The first official day of the conference was a very interesting one. We began the day with the business meeting of the CCAR. The Conference has undergone a significant visioning and governance revision process, very similar to the one our Temple board undertook recently as well. The members of the Conference voted to approve the suggested changes to the structure of our board, in order to make it more productive and effective. We also heard from Rabbi Eric Yoffie, the President of the Union for Reform Judaism, our national congregational body. Like our synagogue, and almost every synagogue and group in the country, the URJ is undergoing significant financial strains. While there had been a process already in place looking to review how to best improve the Union, the budget crisis has forced the URJ to take action more quickly. In the next two weeks or so, rabbis, Presidents, Union staff and lay leaders will be hearing about the changes that will be made to the Union. It is clear, however, that the changes will be drastic. The final act of business was to vote on the new slate of officers. Rabbi Ellen Weinberg Dreyfus, of B'nai Yehuda Beth Sholom in Homewood, Ill., was elected as President. She is the second woman to assume the presidency of the CCAR. Interestingly, that now means that women are presidents of three out of four major rabbinical associations in America, as a woman is President of both the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association and the conservative Rabbinical Association as well.
The Conference then divided into a variety of tikkun olam projects, visiting with non-governmental offices (NGOs) throughout the country to better understand their work. I was assigned to a group called Tzilul, which means clear or clarity. They work throughout Israel to protect and promote environmental issues, especially cleaning the many polluted rivers and streams in the Tel Aviv area… they were quite impressed that I come from a town called “Clear Water – Tzilul Mayim!” They brought our bus of 40 rabbis to the Yarkon River in Tel Aviv
. They provided us with bikes and helmets and led us on a bike ride along the river. Yes, that’s right… for the first time in 15 years, I rode a bike! While our 5-6 mile ride was incredibly beautiful, it was also very sad. The Yarkon River is so toxic that people are warned not to go in it at all. You may remember about 12 years ago when a bridge holding the Australian delegation to the Maccabi g
ames collapsed as they prepared to enter the opening ceremony. The bridge dumped the athletes into the river. 4 of them died, not from the fall, but from exposure to toxins in the water. Several athletes are still hospitalized today will illnesses caused by the river water. We rode on to the port of Tel Aviv, where the Yarkon meets, and dumps into, the Mediterranean. Tzilul is working hard to clean up the Yarkon, and in turn reduce the pollutants from entering the sea as well. After a lunch on the sea shore, we headed back to Jerusalem.
The Conference then divided into a variety of tikkun olam projects, visiting with non-governmental offices (NGOs) throughout the country to better understand their work. I was assigned to a group called Tzilul, which means clear or clarity. They work throughout Israel to protect and promote environmental issues, especially cleaning the many polluted rivers and streams in the Tel Aviv area… they were quite impressed that I come from a town called “Clear Water – Tzilul Mayim!” They brought our bus of 40 rabbis to the Yarkon River in Tel Aviv
. They provided us with bikes and helmets and led us on a bike ride along the river. Yes, that’s right… for the first time in 15 years, I rode a bike! While our 5-6 mile ride was incredibly beautiful, it was also very sad. The Yarkon River is so toxic that people are warned not to go in it at all. You may remember about 12 years ago when a bridge holding the Australian delegation to the Maccabi g
ames collapsed as they prepared to enter the opening ceremony. The bridge dumped the athletes into the river. 4 of them died, not from the fall, but from exposure to toxins in the water. Several athletes are still hospitalized today will illnesses caused by the river water. We rode on to the port of Tel Aviv, where the Yarkon meets, and dumps into, the Mediterranean. Tzilul is working hard to clean up the Yarkon, and in turn reduce the pollutants from entering the sea as well. After a lunch on the sea shore, we headed back to Jerusalem. 
Some friends and I headed out from the hotel to the Old City, my first time there on this particular trip. While we did not make it to the Kotel or Western Wall on this particular visit, we did take some time to explore the streets and do a little tourist shopping. When I was here last, it was considered unsafe to enter the Shuk, or the marketplace, between the Christian, Armenian and Muslim Quarters. I was happy too see that today it was very safe, and we were welcomed by all the merchants.
I met with another friend to visit Yad Lakashish, or Lifeline for the Aged. The very special organization provides programs and opportunities for the needy elderly in Jerusalem who have no families, and no one to care for them. By offering stimulating and creative work opportunities, they produce beautiful handmade Judaica, while at the same time give the elderly a sense of satisfaction and purpose. This very special program is supported by selling the artwork. Rest assured, I did my share to support the program!
The evening concluded with some dinner with friends and a chance to reconnect. It is really a great time to just be able to sit in a restaurant or café and catch up with one another, to enjoy company and share experiences with colleagues.
Tomorrow it’s back to Tel Aviv to celebrate the 100th anniversary of this first Modern Hebrew city in the State of Israel. It is late and has been a long day, so I will sign off for now.
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