Weekly report by the Northern group- Maya and Tommy
This week has been full of fun activities and stimulating lessons. Since the week has been so crazy, it’s really hard to write about everything we did. So, we are going to run you through the highlights.
Our first open Shabbat was definitely peak part of the week. Charley ran a beautiful Kabalat Shabbat for both the Southerners and us. Saturday was very relaxing as we were finally able to catch up on sleep. However, some adventurous people went on a hike to a local bunker up in the mountains where they were able to get a great view of the valley in which Lotan resides.
The next highlight of week was going to an elderly peoples’ home on Sunday morning. We started off by singing a few songs to them and then took time to connect with the residents on a personal level. We played games, did art, and also simply talked with them and heard their stories. It was clear that our presence truly meant a lot to them. As we said goodbye, they were all smiling, and expressed how grateful they were that we had taken the time to come and visit.
The final highlight of the week was Tuesday night where we had a Watsu session. For those of you who don’t know, Watsu is a form of aquatic relaxation used to cleanse the body and mind. We went to the local water sanctuary which was equipped with beds, a soothing bath, and tea. When we were there, we paired up, attached floaters to our arms and legs, and slowly guided each other through the water. We were in the bath for 2 hours and afterwards we all felt free of stress and extremely renewed.
Unfortunately, this week some of us have been ill. While not having everyone together for the activities is a bummer, we have all come together and taken care of each other. Thankfully it seems like everyone is getting healthy again and we are very excited to begin next week with a more healthy kavutzah.
Maya and Tommy