Ein Rafa Mosque Tiyul

On the Islam tiyul, we learned about the history of Islam, as well as the modern issues and
philosophies surrounding it. Islam is a monotheistic religion that believes in one god, Allah,
and Muhammed is his prophet. It is the world’s second-largest religion, the followers of which
are known as Muslims. The primary scripture of the religion of Islam is the Quran. How does this
relate to us, the Jewish People? Well, Muslims consider Jews and Christians people of the book,
which is an elevated status from other religions, but still below them. The reason that they don’t
follow the Tanakh or New Testament is because they believe they were corrupted by human
interference.

We visited a mosque in Ein Rafa and met a woman who converted to Islam, named Yasmine.
We got to ask her questions in a very open setting. In the mosque, we separated the men and
women, and made sure to take off our shoes and enter stepping in with our right foot. The women
also covered their heads. By keeping all of these traditions, we were able to experience a mosque
how the local practicing Muslims do. Yasmine explained to us how most Muslims practice.
For example, they pray 5 times a day. This practice comes from the belief that Muhammad
ascended to heaven at the Dome of the Rock, and he negotiated the number of times they
are required to pray down from 50 to 5. In addition, she explained the belief that men should
never walk behind a woman so that she feels safe, like she won’t be attacked. She believes
that although on the surface many practices seem antifeminist, but they are more practical rules
than rules to reinforce the superiority of men. For example, women sit behind men so that men
aren’t distracted, not because the women are “behind” men or inferior.

What do you think about these practices? Do you agree that they are only for practical
reasons or are they to reinforce an inferior position for the women in society?

There are also many stereotypes about the connection between Islam and radicalism or terrorism.
In the discussion, we discussed how for the majority of Muslims, they don’t agree with or support
any of these radical or violent actions. Do you think that people are able to separate the
peaceful practice of Islam and the use of Islam as a reason for violence? Why is it difficult
to separate these groups?

One final ideal we learned about is that the only requirement to convert to Islam is to pronounce
your acceptance of Allah as the one true God and Muhammed as his only final prophet. It is
not about practice or ceremony, but about personal belief. Do you think it is a good thing
that Islam is so easy to convert into? What was the most interesting thing you learned
on the tiyul?

Choose two or three of the above questions to answer in the comments.

Oral Law תושב''ע Assignment

• Please open the Tanach to ויקרא י"ט (Leviticus 19). Please read the wide range of mitzvot here and choose one mitzvah (commandment) to which you can relate.
• Please explain why you chose this Mitzvah or pasuk (verse) and build a fence around it. How do you interpret this Mitzvah? How do you or can you fulfill this mitzvah in your daily life? How can it be a guideline for you as a Jew in the modern world?
• Using a digital camera/phone, please take a photograph that in some way expresses the verse you selected (or use an existing photo). The photo can be a place, a person, something you’ve created, an object in nature, etc… Be creative! The image may only have meaning for you!
• Write a concluding paragraph explaining how this photograph expresses the Jewish mitzvah/ value you selected.
• This assignment must be constructed of 2 paragraphs and a picture. 
• Create your own blog entry each. (Not a comment attached to this post!)
• The assignment is due by class on October 28

Christianity Tiyul- Ein Karem

         On October 12, kitat Kinneret took a trip to Ein Karem in Jerusalem to learn about one of the largest religions in the modern world, Christianity. With about 2.2 billion Christians around the world (about 240 million in the United States) it is a safe assumption to say that the influence of Christianity on the history of the world is far-reaching. We took this trip to see where and how it all began.

First, we visited St. John the Baptist’s cathedral which is believed to be his birthplace. John the Baptist is believed to be the cousin of Jesus who baptized him in the Jordan River. He was said to be a pious Jew who dressed in camel hair robes and ate locusts and honey when he lived in the Negev desert. Here we observed the tourists from all different countries and backgrounds who had come to the cathedral. We looked around the main sanctuary before an offer was extended to us by one of the fathers to look around an ancient Byzantine tomb. He then led us to a door that led below the cathedral into ruins of an ancient synagogue. When we asked the priest why he gave us these special privileges he replied with the simple statement, “I love the kids.” 

After a short break, we continued to our second stop, the Church of the Visitation. According to Christian belief, this site honors the visit that the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, paid to her cousin Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. According to Christian scripture, John recognized the presence of Jesus from inside his mother's womb. In response to this, Mary recited the Magnificat (a prayer that is still said today and appears in 69 different languages outside the church). Although I am not a Christian, it was deeply moving to see the pilgrims who had come from all over the world to experience the holy land. For many, it may have been one of the most important days of their life. As a French group came to the church and sang the Magnificat, a prayer they had likely sang since their childhood, we came to realize just how important it was. It was very interesting to learn about Christianity from a Jewish lense. Because we come from a country where the overwhelming majority of the population is Christian, it made the lesson even more interesting as we examined the origins of Christianity and its connection to Judaism.

It was very interesting to learn about Christianity from a Jewish lens. Because we come from a country where the overwhelming majority of the population is Christian, it made the lesson even more interesting as we examined the origins of Christianity and its connection to Judaism. How did it feel to be allowed to visit the ancient tomb and mikveh? 
Was it strange to be in the place of worship of another faith?

Sanctuary at St. John the Baptist's cathedral

The place where John the Baptist was supposedly born

The Magnificat written in 69 different languages

The sanctuary at the Church of the Vistiation

Kitat Kineret

Bar Kochba Revolt

On this tiyul, we traveled to the sites of the Bar Kochba revolt. Here we experienced what it was like to be a member of the group of people rebelling against the Romans. During the revolt, the Jews tunneled and created caves underground in order to be more successful in war. They eventually were smoked out of these caves, which is how they were defeated. This revolt was made of up extremely united Jews, being more towards a singular goal than ever before.

Our trip consisted of us hiking up to the places where the Jews fought and defended, then going into the actual caves themselves. After crawling through to a large cavern area, we talked for a few minutes about the location we had found ourselves in and then did a lights-out Sh'ma. It was very powerful and reminiscent of the way that the ancient Jews were unable to tell the time so had to say the prayer when they thought it was appropriate. We finished the cave and then decided to go around again with no flashlights. It was extremely intense and exciting! Next, we visited an ancient Colosseum. Played some games in the arena with David's class, and dusted ourselves completely. We finished the day with lunch and an AMA with Evan. Overall one of the best tiyulim yet.

My question is this: Do you think you would have been able to survive in the Spartan arena? Why or why not?

Israel Museum – Second Temple Model (Bible Museum)

              Our class's tiyul the other day may have not gone perfectly to plan but just as Alexander Graham Bell once said, "When one door closes, another opens". Our tiyul was initially supposed to be a tour of the Israel museum and the second temple model but due to a visit from a certain German Chancellor, we had to find a quick replacement. We ended up having the opportunity to visit the Bible museum which was full of relevant and interesting relics from the time periods we have been studying. Even though it was not the way we originally anticipated our day going, it was a wonderfully enriching experience that I was grateful to get the chance to go explore. 
              During class on our tiyul we learned about how Roman culture affected the Jew's and their daily life. The Romans were initially invited in, but their goodwill soon turned to animosity and the Romans ruled the Jewish people through puppet kings. Four different sects of Jewish people emerged due to different reactions to Roman rule. The Pharisees believed in the power of oral law and they are the beginnings of present day rabbis. The Sadducees were the high priests that were very rich and actually enjoyed being under Roman rule. The Essenes were the messianic sect that lived in the woods, despised corruption and were obsessed with purity. The Zealots were the fighters that wanted control of Israel and hated the Romans and everyone that liked them. The sects actually ended up being the destructive force behind the Jewish people during this time and even one of the causes of the destruction of the second temple because of the tension within the Jewish people. This ideal is called Sinat Chinam, or senseless hatred. If the Jewish people did not separate from themselves during this time, the fate of the Jewish people could have been drastically different
             If I lived during this time I believe that I would be a member of the Essenes sect. Even though I would prefer for no sects to exist, I would want to be an Essene because they believed in peace and separated themselves from most of the hatred. I most definitely do not believe in many Essene beliefs but I feel like living in that sect would be the easiest most fulfilling life. 


question: If you lived during the Roman period, what sect do you think you would belong to?

Masada Tiyul

                                         Masada Tiyul By: Benji Timoner    


The Masada tiyul started off on an interesting note. That being the fact that we woke up at 4:15 in the dark. We then walked to the  entrance of  Masada and did a warm-up in preparation. We got into pairs of to and started to ascend the mountain. The hike was grueling and hard, but everyone made it to the top safely. When I reached the top I felt an accomplished feeling and looked out at the awe inspiring view. After a generous photo break, we started a weekday service. Following this, the learning about Masada began. 
     Masada stays true to its definition, which is fortress. King Herod built Masada as a luxurious fortress where he could escape to. Once Herod died and the era of puppet kings ended, the Romans took over Masada. The story goes that once the Great Revolt in Israel started, Extremist Jews called Zealots fled Jerusalem and overcame the small Roman patrol at Masada. They  established a hideout from the Romans. It lasted for quite some time until the Roman Empire decided it was time to capture back Masada. The Zealots put up a good fight but were eventually overcome by the stronger Roman Army. However, because of the Zealots extreme view story goes that they all killed themselves. This story and most of the tales we have about Masada were written by Josephus Flavius.
Question
What was more gratifying, reaching the top of Masada or seeing the sunrise?

Ir David

    On the morning of September 13, we all got on the bus and departed for Jerusalem on a tiyul to Ir David also known as the City of David. While there we walked around ruins that are believed to be the ruins of King Dovid's (David's) Palace. We learned about ancient Israelite houses and why King David picked Jerusalem to be the capitol. There were three main reasons were, defense, water, and holiness. Because it was positioned at the top of a valley, Jerusalem allowed the Israelites to have sight over the whole valley which ensured that they would be able to see any enemy army approaching well in advance. Jerusalem is blessed with a natural spring allowing the Israelites to have a plentiful water source. The third reason is, that located in Jerusalem is Mount Maria which is where the temple mound sits that Abraham was going to sacrifice Issac upon. We learned about some ancient Israeli buildings, and got to watch a little video projected on ruins inside a tunnel that showed us what everyday life was like back then. We were also given the opportunity to walk through a water tunnel underneath the city which carried the water from the spring to a pool in which the Israelites could use it.

What were the reasons for King David choosing Jerusalem fir his capitol?