A Personal Reflection

"Perhaps my most eye-opening experience occurred today. We arrived in Kiryat Shemona to paint railings, plant trees, and prepare soil for a garden. Rabbi Barkan pulled me aside in the midst of my chalutz-esque labor and led me up some stairs. My initial reaction was to run through a mental list of things he might get me in trouble for. I could lie and tell you I'm perfect and don't ever get into trouble, but perfect sounds rather boring to me.

Anyways, we reached the top of the stairs and came across two men sitting on a bench. One was your typical black-hatter: tzitzit, pe'ot, a suit, the whole nine yards. The second man was a conservative Moroccan Jew who fiddled around with his cigarette. We began discussing (strictly in Hebrew) the values of co-existence, both within Judaism and between Jews and Arabs. The Hasidic Jew quickly refuted my prejudice by pointing out that in Kiryat Shemona, Jews live under one denomination, regardless of their level of observance. Beyond that, in response to Rabbi Barkan's question regarding inter-faith relations, both men smirked. The notion of actually disliking Arabs seemed so foreign to both these men that they asked if Rabbi Barkan was serious.

Their city, brushing up against the Lebanese border, is a constant target of terrorism and its stresses. Yet Rabbi Barkan and I selected two random pedestrians who were among the purest people I have ever met. They gave me an impression of their lives that could not be found in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, or even a kibbutz. There are no Hasidim, Masorti or Reform Jews in Kiryat Shemona. There are no Arabs either. There are only people, people who believe in God, and more importantly, each other.

In an exaggerated CJHS fashion, those people come together and unconditionally love each other. Their business with God is only between them and God, with no opposition despite the vast spectrum of religious affiliations. Who better to discuss the issue of co-existence than an ultra-orthodox rabbi, a conservative Rabbi, a, with all due respect, scraggly looking, cigarette smoking immigrant, and a teenage boy? The more important question: where else would this happen but Israel?"

Jake Rudolph