OUR COMMUNITY
continued from page 14
16 | APRIL 6 • 2023
ON THE COVER
synagogue, which dated to the end of the Byzantine
period and whose mosaic floor was divided into four
parts: the sacrifice of Isaac, the signs of the Zodiac, a
description of the Tabernacle in the desert and the Ark
of the Covenant in the Jerusalem Temple.
While I was listening to Zalman explain the mean-
ing of the art depicted in the mosaic, my mind’s eye
was back in the 1400s, imagining the thousands of
feet belonging to the generations who had come here
to pray. I could almost hear their footsteps. Spiritual
moment No. 2.
The evening ended with a community dinner put on
by our Partnership2Gether partners in Israel at Kibbutz
Sarid, complete with food and entertainment, including
an Israeli dance troupe. It was a magical evening.
DAY 4: NORTHERN ISRAEL
We left our hotel in Nazareth the next morning to
explore Israel’s north. We met with Col. Ilan Lavi near
the border with Lebanon. During his talk, he pointed to
the houses across the border that held weapons aimed at
Israel, according to the IDF. When someone asked why
Israel doesn’t display more “power” and simply destroy
the enemy, Lavi said he needs “to look in the mirror
at night and know that I have done everything I can
to protect innocent lives ‘over there.’” He added, “In a
place where people do not act civilized, we must strive
to be human.” Lavi introduced his son, who was about
to begin his service as well. The colonel did express con-
cerns about “maintaining Israel’s democracy” in light of
the judicial reform controversy consuming the nation.
After the sobering security assessment, all the mis-
sion-goers headed to Moshav Yesud HaMa’ala, where we
had lunch and enjoyed an ATV ride up the mountain in
Cantor Neil Michaels
leads Kabbalat Shabbat
services on the
Hermelin Steps in
Jerusalem.
YEVGENIYA GAZMAN