ironic poetry contest

I was just made aware of a poetry contest sponsored by Tablet Magazine, in which entrants are asked to reinterpret a poem by Judah Halevi, a Spanish Jewish philosopher who lived in the early 12th century. Halevi's poetry often deals with the theme of yearning for Zion, as in this translation rendered by Hillel Halkin of "My Heart in the East":

My heart in the East
But the rest of me far in the West --
How can I savor this life, even taste what I eat?
How, in the bonds of the Moor,
Zion chained to the Cross,
Can I do what I’ve vowed to and must?
Yet gladly I’d leave
All the best of grand Spain
For one glimpse of Jerusalem’s dust.

The grand prize is an iPad. Whoever wins this contest will undoubtedly be as torn as Halevi was, because the he or she will not be permitted to enter Israel with the iPad.

har tavor

It's been a long time since I posted anything. I think its a matter of habit, so I'm going to ease myself back into the habit with a brief post.

On Thursday I led the Australians and South Africans on a hike. We hiked from Kibbutz Ein Dor to the top of Har Tavor, ate lunch at the peak, then hiked down the opposite side into the town of Shibli, where a bus picked us up and took us back to Ein Dor.

Yesterday I went to Haifa to prepare to lead a siyur (field trip) there, which will be a few weeks from now.