Temple Beth El 2005 Israel Trip a Smashing Success!!

In April, twenty-six people returned from Israel armed with memories that will remain with them for the rest of their lives.

Our trip to Israel was a moving, spiritually transforming and soul awakening experience that greatly affected each of the participants. During the trip, we had an opportunity to visit Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, the Galilee, two kibbutzim, and various other locations around the country. For ten days we traveled around, not as tourists, but as pilgrims coming home to our homeland for the very first time.

Our group consisted of a perfect mix of families and friends, ranging from 2nd graders to senior citizens. The group bonded so well that many new and lasting friendships were certainly made as a result of our short time together.

The Bar Mitzvah of Brett Yarchin

While we were there, we had the privilege of celebrating the Bar Mitzvah of Brett Yarchin at the Western Wall on Shabbat morning. Although it was a bit overcast and drizzling, we huddled together as Brett led us beautifully through the liturgy and the Torah service. While many of Brett’s friends were left behind in Charlotte, Brett’s new friends helped him and his family celebrate in Jerusalem. Afterwards we were treated to a veritable feast courtesy of Brett’s parents. Although the food was wonderful, the true highlight for many of us was when we went inside the Western Wall “cave” where Brett read from the Torah. Surrounded by onlookers, Brett delivered an A+ performance!

Our Visit to Kibbutz Gezer and Congregation Birkat Shalom

As Shabbat began to descend on us on Friday night, we were treated to a tour of Kibbutz Gezer and its educational Torah Park by David Leichman, director of the park and husband of Rabbi Miri Gold. After our wonderfully moving tour, we attended services at Birkat Shalom, our sister congregation in Israel. We had a great time joining together with the enthusiastic and lively members of the synagogue as we celebrated Shabbat together. During the service Rabbi Barras briefly addressed the congregation and discussed the importance of our continued relationship with Birkat Shalom. Brett Yarchin also discussed the importance of having a Bar Mitzvah in Israel. Afterwards we spent time with the Birkat Shalom members as we ate dinner together in the beautiful garden located in the park.

Are You Ready for This Kind of Experience?

We walked in the footsteps of the ancient mystics who wrote some of the prayers we chant every Friday night. We stood in the place where the Mishnah was completed. We learned about the vast kingdom of Solomon, and then visited one of the cities he built. We hiked through the desert oasis where King David hid out from Saul. We saw firsthand how the will of the Jewish people struggled to establish a Jewish state. We met a childhood friend of Anne Frank and then visited Yad Vashem. We visited the gravesite of Maimonides and the synagogue of Rabbi Jospeh Caro (two of the greatest rabbis ever known). We celebrated Shabbat at the Western Wall, and enjoyed the sanctity of a Shabbat in Jerusalem!

How much longer can you go without experiencing the spiritually transforming trip of a lifetime? You can be a tourist anywhere, but you can only be a pilgrim in the land of Israel! Look for details of next year’s Congregational Spring Trip soon!

L’Shalom,
Jeremy Barras