Update # 1

"To touch the coarse skin of a tree is thus, at the same time, to experience one's tactility, to feel oneself touched by the tree. And to see the world is also, at the same time, to experience oneself as visible, to feel oneself seen." - David Abram, Spell of the Sensuous

Shalom Beautiful Friends
I think part of why I love traveling so much is because it gives me an opportunity to send out heartfelt emails to all my loved ones :)
Israel is both familiar and totally crazy. What can I say - I love it! I am beyond words at the kindness, hospitality and abundance I have been shown here.

The first few days I spent in Israel were in Jerusalem and they are beyond beyond - Para Gate. I arrived in time for Yom Kippur- the holiest day of the Jewish year. There were no cars on the street and everyone was dressed in all white.

I walked to the Kottel (the wall) in the old city of Jerusalem. I mean wow- what a trip to be in the holiest city on the holiest day at the holiest place ! You know that saying "wherever you go there you are". Well the cosmic joke was very loving and gentle but very apparent and I really had a good laugh :)

After that I went to Bat Ayin, a little south of Jerusalem outside the green line (1967 borders of Israel) and to a very orthodox community - neither of which I knew until I arrived. Long skirt, long shirt and I was ready to learn and celebrate my favorite Jewish holiday- Sukkot.

Some of the beauty of Sukkot is in the instructions of how to build the sukkah - the impermanent dwelling . It has all these specifications for height but none in regards to how wide it can be - in other words we can build a tent of peace large enough for the whole world to sit under. In Jewish terms the path to enlightenment is not about transcenedece but in very much the material world - simplified it is "The Ability to Bare Paradox". This I love.

I made some wonderful connections to some great women - some of whom have traveled to Tzfat with me but Bat Ayin is an intense place and I was somewhat relieved to return back to Jerusalem. I spent the evening walking around, Nachlaot , a wonderful neighborhood where I may live in December. The next morning I headed out to Haifa to visit with my cousins.

It was good to be "home" or my home away from home and one night I slept so well and woke up feeling like I was in my parents house. I left there this morning and am now in Tzfat, a beautiful old city in Israel which attracts many Kabbalists and artistsI have heard Tzfat compared to both the Greenwich village and the Woodsotck of Israel. B0oth made me smile :)
I am writing from the porch at the Livnot campus(where I once saw a beautful double rainbow <3>

I may stay here for a few weeks until I need to got to Tel Aviv to work. I forgot how much I missed the forest until I saw it again!

To all of those who dropped me emails - thank you they are apprecuated and I appologize If I didn't have a chance to write you back. I will do my best to get back to each of you.
So much love and gratitude,
DharanaJan Lauren Chana Leah