Dear class,
Over the holidays, we went to synagogue for Kol Nidre. Here in Israel, it is very different than in the US. One of the reasons being that I went to a Coservative synagogue, one of the very few non-Orthodox synagogues in Israel.
Rosh Hashana: here things are different. Some examples are: we eat a huge feast outside on a long table with our friends. We shared this meal and there were many symbols on the table, including a fish head with its eyeballs symbolizing looking forward a HEAD of the new year! Parents give their children honey candy in deocrative plastic apples, and everything is closed. Some things are the same as at home: for example, going to synagoge in the first place, although many Israelis don't go at all. Something interesting is that they sell 1,000,000 pomegranites in 1 store (well, almost!).
Yom Kippur: Again, some things are different. For example, not a single car drives in the streets, nobody plays loud music, etc. On Erev Yom Kippur, kids are out by themselves rollerskating, bicycling, skateboarding right in the middle of the streets while their parents stroll along in white clothes. Some things are the same, though: people fast here as well as in the US - this is the 2nd year in a row I made it! Something interesting is that you walk everywhere on Yom Kippur!
Sukkot: You guessed it, some things are different and some are the same. For example, there is a community sukkah in the middle of the city square, and a sukkah for literally every building. There are some similar things too: more people have their own home sukkahs, and like in the US, people hang stuff in it. Something interesting is that every restaurant patio is transformed into a sukkah so that customers can have their meals in the sukkah.
I miss you all a lot! Look forward to seeing you when I return!
- Caleb
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