Last night's bad weather gave way to some bright sun this morning to greet us on Shabbat. We began the day with a conference-wide Shabbat service at Mercaz Shimshon, the site of our opening dinner. Mercaz Shimshon has floor to ceiling windows with a view of the Old City walls. Imagine that as the backdrop to your service! As we prayed, the trees behind the Rabbis and Cantors were swaying deeply in the breeze, seeming to almost bow in prayer with us. In addition to reflective prayers and spiritual melodies, there were a few highlights. One was the aliyah of rabbis ordained in 1959, celebrating 50 years in the rabbinate. It was made even more special by the fact that my colleague and friend, Rabbi Don Goor, blessed this jubilee class, including his own father. Rabbi Janet Marder, the first woman president of the Conference, delivered a simply unbelievable interpretation of the Haftarah portion. Rabbi Ellen Weinberg-Dreyfus was installed as our new president. And the service concluded with an azkara, a memorial of colleagues who passed away this year, including a beloved professor, Dr. A Stanley Dreyfus (coincidentally, father-in-law of our new president.)
The service was followed by the Alumni Luncheon of Hebrew Union College, our Reform seminary. I shared the lunch with Rabbi Sheldon and Fern Harr, who installed me last month… he sends regards to the entire congregation. The highlight of the luncheon is always the “roll call,” where each year is called out, and members of the class stand to be recognized. Believe it or not, the oldest class called was Dr. Ezra Spicehandler, who was ordained in 1945, and marks his 64th year in the rabbinate! The lunch included a wonderful text study on the joys of Purim with my professor and former camp unit head, Dr. Aaron Panken.
After lunch, several friends and I made our way through the maze of the Old City to the Western Wall, or the Kotel. Shabbat afternoon, especially when the weather is bad, is a particularly quiet time at the Wall. I had the opportunity for a few quiet moments of reflection and prayer, which I find even more meaningful in that place. Some find it difficult to experience spiritual moments at the Kotel. I suppose I am fortunate to have had many positive experiences there, and I truly enjoy visiting. My friends helped me place your notes in the Kotel… they could not believe how many I brought from TBI.
The weather turned worse, so we had to cut our trip short and head back to the college for Havdalah services. Havdalah took on an extra sense of separation, as colleagues begin to make their departures. It is always wonderful to share time with colleagues and friends, and it was made even more special by sharing it with them here in Jerusalem. I can say that I have learned much from them, that I believe will help enhance our experiences together within the congregation.
Tomorrow is our conclusion. My bags are packed, and I will be returning home tomorrow night. I cannot guarantee what availability I will have on the internet, so I believe this will be the final blog entry for this trip. For those who have read this website, I hope you found it informative. While I wish you could have been here with me, I hope you have felt a sense of the excitement and joy I experienced in Israel. Writing this provided me with the mechanism to evaluate each day as well, so it made my trip more meaningful. Thank you for sharing this journey with me.
L’shalom m’Yisrael,
Rabbi Treiser
The service was followed by the Alumni Luncheon of Hebrew Union College, our Reform seminary. I shared the lunch with Rabbi Sheldon and Fern Harr, who installed me last month… he sends regards to the entire congregation. The highlight of the luncheon is always the “roll call,” where each year is called out, and members of the class stand to be recognized. Believe it or not, the oldest class called was Dr. Ezra Spicehandler, who was ordained in 1945, and marks his 64th year in the rabbinate! The lunch included a wonderful text study on the joys of Purim with my professor and former camp unit head, Dr. Aaron Panken.
After lunch, several friends and I made our way through the maze of the Old City to the Western Wall, or the Kotel. Shabbat afternoon, especially when the weather is bad, is a particularly quiet time at the Wall. I had the opportunity for a few quiet moments of reflection and prayer, which I find even more meaningful in that place. Some find it difficult to experience spiritual moments at the Kotel. I suppose I am fortunate to have had many positive experiences there, and I truly enjoy visiting. My friends helped me place your notes in the Kotel… they could not believe how many I brought from TBI.
The weather turned worse, so we had to cut our trip short and head back to the college for Havdalah services. Havdalah took on an extra sense of separation, as colleagues begin to make their departures. It is always wonderful to share time with colleagues and friends, and it was made even more special by sharing it with them here in Jerusalem. I can say that I have learned much from them, that I believe will help enhance our experiences together within the congregation.
Tomorrow is our conclusion. My bags are packed, and I will be returning home tomorrow night. I cannot guarantee what availability I will have on the internet, so I believe this will be the final blog entry for this trip. For those who have read this website, I hope you found it informative. While I wish you could have been here with me, I hope you have felt a sense of the excitement and joy I experienced in Israel. Writing this provided me with the mechanism to evaluate each day as well, so it made my trip more meaningful. Thank you for sharing this journey with me.
L’shalom m’Yisrael,
Rabbi Treiser
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