Shalom All,

Our Pesach Haggadah teaches us to look for signs. As I was watching a group of Ethiopian Olim celebrate their Bar and Bat mitzva this morning, some of them less than a month in their homeland, the following signs came to my mind:
This year, we are marking 100 years since Herzl died;
75 years since the Jewish Agency was established to fullfill his vision,
56 years since the creation of the Jewish state,
20 years since the Music celebrations in the Galilee were established,
10 years since Partnership 2000 announced a new phase in the relationship between the different parts of the Jewish people,
and these kids were marking their adulthood as part of the Jewish people.
Interesting enough, there were 18 of them: CHAI - the number that spells life.
Interpreting these signs, I found that they marked it all: the vision, the practicum, the achievment, the spirit, the shared responsibilities and tradition, and life itself. It was the entire narrative in a nutshell. A narrative that brings the sign of pride as well as the burden of responsibility with it: pride of being part of it, responsibility to keep it alive and thriving. These kids are a crucial, wonderful part of bringing our responsibility and pride to fruition. The community of Safsufa, a small village in the galilee, came together to help them celebrate, donating everything from food to gifts so that they will know the joy of becoming part of the fullfillment of the vision
In his famous book "The Alchemist", Paulo Kualo says that when a person knows his destiny, the whole universe gives him signs that will help him fullfill it. It was a comfort to find all the signs around me, around these new olim,
May our lives today be worthy of our children's tomorrows.

Shabbat Shalom,
Liat