Recordings in the Day of a Life of the Tiyul
In Portland, Mane there is an old synagogue named Etz Chaim, which means, “Tree of Life”. It
was far from a “tree of life” on Tuesday July 2nd when the TIYUL arrived to help restore it
and clean it up. Based in New York City, The TIYUL is a group of 37 teenagers and 5 staff
members traveling for 6-weeks along the east coast. The TIYUL does service projects in
different communities and participates in outdoor activities. I am one of the select few lucky
enough to have this experience.
Imagine going to synagogue for services and seeing a jungle of weeds and roots all over the
lawn. I walked inside and the synagogue was dirty and in dire need of a new coat of paint.
The 42 members of The TIYUL spent Tuesday at Etz Chaim pulling the weeds and roots out of the
ground and cleaning both the front lawn and the area behind the building. Part of the group
went into the synagogue to dust and wipe down the sanctuary where services are held on Friday
nights and Saturday. When the afternoon had come but the work was only half completed the
whole group went into the sanctuary that is used exclusively for high holidays. We brought
spirit into the room for the first time in quite a while. The TIYUL sang, danced, and left
behind enough life to cheer up the congregants for the next hundred times they held services
there.
The group put away the tools and left the synagogue for the day. Wednesday morning the TIYUL boarded the bus and headed back to Etz Chaim to finished the various projects that had been started. Although much work had been accomplished the previous day there was still much progress to be made. One of the groups that had been working in the front yard planted flower gardens around the steps leading up to the building. Another group that worked in the front the day before continued pulling weeds in the back of the synagogue. A small group of teens planned and painted a mural on the back wall. The group that had been inside the first day helped complete the other projects.
Afternoon came once again but this time The TIYUL was extremely proud of all that they had done to help the synagogue over the past two days. We were surprised to see how much had been accomplished in such little time. The weed-filled lawns were now adorned with flowers and the back yard had been transformed from a mess of weeds into a beautiful meditation garden for the congregants.
“It is a tree of life to those who hold fast to it and all of its supporters are happy.” This is the translation of a Hebrew song called "Etz Chaim He". The TIYUL was finally satisfied with the work we all did and the synagogue was a true Etz Chaim—a tree of life.
Shira Rosenblum
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