Day 5
Shabbat in Chiang Mai

Leading up to this trip many people asked me why I am taking a trip to Thailand. “What’s Jewish about Thailand!?” they would ask. “It’s not like there is any Jewish history there”. True.
It’s a good question. 
And before the trip I wasn’t so sure how to answer it. Tikkun olam, I’d say. Social justice. Volunteerism. Making a difference... those were all good answers and good reasons to do this trip. I was confident there would be a good outcome, I just wasn’t sure exactly what it would be.

When I look out my hotel room window I see the ‘Foxy Girls’ bar, with girls sitting on the high stools waiting to be picked up. It feels quite devastating to me. There is plenty of brokenness here. It is a place filled with many pockets of immorality, poverty and idol worship. You can feel the darkness and it can truly break your heart. It’s a broken world we live in.
So again, what am I doing here, bringing Jewish women on a trip to Thailand? Israel trips make sense. Poland trips, you can totally understand. But what’s Jewish about Thailand? 
This shabbos I got my answer. 
WE are Jewish in Thailand! 
It truly doesn’t mater where we go as long as we bring along our light and shine it outwards to the world! 
This Friday night 42 incredible powerhouse Jewish women ushered in the sanctity and holiness of Shabbat together. We lit Shabbat candles, danced, sang, prayed the Kabbalat Shabbat, had kiddish over wine and ha’motzai over challah. We dined, laughed, and cried. We learnt Torah, had meaningful discussions, and enjoyed Shabbat services at the local Chabad house with many Israelis. We brought so much light into the world. Our light must have filled so many of the broken cracks here in this space and way beyond!

Tonight one of the woman in our group was lucky enough to use the Mikvah here in Chiang Mai. She had a wonderful uplifting experience. just down the street from the red light sex district. The contrast blows my mind! It is nothing short of a miracle that there is a kosher Mikvah smack in the midst of all this noise and chaos. It brings me so much hope. (Huge shout out to the incredible Chabad here!) 
How do you fight darkness? With light! Lots of it! 
My lesson learnt is this: 
If you want, you can find purity anywhere. You can bring it into your life. 
If you want, you can bring the light into the world, wherever you go. The Jewish people are meant to be the light onto the nations. We need to step up and be that light. We need to shine that unique light.

In Havdallah tonight we sang the words “Hamavdil Bein kodesh l’chol”, making a differentiation between what is holy and what is not. As Jews we are so blessed to have a moral compass to guide us along our path.

Shavuah tov! Wishing you all a blessed week!
#bethelight #shinebright #spreadthelight #shabbosinchiangmai#shavuahtov #justifi #portlandkollel #travelwithmeaning