Paradise, Eden, or pretty damn close...

I remember coming here for Shabbat last year and falling in love - with the warmth, the singing, the way people here really took the time to appreciate each other and nature. And then I remember thinking - it's not real. Isabella Freedman could only be a dream world, an escape from reality for lost 20-somethings seeking to avoid society a little bit longer. I applied anyway, realizing that it was real, I had seen it, and that there was no reason life couldn't be that beautiful.

Accepted in July, I wondered how Teva could ever meet my expectations. Not every day is Shabbat, and life there couldn't possibly be all singing and deep thoughts and in prompto study sessions. Wrong again.

2 months in, I feel I have the authority to say: yes, this is real, and yes, we take time daily to sing, dance, listen, appreciate and notice.

This evening, I drove back from Great Barrington, Massachusetts with three friends. The drive was spectacular and we were mezmorized by the sunset that canopied us - a glance in any direction offered a unique and breathtaking smorgasboard of color, light and clouds, meeting the gentle peaks of the mountains along the horizon - all accentuated by the deep automn hues of a waning foliage season. Reaching a rise in the road, we jumped out of the car and began to sing. (Not, I must point out, an activity I could see myself joining in on in Stamford or NYC.) I was filled with gratitude that my friends were as excited as I was - we shared a moment of awe and appreciation for this quotidien act of nature - so normal , so predictable and yet fleeting and unique to today. As we drove into Isabella Freedman, we found that the rest of our community had been basking in that very same moment. Several other Tevaniks were outside by the lake and two of the farmers were walking up the hill to enjoy the site from an optimum position. A religious man and his wife, in town to visit friends, stood outside in silent wonder. TOnight, I spoke with another farmer who had pulled his car over to watch the event, just a few miles away.

Where else can it be that a group of people are so completely in tune with the earth, so eager and willing to take pause, to listen, to watch, to wonder - to try not to let any tiny miracle of nature slip b them unnoticed? The voice in my heart says - only in jerusalem.

What else makes this community so special? This morning, we were taught by a specialist in herbal medicinals. She taught us how to make medicine from the local plants and gave us acitvity ideas with the children. It was rpetty surreal to be talking with this adorable elderly woman about mushrooms, Indian hemp and our stomach aches. She knew it all - and told us of the feasts she has made from natural foods - chicken made from hen of the woods mushrooms and meatloaf comprised of acorn meat.

Last night, I somewhat reluctantly attended a woman's group in honor of the new moon. I was skeptical - thinking it was a hokey new age cry fest where we would complain about men or makeup. It turned out to be very beautiful, however, and I liked getting to know some of the women I live with even better. Since we spend most of our days outdoors, the moon (and its light) has a significant impact on our lives. Sad as we are feeling about the end of the Jewish holiday seasion (a sentiment I have never felt before), I've enjoyed realizing how much Judaism always find something to appreciate and dance about - new moons, full moons, friday nights... the constant celebrating is new to me, but I can't complain. Why not enjoy life this much?
It is real.

Tomorrow, my day will be filled with hikes, bike rides, and more tempting possibilities than time. Living with likeminded people, there is always something cool to do. I am still torn, however, when i think about the growth and perspective that can only be gained from living in really ddiverse settings. I miss the students at Waterside, and I miss the community. I miss learning about whole other cultures and religions, and being able to share mine as something new, special and unknown. Here, it is a given, it is simple, it is unquestioned. I don't take that for granted at all, but I wonder if this is a bubble that I can be content in long term. (I wonder in a very calm, go with the flow way, of course... I wouldn't dream of stressing about this sort of life decision!)

The jewish holidays were amazing - on sukkot, we had about 70 peole here at Brown house and sang and danced around a campfire and on stage. A few of us decided at midnight to go on a hike - (where else can I con 4 people into hiking a mile and a half and sleeping on a cold ledge at midnight?!!!) Last week, I successfully completed the largest corn maze in the east - and we did it without a flashlight in the middle of the night! Simchat Torah, a celebration for completing the reading of the Old Testament - took place (for me) in NYC. I met up with a friend from Israel for dinner and got to meet some very interesting and inspiring rabbinical students. Then, we danced until all hours, and when most people had left BJ on the upper west side, the crowd that remained was mostly people from up here. We kept the party going even in NYC - spreading our light and spirit 100 miles from our homebase. Later, we were invited to a rooftop party. 30 or more Jews sat on the roof eating lasagna and fondu, singing, dancing and smoking from a nargila - with the NYC skyline in place of our usual backdrop of trees, lake and peaks.

The future? It's weird to even think of. I am so happily absorbed in daily life here that planning beyond lunch tomorrow seems unnecessary. I have found out about an outward bound class for educators that I would really like to do before heading back to Israel. We'll see. There's Hazon and Livnot as well, and my friend Eli wants me to teach outdoor education to children with serious drug and alcohol problems in Utah. I am blessed with choices, and none of them can be wrong...