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Hello! My name is Dylan Cohen and I'll be telling you guys about the unreal day Mayanot 495 experienced in the unique city of tzavat. With connotations to the element of wind, this place was like nothing I have ever seen. We arrived around 845am at a place where Torah and tefillin scribes practiced and welcomed visitors and groups like ours. There we were split up into 3 groups and learned of the history of tefillin, how it is scribed onto the parchment and actually got to attempt to write our names in Hebrew with the ink and feather.
After our events there, we walked around the town for a little before going to the other part of tzavat to visit a famous artist and listen to him speak to us. This guy was awesome. His paintings and drawings were beautiful and each one had its own story and deep meaning behind them. I would try and explain some of them here, but they were so abstract and deep that I could only reiterate what they meant in person. He grew up in Michigan and up until his final years in college did he become religious. The reason for this is because he discovered the power of spiritual guidance through the Kabbalah. He kind of had a hippy-esque vibe and many people may have found some of the things he said a little out there, but his love and belief in the Kabbalah really resonated in my mind and caused me to think a little deeper about the spiritual side of Judaism. Because of the visit to his gallery and after seeing the way he thought and acted, my view on Judaism has been altered in a better way and I want to explore more into the Kabbalah by reading the same books he read that made him change his life.
After that experience our group went to grab lunch and shop around a market area which had stores and restaurants. Many people bought beautiful Jewish jewelry and clothing during this time. But I won't waste time here talking about how delicious (and messy) my shwarma was.
Our next and last experience in tzavat was at one of the oldest mikvahs in the world. A mikvah is a natural water tub filled with rain/spring water which is in fact the most important thing in Judaism- more important than any synagogue. Men and women go in them to get a physical, mental and spiritual cleanse. A way to symbolize it is like a child going back into their mothers womb. This experience was incredible. The boys and girls were split up and after speaking with the awesome guide who grew up in Los Angeles, he took us men down to the famous mikvah so we could experience this cleanse. One by one we all went in the tub and submerged ourselves in the shivering water. In the short time in that water, we were asked to think deeply about positive things in our life and what we would like to change about ourselves in order to become a better person. This was an incredible experience. I felt electric after! While the reader may or may not understand the feeling we all experienced, you should just know that it's sort of like one of those things that you have to experience firsthand to understand.
Tzavat was a beautiful city with some powerful history behind it. I will never forget te experience I had there and am so blessed to have gotten this opportunity.