Rabbi Bloom's Sabbatical Blog

  I'm going to let the slideshow do most of the talking. We had 43 participants from our synagogue, Temple Beth Abraham, join me in Israel for an 8 day tour. The group included several non Jewish staff members: preschool teachers, the Facilities Manager/Head Custodian, the Secretary, as well as members of all ages from the synagogue.  Our tour provider, Israel Maven led by JJ Jonah and our Tour Guide, Jonty Blackman, were amazing. As one participant put it, they finally understand why I can't stop talking about how much I love Israel and how it is so much more than the political conflict. It's a real place with real problems, real pain, and real joy. But it's also a special place, with a holiness that can't be described unless you see it for yourself. Anyway, here is a snippet of our journey. L'hitraot!

  Josh Washington, Director of IBSI, Rabbi Mark Bloom, Minister Dr. Ruth Pauline Plummer of Church of God in Christ and Covenant Daughters Network, Jason Chukwu, Christian descended from the Igbo of Nigeria, Valerie and Pastor Dumisani Washington (Founders of IBSI, Institute of Black Solidarity with Israel), soon to be Rabbi Yaaqov James Walker This one will move from the seemingly trivial to the much more important. Only the most dedicated readers will get to the metaphorical "meat." Stakes and Steaks. The stakes for Israel and the Jews, particularly when it comes to Black Jewish relations, couldn't be higher. For more details on that, read below. When it comes to steak, Karen and I went out to dinner at a high end steak restaurant I have been wanting to try for years. It is called the Red Heifer, which is a great name for a Kosher steak house, since the Red Heifer in the Biblical Book of Numbers 19 has great significance in the Torah. But it may have been the worst meal