Sitting in the office on this Monday morning, it’s 95˚F outside and will only get hotter.  I am thinking about this weekend’s shabbat activities and the experiences we had as a group.  In short, this past weekend I participated in the Global Jewish Peoplehood Shabbaton, taking place in both Jerusalem and Yerucham.

We spent an uplifting and insightful three days together, where we opened our eyes and minds as wide as possible, while interacting with other participants from differing undergraduate Israel programs.  Throughout the weekend, I was able to step out of my Jerusalem routine and gain some valuable perspective within the culture of Shabbaton.

Why Jerusalem and Yerucham?

The first day was about discovering the other groups, discussing some of the programs core values and exploring these ideas through the prism of Jerusalem, in all its richness and spirit.  Next, we traveled to Yeracham, a real contrast in atmosphere and in character.  Over the following two days, we experienced other faces of Israel, including the unique and diverse character and development of the Negev.

In order to become well-rounded participants, we took part in one of four different experiential tracks, based on the four core values of the Shabbaton.  These experiential tracks took place over two days (Thursday and Friday) and consisted of the following:

“1) Between me and my Society: Mount Herzl

ABOUT: We will “meet” the Zionist leaders of the past and hear their dilemmas and visions.  We’ll explore Herzel’s legacy of social justice and draw inspiration about activism of the past, present and future.

DETAILS: An interactive walking tour of Mount Herzel and the Museum

2) Between me and my Heritage: Israel Museum

ABOUT: One of the world’s leading art and archeological museums, this track will investigate the connection between heritage and modern life today, in both Israel and in wider society, and its relevance to us in our daily lives.

DETAILS: A tour of the museum and Israeli art exhibition, plus free time to explore.

3) Between me and my People: Israel Museum

ABOUT: What separates & connects people?  How have the Jewish people differed through history?  What is relevant for us now?  This track takes a walk through time & space, exploring questions of Peoplehood & belonging.

DETAILS: Touring through the renovated museum, plus free time to explore.

4) Between me and my Land: The Old City

ABOUT: Here we will raise questions about our relationships with the land and the ties it creates amongst different people.  Hear local voices and explore your own reactions to one of the centers of the religious world.

DETAILS: An interactive quest through the old city, small groups will be given an iPad and a set of tasks to explore the area in more depth.” (Taken from some of the handouts – Onward Israel)

Among these four terrific tracks, I attended the third one which provided me a brief glimpse of history found throughout the Israel Museum.  We toured the ins and outs of the museum for nearly two hours and quickly realized that we must come back, as two hours is simply not enough time!

The following day, we traveled south into the Negev, where we chose one of four additional tracks.  All four of these tracks dealt with transformation in the desert and the challenges of making change in the periphery of the country.  We combined the previous four core values and tackled the challenges of Land, People, Society, and Heritage, in order to question what we see and how we develop our reactions based on our experiences.  These are the options for Friday’s experiential tracks:

“1) Yerucham: Entrepreneurship and Youth

Getting under the skin of this emerging desert town (and our base for the weekend) this track observes up-close the rapid and meaningful change taking place in what was once a struggling peripheral corner of Israel.  Meet entrepreneurs and youth who are tackling challenges and changing the narrative of the region.

2) Yerucham: Women and the Periphery

This track will follow different stories of women and their communities, each leaders of social change and symbols of hope.  Hear about the unique challenges in the periphery, and contrast the stories and voices of local Bedouin women with leaders of social business.

3) Mitzpe Ramon: The Urban Kibbutz

In the heart of the desert, on the edge of the Ramon Crater, lies an urban kibbutz founded by a group of young, idealistic members of the Dror movement.  Through this track we’ll meet members, hear their story of ideology and education, learn about the development of Mitzpe Ramon, and share their dilemmas.

4) Be’er Sheva: The Kama Community

An international community started by a group of young Israelis, the Kama community shares a vision of a more egalitarian society in Israel’s periphery.  We’ll meet with the members and experience their innovative projects & approach to social change, whilst exploring the complexities of the “capital” of the Negev.”  (Taken from some of the handouts – Onward Israel)

Among these four track options, The Urban Kibbutz sounded the most intriguing and fascinating.  We were given a thorough tour of the area, learning about the history of the location.  Additionally, we had the chance to take spectacular photographs of the Ramon Crater and the surrounding area!  Although it was incredibly hot (somewhere around 100-105˚F), the Ramon Crater is definitely something that I look forward to visiting this summer!

[Note: I’ll upload pictures later today, as I am currently at work and I am unable to access my pictures.]