Kaytana for children from the Jaffa kehilla

In a time as hard as the present, when the residents of the Holy Land are again experiencing sorrow, fear and terror because of the situation, Father Apolinary, responsible for the Jaffa kehilla, organized a trip lasting three days to the north of the country for the children of the kehilla. In this way, the parents could be a bit calmer about the fate of their children and the children were able to enjoy recreational time far from the anxieties provoked by the regular sirens in the Gush Dan area. Despite this, it was noticeable that the children were worried about the parents they had left at home, especially as they heard the regular announcements regarding air raid sirens in the media.

The peace and tranquility of the area where Jesus had begun his public ministry and had been active no doubt had an effect on the interior life of the children. The opportunity to pray in places like Stella Maris in Haifa, the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, the Church of the Primacy of Peter in Tabgha and the new church on the archaeological site in the village of Magdala, helped to make the connection between the narratives in the Gospel and today’s reality. Thus, each encounter with a place like these enabled the child to deepen the interiorization of the faith with the aid of the visual elements and the personal experience in a place so similar to the way the place looked when Jesus grew up and was active there.

Beyond the historical-spiritual experience, the children also enjoyed swimming in the Sea of Galilee or sailing on a boat on its surface’ getting to know the large and little crocodiles at Hamat Gader, swimming in the pools which the Roman soldiers had discovered as having medicinal and calming effects, both physical and psychological.

On the way home, it was clear that recreation like this had had the effect of calming the children and allowing them to replenish their energies and their resistance as they returned to the daily realities of a time of war.

Parents and children are very grateful to those who organized the trip for all the efforts invested in making it happen. Special thanks to our hosts at Casa Nova in Tiberias and in Tabgha and our guide in Magdala.