FRIDAY SHABBAT RETREAT #83, KIBBUTZ ALMOG
22.01.2022
We began this wondrous, warm weekend in the Dead Sea with a tour by Guy Erlich of the Balm of Gilead farm, where his dream of growing afarsemon, biblical mor, levona, and other ancient valuable, therapeutic plants is coming true. He rubbed us with 80% accurate annointing oil, prepared a type of “ketoret” from the time of the Temple, and described ancient Jewish agriculture and customs. We hiked up Hurkania mountain to drink tea and take family photos, and spent Shabbat in Kibbutz Almog, including pre-Shabbat singing, an evening competitive quiz connected to Tu b’Shvat, a Ten Commandments workshop connected to Parshat Hashavua, and an inspiring talk on Shabbat with Shani Kotev, a former paratrooper who was wounded during an IDF operation, made a miraculous recovery and today continues his grandfather’s pioneering work in the desert.
We began this wondrous, warm weekend in the Dead Sea with a tour by Guy Erlich of the Balm of Gilead farm, where his dream of growing afarsemon, biblical mor, levona, and other ancient valuable, therapeutic plants is coming true. He rubbed us with 80% accurate annointing oil, prepared a type of “ketoret” from the time of the Temple, and described ancient Jewish agriculture and customs. We hiked up Hurkania mountain to drink tea and take family photos, and spent Shabbat in Kibbutz Almog, including pre-Shabbat singing, an evening competitive quiz connected to Tu b’Shvat, a Ten Commandments workshop connected to Parshat Hashavua, and an inspiring talk on Shabbat with Shani Kotev, a former paratrooper who was wounded during an IDF operation, made a miraculous recovery and today continues his grandfather’s pioneering work in the desert.
