Erev Shavuot shopping. The streets are buzzing with excitement. Finally, something to celebrate. The aroma from the bakeries fills the air and the line in the cheese store extends to the street. Our baskets are so filled with fruits that our sweetheart fruit and vegetable vendor helps Peni and I to the car. On this night, a large part of Israel would be awake – not in bomb shelters, but studying Torah at a diverse array of Tikkun Leil Shavuot programs. The Torah of Rav Kook, Rav Uziel, Agnon, Heschel, Rav Soloveitchik, Nechama Leibowitz, Rabbi Sacks, Israeli poets, artists, musicians – Torah diversity at its best.
As the sun was setting, missile warnings started. Peni and I were terrified, as our son Ilan – who recently returned from yet another tour of combat duty in Gaza – was on his way to us for Shavuot, stopping on the way to visit his wife Kayla, who is on a lengthy tour of duty in a very sensitive area in the West Bank. Ilan was bringing Kayla and her brave comrades some Shavuot cheer – cheesecakes, wine, fruits and foods for the Shavuot meal. Thankfully, despite the sirens, Ilan made it safely to Herzliya, and Kayla sent us a beautiful message of appreciation for the Shavuot care package. We were thrilled to have Ilan celebrating Shavuot with us, but sad that our dear Kayla had to spend the holiday on an outpost in the West Bank. Thank you Kayla, for protecting us.
No more missiles that night. Delicious meal, celebration of being together, Torah study – a happy and quiet Shavuot night.
Early morning walk to the synagogue. A peaceful quiet in the streets, and the synagogue beautifully decorated with greenery. Ilan is honored with the Aliyah of the Ten Commandments. This reading was his Bar Mitzvah Torah Portion 12 years ago, so he knows it well. He has read it many times, including every year at the Sephardic Educational Center’s beautiful Shavuot programs in Palm Springs. Now he reads it in Israel, in the beautiful Sephardic melody with the special “ta’am elyon” trope for the Ten Commandments. Seeing him up there – tall, proud and reading so beautifully – brought me back to his Bar Mitzvah, when a little Ilan was physically unable to carry the heavy Sephardic Torah scrolls at Kahal Joseph in LA. How did that little boy grow so tall to become the primary “Negevist” – machine gunner – of his platoon?
More good meals, discussions and an afternoon visit from our nieces.
A beautiful Shavuot.
Havdalah. Peni and I are off to a tribute concert of Ha-halonot Ha-gevohim – The High Windows – a legendary 1960’s Israeli rock trio. Entering the sold out arena, missile warnings and sirens.
Evacuate? Not here.
The concert was great…and so are this country’s people – fruit vendors, soldiers and musicians.
Shabbat Shalom.
Rabbi Daniel Bouskila is the international director of the Sephardic Educational Center.
