Dragon boating aids dream

VIOLETA MOUTAL

Everyone has dreams. A big one of mine was born in childhood. When the news broke out in my native Mexico about the Six Day War in Israel, I heard a whisper calling me home. Young as I was, I wept in despair for the safety of the land of olive trees, where young settlers lived in kibbutzim, worked the land and danced horas around bonfires – a vision that remained in my soul for decades.

Last fall, I attended an information meeting organized by the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver about the second Dragon Boat Israel (DBI) festival, which was to take place in the Kinneret in May 2013. At the meeting, I was greeted by familiar faces and encouraged to enrol. During the slide show of the 2012 DBI, I envisioned myself paddling in the Galilee. Driving home, I thought of how my mother, z”l, lost her life to breast cancer when I was young, and how dragon boating in Canada has evolved into a fundraising, therapeutic and inspirational sport for breast cancer survivors. Moroever, the 2013 DBI dates coincided with my mother’s birthday and Mother’s Day. The signs were clear.

I joined the Vancouver delegation of paddlers, headed by JFGV’s If’at Eilon-Haber and returning coach Dari Fisher. Pacific Chai’s novice paddlers included Merle Ames, Sandi and Morris Bojm, David and Corinne Goldman, Hayley Miller and myself. Bruce Ames assumed a cheerleader/photographer role.

With not quite enough paddlers, and with Eilon-Haber’s help, we invited on board Israelis from Har Vagai High School, located in the north of Israel, with whom our local community shares Partnership2Gether, an initiative that pairs Diaspora communities with regions in Israel.

Practices started in early spring. The biweekly lessons in False Creek were led by Fisher, Gary Cohen and Megan McCord, the steerperson, professionals who role-modeled technique, teamwork, encouragement and a passion for the sport.

The awaited day finally came on May 8, when the full team came together at Maagan Holiday Village, our hotel and also the festival site. Maagan is a beachfront paradise resort/kibbutz encircled by the Kinneret and the desert.

We met our Israeli partners a day prior to the competition. The ice was broken in no time. We all proudly wore our blue team shirts, exchanged names, smiles and chuckles in broken English and Hebrew. The true magic occurred when all 20 of us took our seats in the boat, now as a complete team of 20 paddlers, our drummer Eilon-Haber and a steerperson appointed by the organizers. The feeling of partnership led our way in the Galilee’s sweet waters.

The rest of the day included lunch in Tiberias, courtesy of JFGV, and a festival opening gala dinner in the Ramat Hader Amusement Park, where we were treated to a buffet of Israeli delicacies, speeches from the organizing committee and other officials, and a performance by the Har Vagai Girls Choir.

Competition day was intense. The park was buzzing with activity and filled with tents, one for each of the 33 Israeli and Canadian teams, each member of which was recognizable in their bright-colored shirts. While the races were going on, people picnicked and sunbathed on the beach, enjoyed the arts and crafts and food vendors, and took part in yoga, Zumba, drumming and singing sessions around the main park stage.

We raced twice against two teams and made it to the finals. In our last race, we almost capsized, but managed to remain upright, paddling through a big wave caused by our competitor’s boat overturning – the judges pronounced us the winners, and all 20 of us in Pacific Chai received a gold medal in Category C.

It was hard to say goodbye to our Israeli partners. From the Israeli perspective, one of our teammates, Sima Hendrikson, an English teacher at Har Vagai, wrote: “When a team bonds together in order to reach a common goal, they are able to achieve greatness. Win or lose, we were all in it together. Everyone has to give it their all, together as a single dragon, or there is no way to win. And win we did.

“From all of us Pacific Chaiers here at Har Vagai, we have one thing to say to our Pacific Chai teammates in Vancouver – thank you for taking us under your wing. We have obviously learned from the best. We really have to come up with a better cheer for next year. Let’s get to work on that, shall we?

“Till next year in Jeru- ... um ... Kinneret! We will be awaiting your return.”

For me in particular, it was sad to leave. On this trip, I finally met Israel and connected with this holy place and its people, reinforcing my individual and collective Jewish identity. The dragon boat in which our Pacific Chai Team paddled has become for me a symbolic vessel connecting our past and our future, Canadians and Israelis, challenge and blessing, chaverim and mishpachah. For more about the trip, visit vmoutalblog.wordpress.com.

Violeta Moutal is a Vancouver freelance writer.

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