Whenever a mission participant returns from Israel, their first and often fondest memories are of their tour guide. And for the past 10 plus years, Tidewater’s exclusive Israel tour guide has been the amazing Zalman Spivak, a unique combination of many fine skills and qualities. An outstanding educator and scholar, Spivak also brings a love for the land and the People of Israel that is absolutely contagious. His energy and enthusiasm make it impossible not to engage!
After October 7, Spivak was recalled to his reserve unit, where he served for the better part of a year. Because so many of us know and love him, his experiences post-October 7 have become a lens through which we have processed the events unfolding in Israel. We worried for his safety as well as that of his young children and parents. We thought about him constantly and hoped he was doing okay. We wondered how he was able to make a living with tourism (just beginning to come back to Israel after COVID) once again, completely shut down. And we sat in frustration, because all we could really do was send him the occasional Whatssap or Facebook message telling him he was in our thoughts.
It’s hard to believe that in March of 2023, a group of us were touring and celebrating Purim with him in Israel. What a difference seven months makes.
In September of 2024, fresh from reserve duty, Spivak had the opportunity standing-room-only crowd at the home of Ashley and Greg Zittrain, we listened to him talk about what the last year had been like for him and for Israelis in general; how the political situation in Israel was playing out in a post-October 7 nation; and how we can help support Israel.
Fast forward to February 2025. Spivak again found himself in the US, creating a travel itinerary which put him in his favorite communities. And once again, we were thrilled to welcome him. This time, he brought a multi-media, Tu B’Shevat Seder program he created especially for our Young Leadership Division, which brilliantly illustrated the relationship between the people, the land, and the modern politics of Israel.
Quoting the early Zionist hero, Joseph Trumpledor, Spivak built his program with the following quote in mind: “Wherever the Jewish plow plows its last furrow, that is where the border will run.” Every child in Israel knows this quote, and it speaks not only to the land and the people, but also to the political decisions made on the borders of Israel, including the Gaza envelop and the Golan Heights, where farms are plentiful, and food is produced to feed the nation.
Spivak created a Tu B’Shevat Haggadah which included the order of the seder (including four cups of wine and the seven species of Israel), as well as modern quotes from contemporary thinkers, scholars, and poets and videos of songs sung by a nation at war, which speak directly to the value of the land and the willingness of Israelis to fight for it.
About 25 members of UJFT’s Young Adult Division participated in the seder with the opportunity to learn from Spivak – as so many of us have done on Israel Missions. The dinner gave a nod to Tu B’Shevat – the Jewish “New Year for Trees,” with olives and dates playing a starring role, as well as vegetable soup!
Moving through the seder, we drank our four cups, starting with white wine – representing the pure white, stillness, and dormancy of winter and the snowcapped Mount Hermon. Next, we drank pale pink – (white with a drop of red wine), representing the earth’s awakening in early spring; the gradual and orderly turning of the seasons, which are the background against which we lead our lives. Moving further through the seder, we drank our third cup, which was a darker pink – symbolizing the blossoming of late spring, as it overtakes the dormancy of winter with its rush of new colors in the landscape. The fourth cup – near the end of the seder was almost totally red (with only a drop of white), symbolizing the full arrival of spring and the vibrant life of a new season. Through this progression, we began to understand the cycle of agriculture in various parts of Israel, how it fits with other holidays and celebrations, and its importance to the people.
It’s hard to believe two years have passed since our community was last in Israel on a Federation mission. Being with Spivak was a reminder of how meaningful it is for each of us to connect with the land and the people.
I hope that the coming year will bring a full return of the hostages and “peace enough” that we can once again travel together. And while it may not be traditional to recite at the close of a Tu B’Shevat seder… I will add: “L’Shanah Haba’ah B’Yerushalayim.” Next year, may we find ourselves and our community together (on a mission with Zalman!) in Jerusalem
This year… Tidewater. Next year… Jerusalem.
