Modi'in is not the obvious choice for a group staying in Jerusalem to pray, but I'm so glad we ended up there. First of all, it is the home of our guide, Muki. He speaks fondly of Modi'in and its status as "City of the Future."
Before services, we got a quick drive-through of the town. Then we met in a nursery school classroom (it's funny how they look the same no matter what country you're in) to learn about the history of the Reform congregation, Yozma, and how we can support it if we choose. We were told that this would be an unusual service, not just because we were visiting, but because this service would honor the first-graders and their parents.
It was a great service, not just because we were able to follow the prayers, but because after being at Yad VaShem in the morning, it was so reassuring to see so many Jewish children, living in Israel and beginning their Jewish educations. Sure they made a lot of noise during the service, but no one seemed to mind. When it was their turn to sing, they sang with all their hearts and gave hope to us that the Jewish people has a strong future.
After services, we were divided into smaller groups for home hospitality. On the bus ride home, everyone spoke about how friendly their hosts were, and how wonderful the experience was.
1 comment:
I've been following from my armchair (make that computer chair) and tried to post earlier, but didn't know until Marion told me that I had to become "anonymous."
It looks like you had a great trip, which we wanted to join, but we are leaving next week for our nephew's west coast nuptuals, so the timing was bad.
Eley Kohn
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