Courtesy of jewishinstlouis.org
It was a record attendance! Twenty six St. Louis high school graduates living and studying in Israel celebrated the Shabbat before Hanukkah in St. Louis Partnership 2000 sister-city,Yokneam.
Students were joined in this northern Israeli town by Rabbi Moshe Shulman of Young Israel, Rabbi Jeffrey Beinenfeld, former rabbi of Young Israel of St. Louis who made aliyah to Israel with his family and has attended every St. Louis Shabbaton in Yokneam, and Uriya Teperberg, former shaliakh (Israeli emissary) to the St. Louis Jewish community. This was the fifth Shabbaton held in St. Louis’ sister-city.
Rabbi Shulman was sent to Yokneam by Jewish Federation of St. Louis as part of its Partnership 2000 program. Said Susie Zimmerman, St. Louis Partnership 2000 chair, “The mission of the St. Louis - Yokneam/Megiddo P2K Shabbaton program is to engage students who graduated from St. Louis high schools in the past year and who are currently studying in Israel, either in Yeshivot or other colleges and universities in the land, in a meaningful people to people (kesher) experience with our sister city.”
Zimmerman explained that the St. Louis students travel together to Yokneam where they have the opportunity to observe and celebrate a traditional Shabbat with a host family. “There our St. Louis young people enjoy the warmth and hospitality of a new ‘adopted’ family with whom they can keep in touch long after the Shabbaton is over. By learning about this special community and our relationship with each other in such an intimate way, the students and their St. Louis families strengthen the bonds of our partnership.”
Rabbi Shulman commented on how warm and welcoming the Yokneam residents were as they went out of their way to make all visitors feel at home. The weekend began Friday afternoon with a reception, home hospitality, a mincha and kabbalat Shabbat, Shabbat dinner with hosting families and an Oneg Shabbat with B’nai Akiva youth, he said.
Hody Nemes, one of the young guests, recalls the highlight of the visit: "One of the most striking moments of the Shabbaton occurred Friday night, when the respective St. Louis and Yokneam young people assembled at a local B’nai Akiva building. Rabbi Shulman and Uria Teperberg facilitated an engaging and spirited discussion on what role the Diaspora plays in the Jewish world, and what its future should be. Yokneam and St. Louis natives weighed in with their views on Israel and world Jewry’s mission and future in the coming years."
On Saturday, there was a Shacharit at Minyan Tzeitim Congregation with the Chief Rabbi of the region, a kiddush and greetings from Rabbis Shulman and Beinenfeld, followed by a Shabbat lunch with host families. Later in the day, it was back to Minyan Tzeitim for services which ended with a Tzet Shabbat and Havdala with host families.
“The weekend was a wonderful opportunity to become familiar with the community that Jewish Federation is connected to in Israel. It was very special to meet some of the families and public officials, to see the schools and interact with students. In going to Israel, I served as a bridge...a piece of their St. Louis experience. At the same time, I’m Israeli and know Hebrew. This enabled me to relate to the Israeli side of the equation and bridge that road as well,” said Rabbi Shulman.
Rabbi Shulman explained that he flew in early and was treated to a private tour of Yokneam-Megiddo. He spoke at three schools: the Yeshiva High School Tikvat Yaakov at Moshav Sde Yaakov in Megiddo, and the ORT Junior High School and the Hadasim Religious Elementary School, both in Yokenam. “I had an hour to engage 11th and 12th graders in a discussion about St. Louis and the election. I was very impressed with all the day schools – they are very sophisticated and advanced in many ways.”
The Yokneam-Megiddo region is a fascinating story, he added. “It’s a city that mirrors the story of Israel. It starts with camps in the 50s, when immigrants came from Arab countries and progresses from there. You can see the four or five stages of development as one goes from neighborhood to neighborhood. It’s amazing that today the region has become the ‘Silicon Valley’ of Israel.”
Hody Nemes mentions that "many of the St. Louisans determined to return in the near future. For them, Shabbat Lech Lecha was a warm memory of St. Louis - with talk of the Cardinals and even Schnucks flowing freely - and a meaningful celebration of their love for Israel."
The idea for the Shabbaton in Yokneam came from St. Louisans Faye and Earl Newman of Young Israel, Rabbi Beinenfeld, then rabbi of Young Israel, and Israelis Rabbi Noam Dekel, chief Ashkenazi rabbi of Yokneam, and Hanan Caspi, "founding father" of the Shabbaton project, former member of the P2K Kesher Committee who is now an activist and volunteer.