In one of my dispatches from Israel, I mentioned a unique experience I had on one of the Friday nights for Kabbalat Shabbat. I had the opportunity to attend Zion: an Eretz Yisraeli Shul in Jerusalem. I had heard a lot about it, but was not really prepared for what I would see and hear once I got there. On their website they describe the shul as: “A community comprising grandparents, children, students and families of various types, Jews and Israelis of all backgrounds and

Hi members of Midbar Kodesh. We are the Johnson family. David recently retired from the Marine Corps and will begin studies to receive his bachelor’s degree in hydrology this Fall. He was born and raised in San Diego and attended Ohr Shalom Synagogue. Rola is a native of Henderson, practices yoga, and enjoys being a stay-at-home mom. Ava is 13 years-old, attends Pinecrest Academy, and is a cheerleader for the school’s teams. Adam is 11 years-old, also attends Pinecrest, and

Ari Tecktiel, son of Midbar Kodesh Temple's Susan and Rabbi Bradley Tecktiel, graduated from high school from the Adelson Educational Campus. At Adelson Ari served on student council and was appointed as a student ambassador. During high school Ari played both junior varsity and varsity basketball, baseball and tennis. Ari attended mock trial, moot court, and moot beit din competitions. He was part of the National Honor Society, and often participate in community service.

The High Holidays begin at Midbar Kodesh Temple on the evening of September 1 at 8 p.m. when the congregation readies themselves for the Days of Awe at Selichot services with a screening of the short film "A Pure Prayer." For many Jews, the High Holiday season begins with Rosh HaShanah and the start of the new month of Tishrei. Jewish tradition, however, teaches that the preceding month of Elul is a time of soul-searching and reflection to prepare oneself for the magnitude

Students at Midbar Kodesh Temple spread out all over the country during the summer, many traveling out of state to Jewish summer residence camps for a Jewish experience that lasts a life time. Rabbi Bradley Tecktiel and Cantor Daniel Gale encourage these trips that immerse their students in a vibrant Jewish community filled with Jewish music, Shabbat experiences, and living connections to Israel. While away at camp students find a sense of independence and discover new skills

One of the initiatives I was introduced to while on my trip to Israel was an organization called Koolulam. Over the past couple of years, they have put on performances in which three to five thousand people at a time participate. They bring together Jews, Christians and Muslims to sing a song. They gather for an hour or two before the performance to learn the song in Hebrew, Arabic and English and then sing it together. It is incredibly powerful, and just watching their p

After six days of pretty intensive studying and learning, we all needed a little break. For Hartman, a break means an educational tour. Instead of sitting in an air-conditioned room and listening to a lecture, we would embark on tiyulim/tours to learn about things first hand. I chose to participate in what was dubbed Protest Art In Israeli Society. I think a better name for it might have been just Street Art in Tel Aviv. In the morning, we arrived early in Tel Aviv. Afte

(if you missed Dispatch 1, click here) Shavuah Tov! It is difficult to describe what it is like to be in Jerusalem for Shabbat, but I will try. First, it is important to note that in Israel the “weekend” for most people is Friday and Saturday. That Sunday brunch thing we in America do, Israelis do on Friday. With that in mind you can imagine what Friday is like in Jerusalem. The first couple hours of the day people are scrambling to finish off any work and run errands, an

You will be happy to know that I arrived in Israel safely on Monday afternoon, though if you want to get technical, you could say I arrived in Israel on Sunday afternoon when I boarded my El AL flight in Los Angeles. The minute you step on an EL AL plane you feel like you are in Israel. From the accents of the flight attendants to the twenty-something passengers adorned in their Birthright t-shirts, there is no doubt where you are or where you are going. People watching on