Israel: Day 3

12/30/07

Everything about yesterday was amazing. We were at an Israeli engineering college in the morning, then a kibbutz called Eshbal. We met 8 Israeli soldiers who will be travelling with us, then went to lunch (many people went to Burger King or KFC, but I opted for something a little less familiar). After that, we visited the city of Tzfat, where the Zohar was studied and where famous Kabbalists lived. After was dinner, and then a boat ride with dancing. To top it all off, our bus broke down on the way back with much fanfare and burning rubber.

More later.

I guess one of the things I got out of going to Tzfat was a different way of thinking about religion. The Kabbalists approached faith in a different way, and some of the stories made me think about how I approach God. My concept of God continues to diverge, but my belief gets stronger.
We also had a chance to discuss the idea of being a 'chosen' people. I guess that really clinches it for me. There is no doubt that Jews persist despite hardship, and rise to the top of any society they live in. This means we have quite a bit to live up to with all this visibility. Sure sign that Israel is doing something. By now, I'm convinced I won't know what until the end.

Tzfat was an amazing city. This was the first day of really going out there and doing things, and the impact is already apparent from this writing. Tune in next time for more of my biblical adventures in the holy land.