Discovering Israel

March 21, 2008

by Danielle Leventhal
I sat between my mom and dad, holding their hands gently, and taking in every moment of this experience.

The sun gleamed through a large window across the temple of Congregation Mevasseret Zion, displaying a perfect view of the rooftops of Jerusalem. My rabbi, Joshua Davidson, of Temple Beth El in Chappaqua, smiled and nodded at me, giving me the sign that it was almost time for me to read a prayer from the Torah.

My heart skipped a beat as I heard Rabbi Maya Leibovitz, the leader of Congregation Mevasseret Zion, call my name. Her beautiful voice filled the sanctuary, and her smile calmed my nerves. I stood up alongside the other teenagers, wobbled a little bit, but then caught my balance and walked with as much confidence as I could muster towards the rabbi. Before I knew it, the other kids were done with their opening prayer and I was chanting away. Soon enough, my portion came to a close and the rabbi was patting me on the back. Who knew that I would ever get the chance to be congratulated by the first woman to be ordained as a rabbi in Israel?

First in my family to read from the Torah in Israel

Just a week before, I was at home in Millwood, sitting with my dad when he told me that I would be the first one of my family to read from the Torah in Israel. I recently became a bat mitzvah and was given the opportunity to read from the Torah of Congregation Mevasseret Zion, the sister congregation of Temple Beth El. I knew at that moment that this February vacation with 20 members, including six teenagers, of our congregation was going to be different from all the rest. It was going to be something I would never forget.

Our visit started off with a special Shabbat service conducted at the Western Wall, the most spiritual place, I feel, in Jerusalem, by our rabbi, Joshua Davidson. Seeing the way every visitor to the Wall was so engrossed in such a meaningful and historical place was really fascinating.

Jerusalem through teenagers’ eyes

Over the next eight days we got the chance to see many beautiful sites and undertake many significant experiences, starting with three days in 3000-year-old Jerusalem. The six teens on our trip were lucky enough to have our own tour guide for some of the sights. He took us onto a roof that overlooked all four quarters of Jerusalem: Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Armenian. It was really interesting to see how so many different cultures can live so close together, something I might never have considered without spending some time to look at all of them at once. I found that I learned more from the youth tour guides because they related their information to us in a more personal way.

But the ARZA (Association of Reform Zionists of America) World teen guides weren’t our only chance to learn from other kids about where they live. Meeting with people from another part of the world was a major objective of our trip. All the teenagers on the trip became close with kids from Congregation Mevasseret Zion.

I found it really interesting that our conversations with these kids were just like the typical conversations I have with friends at home. We still keep in touch through email, and it’s cool knowing that I can communicate with kids who are living in another country. I think this is because Chappaqua is a very isolated community and it’s exciting to know people in other parts of the world.

My mom, dad and I were extremely happy when we met the family from the Congregation Mevasseret Zion we were paired with because they were so friendly and welcoming. We had dinner with them following Friday evening services. They moved to Israel from Tennessee five years ago with four teenaged children. Today, two of their daughters serve in the Israeli army. They are very proud to be Israelis. We learned about how they live in Israel and some of their customs, like having Shabbat dinner with the whole family every Friday, even if it means their daughters in the army have to travel a far distance.

We visited the Leo Baeck School in Haifa, as well. It is considered one of the most innovative schools in Israel. A group of students gave the teenagers a tour of the school. Some of the girls were asking us where we had visited during the trip. When we told them we spent some time in Jerusalem, they got really excited and explained to us that going to Jerusalem is a special treat. Even though it is one of the most historical places in the world, they love it for the shopping!

Highlights included climbing Masada and floating in the Dead Sea

Climbing Masada (Hebrew for fortress) was definitely a favorite activity. When I reached the top, I felt as if I had just won some kind of Olympic category. Although it was a challenge, everyone agreed that the long, steep, winding trip was worth it. When we got to the top, we learned the story of the Jewish zealots and how they committed suicide rather than surrender to the Roman Legionnaires in 73 A.D.

Another fun event was floating in the Dead Sea. It’s the lowest elevation on Earth because it’s below sea level.  The moment you lie down in the water, your body rises to the surface because of all the salt. We finished off our trip with a visit to Yad Vashem, the Jewish National Memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. Although I’ve read about the Holocaust and studied it in both religion and regular school, it never made such a serious impression on me until I made my way through this museum.

I feel like most of the people on the trip will agree: Israel is a place to make new friends, learn about history, see some of the most beautiful and important sites in the world, and definitely a place you have to return to in order to see it all. “From day one we felt safe and welcome. It was amazing to see our heritage up close and personal,” said Esther Beilenson, who was part of our group with her husband Larry and her two daughters, Sarah and Hannah. The teenagers in our group felt similarly. “Israel has been built up as this place of incredible value and importance in all of my Jewish learning,” explained Matt Cohen, a junior at Horace Greeley High School, “it was everything I had hoped for and more.”

Danielle Leventhal, an aspiring writer and artist, is an eighth grader at Seven Bridges Middle School.