel. Some of us, hungry for knowledge, raced with Michael to the Southern Wall of the temple mount, where Michael showed us the recently excavated steps to the doors of the temple mount, that have been closed in for generations. There were three entrance portals, and two exit portals.
A view of the Kotel (the Western Wall) taken by Helen Tannenbaum
The fast walkers with Michael Chernik at the South Wall, exits from the Temple Mount, which have been walled up since the time of the Saracen occupation.

Back to the hotel to prepare for Shabbat. Readings by Kirsch, Borowitz and Hoffman were left at the desk for us to peruse sometime before Monday.

Services at H.U.C., a Shabbat feast at Beit Midrash, zemirot with our wonderful Cantor/song leader, Mikhal Schiff-Matter, and Israeli dancing with Micchael, who taught us with such joy that most of us danced until we were ready to drop.

January 15, 2000. Shabbat

A banquet of choices for Shabbat services greeted us.
HUC-JIR with ....
Kol Haneshama, Progressive Services with Rabbi Levi Weiman-Kelman
Har El - the oldest Reform congregation in Israel.
Moreshet - Center for Conservative Judaism
The Italian Synagogue - Orthodox/Sephardic services
The Great Synagogue - with Cantor Naftali Hershtik and his all male cantorial choir.

Study Session #3 (at HUC) with Naamah Kelman. "Listen to the Sound Track."

In the afternoon, we walked through Jerusalem history with Paul Litz. He pointed out Arab buildings. They are multi-generational. One part is always left unfinished - to be added to as a new generation id added to the family. When a building is finished, it means no more generations are coming. Many old Arab buildings are now taken over by the Consulates. When the Turks left Palestine, the Consulates became the only authorities to protect their citizens.

Paul Litz explains a fine point to Miriam Stern-Chernick as Peter Shapiro and Ethel Romm look on.

We passed the home of the Prime Minister, now closely guarded, with photography forbidden. Until the a sassination of Itzak Rabin, this had been a rather modest home, where people felt free to talk to the Prime Minister. Paul noted sadly that the change has been regrettable, but necessary.

We passed the first home of the Hebrew University, which subsequently moved to Mount Scopus, and now also sprawls across from the Knesset. We stopped at the Jewish Agency building with its menorah on the roof. This was the center of activity before 1948, housing the Jewish National Fund, and the rudimentary beginnings of government. It now is in charge of assimilation.

We walked by the Frumm House, first seat of the Knesset, which was easily stoned by angry Israelis when the German reparation question was being debated.

Seudah Shelishit and Havdalah at the Windmill were with Rabbi Richard Block, Executive Director of the World Union for Progressive Judaism.

On to the bus for Kibbutz Yahel. It was dark by the time we pulled on to the Expressway south, and in the dark we passed the Jericho turnoff, Qumran, an Ein Gedi. We slept much of the way, but woke briefly for a rest stop at a string of Resort Hotels and an Ahava stand by the Dead Sea.

We arrived at Kibbutz Yahel at 10:30, snacked in the Dining Hall, sorted out our luggage, and nestled into our new lodging.