Mountains and Mirrors

Friday May 1, 2026/14 Iyyar 5786

Hevre/Friends/Amici,

Ciao dalla Sicilia! Hello from Sicily! Our Rabbi on the Road adventure has been filled with stunning landscapes, fascinating sites, and—let’s be honest—way too much gelato. Actually, there’s no such thing as too much gelato…

Our group of 27 travelers and 4 staff is exploring Sicily through Jewish eyes, immersing ourselves in travel as a spiritual practice. After all, travel is a deeply authentic Jewish act. As Diane Tickton writes in Jewish Lives, Jewish Learning, “The language of journey and travel is at the heart of the ‘meta-story’ of the Jewish people. From Abraham’s departure for unknown destinations, to Joseph’s journey to Egypt, to the Israelites crossing the Sea of Reeds, to generations of migrations around the world—the departures and arrivals, itineraries and landmarks, baggage and paraphernalia of ‘Jews on the journey’ frame our thinking about Jewish growth and change.”

We’re more than tourists. We’re travelers—seeking to understand the experiences and perspectives of fellow Jews and fellow human beings in cultures different from our own. We’re here not only to observe, but to participate, contribute, and learn from what—and whom—we encounter. We’re here to grow: in our Jewish lives and in our shared humanity.

In The Art of Travel, Alain de Botton writes about using travel to cultivate a curious and receptive mindset. Rabbi on the Road trips aren’t about filling travelers with facts and figures. Rather, our goal is to awaken curiosity about the larger ideas each place represents, and to open ourselves to the unique messages of the landscapes we explore. We ask not only where we are, but what it might mean—and how it might shape our understanding of ourselves as individuals and as a people.

Take Mount Etna, for example. An active volcano for over 500,000 years—the highest in Europe and among the most active in the world - its magnitude and majesty are breathtaking. You can even hold warm lava in your hands, still radiating heat from an eruption 24 years ago.

But Etna is more than an imposing mountain. It’s a mirror for some of life’s most enduring questions, many which now feel urgent to us as Jews:

What does it mean to live with uncertainty?Etna reminds us that the ground beneath our feet is not as stable as it feels. How much of life is truly predictable—and how do we live well knowing that it isn’t?

What is the relationship between destruction and creation?Lava destroys homes and landscapes, yet over time creates some of the most fertile soil on earth. Where in our own lives are endings quietly making way for new growth?

How small are we, really?Standing before something so vast can shrink the ego. What changes when we truly grasp our place in the grand scheme of things?

What is resilience?Communities around Etna rebuild again and again. What allows people—and us—to return, to replant, to begin anew after disruption?

What does it mean to be rooted in a place?Why stay near a force that can upend everything? What binds us to the places, relationships, and identities we call home—even when they don’t always feel safe?

How do we hold beauty and danger together?Etna is both breathtaking and terrifying. Where else in life do we encounter this paradox—and how do we respond?

What is time, on a human versus geological scale?A volcano operates on timescales that dwarf human life. How might our priorities shift if we thought more in centuries than in years?

What forces are quietly shaping us from within?Just as Etna’s eruptions begin deep underground, what unseen pressures or longings are building beneath the surface of our own lives?

For Rabbi on the Road travelers, Etna is less a destination and more a mirror—reflecting questions about fragility, endurance, and the generative power of upheaval. Whether you’re in Sicily or not, these questions feel especially timely, inviting reflection on our own lives and on the Jewish story in this fragile moment.

We’ll carry these ideas into our Shabbat discussion tonight. Bring them to your own Shabbat, wherever you may be, and see where they lead you. No suitcase required.

With blessings for a Shabbat Shalom,

Dini