Home for the holidays / by Lisa Frenkiel
Filed under: community, Empowerment, Ethiopian Jews, friendship, Home, Israel & Israelis, Jewish holiday, Jewish Learning, Social Change, Uncategorized, volunteering, Yom Kippur | Tags: Birthright, Community, Ethiopian, Home, Initiative, Israel, Jewish diversity, Judaism, Learning, Sukkot, Volunteer, Yahel Social Change Program, Yom kippur | No Comments »
Lisa, Max and friend enjoying Sukkot!
Every Yom Kippur since I was born has been spent standing next to my Dad in synagogue. Whatever was happening in our lives and wherever we were during the year, on this, the holiest of holy days, we found each other. But this year was different.
This year, I found myself standing next to 200 young Jews on a rooftop in Tel Aviv with a group called BINA, the only secular Yeshiva of its kind in Israel. I was one of no more than a handful of English speakers. Other than a few prayers, it was all foreign. There were no familiar faces, words or tunes. No Dad standing next to me. And for some reason, I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be and felt totally enveloped in love and comfort.
Before moving to Gedera and participating in Yahel, I was what you would call an “involved” Jew. I worked at The Jewish Federation, I had been on Birthright and I even did JDate…. Doesn’t get much more Jewish than that trifecta!
