Taglit Birthright Winter 2012 - Day 7
Posted on 12/22/2012 @ 02:00 PM
Shabbat came just in time for our weary group of travelers. After six days of late nights and early mornings, a day of rest was a necessity. With no scheduled activities until 1:45 (lunch) we were able to sleep in, take a swim, and for some of the more ambitious members of the group, sneak in a workout. For me the day also signified a turning point between the "getting to know each other" phase and the "I'm not ready to go home yet" phase of the trip.
Following lunch many of us took another nap while others took the opportunity to take a walk around the government buildings and parks which surround our hotel. Seeing every single shop closed was just one of many reminders of the fact that we are truly in a Jewish state. The Shabbat elevator was another first for me.
Neil Lazarus provided us with an educational and entertaining lecture about the current state of affairs in the Middle East. His discussion was done in such a way that it provided value to those of us that read the newspaper daily as well as those learning about the region for the first time. I found his personal definition of what a Jewish state is particularly insightful. Neil defines the Jewish State as a place where his kids learn that Saturday is the day of rest and know Jewish songs similar to the way that Americans intrinsically know Jingle Bells.
Today we also did an activity where we made groups and had to decide how we would utilize $1 million that we had to give to charities. The groups came up with a diverse set of organizations ranging from Jewish adoption agencies to establishing a Habitat for Humanity in Israel.
Before leaving for dinner we had Havdalah (end of Shabbat ceremony). Immediately following this we opened the more somber part of the trip with a discussion of people's personal connection to the Holocaust, as well as their experiences with anti-Semitism. People's openness and willingness to share extremely personal stories definitely helped pull the group closer together and set the mood for what is sure to be an emotional Sunday at Yad Vashem. Seeing everyone's desire to take this portion of the trip serious was comforting to those of us who came to Israel expecting an emotional experience during the later half of the trip.
We walked to Ben Yehuda as a group for dinner and a bit of shopping. The commercial strip features a multitude of restaurants and small shops. After dinner we walked back to the hotel for a relaxing evening. This was our last evening with the Israeli soldiers and we took advantage of the opportunity to hang out with them. As I fell asleep I contemplated a poem we read earlier in the day, my thoughts on what would surely be a powerful morning. I end with the text of that powerful poem.
First they came for the socialists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me.
Harrison Klein
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