Dear Parents, Snifim and Shnatties. Shalom Rav,
This has been a very quiet week in Israel as the country stopped to celebrate Rosh Hashana, and Monday and Tuesday were like two Saturdays in a row.
Last week I visited our shnatties in Lotan they are very happy and seem to have made themselves at home, I got a tour of their living quarters which I must say were much more organized than their flat in Karmiel, I wonder if knowing that I coming to visit them had any thing to do with it ;)
Unfortunately things are not so quite in the rest of the world, we even heard on the news that there were demonstrations in Sidney against the movie "Muslim Innocence" , I haven't seen the movie so I can comment specifically on it, I don’t think there should be any kind of religious mocking but I think there should be freedom of speech but that that freedom should not be abused, however I don’t think that the response should be such a violent response and I feel that there is some hypocrisy when so many cartoons mocking Jews, denying the Holocaust etc come from Muslim countries, there must be a way to achieve religious tolerance on all sides.
In Israel, on one of the television channels (channel 10) they are showing a very interesting documentary abut Islam in Europe, it is scary and sad to see how these young Muslims were not able to become part of the society they live in and have so much hatred , anger and violence in them, hopefully we will find a way for all of us to live together I don’t dare say harmony but at least in tolerance, I would like to quote my dad who says: "Living is possible but no one let’s you"
I hope that this New Year brings us all a lot of good fortune, a lot of sweetness and may we all have a great year.
Shana tova and Shabbat Shalom,
Michael
The Weekly Report
By: Kathryn H.
Shana Tova! (or Shanat Teva as those skilled in Hebrew puns would say...) A very happy New Year to you all and many wishes of a good year from the land of the origional honey. Those of us who stayed on the Kibbutz for the weekend and for Rosh Hashana, were treated to Dates, most likely hand picked by our fellow Shnatties, and some special Date Honey to dip our Apples in and welcome the new year.
Along with all the delicious food we got to consume, not as good as home though, we had a visit from Michael and the other members of the Netzer Staff. Through a peulah of self reflection and analysis of our self portraits, crudely drawn in what the Australians like to call Texters, but that would possibly be better understood as Kokies by the South Africans, we reflected on the year that had been. Can you believe that its been almost an entire year since we all left home thinking were all ready to start this crazy adventure in Israel? We talked about the things we have done on Shnat that we never would have thought we would possibly do; about achievements we never thought we would ever achieve and just how wonderful it is that we've tried and mostly succeeded. I must say, that it did leave us a little bit confused as to who we were, who we are now, and who we would hope to be in the future. We've all changed so much over the past year, that its so hard to pin point the exact moment when we changed and weather or not we changed for the better, or if we cannot, or should not define it.
This year has been all about growing and changing as people and as a group. Weather we're changing together as a Shnat Cvutzah -as both, Australians and South Africans- or in our own nationalities, one thing we've realised is that this is our refernce group for the rest of our lives. Theres nothing quite like a year away from home in a foreighn country with 7 other people all having a similar expirience to you, to bond you for life.
To all my Shantties, and to all of our parents at home, thank you for a wonderful expirience like no other. This year has been a whilwind ride and you've been there every step of the way. Thanks for reading and enjoying the journey with us.
Shana Tova and Chag Sameach!
Now, enough with the sappy stuff.
The Down Low:
Rosh Hashana on Kibbutz is completely different from anything we've ever expirienced. The kibbutz does all the services in their little shule along with many different kinds of alternative services throughout the day and night. We attended a Desert Repenting-For-Our-Sins service with people from near-by Kibbutz Katura. We went to a Yoga Class with a bunch of the volunteers to end off our break from work and get us really relaxed for the new year and ready for work bright and early in the morning. Its all quite exciting here on Kibbutz!
Sophie took a trip to her family in Tel Aviv to spend the High Holy Days there. She came back to an extremerly messy room. We're not sure where all the puzzle pieces are, but we have found a few of them in our beds.
Jordy spent the weekend and the Holidays on the Kibbutz, but is eagerly awaiting a visit from her parents and is planing a trip to see her friends in Karmiel.
Shoshana went to a nearby Kibbutz to visit a really good, Israeli friend from Sydney with Josh. She had a great time.
Lily spent the weekend with a friend from South Africa who came to visit the Kibbutz. This all involved a half an hour trek to the road and back, through the desert, barefoot. They played soccer and went on a tiyul to see the illusive Gazels on the Red Mountains.
Liz spent the weekend and the Holidays on the kibbutz with her host family and the other Shantties. She worked an evening shift with the goats and seems to love her job very much.
Jade spent the weekend and the Holidays on kibbutz and was visited by a dear friend of hers who is spending the week with us. Along with Liz, they're all going to an Advocasy Seminar in Jerusalema dn speniding Yom Kippur together.
Josh wanted a different expirience for the Holidays and so went all the way to Jerusalem to go to the Reform Synagouge there and really reflect on his year in a more special way for him.
Kathryn spent the weekend in Haifa visiting friends from another Youth Movement. She was back intime for the Rosh Hashana Service on Friday night after an excruciating 6 and a half hour bus and train ride.