First, the venue of Bet-Shmuel, Jerusalem, overlooking an entry to the Old City, is breathtaking, as you can see from the picture at top right.
Second, the organisation and balance between the opening gala, keynote addresses, debates, workshops, shul services, entertainment, tours and leisure and closing ceremony, was perfect, as were the boxed lunches and sumptuous dinners.
Lastly, but most importantly, the chance to meet the leadership of the WUPJ and many of the support staff with whom we correspond (but never meet) and to talk with leaders and rabbis from around the world was exceptional. We could also chat to people who could provide references for potential rabbinic candidates.
We arrived in Tel Aviv on Wednesday evening at around 10pm and had to wait an hour before the shuttle had enough passengers to travel to Jerusalem. Thursday morning, Antony Arkin and I went for a walk around the Old City. We took a meander through the Armenian quarter and eventually wound up at the Temple wall.
After an hour or so of quite meditation, we came back via the Arab quarter and walked back to Bet-Shmuel to do our registration and have lunch. We then spent the afternoon at Yad Vashem. The new building is just so fantastic, and the exhibition so earth-shattering, that we were literally drained of energy.
The South African delegates pose on a hilltop overlooking the Old City. Author Jeff Carel is at left, and tour leader Reeva Forman at centre
This was a grand occasion. Despite cold, wet weather in Jerusalem, the atmosphere couldn't have been warmer as more than 600 people gathered to celebrate together. The gala opening was held at the YMCA, a block away from Bet-Shmuel. The combination of drums, violins, shofars and other ancient musical instruments used as an introduction was very special.
The usual speeches were mixed with choirs singing and a video address by the Israeli Prime minister Ehud Olmert. The opening concluded with songs by famous musician Danny Maseng. Afterwards we marched back to Bet-Shmuel to enjoy drinks and a chance to chat and chill.
On Friday, Sunday and Monday the routine was much the same. A morning shiur, a keynote address to get things going, a midmorning session (four to choose from), a lunch time discussion group (about six to choose from). The afternoons were used to provide tours and a chance to get ready for the evening events.
On Friday evening we went to Kol Haneshama for a Shabbat service. A wonderful, calming service, sung almost from start to finish by the entire congregation, with meditation breaks and a brief sermon. Afterwards three of us from SA, America and France were taken to a family's home for shabbat dinner. The flat was typically Israeli, very small for a family of four to live in, in an area packed with apartments and no parking. Certainly an interesting evening.
Banners at the front of the main conference hall
On Saturday morning we attended the shabbat service in the grand meeting room of Bet-Shmuel. It was a truly wonderful event, music by modern guitar-playing Danny Maseng, youth choristers and a traditional chazzan. The service was lead by a variety of rabbis and lay readers. A highlight was that for the torah reading groups of people were called up according to their organisations. As a result, all 500 attendees were called to one of the seven portions.
Saturday , after lunch, there were several guided tours with different themes which walked around Jerusalem and the Old city. I went on one with the Psalms as a backdrop to the tour.
That night we were treated to a full concert by Danny Maseng, who mixed old Yiddish and traditional music with some of his compositions, a truly wonderful experience.
On Sunday the work continued. After lunch, we chose to go on a tour of the 700km wall built around Palestine and Jerusalem and several other towns. There were two streams of thought on seeing the size of the walls – 10m high – the size of the check points and the slowness of the stream of pedestrians and cars going through. The first was that this is a form of apartheid not even seen in SA. The second was that the number of suicide bombings,incidental shootings and crime generally, has dropped so substantially. You decide!
On Monday we followed the usual routine and then went to get ready for the evening events, including a guided tour around the Israel Museum followed by a presentation and awards to various distinguished people and a major closing ceremony. We then had the most superb dinner inside the museum, with a view of the Knesset and a chance to say goodbye to the friends made.
Magnificent view across the old city from the main hall at the WUPJ headquarters
WUPJ headquarters by night, seen from a footpath leading up from the Old City