June in Review
1) June 20 - Visit to The Museum of The Jewish People housed in the Tel Aviv University Campus (Beit Hatfutsot)2) June 24 - Mexican Friday Night Dinner at Kaden3) June 26 - Wedding in Be'Er Sheva4) June 28 - July 3 - Facebook Leads Me to Safed (Tzfat) Through an Angel
1) June 20 - Visit to The Museum of The Jewish People housed in the Tel Aviv University Campus (Beit Hatfutsot)
On June 20th I joined the Nefesh B'Nefesh tour of Beit Hatsfutsot
- The Museum of the Jewish People, housed at the Tel Aviv University campus.
I bused there, an endeavour that took me nearly two hours
involving walking in the scorching heat and boarding two buses. I got impatient
because of the long journey, sharp turns, constant stops, hot/cold environments
and coping with a variety of travellers, their disposition and loud phone
conversation.
When I arrived and was pointed in the direction of the in the luscious
Tel Aviv University campus, I realized that the long trip was worth my effort.
After a fifteen-minute walk into the campus I finally found myself in front of the Museum of the Jewish People (Beit Hatfutsot.) I recognized the group of approximately
forty new Olim (immigrants) that were bussed in from Jerusalem. I approached the
group and tried my best to join in but felt quite disconnected and noted that
the organizers made no effort to introduce me and help me integrate to the
group, even though I was the only person that had travelled from Tel Aviv on my
own. I turned my frustration into a conviction that my purpose was to tour,
learn, experience and take in as much as I could of the museum, for I
considered myself fortunate to be there. 
Frustration, impatience and even anger are not uncommon experiences for me in Israel. I am often reactive to behaviours that I perceive rude, incompetent, careless, unprofessional, and unacceptable. Contradictorily, the same person that comes across as rude often turns into a playful and caring individual once I stand my ground. This is why Israelis earned the nickname of “Sabras” (cactus), spiky on the outside and sweet on the inside. Before you get to the juicy part, you get your finger pricked. Overall, I try my best to remain neutral and loyal to my values regardless if they are reciprocated. I am often pleasantly surprised to be seen and treated differently. It works!
The tour focused on visiting
the new wing, that houses four exhibits, which I am summarizing below.
http://www.bh.org.il/event/opening-new-wing/
Operation Moses: 30 Years
After...
presents the story of the absorption of ten Ethiopian families in Israel,
from Operation Moses 30 years ago, to the present. The exhibition reflects
stories of the individuals who made their way to Israel, noting the lights
and shadows of a long and complex process.
|
Forever Young: Bob Dylan at
75...
presents the complex figure that is Bob Dylan, through film, pictures,
images, posters, exhibits and a lot of his music. It focuses on the social
revolution that Dylan caused, on his influence on music and musicians around
the world as well as on his complex relationship with his Jewish identity and
the State of Israel.
|
Heroes – Trailblazers of the
Jewish People... is a refreshing view of what it really means to be a hero.
Visitors meet different types of Jewish heroes throughout our history
including scientists, intellectuals, leaders, revolutionaries, cultural
figures, athletes and more – men and women with unique talents. This remarkable
and diverse selection represents the heroism of our people through history,
while showing that success has many different faces.
|
Synagogue Hall:
Hallelujah!... houses the world renowned collection of Beit Hatsfutsot’s
synagogue models, displayed in a new gallery presenting the diverse
expressions of global Jewish life. The
new exhibition is displayed in a rich media environment, and includes Judaica
items as well as films, interactive centers and music – songs, hymns and
prayers performed by renowned artists.
|
From all four exhibits, I enjoyed
the Synagogue Hall best. Interestingly, the visuals were not new to me, as I
believe some time ago I received an email with the link introducing the
Synagogue Hall to the world. This exhibit moved me deeply, as I watched and
heard various media presentations of Jewish communities around the world gathered to
celebrate, pray and share our common heritage. I was amazed on how our People
have survived centuries of anti-Semitism and we still are “Am Ehad” as we are
united by our heritage, our history, and most importantly, the living Torah
that guides our behaviour, values and way of life regardless of where we live in
the world!
I learned that the original
museum opened in 1978 thanks to the vision of Nahum Goldman, president of the
world Jewish Congress 1954-1977. In 2005, the Israeli Knesset passed the Beit
Hatfutsot Law that defined Beit Hatfutsot as “the National Center for Jewish
communities in Israel and around the world.” This law transformed the museum’s
initial focus from a limited perspective to a more inclusive, pluralistic and
universal vision that aims to tell the ongoing and extraordinary story of the
Jewish people around the world, connects them to their roots and strengthens
their personal and collective Jewish identity. Beit Hatfutsot conveys to the
world the fascinating narrative of the Jewish people and the essence of the
Jewish culture, faith, purpose and deed while presenting the contribution of
world Jewry to humanity. I also learned that Museum of
the Jewish People is undergoing a comprehensive renewal process that will
culminate in 2019 with the opening of a new 66,000 square feet permanent
exhibit.
June 24 - Mexican Shabbat Dinner at Kaden
I hosted my first Friday night
dinner in Israel on June 24th at the home of Kaden Mizrahi. This came about
after Avi, Miriam’s husband, bluntly asked me... “Violeta, when are we eating
Mexican food from you?” I told him that I could not invite him, because I didn’t
yet have a home/kitchen of my own. Miriam suggested that I ask Kaden if I could
use her kitchen to cook and take the food over to her home. When I asked
Kaden about this, she surprised me by offering to host dinner at her home, in
spite of the fact that she is mourning for the loss of her husband
with whom she spent 64-years of her life. I thought that this was a lovely
gesture, and without hesitation I delved into the commitment to serve dinner to
ten folks, including Miriam and Avi, Kaden and Sarah (daughter), Eliza, Abraham
and Oded (daughter in law, son and grandson), and Ehud, a home-based hairdresser
who is an intelligent, creative and odd individual, to say the least.
The evening was very enjoyable,
albeit a bit confusing and stressful for me given family dynamics and
intellectual levels of the guests. Personally, I thought I scored coming up with a delicious guacamole,
enchiladas verdes de pollo, Mexican rice, black beans, and flan. I assure you that Israel is not the place to
plan a Mexican menu; finding the ingredients feels like looking for a needle in a haystack, but I did. Thanks to the suggestion of Edgar, my Mexican
friend at the Ulpan, I found some ingredients at a store in the Sharona Market
called “East and West.” I came home with
bottled and canned salsa verde and black beans from La Costeña, as well as
other basic ingredients.
June 26 - Wedding in Be’er Sheva
Guess when I was invited to the
wedding of Yaffa’s nephew Shmuel? About
six months before leaving Canada. Well, the wedding took place on Sunday, June
26th in B’er Sheva, in the most elegant wedding hall I have ever seen. I was well escorted by Yaffa and her son Daniel, whose bar-mitzvah I attended in Vancouver and who is now a handsome young man.
Here are some photos to give
you a taste of the event, the setting, the ceremony, the food, and more than
cannot be told, only experienced. During
this special time I closed my eyes, and sent light to my dear ones, especially
my beautiful daughters whom haven’t yet stood under the canopy to join hands
with their soul mate. I pray that this
will happen in the near future, and I pray that they chose wisely and with
their spouse build a house of Israel filled with love, connection, tradition
and hope. B’H.
 |
| Yaffa, Daniel and Violeta |
June 28 – July 3 - Facebook Leads Me to Safed (Tzfat) Through an Angel
I decided to give this visit a post of its own, given the intensity and highlights of the experience. I invite you to move on to the next post to discover Tzfat through my eyes.
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