July 25, 2014
By: Emma Friedman
As our group embarked on the second day of community week, my thoughts and feelings were definitely not passive. I was still suffering from jet lag, was paranoid I would permanently damage my fluorescent pale skin in the sun, and was still focused on the almost ironic rockets from the night before. However, if I had to sum up how I was, I would say ready. Ready to explore this city that Toronto knows so well, ready for all the questions that would be asked of us that would inevitably make me question my values, and ready for any more surprises to be thrown my way. Judging by the intriguing discussions that took place today, it seemed that every other Diller was just as ready as I was. But I shouldn't be surprised; both the Toronto and Eilat-Eilot fellows are so lucky to have each other as partners. And that is what today really highlighted. It seemed that the general theme for what we did today was "community."
Today we went to the Eilot area of Eilat-Eilot. There, we visited Kibbutz Lotan and Kibbutz Ketura. At Kibbutz Lotan we learned the importance of respecting nature and how to harmoniously live among it. We also learned what the kibbutz life is like. Basically, a kibbutz involves a group of people who are valued equally all working for their community. They share everything, ranging from equipment to responsibilities. Later, at Kibbutz Ketura, we learned about the kibbutz's ingenuity whether it be their algae farm, solar field, or orchard of endangered plant species. However, for me at least, the most impactful part of the visit was the discussion that we held there. We studied a scripture from the bible that related to Bnei Israel first coming to the land of Canaan. However, the main discussion that took place was how we could, or even if we could, truly support Israel from the Diaspora. This really made me reflect on my actions so far. I questioned whether I had done enough for this country and I wondered what more I could actually do, but I mostly wondered if I had earned the right to say that I really support Israel. Although actions speak louder than words, I believe that having these discussions does show our support. The next step is to apply it to our everyday lives back at home. We were asked the day before if we were a guest or a host when it came to Israel, and I feel that as long as we are in Canada, we are hosts. As hosts it is our job to to take care of what we are hosting. Whether it be advocating or giving tzedakah towards it, as young Zionistic leaders we hold the responsibility of showing Israel that it is strongly supported in the Diaspora and that it will not be abandoned.
At the end of the day we traveled to the sand dunes and flew kites until we were all dripping in sweat. After a long bus ride home we all said goodbye to each other for now and went home with our host fellows for Shabbat. I am getting ready for Shabbat now and I don't know what to expect. Will my Hebrew be almost laughable tonight? Will another siren end up going off? Will I have to wake up at 6:15 am again tomorrow? I don't know. But that's okay because, like I said, I'm ready.
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