Israel Bonds Rabbinic Cabinet Mission, Day Two
When it comes to a “mixed” group of rabbis (Reform, Conservative and Orthodox, male and female) traveling together on a mission like ours, I can always tell how successful the trip will be based on who shows up for the first morning’s minyan. And this morning’s minyan surpassed my expectations. Nearly every rabbi arrived within the first 10 minutes of our 7am start time! Yes, a couple slept in and a couple got there a bit later, but the tone for the group was set.
After breakfast, we were addressed by Gidi Grinstein, president and founder of the Reut Institute, a non-profit think tank focused on effecting political and social change within Israeli society. (See http://www.Reut-Institute.org for more.) He was engaging and challenging, as he highlighted many issues that Israel confronts in defining what it means to be a Jewish nation-state in todays Jewish world. He shared that the success of the Jewish project for 26 centuries has been based upon a societal structure of a broad network of smaller units, all struggling to be adaptable to changing social, economic and political conditions while trying to hold onto our traditions and values. He coined the term “flexigidity” to characterize our behavior. Interestingly, he surprised us all by asserting that, with more than half the world’s Jews living in Israel and most of the rest living in the United States, the resulting model has hurt the relationships that Jews have shared with each other inside of Israel, and the relationship that Jewish communities of the Diaspora share with Israel. The solution he suggests? Relationships, of course! One to one, and community to community.
We took our comments and debriefing onto the bus and headed to our next stop. CheckPoint is an Israeli start up software company that invented the first firewall, and now claims all 500 of the Fortune 500 as its clients. As an internet security technology company, CheckPoint represents the best of Israeli ingenuity, innovation and competitive strategy on a global scale, and addresses threats that range in scale from script kiddie hackers to cyber-terrorists. Cool!
After lunch, we visited another cutting edge company changing the world for the better. Would you believe I am talking about a sewage treatment facility? And can you believe I am not making any potty jokes??? In all seriousness, water shortage is a major issue in Israel and in many other areas of the world that find themselves on the edge of the desert. The Shafdan Wastewater Reclamation Facility recycles an astounding 85 percent of its waste water as potable. (Compare that with the second leading country in the world, India, at 15 percent!) We had a Disneyworld-like tour through the facility and an actual city pipeline (it was dry, carpeted, and lit!), and learned how Israel’s ingenuity is solving issues of water shortage, and contamination for the Negev and the world.
Back on dry land, we concluded our day with an emotional visit to the Western Wall. The egalitarian rabbis among us prayed together in the new area of the Kotel, the Azarat Yisrael, where men and women are given access to the Wall together. For the first time in the history of the Cabinet’s missions, a woman led the rabbis in prayer. The significance of the moment was not lost on any of us.
The snow should be coming to you once again just as we start our new day. Be safe. More tomorrow.
Rabbi Craig Scheff
Israel Bonds Rabbinic Cabinet Mission, Day One
There are many reasons to be grateful for the gift of being in Israel: First, it is always a privilege to be here – something I never take for granted. Second, it isn’t snowing here in Tel Aviv (sorry, everyone!). Third, I get to see my daughter who is being released from her base for two days to join me on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. Those reasons are all valid and meaningful. Tonight, however, I am grateful for a different reason.
I am filled with gratitude because I am traveling with thirty-two rabbis of all Jewish streams with the specific purpose of gaining an insider’s view of the work that is accomplished in this country with the income of Israel Bonds. Rabbi Marty Pasternak, Executive Director of the Synagogue Division of Bonds, jokingly introduced us to the itinerary, pointing out that rabbis are going to love putting on hard hats and gaining entrance to construction sites. While I am sure that hard hats, flashlights and tunnels would float Jonathan Drill’s boat, it is the opportunity to learn and to make connections with rabbis that really make me excited about this mission.
Our trip began with an opportunity for hands on chesed, an annual addition made to the itinerary by Rabbi Scheff. We visited one of the food distribution sites of Chasdei Naomi where we sorted produce and packed boxes of food staples for pick up by families in need. The work was satisfying but it felt like a mitzvah lifted higher by the introduction we received in a breathtaking talk given by founder Rabbi Yosef Cohen. Rabbi Cohen told us about growing up in the kind of poverty that one cannot understand unless one has known it. With tears of pure emotion, he shared stories of his youth that influenced him to found this agency that today distributes 300 tons of food to 10,000 hungry families, supporting Israelis in need with various kinds of assistance. For more information, see http://www.chasdei-naomi.org. Rabbi Cohen described bringing home a fresh loaf of bread and his mother’s putting it on a top shelf so that they would finish the older stale loaf before it went bad and precious food was wasted. He never had fresh bread as a child. Today he ensures that children do not go hungry. I was proud to be part of his mission, even for a few hours today.
There was, of course, much more learning, but you will all have an opportunity to hear many stories from Rabbi Scheff and me. For now, it is after eleven here with a 6:00 am wake-up call for morning minyan.
Laila tov from here and tzahariyim tovim there. Good night and good afternoon,
Rabbi Paula Mack Drill
Renewing the bond
Yes, I am off to Israel again. Saturday night. And I will be back Friday morning. It is one of those quick visits. Yes, I will see my family on Sunday evening upon my arrival, but from Monday through Thursday night I will be busy fulfilling my responsibilities as chairman of Israel Bonds’ Rabbinic Cabinet. I will have the honor of representing a group of 32 Reform, Conservative and Orthodox rabbis from North America (4 from Rockland County!) for the last time as chairman, after serving the organization for three years. On Wednesday night, Rabbi Drill will preside over relieving me of my obligations and appointing a new chairperson.
It is a joy to know that you share these trips with me through my daily summaries from Israel. On this trip, Rabbi Drill and I will alternate sharing daily reports Monday through Thursday via the OJC Rabbis’ blog. PLEASE NOTE THAT WHILE THIS BLOG POSTING IS BEING SHARED VIA OUR “CONSTANT CONTACT” NOTIFICATION SYSTEM, NEXT WEEK’S UPDATES WILL ONLY BE ACCESSIBLE VIA THE OJC BLOG! SO PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR BLOG (IF YOU ARE RECEIVING THIS VIA E-MAIL) AND TO RECEIVE OUR DAILY REPORTS!
These last three years have afforded me a wonderful opportunity to get to know Rabbinic colleagues and laypeople who are passionate about Israel. I have gained new insights into, and appreciation for, the many advancements made within Israeli society in the areas of science, technology, and medicine. I have met so many people who have played major roles in Israel’s economic successes and who serve as Israel’s exporters of hope. I have come to appreciate why so many countries, institutions, businesses and individuals today are choosing to invest in Israel. It is one of the safest, and most rewarding, investments that can be made. It is certainly satisfying to know that your money is earning money; it is even more satisfying to know that you are owning–or giving someone else the gift of owning–a piece of the dream-come-true we call Israel.
I want to thank you for supporting and sharing this passion. I look forward to sharing more opportunities to renew these bonds. Perhaps you’ll join Rabbi Drill and me on Sunday morning, February 9 (you’ll pardon me if I am a bit jet-lagged!) as Rockland County Women’s Division of Israel Bonds celebrates its annual Premiere Brunch. Tamar Weinger will be our honoree, and our own Janice Wertheim is being celebrated as JCC Rockland’s honoree. Contact our Israel Bonds office at 800-724-0748 if you want to attend, to invest, or to give the gift of a bond! Congratulations to them, their families, and to us all for what we have been able to build together.
Three Rabbis Walk Into A Shul 
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