RABBI’S MESSAGE

Dear Friends,

If not now, when??

I am writing to encourage you to join me on a trip to Israel in May. One of the things that we have learned over these past (almost!) three years is to say ‘yes’ when deeply meaningful opportunities present themselves.

This trip to Israel promises to be a memorable and extremely enriching experience for all of us.

I have designed a trip that will be exciting, intellectually challenging, delicious, and spiritually enriching. If you have spent time in Israel on a first-timer trip or spent some time there with friends or family, this trip is for you! We will explore what it means to be a Zionist in this moment and discover some of the organizations dedicated to a new Zionism that meets the challenges of the 21st century. While most American Jews continue to locate their Zionism in the slogans and ideologies of the late 1800s and 1900s, Israelis are living in a very different reality than our great ideologues envisioned. This trip will help people better understand the achievements of Zionism and wrestle with its challenges.

And of course, we will immerse ourselves in the culinary delights of Israel, which is experiencing a renaissance in all things food related.

Here are some highlights:

Visit Sderot and Kibbutz Nir Or, both of which are on the Gaza border. We will learn about the day to day experience of living on that border and some of the ways that Israelis are adapting to its challenges.

Visit Rahat, Israel’s largest Bedouin city and meet with Jamal Alkirnari, founder of New Dawn in the Negev, a BedouinJewish co-existence NGO.

Visit a Jewish settlement being built by secular and religious Israeli Jews in the West Bank / Judea Samaria to learn about their ideologies and day to day lives.

Learn about achievements and challenges in building a shared Palestinian and Jewish society in Israel by visiting an Israeli Arab village with Muhammed Darawshe, director of the Givat Haviva Center for Shared Society.

Visit Maoz in Lod for a special program to explore the integration of Haredim in Israeli society. We will also meet with Palestinians and Jews who live in Lod to hear about living in a mixed community.

We. Will. Eat. Here is what awaits: culinary delights in Mahane Yehuda, Ein Karem, Halbrecht Farm, Tulip Winery, and more!

Through Encounter, we will spend a day in Palestinian villages and cities in the West Bank / Judea Samaria to meet with Palestinians to learn about their views, communities, and their day to day lives.

Of course, we will also share a Shabbat in Jerusalem which will lift our spirits and inspire us. We will fall deeper in love with our homeland while learning about the challenges Israel faces in 2023 and meet some of the people working to address them systematically.

We will have a wonderful time together. That’s a promise! For more information on the itinerary and cost, visit here: bethelnr.org/MakorIsraelTripMay

If the cost of the trip is the only thing standing in your way of joining us, please let me know. I do not want anyone to miss this for financial reasons!

Sign-up is open and will close soon. Please email or call me at dschuck@bethelnr.org or (914) 235-2700 ext. 230 with any questions. I can’t wait to be together with you in Israel!!!

L’Shalom, Rabbi David A. Schuck

Rabbi David A. Schuck

DO YOU HAVE A SIMCHA COMING UP?

Are you celebrating a birthday or other milestone? Do you just love spending time with your community after Shabbat services? Sponsoring a kiddush on Shabbat is a wonderful way to share your special day with your Beth El community. To learn more about the details of sponsoring a kiddush and to help you make a choice that is right for you and your family please reach out to Alise Liquorie at aliquorie@bethelnr.org or (914) 235-2700 x223.