Tuesday June 28

Today we learned about the rebuilding of the second Beit haMikdash and the 42,000+ Jews who returned with Ezra and Nechmia. The shiur was also about the idea of how Hashem works through political changes. The pasuk in Sefer Ezra tells us that “G-d stirred King Cyrus” into telling the Jewish people to go back and build a temple. It seemed like the Persian king was being magnanimous, but really this was a fulfillment of exactly what Hashem had been telling us through Yirmiyahu – 70 years in Bavel and then we will come home.  And so it was!

Beautiful-weather day again. Totally picturesque! Chanichim had a great day at sports activities, swimming, in the Village, baking, ceramics and spending time with the animals in our refet (petting zoo) and holding bunnies. For the best “tour” of our refet, check this out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhxZNcme–E&t=12s  Avner Fleischmann gave a tour on video two years ago. Cutest thing ever!

Another special activity which ran twice today was M.A.S.T. (Meet a Sefer Torah) with an eidah alef boys bunk and an eidah alef girls bunk. The chanichim learned about the 613th mitzvah, to write a sefer torah and saw the Torah up close and personal. We talked about the sofer (scribe) and his beautiful calligraphy and then felt the parchment and saw the lines etched into the parchment! Each child who wanted had a turn holding and kissing the sefer torah! Such a hands-on memorable activity.

Each eidah had dinner at their very own cook-out site…yes, of course smores were made and enjoyed 🙂

Kaytana has become enslaved to King Pharoah!! Oh no! They had a peulah of pyramid-building (with the milk crates here at machane), some boot camp drills and then matza-baking at our brick-oven in the Village.  They are definitely happy they jump hundreds of years ahead each day – next up the miraculous plagues and the Exodus, of course!

Machal enjoyed their day at their chutz site: outdoor tefilah and activities all-day, cooking their own food around fire pits and learning about leadership and community from Sefer Yehoshua. Each day they have a shiur on a unit from Sefer Yehoshua where they can learn about the leadership of Yehoshua (challenges and successes) and the responsibility and expectations of the Jewish community setting up a society in Eretz Yisrael.