Shalom from Israel. Three flights and 22 hours later we arrived safely in Eilat. The flights were uneventful; after arriving we learned that Three El Al planes had to land in Cyprus because flights to Israel were backed up due to a dust storm which closed one of the other airports.
It is wonderful to be back at Kibbutz Yahel, where we lived from 1990-1991. Yahel was the first Reform kibbutz, founded in 1976. Barbara and I were at the dedication because it was during the year we were studying at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem. We chose to spend a year there when our children were young, making life-long friends.
The first members of Yahel were Reform Jews from the United States and other English-speaking countries as well as Israelis who had some connection to Reform Judaism. Over the years, others have joined the community.
Yahel is located in the Arava, the rift that runs from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Akaba. It is about 30 miles north of Eilat, on the border with Jordan. The kibbutz has dairy cows, sending the milk to Yotvata, a nearby kibbutz, where it is turned into a variety of the tastiest dairy products in the world. It also raises sheep that are sold for their meat, date orchards, fields of peppers and onions and pomelos, a citrus fruit similar to a grapefruit. In addition, they have guest houses for those who are visiting the area.
We are looking forward to tonight's Shabbat service which will be lead by students from Netzer, the international Reform youth movement, followed by Shabbat dinner in the dining hall.
The exciting news in the country is the decision to give Benjamin Netanyahu the opportunity to form a government and become Israel's next Prime Minister. It is not clear if he will form a government with the other right wing parties or will be able to create a coalition with the centrist parties.
Shabbat Shalom,
Bruce Kadden
Rabbi
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