Israel trip 2006 April, 2006 I’ve just returned from Israel, and while I’m still a bit jetlagged, I’m also still flying high from this most profound experience. Our trip with a minyan of members of Kol Shofar and Congregation Netivot Shalom wasn’t just a tour; it was truly a spiritual pilgrimage. For more than half of our group, it was the first time in Israel. For me, it was a privilege to take part in shaping our group’s experience of connecting to our homeland and to our people, and I was deeply moved to witness that connection taking root in the hearts of our congregants.  Talk to any of us from the group, and you’ll get a taste of the power of our experience in Israel;  ~ Standing at the Kotel where the Temple once stood and chanting Psalm 126: “Shir Hama’alot, a pilgrim song. When God brought the exiles back to Zion, we were like dreamers. Our mouths were filled with laughter and song”  ~ Enjoying the peace of Shabbat in Jerusalem at the synagogues with the world’s best singing and in the warm homes of our new friends who showed us what hospitality to guests is all about ~ Celebrating the birthdays of the Torochov girls and hearing heartfelt words of thanks from their grandfather for adopting their family after their mother was killed in a terrorist attack  ~ Singing Lecha Dodi in Tzfat in the very spot that our 16th century mystics composed it and greeted the Shabbat bride  ~ Weeping at the Palmach museum for the courage and sacrifices of our Jewish state’s early heroes  ~ Taking a jeep ride through the Golan Heights with Avi, our driver who served as a pilot in Operation Solomon, bringing thousands of Ethiopian Jews home to Israel and who, as a 4th generation farmer of land just below the Golan, helped us gain a greater understanding of the threats to Israel’s security and a greater appreciation for the courage and stamina of the Israeli people  ~ Getting our hands dusty at the archeological dig at Beit Guvrin where we sifted out of the dirt pottery from 2100 years ago. ~ And, of course, reaching the top of Masada and finding there my boyfriend who had secretly traveled to Israel to surprise me there with a marriage proposal!  These are just a few of the highlights of our most wonderful journey. I won’t even describe the chocholate rugelach, the fresh falafel, the bread with zatar, the cheese-filled borekas – you have to taste them yourselves to take in the nourishment of the promised land.  All in all, it was an experience of a lifetime that surrounded us with the holiness of our homeland, filled us with pride for our people, and astounded us with the miracles of our history. In the words of one trip participant, a Jew-by-choice, “it was like immersing in the mikveh again.”  I want to thank the following people who generously contributed to making this trip possible: Sandy Stadtler, Robyn Carmel, Martin Orbach, Klezmer Soul, Irving Rabin, Mark Jacobs, Howard and Barbara Schwartz, Moe Rubinstein, Aaron Parker, Steven Sockolov, Joan and Stephen Fierberg, Mark and Marcia Goldman, Charles and Frances Wisch, Yehudit DeCasas, Rabbi Stu Kelman, Barbara and Scott Waxman, and Diane and Howard Zack. I also want to mention our wonderful educator, Shari Satran, who, more than just a brilliant and passionate tour guide, was a warm Jewish mother who welcomed us into her home and took care of us. And I most especially want to thank Bruce Raful who spent endless hours arranging the trip and dealing with airlines, logistics and thousands of behind-the-scenes details. Todah Rabbah, Bruce – You made this trip happen!  I wish I could have shared this experience with all of you, and I urge you to join us on our next pilgrimage to Israel!