Theodor Herzl called his great Zionist novel Altneuland.

I’ve always loved the title. It captures something that can only really be understood by standing here. Israel is ancient and astonishingly young at exactly the same time. Every stone whispers yesterday while every street corner argues about tomorrow.

Over the past week I’ve had the privilege of studying at the Shalom Hartman Institute with rabbis, educators and Jewish thinkers from around the world. Together we’ve immersed ourselves in some of Judaism’s biggest questions. What does it mean to be human? What does covenant demand of us? How do we build a society that reflects our highest values rather than our deepest fears?

The learning has been extraordinary.

But Israel has a way of reminding you that not all learning happens in the beit midrash.

Some of the deepest lessons have come over burgers on the Tel Aviv beach, during slow afternoons on a kibbutz and over coffee in Jerusalem that somehow stretches into hours.

Through someone very dear to me who now wears an Israeli uniform, I found myself welcomed into the world of young lone........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)