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“Judaism can’t be learned from text books alone,” says Kfir Lev Sinai, the Yachad Program’s Jewish Cultural Facilitator for Jerusalem’s Yovalim region. “You also have to live and feel it in order to truly understand and appreciate it.” So in setting out to teach local youth about the upcoming Chanukah holiday, Lev Sinai chose to provide them with an unforgettable hands-on experience: making their own olive oil.

“We brought 60 traditional and secular families to the fields near Ein Karem,” he relates. “They shook the olive trees and beat them with sticks to harvest the fruit, then took them to the olive press where we pressed them into oil.”

As the children and their parents worked away at the trees, Lev Sinai related the story of Chanukah, including the miracle of the cruse of oil that was found in the aftermath of the Temple’s destruction. In the afternoon, the families baked their own pita breads for lunch, followed by an Israeli sing-along, led by one of the parents.

“So much of our Jewish history happened so long ago that it’s hard to relate to,” says Yair Biton, one of the fathers who participated. “It’s actually amazing when you understand that it happened right here, where we live today.  We prepared oil today in exactly the same way it was prepared for the original menorah in the Temple, over 2,000 years ago. It really made our heritage come alive – not only for the kids, but for me, as well.”

Harvesting olives: making Jewish history come to life

Yair’s neighbor, Eitan Halpert, concurred: “In my daughter’s school, Jewish subjects generally translate into difficult homework assignments that even my wife and I don’t understand. This was a fun experience that helped us connect Jewish tradition to our day-to-day reality. My daughter and I bonded over this Jewish experience and because of the little bottles of olive oil that we pressed with our own hands, Chanukah will be a very different experience in our house this year.”

“All Jews Should be Connected to Their Roots”

The outing was only the first stage of the Yachad Program Chanukah preparations. Lev Sinai and the other 14 Yachad facilitators will be running a repeat of the highly successful “Ner Mechaber” program again this year. “The concept of Ner Mechaber – which literally means ’The Candle that Connects’ – is as simple as it is beautiful,” explains Yachad Program coordinator Betzalel Safra. “Even in the best of situations, opposing segments of Israeli society don’t normally interact. On Chanukah, we pair families from different ends of the religious, ethnic or socioeconomic spectrum and bring them together for candle-lighting in one of the homes. When people get to know their neighbors, they see that the Jewish heritage they have in common is actually stronger than the differences that appear on the surface. Together, they can build a strong and united community on the basis of Jewish values,” he says.

In past years, the families that participated in Ner Mechaber have continued to meet on other Jewish holidays throughout the year. “In general,” explains Safra, “the Jewish holidays are an obvious way of exposing Israelis to their Jewish heritage. They’re official public vacation days, so most people are at least vaguely aware of their existence. Our job is to make the most of these days, to enable Israelis to mark them on terms that are both comfortable and meaningful to them.”

To this end, the “Holidays Are for Everyone” project has been implemented in every Yachad community center. The project is the natural expansion of the initial “Yom Kippur for Everyone” program, which was first initiated by Yachad ten years ago in conjunction with Michael Melchior, then-minister of the Ministry of Jewish Affairs and the Diaspora.

“We believe that all Jews should be connected to their roots and traditions  no matter how secular or observant they may be,” declares Rabbi Shlomo Riskin. “In Israel, this is a tremendous challenge, as the synagogues have become the preserve of the religious and people who are secular or even traditional just don’t feel that they belong. Over the years, many simply lose interest.” The “Holidays for Everyone” project provides Israelis with an alternative, non-synagogue manner of celebrating the special Jewish calendar days with significance.

The Wisdom of Judaism

“My parents always fast on Yom Kippur, but they never explained to me why and they never expected it of me,” comments 21-year-old Amira Levy from Tel Aviv. “But this year, my friends told me about the Yachad services and I decided to give it a try. There were explanations and discussions and for the first time I felt that maybe there was more to religion than just empty ritual.”

“Ner Mechaber” – the candle that connects

Yafit Cohen from Ramat Gan describes a similar experience: “’Yom Kippur for Everyone’ was something different, something meaningful,” says the 28-year-old. “We didn’t just say the words, we defined ’selihot’ and discussed the modern concept of asking forgiveness. We talked about Jewish unity and what we can pass on to the next generation. We sang a lot together, argued a lot and laughed a lot.”

The idea that Judaism remains relevant in today’s secular world also impressed Adi Grinkoff, 42, of Petach Tikva, who has attended “Yom Kippur for Everyone” for the past four years. This year, Adi brought her family and friends. “They were actually surprised by the wisdom Judaism had to offer,” she reports, “for instance, the idea that one must ask forgiveness from others before attaining forgiveness from God, or the idea that we should examine ourselves and our behavior once a year.” Even Alon Goldfarb, Adi’s dyed-in-the-wool secular Israeli boyfriend, was stirred. “All I ever heard about religious people was that they were coercive, parasitic and corrupt. Now I see there are religious people who are idealistic and funny and warm, people just like me, to whom social justice and national responsibility are important. The stereotype I had of Judaism has been dramatically altered. It has been replaced with a whole different model, one I really want to be a part of.”

“Secular Israelis want to reclaim their religion,” asserts Rabbi Riskin. “They want to cherish it, understand it, and make it part of their lives. The Yachad Program is enabling them to be involved and respected in Jewish life without being coerced to observe and perform according to Orthodox interpretations. We are breaking down boundaries and bridging the gaps on the road toward national unity.”

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