Israel Part Three - Spirituality

Korrin B.

December 28, 2009 - 6:20 AM

Although I have some Jewish background, I haven't paid much attention to it for quite some time. It wasn't until this past year that I started to look at it again as meaningful people kept coming into my life who happened to be Jewish. Then, one of them recommended that I do the Birthright program. Birthright was a perfect idea because a main aim of it is to help reconnect youth with their Jewish background. Some people on my trip were completely clueless about Judaism, but I think they left with at least a little something. I have never really been into, and still am not into, religion. I think religion presents too many problems in the world. It is based around good, but people end up using it for evil. Spirituality, however, I believe is a different story. Spirituality is about feeling connected. Being in the holy land of Israel undoubtedly made me feel connected to something and therefore, the final part of my Israel series will be dedicated to spirituality.

There is a Jewish prayer that is called the Shehechiyanu. It is read as this, "Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha'olam she'hechiyanu v'ki'y'manu v'higiyanu lazaman ha'zeh," and means, "Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has kept us alive, and sustained us, and enabled us to reach this moment." It is a prayer that is recited to celebrate new occasions and to give thanks for being able to experience a special moment. It is often read at the beginning of Jewish holidays, but is also recited at other times as well. On the third day of our trip, we reached Jerusalem. Our bus took us up to the top of Mt. Scopus so that we could look our over the entirety of the holy city. As a group, we all hugged in a circle and recited the Shehechiyanu because it was such a precious moment that all of us would reach this place for the first time. It gave me chills listening to everyone and I felt so spiritually connected to the space.

On the eighth day of our trip, we drove out to go hike a crater in the Negev Desert. Our amazing tour guide told us all about the history and richness of the area. Being a product of the Pacific Northwest, it is easy for me to find connection and spirituality among nature. We were in the middle of nowhere, hiking the same rocks as ancestors before us. I never ended up having my Bat Mitzvah when I was younger because, to be honest, I just wasn't feeling it at the time. However, there, in the middle of the desert, I embraced my spirituality and connection to the space and on a flat ledge overlooking a painted desert, I read my aliyahs in front of my peers and finally had my Bat Mitzvah. Some other people in the group did it as well. We also had eight soldiers join the last four days of our trip in order to provide us with opportunities to interact with real Israelis and they were the ones that read our Torah portions. It was a short service and religiously it meant little to me, but spiritually it meant a lot.

If my tour guide and trip counselors taught me anything on this trip it is that Judaism is whatever you make it. You can observe or not observe however you want to. It is about you being spiritually connected in a way that works for you. I think that sounds pretty good. I have decided now that I am home that I will honor this part of my life simply by taking the time to reflect and journal each Friday on Shabbat. It's a very me thing to do and it has already made me feel spiritually connected in the past.

So, there, in short, is Israel. It was an amazing trip that will never fully exist in words.