TAE Israel Trip 2023 Blog

There is something powerful about experiencing Israel with people within our community and family.

Masada can also be a story of ongoing struggle for a place for the Jewish people to survive and thrive under our own sovereignty.

In so many ways, Jerusalem is the beating heart, not only of the Jewish People but of Muslims and Christians alike. Our hope is that Jerusalem lives up to its name as an Ir Shalem, a city of peace, where multiple religious groups can serve like facets of a jewel, each connecting to God in their own way.

Jerusalem contains the DNA of our people

Rebbe Nachman of Bratzlav, the 18th century Chassidic master, once gave a d'var Torah explaining why Moses had to descend down into the chaos of Egypt. Nachman said that we often have to descend in order to arise. It is true of many creative processes where we feel like we...

A Tel of Two Cities Tel Dan I think we just visited the Garden of Eden. Well, maybe not the actual garden. The biblical story of the Garden of Eden is based upon the area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in Iraq. But the place that feels most Edeny...

Today was filled with moment of contrasts, as are so many moments in Israel. From new and old, Jewish and Roman, beaches and mountains, we often find ourselves navigating between different landscapes, cultures, and traditions.

Today we explored how bullets can bring freedom and tragedy; different visions of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv offer a creative tension that is helping Judaism endure and adapt.

One of God's great powers (according to theologians) is God's ability to create Yesh M'Ayin, something from nothing. We are rarely called upon to create something from nothing. Maybe we create a painting from a blank canvas or a new story from a black piece of paper, but those are...

People who have visited Israel often experience something I call "The Great Meeting" where they run across some thing or someone of importance or significance.

As Sandy and I prepare to embark on our congregational tour, I find myself pondering whether I am traveling to Israel as a tourist or a pilgrim.

Have you experienced déjà vu where you feel as though you have seen something before and are reexperiencing it at the moment? It is a strange feeling, to be sure. I had that same experience the first time I visited Israel. Somehow, it felt I had been there before. Many...