Sending Shabbat greetings from Israel where I am proud to represent our community at the annual conference of Reform rabbis, hosted by the Central Conference of American Rabbis. Below are some of the pictures from my trip thus far.

More than 90 rabbis participated in the annual Tel Aviv Marathon, Half Marathon, and 10K race. It was a beautiful day for a run and there were more than 40,000 runners from around the world.

The open air food and craft market is one of most eclectic, electric, and joyful places to be on a Friday in Tel Aviv. Many people have Friday off and are preparing for Shabbat. Freshly baked challahs, colorful flowers, and bottles of wine were being purchased all around me.

Israel can often seem so heavy from across the Atlantic. Today, I witnessed thousands of Israelis enjoying an extraordinary 70 degree, blue sky day in their remarkable, diverse, and sophisticated city. I couldn’t help but think how refreshing it was to see this with my own eyes. I also kept thinking about how much I want to share this experience with you – members of my community. Luckily, that opportunity is not far away as Rabbi Buchdahl will lead an adult trip exploring Israel’s many faiths in November. I hope you make it a priority to get to Israel this year. Learn more about Central Synagogue’s Israel trip »

Shabbat Shalom!