THE MOSHAV: FROM THE ASHES - Part 1

Five Years After a Devastating Fire, a Unique Israeli Community Rebuilds

SIgn at entrance to Moshav Mevo Mod'im. (Credit: Chad Derrick)

This past April, I visited the small village of Moshav Mevo Modi’im, commonly referred to as "the Moshav" by Israelis and Jews around the world.

It had been almost 25 years since my first visit to this place, known for its residents’ distinctive practice of Orthodox Judaism, modeled on the teachings of the Moshav’s founder, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach. Rabbi Carlebach, who passed away in 1994, was known informally by most people as “Reb Shlomo” or simply “Shlomo.”

Nestled in a rural area halfway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, the Moshav has been - for much of its nearly fifty-year existence - a destination for spiritual seekers drawn to the warmth and zeal of its inhabitants.

The Moshav is located near the historical home and burial place of the Hasmonean Maccabees who rose up against the Seleucid Greeks in the 2nd century  BCE.  There’s remnants of a Byzantine monastery on the Moshav grounds but the current village was founded in 1975.  

That’s when a small group of pioneering Jewish hippies, primarily from the U.S., established an idyllic, spiritually-focused community - kind of like an Eastern European shtetl updated with the counter-cultural ethos of the time.  With his charismatic personality and special gift for music, storytelling and teaching, Shlomo inspired many of  these young people, formerly distant from religion, to embrace traditional, Orthodox Jewish practice and then build this special community in Israel.

One long-time resident, Shalom Schwarz, has lived on the Moshav for 44 years. Originally from New York, he first arrived at the Moshav in 1980, at the age of 23, and met Shlomo soon after. 

Shalom Schwarz in his new home on Moshav Mevo Modi'im. (Credit: Chad Derrick)

Schwarz recalled:

“The amazing thing about a teacher is being able to take a very complicated subject and bring it down to everyone's level.  When you walk into a room of people who can't speak Hebrew, can't read Hebrew, haven’t gone to Hebrew school since they’re 13 years old - if they even went to Hebrew school - or might not even had a Bar Mitzvah, and you can open their heart as a Jew, that's the real treasure that Reb Shlomo was given.”

“He saw diamonds in people, you know, you see a rough rock, and some people can see the diamond.”  

Shlomo came and went from the Moshav, sometimes staying for days or even months. When he spent the Jewish Sabbath there, word would spread quickly, and his followers, or “chevra,” would flock to the Moshav from across Israel to experience the inspiring prayer and communal meals of a “Shlomo Shabbos.”

Visitors also came to the Moshav for Jewish holidays, weddings, fairs, and musical performances, welcomed with open arms by its residents who included teachers, artists, and alternative health practitioners.

During my first visit to the Moshav at the turn of the millennium, Shlomo had already passed away, but the chevra had kept his musical and spiritual legacy alive and thriving.

Returning again this past April, in the midst of a brutal war, was an eye-opening and inspiring experience.  That’s because the community was now rebuilding, after almost being completely destroyed by fire in May, 2019.

MY FIRST VISIT  TO THE MOSHAV

It was the year 2000, the dawn of the new millennium. Leading up to the calendar change, and even into the new year, many anticipated dramatic events taking place in Israel: the end of the world, the Second Coming in Jerusalem, or, perhaps just as fantastically, the continuation of the Oslo peace process. None of these materialized. However, as a fledgling documentarian, I observed and filmed the messianic fervor of some visitors to Israel that year, and even encountered people exhibiting the "Jerusalem Syndrome"—a psychological condition where individuals believe they are biblical prophets or figures like Moses or the Messiah. (More on this fascinating phenomenon can be found here: Jerusalem Syndrome).

The footage I captured was later edited into a short documentary that aired on Canadian television (link to come).

But, in addition to filming, I dedicated time that year to deepening my connection to Israel and its complex history, immersing myself in Jewish learning and experiences.

Experiencing the Jewish Sabbath on the Moshav during that first visit was one of several pivotal milestones in my spiritual growth over the course of my time in the country. I had increased my observance of Jewish practices, studied holy and philosophical texts, and celebrated holidays with the enthusiasm of a "ba’al teshuva" — a term for someone who returns to Jewish observance.

The approach to Judaism practiced by many of the Moshav’s residents was especially compelling. Unlike the mostly uninspiring, staid practices I’d been previously exposed to, the Moshav’s joyful, music-infused prayer and Orthodox practice was a revelation.

I’d like to pause here to make a few clarifications. This post isn’t intended to be a comprehensive history of the Moshav or a hagiography of Rabbi Carlebach, whose music and liturgical compositions remain beloved in synagogues worldwide.

Photo of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach in Moshav synagogue. (Credit: Chad Derrick)

It’s also important to acknowledge that after Shlomo’s passing, several women came forward with allegations of inappropriate behavior, which first became public with this Lilith Magazine article.

Like many tight-knit communities, the Moshav clearly faced its share of controversies and struggles. Yet, for those who have remained through the years and faced the ups and downs, it has been a true home—a place for well-meaning people to raise families, weather challenges, and sustain a modest way of life.

Shalom Schwarz, a Moshav resident for more than forty years, described the fellowship among residents this way: "We all  grew together as a group. There's a very strong bond between us, whatever might separate us in our beliefs and our religious practices and the way we raise our children and how we look at the world.”

THE FIRE 

On May 23, 2019, a massive fire engulfed almost 800 hectares of land, much of it within the Ben Shemen forest bordering the Moshav. The fire, intensified by an intense heatwave, struck on the Jewish holiday of Lag B’Omer.

Shalom Schwarz happened to be at home that day, when the fire broke out.

Fire in Mevo Modi'im on May 23, 2019. (screen capture: Ynet)

Look out for Part 2 of this blog post for more insight into the fire that destroyed Moshav Mevo Modi’im and the resilience of its residents, who are determined to rebuild.