5
D
uring the recent Israel-Gaza
war, our Israeli rabbinical
students and alumni offered
significant spiritual support and
reassurance to communities subjected
to rocket attack, while our stateside
students studying at our Jerusalem
campus for the Year-In-Israel Program
and Cantorial Certification Program
demonstrated their solidarity with Israel.
Third-year rabbinical student Yael
Karrie served her community at Nachal
Oz, located adjacent to the Gaza Strip,
where she led Shabbat services in bomb
shelters because residents had fifteen
seconds, at most, to find safety when
the sirens went off. She created musical
activities for children to distract them
during missile volleys and provided
meaningful pastoral care for those
struggling to live a normal life. When
400
soldiers showed up at her kibbutz
after a week of non-stop military
service inside Gaza, many of these
exhausted and tense young soldiers
were drawn to the beautiful guitar and
vocal music they heard emanating from
the center of the kibbutz and came to
Kabbalat Shabbat services. And when
a group of Orthodox soldiers hovered
hesitantly by the edge of the circle
because of the prohibition against
playing musical instruments on Shabbat,
Karrie and her musicians laid down
their instruments, and,
a cappella
,
shared in making harmonies together.
Perhaps the most ingenious and
memorable thing Yael did was to create
a campaign called
Adom V’sameah
,
“
Redeeming Red.” The color of the
“
code red” alerts that indicated
incoming missiles was associated
with its destructive implications. So
Yael re-imagined it, collecting photos
from friends of red things that were
positive instead. From pictures of
infants in red outfits to crimson flowers
and ruby shoes, Yael’s Facebook page
quickly filled with evocative images
of what red could be instead of what it
was. Campers and counselors at Union
for Reform Judaism camps dressed
in red clothing and sent their photos
to Yael. This effort was a resounding
testament to the value of our Reform
Jewish community and the links we
share as a global Jewish people.
Rabbinical student Galit Cohen
Kedem served her community in
Holon, a suburb of Tel Aviv, by
sustaining their spirit despite the
anxiety caused by the attacks. At
Havdallah services coupled with
pizza dinners for her families, people
shared the names of soldiers, friends,
and loved ones for whom they were
concerned. Outings and activities
for the children were arranged.
L
earning to
L
ead
in a
t
iMe of
W
ar
Year-In-Israel and Cantorial Certification
students demonstrating solidarity with
Israel (top). Campers offer a “red hug”
of support for Israel from URJ Camp
Coleman in Cleveland, Georgia (bottom).