Community, Chocolate, and Hot Water

I've learned about many different things on this trip and, as the trip has progressed, themes have started to appear in my experiences. One major theme is community. Not exactly new but hear me out. We began the day in the Golan Heights on Kibbutz Hannaton with a pluralism workshop led by Rabbi Yoav Ende that reminded me of my world religions course last summer at Brandeis. The ultimate goal of pluralism is to create a cycle of learning and dialogue that does not compromise your own identity in the process. Kibbutz Hannaton uses this process to create a pluralistic Masorti (Conservative) community that thrives off of an inherent value of interaction between diverse groups.

After tefillah, we left Hannaton for the ancient ruins of the citadel of Gamla. I found it far easier to enjoy the natural surroundings (including vultures, small cliff-dwelling rodents, and some unusual flora) during the hike down than the steep hike back up the way we came. But enough kvetching, let me tell you about what I saw when I got there. Actually my first memory is a sound. After all of the modern problems and conflicts, it was nice to finally hear the crunch of ancient pottery beneath my feet. This sound reminded me of why I fell in love with archaeology in the first place. To think that these potters shaped the clay with their own hands thousands of years ago sends shivers down my spine. But I digress. When we reached the site where the synagogue once stood, our tour guide told us about what it must have been like to live here. The idea that the Beit Knesset, translated as a meeting house, may not have simply been the house of prayer that a shul is today struck me. The center of spiritual community at that time was still the Temple; the original synagogue was just a communal JCC. Also, the story of this steep city on a hill parallels Masada but appears to have been a far more desperate situation. As the story goes, about 5,000 Jews jumped off the cliff rather than be captured by the Romans.  There still appears to be some holes in the story, but worth exploring more at some point.

But enough heavy stuff, let's talk about the fun that our community had. We started that afternoon with something that everyone could bond over...CHOCOLATE!!!  We visited the De Karina Chocolate factory.   After viewing a short film, we each made our own chocolates.  I can't believe how much I ate and how thick the hot chocolate was. The only conflict here were between white, milk, and dark chocolate lovers, but a compromise was reached. What else is there to say about such an agreeable subject. We then rounded out the day with a trip to the Hamat Gader hot springs that had such a strong odor of sulfur that I could smell it through my stuffy nose but was otherwise incredibly enjoyable. The water was so warm and cleansing when combined with the bracing cold air of Israel in winter that it naturally brought our community together. Today was not only fun; it also highlighted what draws together our own community here in the Holy Land. Relationships are just as central to the communities formed in the ancient city of Gamla as they are to the modern CJHS class of 2012.

Posted by Erik Howden