The words we use tell us a lot about ourselves. Going to Israel is called Aliyah - literally "going up" to Israel. The idea is that by visiting our Holy Land, we are ascending spiritually to a higher place. And so, when we depart, it is known as "going down" from Israel. I think I can speak for everyone on our congregational trip when I say that we really did feel as if we were on a higher plane as we traveled through Israel. It was beautiful, it was meaningful, it was emotional. And in some way, I do feel as if my heart is a bit deflated to be leaving, to be "going down" from this holy place.
And yet, last night, at a wonderful farewell dinner, we all talked about our desire to bring this experience home, to translate it for our families and friends, to spread the word about what we saw and felt, and to advocate on behalf of this Israel we got to know so well. In that sense, we are not going down at all, but returning to our homes with a sense of purpose and inspiration.
On behalf of Rabbi Lyon and the rest of our participants, I look forward to sharing more with you soon!
Rabbi Mark Miller
We are off on our trip to Israel! You can keep up with our travels by following our blog. Each chance we get we will upload pictures and video of our experiences. A few words from our travelers will be posted when possible. Come back to our blog often over the next two weeks to see where we have been, what we have seen, and how much we have learned!
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