Slichot at the Kotel

The unique Yachad initiative trains dynamic and engaging leaders to promote Jewish values, national unity and heritage awareness among Israelis of all ages and backgrounds. By exposing the richness and significance of Jewish culture and history in a warm and non-coercive environment, Yachad’s “Jewish Cultural Facilitators” are encouraging unaffiliated and disenfranchised Israelis to explore their Jewish roots and reclaim their Jewish heritage on terms that are comfortable to them.

The Jewish holiday period – typically viewed by secular Israelis a time of school vacation, outings to the beach and trips abroad – took on new meaning for many this year, as creative programming run by Jewish Cultural Facilitators in community centers across Israel encouraged them to make the most of the holiday season. “Our holiday programs aim to foster a sense of strong Jewish identity and pride,” says Rabbi Aharon Frazer, director of the Yachad Program. “The Jewish holiday cycle gives our facilitators a take-off point for raising the consciousness of average Israelis to their heritage and their own role in Jewish history.”

“People are naturally curious,” says Aryeh Engelman, Yachad coordinator in Petach Tikvah, explaining how he was able to organize a busload of adults “who don’t usually come to religious things” for a late-night slichot tour of Jerusalem between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. While slichot prayers are not an obviously enticing activity for someone who is not connected to Jewish ritual, the romantic idea of roaming Jerusalem by moonlight appealed to the group, which visited Jerusalem synagogues, heard stories as they walked through winding streets and ended up at the Kotel, where their emotion was palpable as they stood amidst a sea of prayer.

Participants in other Yachad-run events also report surprise at discovering unexpected meaning and beauty in Judaism. “I never set foot in a synagogue before Yom Kippur this year,” reveals Galia Freuman of Ramat Gan. “But a friend convinced me to try the ’Yom Kippur for Everyone’ program and it totally blew me away. I never knew why people fast on Yom Kippur, or what they were praying for. I thought Judaism was just a random set of archaic rules and rituals. Now I experienced the Holy Day in an atmosphere of warmth, significance and understanding. I definitely intend to attend other programs in an effort to learn more.”

As participants return for more Yachad-initiated activities, the personal relationships they develop with local coordinators open them to interesting new experiences. “When some of my ‘regulars’ told me they were planning a trip to the Acre Alternative Theater Festival, I told them it would be too crowded there, and suggested we organize a tour of Jewish sites in Hebron instead,” says Ariel Kreitman, Yachad coordinator in Herzliya.

Kreitman also brought two busloads of adults to Jerusalem for a slichot tour. “For some, it was their first-ever visit to Jerusalem; the city always seemed so distant to them,” Kreitman reports. “Now they are anxious to return and to share their experience with their children, as well.”

Another poignant holiday “first” took place in a sukkah in the Golan town of Katzrin, where Yachad coordinator Shai Yannai organized a celebration for 80 Spanish-speaking new immigrants. “At the close of the program,” says Yannai, “one 70-year-old man told me that he had never sat in a sukkah before, and how moved he was by the experience. Of course, that made me very happy, but I was even happier to provide that experience for his children and grandchildren right now.”

Hundreds of people who live in Jerusalem – specifically the Kiryat Menachem section of the city – spent time over Sukkot in the local community center’s huge sukkah, constructed under the guidance of Yachad coordinator Roni Lasser. “We called it a community sukkah, and offered activities in it for everyone,” explains Lasser. Programs included a screening of the movie Ushpizin, a traditional simchat beit hashoeva Sukkot celebration for youth, a massive Sukkot “happening” for 400 parents and children, and a

lively simchat beit hashoeva for Ethiopian-Israelis, which attracted quite a few native Israelis as well.

“Roni’s creativity, enthusiasm and energy are matched only by his commitment to Jewish continuity,” says Chaggai Attia, director of the Kiryat Menachem Community Center. “He has made inroads that I never thought possible. Having him in our community has been like winning the national lottery!”

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