The Double Stranded Adventure

I am on two adventures. These adventures spiral and weave around one another, interacting; one is not complete without the other. My first adventure is of the body: missing buses, getting lost, eating strange foods, watching the sun set through the train window. I have a tan on my shoulders and bruises on my knees and blisters on my feet as evidence of this adventure.

My second adventure is of the heart: creating friendships, cultivating a group dynamic, listening more deeply and more patiently than I have in a long time. I'm devoting time to thinking about my role in the group, what I have to offer, and what I can learn from others. The best evidence I have of this adventure is that I felt compelled and inspired to write this down tonight.

Over the last week of orientation, my intimate group of 16 people spent a lot of time discussing our values: empowerment, multiculturalism, sustainability, humility, initiative, collaboration, and Jewish Peoplehood. We have observed these values in action during our visits to Sde Boker, the kibbutz where David Ben Gurion retired, a lone farm in the Negev, and an unrecognized Bedouin village.

We have used these visits to talk about what "home" means to different people, and how land plays into that concept. Here too we can see the intersection of the body and the heart--the physical property that one calls home and the mere feeling of being home.

This has opened my eyes to my immense privilege that I have experienced during my life. I am so lucky that the places where I feel home are also places where I am free to live and visit at will.

I am also extremely grateful that the group of people on my program have made me feel at home so quickly. We are building a beautiful community here, one that is welcoming and intentional.

Now I am looking forward to what else my double stranded adventure will bring, and how my ideas of home and community will evolve as I learn and grow.

Shalom from Be'er Sheva...home!