Our Fantastic Journey
I keep waiting for the words to come, the time has been so rich, so full - I almost don’t know how to begin.
This module is our second to last. We decided to bring a group of people from the United States and Canada with us, one of those magical inspirational thoughts that has manifested into something so beyond what I could imagine.
It came with controversy (WHO ARE THEY? WHY ARE THEY COMING? Fear - What will they think of us? And WAIT - WHAT KIND OF TOUR ARE YOU PLANNING FOR THEM? Will it be complex? Will it be one-sided?) As, always in Radical Aliveness - we turned it over to the group - YOU plan it, and we really let go. You plan what you want them to see and experience. And WOW, what tours they planned. There were four days of touring before we met in Camp Sahara as a whole group to begin our time processing.
This message will be the first of a few because our days have been so full, so deep, so profound. It is clear to me that something so beyond what I even knew was going to happen is happening. Actually, as I think of it- that is always true - there is an impulse, then a yes - and then - a journey that asks to be followed. I am realizing I will need to do this day-by-day because so much has happened.
We had a tour in Jaffa and Tel Aviv led by Chen and Hadar, two of our amazing leaders. Hadar who helped us land, literally with our feet in the ground in a park breathing and feeling we are here. Chen took us many places and explained her experience as a secular Jewish woman in Israel, her experience of October 7th, a trip to the gallery from Kibbutz Biri, and then to one of the oldest deli's in Tel Aviv, for olives and later the most amazing ice cream (sage and butter and lavender), and I can’t remember what else, and a final stop in front of a mural of the hostages who were murdered in one of the tunnels. Chen’s personal story of watching October 7th as it unfolded and what it meant to her. There were tears many times that morning.
Our group that traveled here, as well as our group here, has so many perspectives. The group here had a deep desire that the visitors understand the complexity of what they are living - the different points of view - the different ways they see and experience.
What I loved about our guests - all of whom understand Radical Aliveness and the principles - is that the quality of listening, of knowing how much they don’t know - of being willing to ask questions and be open has been such a deep quality that they came with. From the moment Chen met them (she was one of the most afraid of meeting Westerners) she fell in love. She and Hadar sent messages to their group- THEY ARE FANTASTIC HUMANS. And indeed, they are. We ended the night in Talitha Kumi - a guest house in the West Bank. All of us fell into bed. Exhausted from jet lag, ready (or actually if they had known what was to come, I don’t know if they would ever have been ready) but in their trusting innocence - happy and excited, ready for the next day.
I will tell you more in another e-mail. This is the first of many, but our days have been from morning to night, and this is the first moment I have had to write something.
It feels that this is the beginning of something. We all feel it. Magical things are happening.
We are getting ready to do our fall fundraiser. First, I want to say - thank you so much to all who have given to us last year. Because of you we are able to have this module - and we now will work to raise the money for the final module and graduation and the beginning of another program. There will be pictures coming and more beautiful stories, but for now I needed just to get started sharing.
What I will say that is not informational and maybe more poetic (since that is usually my way) - it is SO CLEAR that our presence makes a difference. The world needs us. We need each other. The presence of this group has allowed so much to happen. I asked someone why? These people have said these things (though they admitted some new and even harder things- hallelujah) and they have felt these things - what is it that is making them hear each other more deeply and take each other in? Dror our leader said, there is a quality of listening in this group of the outsiders (who are now insiders and we are all in love). They are listening with such humility, care, openness. It is not that people from the West have not said and felt very hard things- but there is a listening and a deep commitment to "knowing I don’t know” that has created safety. And I also think our group here is feeling the end coming has felt the call to rise to new heights. What we have been through since January 2023 has been precious and impossible, and we all know it.
I am smiling as I remember the difficulty of introducing this idea - the resistance of some, how mad people were at me - and now - to see them laughing, holding each other, crying - we are one - that is the truth. And don’t let anyone tell you differently. We have the capacity to be one - with all our perspectives and feelings. To hear people say - I don’t want you to leave. Well, all I can say is today is a good day. I feel full of love and even though there have been moments of despair, I feel full of hope - we are all doing our part and what more can you do as a human other than to do your part. Love ann
