The Power of Experiencing the Holidays

Since posting my last entry, I've had many experiences, including trips to the majestic Bahai Gardens of Haifa, the ancient ruins of Akko, waterfalls in the Golan Heights and Petra's underground city-considered one of the seven great wonders of the world. I loved exploring these places and was perpetually in awe of their vast physical beauty and historical importance. However, my most treasured memories were those spent celebrating the recent holidays of Passover, Yom Hashoa (Holocaust Remembrance) , Yom Hazikaron (Israeli Remembrance Day) Yom Hatzmaut (Israeli Independence Day), Yom Yerushaliyim (Jerusalem Day) and Sukkot.

Before coming to Israel, I always thought of myself as a Jew who celebrated the Jewish holidays. I may not have kept kosher or welcomed Shabbat, but I did drag myself to Synagogue on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur every year, lit the Menorah on Hannukah, and I looked forward to partaking in the annual beach-side seder with my grandparents every year in Florida. As far as the Israeli holidays went, I sometimes attended the JCC Yom Hatzmaut carnival, but Yom Hashoa, Yom Hazikaron and Yom Yerushaliym usually weren't acknowledge. It wasn't that I didn't know other Jewish holidays existed, I simply didn't make it a point to celebrate them. As a Jew, I've always known the critical role the torah plays in Judaism, but I never made the effort to celebrate the day it was received (Sukkot). Furthermore, I always associated the celebrations of such holidays with "religious Jews"-a community of which I was never a part of.

But all of my previous rules and traditions (or lack thereof) were discarded when I came to Israel and I looked forward to sharing in an authentic Israeli-Jewish experience. Passover was the first in a series of holidays and I could feel it approach a week before the officially beginning. When I went to the shook, I no longer asked myself "what should I buy?" but "what will they have." In order for their store to be considered "kosher for passover", shop-owners need to thoroughly clean away any products containing wheat, spelt, barley, rye and oats, and rice, corn, lentils and beans (according to Ashkenazi tradition). This rule also often applies to foods that are made near products that contain any of these ingredients. Although I missed some of my weekly chocolate and dried fruit fixings, the lack of available foods added to the collective spirit of Passover. In the past I was always a member of the minority-one of the few who celebrated this seemingly obscure and rule-ridden holiday in the wake of the fun, chocolate-filled Easter brunch. But not in Jerusalem. In Jerusalem I could still order a sandwich or pastry with my coffee, because every coffee shop had "Passover-friendly" bread-like treats. In Jerusalem I didn't have to scour food packages for traces or wheat or spelt, because I knew they would be hidden behind covered shelves. I admit that I haven't always abided by the Passover rule-book. I always begin with noble intentions, but finding myself crumbling when the bread basket comes around or a friend orders pancakes for breakfast. But this year I remained faithful-even fervent about keeping the Passover mitzvot. Not because it was easier (which it admittedly was), but because I finally realized how special and lucky to be a member of this unique and remarkable people.

The notion of collectivity grew more potent as the month progressed. Yom Hashoa, Yom Hazikaron and Yom Hatzmaut are considered Israel's High Holidays. They begin with Yom Hashoa (Holocaust Remembrance Day), in which a siren is loud siren is sounded around the country. The second the siren is heard, everyone stops. Drivers get out of their cars, boisterous merchants cease their haggling, teachers stop teaching and everyone stands at attention, in reverence of the nearly 7 million Jews who were murdered in the holocaust. One week later, a similar event occurs-but this time in honor of those fell in service. Yom Hazikaron is arguably the most poignant of holidays because every Israeli is required to serve in the military (except the Haredim and Arabs), and most Israeli's know someone who died in battle or was a victim of terror. The mood was reminiscent of the days following September 11; melancholy and grief-ridden, but not defeated.

As day shifted into night, somber reverance for dead loved gave way to elated pride for "Yom Hatzmaut"  or Israeli Independence day. I rung in Israel's happiest holiday at a night long dance party in the shook alongside hundreds of fellow teens. The next day, thousands flocked to the Gan Sachar park for barbeques galore. Spending Yom Hazikaron and Yom Hatzmaut in Israel was a beautiful reminder that even in times of bitter despair, we must never give up hope or stop finding the positive.