Sabrina in Israel

\

 

 My Co-Teacher Sabrina from Temple Beth Shalom came to Israel! I have heard her share so many of her stories from her living here and it was so nice to be here with her and create a new memory together! I hopped over to Tel Aviv for dinner by the beach and a beautiful sunset. Afterwards we went out for ice cream! Thanks Sabrina for such a fun evening!!!

Lara!!

I took Jerry to Ben and Jerry's!

Tisha B'Av: A Poem

 This past August 5th was the Jewish holiday of Tisha B'Av a day of morning for the loss of the second temple. Its not a holiday I have particularly honored in my life. yet this year I struggled with the state of destruction in our current society, and in our Jewish community. I felt a great deal of sadness that day, then I got a really good hug and was inspired to write this:



Tisha b'Av I walk the streets
Adorn in black as my sweater flows against my skin
Walking through barren streets, empty stores: everyone's eyes on the sidewalk
My waterbottle swishes in my backpack filled with my nourishment for the day.
The fast: a paradox in my progessive Jewish identity
My heart heavy: my head filled
Rockets, Bombs, tractors, kidnaps -pain beyond pain
Longing for hope, Longing for peace
A pause, a moment, a child
 His yellow shirt smiles as blonde curls bounce
A moment of hope, a moment of peace
The day continues and the world returns

Thoughts on Home

So today we had breakout groups where we had the opportunity to reflect. As a first exercise we we asked to spend fifteen minutes writing about the word "home." I struggle with this word for I feel like I have many homes. I decided that my fifteen minutes worth of writing were worth saving, and if I was going to type them up I might as well share them with all of you....

Home. This word which is supposed to be so grounding, so comforting has recently begun to bring me so much anxiety. What is home? Where is home? Who is home? Most days I don't know. Last month when there were rocket sirens in Jerusalem my mother told me to, "come home." I was in my bedroom, wasn't I home? There is a nostalgic tinge associated with the word and concept of home. However, when I go to my home of St. Louis, Missouri, the home where I grew up, I am left empty, unsatisfied. Many people who made it my home are long gone, scattered across the country and world. My family is there in a new apartment, a new physical home, and in time there have been new challenges as we grow together, separately. These struggles are far from the idyllic childhood on Brooktrail Court. That home is a memory. I want St. Louis to be home, yet it no longer feels right. it's a place, a place I've loved, now changed.

Then there is Boston, the city I called my home, yet it took me awhile. For most of the time I lived in Boston, St. Louis was still my home. How and when did it switch? What did that mean? Why did it happen? I'm in unsure, but I know it did. I long for Boston now, there is a deep void in my heart that I can't be there sitting in the commons with Cayla or singing at Kavod or just simply being in Shafe's kitchen. I feel so at a loss. That was my home and I loved it. TBS was my home. I was supported, challenged, and appreciated. I was known and loved both at TBS and around my Boston cmmunity. It's hard to carry that knowledge and feeling of love, I'm trying to, I know that I need to. The thought of Boston and my community does ground me, but it also makes me immensely sad.

Then there are my memories vivid, strong and colorful. Camp, Viroqua, Jenny's house..well camp especially. it was a place where i felt I could be my authentic self. Like TBS I felt loved and supported. it is a home. I guess it is one of the many. It's so log since I've been there and I'm sure it's different. I wonder if it still feels like home. Maybe home is a feeling of the people you love. Maybe home is love..

Now I live in Jerusalem, the "homeland" yet is it not my home, not yet but it's getting there, maybe. The streets familiar, the stores known. I see people I know on the streets and after a visit to Tel Aviv, i am happy to be home. Yet I still long for Boston, but at least I have the pictures of those memories in frames on my wall here in Jerusalem, my home....

Another Thursday..Another Tiyul...

One of the great things about studying in Israel is that we often have the opportunity to learn about historical events and culture from visiting historical sites. A few weeks ago we went to an unnamed ancient city and to Lachish where a very significant battle took place between the Assyrians and the Kingdom of Judea in 701 BCE.  It was so neat to look at the geography and see first hand how that affected historical events. I surprisingly really like geography and really like society, so seeing how the two have effected each other over time is really neat. Plus I always love learning outside of the classroom. The neatest thing in the pictures above is the picture on the bottom left which is a dove/pigeon cave. kind of like a modern day chicken coop. It was easier to keep the birds underground where it was cool and there was more space. Birds even live in it today! We spent a lot of time on this particular trip in caves and its amazing how old and elaborate the underground infrastructure is. People stored water underground, cooked underground, had stores and stored their pigeons! So very different from the way we lead our lives today............Thanks HUC for the eye opening historical experience!

Birthday Extravaganza!

So this year in Jerusalem I was fortunate to be surrounded by friends new and old for my birthday.  It was a wonderful day from the very beginning when my roommate Rena surprised me with a birthday omelet!! Bailey bought me coffee an my friend Leah even got me a chocolate croissant! I was showered by lovely gifts and the warmth of new, fantastic friends. I had never experienced school before on my Aug. 6th birthday. I must admit I prefer the quiz-less birthdays but my friends made class fun none-the-less. My hebrew buddy Zach made me a flower crown out of paper towels so that i could fulfill the Israeli  custom of having flowers in my hair on my birthday? At least thats what it tells you to do in their birthday song. That evening some HUC friends and I met up with my friend Jenny and we went to one of my favorite cafes called Timol Shishon where we got Shashuka! Yum! Also we had amazing milkshakes for dessert!

The next day the celebration continued that the HUC Beit Kafe (talent show) where my friends Rae and Daniel presented me with an AMAZING chocolate coffee Kailua cake that was like fancy restaurant quality with a penguin on it. incredible. After the talent show much of my class went out dancing to celebrate, so fun! I feel so grateful to have made such warm and caring friends in such a short amount of time (and i feel grateful that jenny is so close!!!!). I can already tell that 26 is going to be an amazing year and much of that will be because of all the wonderful people in it. Thanks everyone! 

Sheva Chaya's Studio

One of the best highlights of Tzfat was visiting Sheva Chaya's studio where we had the opportunity to watch a glass demonstration. Sheva Chaya is a painter and glass artist, originally from Colorado but she is now living in Tzfat and has an amazing studio and gallery space. During her presentation she told us her story and how she came to love art. Her story felt so familiar to me and it was amazing how she connects traditional jewish texts for her inspiration and motivation towards her art. I know many jews and many artists but rarely do I have the opportunity to encounter such a passionate jewish artist who is so knowledgeable about how to weave texts into her understanding of art, glass and her world. After the presentation I introduced myself and hopefully we will find a time this year where we can study together. She has so much to offer and I have so much to learn. Stay tuned! I really hope that this idea can become a reality! 

Journey to Tzfat

 

 A few weeks ago a few friends and I rented a car and drove up to Tzfat. A tiny artsy, spiritual town nestled in the hills above the Kineret. Tzfat is beautiful and lovely. we got there Friday morning just in time for lunch and to be privy to the hustle and bustle of the city pre-shabbat. We wondered around the artist quarter and found beautiful jewelerly and paintings. It was wonderful. There was a man there who did fused glass work and I literally just starred at his tools and scraps of glass. The town is known for the blue doors and there were many paintings and post cards that displayed them. The old city of Tzfat is truly beautiful. Lots of old stone, beautiful flowers, blue door fixings and lots of art. 

One of the amazing things about Tzfat is not just how beautiful the city is but also the warmth of the hospitality of all the people who we met. I personally didn't know anyone who lived in Tzfat but one of my friends knew one girl, our age, who then made a bunch of phone calls and found not only a family who would house us for the night but also another family for lunch the next day. Later, our host family found a place where we could go for Shabbat dinner and my friend had a friend who could host us for Sudah Shishit, a third meal, Shabbat afternoon. It was incredible! so many people who were going out of their way to host FIVE american strangers. All our meals were delicious and people were kind. We had some fascinating conversations throughout our time there. Overall the population in Tzfat is very observant and my peers found it hard to navigate how/if to tell our hosts that they were becoming rabbis (specifically because they are female). The few times they choose to engage in this conversation is was met with many questions and some apprehensions. One asked why would we specifically choose the word "Rabbi" is there a different word that they could use instead? Part of the challenge is that not only were gender roles a topic of different understanding but so was how we choose to practice our Judaism. Many of the individuals we met had not known practicing Reform Jews and have little experience of the roles or expectations of a Reform Rabbi. These conversations were not easy and force us to articulate our Reform Jewish Identity in a way that many of us hadn't before. The people who we talked with were respectful. The man who we stayed with who we had the most extensive conversation with agreed that by after Shabbat, he still felt the same way he had felt in the beginning but that we had opened his eyes to thinking in a different way and he was pleased to met such passionate young women who would lead the Jewish people. We decided that was a little victory. 

Overall, I loved visiting Tzfat. I was captivated by the beauty, the nature and the passion of the people towards their judaism and towards each other. I also loved seeing a community where art and nature was so prevalent in their Jewish Practice. Hopefully I will go back again, I feel like the community has a lot to teach me, especially about art and I enjoyed a restful and filling shabbat where I felt like I was able to indulge in a true day of rest. 

Big Bamboo!

 

 After our field trip at the Israel Museum a few of us went to go play on a structure called "Big Bamboo!" It was incredible. Reminded me so much of the City Museum in St. Louis and the drift wood sculpture thing I climbed in Sweden. I was amazed that they made such a tall sound structure with just bamboo and cables! We climbed to the top and found ourselves a couch. Bailey and I talked for awhile and then I started randomly talking to these young Israeli girls who joined us. They were 10 and one was born in St. Louis! Bailey couldn't stop laughing. These coincidences  seem to happen to me a lot.  One of the other amazing parts about this structure was the incredible view! we were there right as the sun was setting and it was amazing to see all of Jerusalem stone shimmer. It truly is a beautiful city. Another fun thing that happened is I ran into a TBS student of mine was was on her trip with Young Judea! I didn't even know that she was in Israel!! Such a fun and neat structure and a great place to play after a long day of school. Hopefully I can go back again soon!

Graffiti Tour with T'urah

 

So this blog post is way over due but I haven't been in the head space to write about the political situation in Israel so I felt like waiting a bit. As I think everyone knows right now, this summer has been a pretty challenging time to be in Israel due to the conflict in Gaza. Also, if you have Facebook, then you have probably realized that everyone has a opinion, or three. In Israel,  one way to express political opinions is through graffiti. What's interesting about the graffiti is although it is mostly crated by leftest progressives occasionally you can find or read something from another point of few. It's everywhere and it challenges itself. It's way more artistic and fascinating than Facebook but kind of shares the same dilemma of the situation. 

There is an organization called T'urah: the rabbic call for human rights. They put on events for Rabbi's and Rabbinical students (and ED students!) so that we can be exposed to a wide variety of topics concerning human rights in Israel.  The first event was a graffiti around the city center. It was so neat to look at the pictrures on the bildings that we see everyday and think about them in a whole new light. Talking about grafeeitt quickly became a conversation that resembled a text study. Evryone had differnt interpretations and diffferent ideas about what the arisit could be refrencing. Some of the  graffiti we saw did have biblical refrences which was neat to see and read. 

One piece that stuck with me was the one featured in the picture on the top right, "Hakol Beseder" Hakol Besder is a phrase I probably say every day. It means "all is ok" and we talked about this one for awhile in whether or no the artist crested this with a sarcastic tone or not. One of my peers said that she had seen this on bus stops and felt that it was a call to remind people that all is, HaKol Beseder and that no one should be worried about riding the bus. Others felt as if it was talking about the Jerusalem bubble. How can we act as if all is ok, when things in Israel are truly not ok? We live our day to days lives with very little interaction with the terror that is happening 3 hours away. What does it mean for all to be "ok?" Right now Jerusalem continues to be safe, I continue to live my personal day to day life in peace. However, when I see the graffiti i know how lucky am I to be able to say that right now things for me are, HaKol Beseder..

top left: Little boy with gun

top right: HaKol Beseder

Bottom Left: Quote about wanting to get with a girl but then not having the courage to say anything except for, "do you have a light" - felt very Israeli/ universal  to me

Bottom Right: War is not hummus (interpret this for yourself!)

Israel Museum Feild Trip

 

 So as part of my summer coursework I am taking a fascinating Biblical History class. This class has nothing to do with learning the Torah stories (although it helps that I've taught some!) and much more to do with how do the events that happen in the Torah  compare to the archeological evidence of events that have happened in the past 3500 years. There is so much that is consistent and so much that is inconsistent and I am finding it immensely fascinating to finally be learning the history of the Jewish people and the land of Israel. 

Our class has a weekly lecture and a weekly feild trip. This past week we went to the Israel Musum and examined artifacts that were from the Bronze Age and Silver age mainly 2500-800BCE . My favorite find was a Collard Pithos ( Jug: See bottom Left Picture) which was from 1300BCE that was SO similar to the one my grandma had in her house growing up that my parents have now (See bottom right). My Grandma loved this jug and I remember her telling me that she bought it at some archeological market in New York and it was from Jerusalem and it was very very old. I have always been fascinated by it and have always wanted it in my home someday and it was absolutely mind boggling to see something so similar in a museum. I asked my professor about it and he said that there were Jars that looked like that for many centuries from 2000BCE-1000CE and there is no way of really knowing how old ours is or if it is in fact a replica. I don't really care how old is is but it was nice to reflect upon the times that my grandma would tell me stories about Israel and I know that she had a deep connection to this land. I am excited to be here for her and seeing this Collard Pithos was a fun way to bring her into my thoughts during my time at the museum.

Campfire time!

A few weeks ago HUC created a really neat program where Israeli rabbinical students hosted members of our year in Israel class for a variety of activities around Jerusalem. I was really lucky and got to go to a member of their class, Yaya's house where he made dinner for us over a fire! Yaya and his wife Mor, live in a wonderful cozy home with a neat backyard fire pit surround by couches. We cut up vegetables together and got to know each other a bit and then gathered around the fire for food and song. I am excited to continue to get to know more Israelis during my time here and it was wonderful to connect with such a lovely couple who I will be seeing around HUC regularly. Thanks so much Yaya for such delicious stew! Hopefully there will me more campfires in our future :)

Israeli Movie Theaters: Teenagers Paradise

Recently a few friends and I got together to go to the Jerusalem Film Festival. It was so lovely to go, it was one of the first times I had gone out with friends without being in a group of 20/30 people. This evening felt very much like life at home where five of us get together and go to dinner and a movie. After a wonderful Georgian dinner in central Jerusalem we made our way to the movie theater on the edge of town. WOW. The Theater was CRAZY, it was huge it was a  mall inside a movie theater! There were four places to get ice cream and a fountain and lots and lots of lights. It was very overstimulating. Also once in the movie theater part of this megaplex there were tons of different American movie characters every where. There was no rhyme or reason to who was there. I saw the cast of friends, the muppets, star wars characters and more. next to this though was a GIANT mural of Moses..well...when in Israel! We saw Obvious Child which was hilarious and much more down to earth than many mainstream films. Anyway, wonderful night with wonderful people!

Studying has begun!

 

 Well even though I don't want to believe it, I am in fact a student again. Classes are interesting but I  time management hasn't been fun because I'm just really eager to explore Jerusalem! This week I turned a corner and really devoted time every afternoon right after class to get work done. My solution: coffee shops.  Monday Baliey and I discovered this AMAZING teeny tiny coffee shop right near a park by our house. I got carrot/apple/ginger juice and carrot cake and Bailey got a drink that came with gummybears! There was also a wonderful dog named wolf! We enjoyed our treats, the puppy, some great conversation and getting our homework done. It didn't even feel like work! I think this coffee shop thing is going to become a new tradition...we'll see!

More Friends In Israel!!

WOW! Over the past two weeks I have seen SO MANY friends from my many homes here in Jerusalem! It has been so wonderful to run into and spend time with friends of all ages and from all over the country and world. I feel so fortunate to have such a strong Jewish community and it's been neat to see people in Jerusalem both intentionally and by chance! Jerusalem is much smaller than I expected and its lovely to see familiar faces throughout the city. 

Top Left: Sammy Distler! Sammy is a TBS teen and we ran into eachother on the top of Big Bambo at the Israel museum! What a surpise! I didn't even know that she was going to be in Israel. However I wasn't to run into someone I knew once I found out that Young Judea was at the Israel Museum....

Top Right: Ben Huebscher and the Camp Kalsman Gang! There are three of us at HUC from Camp Kalsman so whenever someone visits its always a party! Ben stayed with Avi for a few days but we all spent Shabbat together at the park and went out for pizza after. So good seeing such good friends and excited to spend time with Ben because we will both be in LA next year!

Bottom Left: Dalia is another Kalsman friend and she came and visited from London! It was so nice to see her and spend some quality time together both at the park for Shabbat and also just hanging around the apartment. Dalia also introduced us to a British friend of hers who I am excited to get to know here in Jerusalem!

Bottom Right: Lesley Litman has been a friend, mentor and second mother to me for the past 6 years throughout the time I was living in Boston. Lesley is a wonderful Jewish Educator and has helped guide me throughout the HUC process and after all our talks about HUC back in Boston it was amazing to see her here in Israel as I begin this next step in my professional journey. Lesley and I saw each other twice for lunch but also ran into each other twice once at services and once on the street! I am so glad we got some time together and excited that she will be here again in January!

Pic Below: TBS Teens!! I went to go visit three TBS teens, Josh, Sammy and Paige at Kibbutz Tzuba! It was so lovely to see them and spend time with them. the Kubutz was beautiful and we chilled on the grass and facetimed with Sammy's sister Grace and Molly who was hanging out with Grace. I love spending time with the TBS community here in Israel and I think we all enjoyed seeing some familiar faces :)

Orentation: Day One!

 

 The group is together and orientation has begun! HUC has an absolutely beautiful campus that overlooks the Old City.  After a day of getting to know each other with a variety of camp-like ice breakers, we went up to a knoll overlooking the city and heard words of Torah. Afterwards,  we passed around the Torah and said the Shehechiyanu, a prayer for reaching a special moment in time. It was lovely and meaningful ritual and set the tone for what I hope is a year of learning, community and growth. 

Baruch Atah Adonoi Eloiheinu
Melech haolam shehecheeyanu v'kiyimanu
vihigiya-nu lazman hazeh.

Translation:

Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the
Universe, who has granted us life, sustained us and
enabled us to reach this occasion

Rena's is in Isreal!

 

Our apartment is complete! Rena Singer our third roommate is now in Israel and moved in to the apartment! Rena and I have known each other for years first through URJ Camp Kalsman and then through Brandeis! I am SO excited to live with her this year and Bailey and I are happy that we now have a complete apartment! Welcome Rena! : )

End of Pre-Ulpan!!!

After a month together our Pre-Ulpan is over!! We had such a great group and I am sad that we will no longer be our own cohort but I'm excited for others to get here and the rest of the year to begin! The top picture is part of the pre-ulpan  crew in the fountain at HUC and the bottom picture is a group out celebrating after our last day of class!!

Anti-Racism Pro-Peace Rally

 

Last week some HUC students and I went to an Anti-Racism Pro-Peace Rally.  It was wonderful.  There were about 1000 people there, mainly students and young professionals in their 20s/30s. Many held signs for love and peace and then there were some politicians who spoke and a few musicians who played some Israeli music/ peace songs. There was also some pretty amazing slam poetry both in English and Hebrew. The energy amongst the people felt good and familiar. I could tell that I was with many progressive young people who are anti-hate. It was nice to be in this group and to see the solidarity when things in Israel are feeling so polarized right now. Although my presence did not make a huge difference to the rally it gave me comfort that there was a way to express how I am feeling and my discomfort with the extremist groups in Israel right now. I have never been particularly in touch with Israeli politics but now I struggling with it day by day. It was great to see that I'm not the only one....

Fourth of July: Isareli Style

 

On our walk around the city center on the fourth of July, Bailey and I ran into an amazing fourth of July deal where we got both a lemonade and hot dog for 15 schekles ($4.25)! So we sat out side in the shade and listened to to guys play us American music and ate hot dogs and drank lemonade. It was simple, but it was lovely. (and no massive rain storm!! (Boston!)) We hope that everyone enjoyed their fourth of July celebrations as well!!

Isreal Update: This Past Week

                                         

So many people have been asking me, "How is Israel right now?" "Are there Riots?" "Is it safe?" There is a lot of information in the news that is making it hard for family and friends to conceptualize what my day to day experience is like in Jerusalem. The past week has been hard and it's been hard for a variety of reasons. Mainly because the situation in the middle east is complicated and I am powerless in it. It's also hard to not always know what is happening or to know what the future holds.

Last Tuesday was the day after the bodies of the three young boys had been found. There was a proufound sense of sadness thoroughout Jersalem and at HUC. I was, and am still sad. I expected this to be the mentality of others as well. 

That night, Tuesday night, I went to meet a friend at Kikar Zion on my way there I walked down Ben Yehuda Street where I first saw proubably a hundred angrey teenagers running in the streets saying afeful things about Arabs. Jenny and I went into a shop as they passed and she translated a bit for me. It was amazing to see such hate in the eyes of such young teens. It was upsetting. After they left to go in the other drection we continued our walk. we walked by lots of kids on birthright and families eating ice cream. Once in Kikar Zion I listened to a guy with dreadlocks play peace songs on his gutiar and stood in awe of the many soliders and police gathered in the square. There was also a beautiful candle memorial for the three boys. 

I was amazed at wide variety of feelings and activities all gathered in such a small space. Kids in rage, people in deep mourning, police and soldiers defending and then families and birthright kids just living their lives. It felt like such a microcosm of Israeli society as a whole. It was enraging, empowering, peaceful and normal all at the same time. weird. I was only at the square for about 10 minutes before i met up with my friend and grabbed smoothies but it has definitely stuck with me. This country is confusing and there is no denying that I am in the midst of it. Despite being close to action and energy I personally feel safe. I hope that things don't escalate further but for now I am enjoying my time here and learning to struggle with my relationship to Israel, the people, the land and  the nation.

Rosh Chodesh: Women of the Wall

 

Last week I got the opportunity to welcome the New Jewish month in a way I never have before: at the Western Wall/Kotel. My roommate and I woke up at six so that we could go to the Kotel to pray with the Women of the Wall. The Women of the Wall (http://womenofthewall.org.il/) is a passionate group of women who have been peacefully fighting for gender quality at the Western Wall for 25 years. For many years women could not sing out loudly, or wear prayer garments at the western wall. Although there has been some change, there are still many people, both male and female who don't believe that women should take an active role in prayer.  The Women of the Wall group meets every month for a morning mynion and sings prayers joyful and with Rurah (spirit) as they welcome the new month.

 I had been so excited to pray with this group and rightfully so; I felt powerful and connected to my roots in a way I never have before. I know that my Grandmother had been to the Kotel and she had been unable to pray out loud or while wearing a tallit and now, many years later, I am able to stand in the same spot wearing my grandma's necklace and my grandfather's tallit and pray on the shoulders of my incredible ancestors. It was quite an experience. 

Our prayer also started with a women blowing a whistle in Anat Hoffman's (the key organizer of this group) face as she attempted to focus on her prayer. After about 5-10 minutes of repeated obnoxious whistle blowing the women was escorted out of the area by a male policeman. There was a group of men on the men's side of the wall who were singing and praying very loudly right up against the wall, in order to distract us from prayer. However there were also lots of men who were praying with us from behind the women's section. these men were diverse both in age and in Jewish observance. I was so thankful that they were there and was glad that the group was being supported by men and women alike. 

It overall was a challenging, empowering and emotional experience. I was thrilled to pray with these women and to sing my heart out. I am looking forward to being part of this community throughout this year and supporting them and their cause even back in America.

Artik, Menta, Chcoloade....Avacado?

 

So while exploring my kitchen my rommate Bailey and I found some Popsicle molds!! We are so excited to make Popsicle all summer long! So far we have made avocado and lemonade. The Avocado included avocado, sugar and coconut milk. They were good, but could have used a bit more sugar.  However the Lemonade one's were pretty incredible! 

Our goal is to complete this Buzzfeed list throughout the year:

 http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelysanders/super-cool-popsicles-to-make-this-summer

Let us know if there are any other great ideas that this list didn't include! We would love to try them!

BEACH DAY!

 

After going to the art market, we had a wonderful day at the beach!! The water was incredibly refreshing and there is nothing more freeing than simply relaxing in a large body of water. That night we went to Beit T'ifillah Israeli an amazing musical Kabbalat Shabbat service right by the water! It was incredible to welcome Shabbat with watching the sunset over the Mediterranean. 

Here's the link if you want to learn more:  http://btfila.org/en/

Nachlat Binyamin

 

The next day in Tel Aviv we went to Nachalat Binyamin, an outdoor art market, with a few members of our class (+ Jenny : )) We strolled the Tel Aviv streets and looked at beautiful Israeli art and crafts! I ended up buying a beautiful necklace with a tree on it. It was a hot day but the stands created some nice shade and many vendors had fans. More than once I thought to myself how much I would someday LOVE to sell my glass at  Nachlat Binyamin ....We will see!! : )

Lilah Lavan! A night of Art!

 

So something I have found out is that there is always something fun, funky and exciting happening in Tel Aviv.  A week ago I had the chance to go and visit Jenny and participate in the city wide celbration called "Lilah Levan" translating to "White Night" This celebration included a lot of neat art, music and dance located all around the city. There was a HUGE i-pod silent dance party happening in Rabin Square but we didn't go because it was filled with a lot of tweens and teens. There were also tons of art galleries open all around the city. Some also offering drinks and appetizers or live music, lots of options! I met up with Yotam, a friend of mine from birthright and together we went to meet up with Jenny, her boyfriend Dan and our mutual friend Amira at a gallery. There they had cool light shows projected onto buildings and then a neat light show in random tunnels in the basement of the building. Very..hip? Unique? It was fun what ever it was. Next we went to another art gallery on the other side of town that just had a variety of different kinds of multi-media art and live Jazz. So fun! It was neat that so many people were out and about celebrating the arts! Even far into the night!

It's a Small World In Jerusalem!

 

One of the my favorite things about being in Israel is that it feels as though someone is always visiting. Even though I have only been here for a little more than two weeks I have seen so many friends from all different places and experiences! It has truly been amazing and it has definitely helped make the transition and easy one. 

Top Left: I had the opportunity to see my friend Ben Ginsburg from Boston when he came on Birthright! He is even extending his trip so we will probably meet up again soon. We went to the old city together and then randomly bumped into each other at the shuk!

Bottom Left: Matt Lerner was the youth group president when I was the youth group adviser at Temple Beth Shalom two years ago! Now he is a rising college junior and was shadowing a doctor here for a month. We only overlapped a few days but found sometime to catch up over a delicious lemon-nana (aka a lemon-mint iced slurpie)

Top Right: JENNY! Jenny will actually be here the whole year. She lives in Tel-Aviv with her boyfriend Dan. For those of you who don't know Jenny and I grew up on the same street in St. Louis MO. We haven't lived in the same state since we were 18 and it's CRAZY and coincidental that we are now both living in Israel at the same time. I feel so so lucky that she is here.

Middle Right: So Sara Miller came to town to lead a birthright trip that inspired Brandeis Reunion!! Joey, Erica, Sara and I met up at the train station for dinner and gossiped about all things Brandeis. So fun. I have a feeling there will be a lot of these throughout the year : )

Bottom Left: Even though Kadi, my friend from URJ camp Kalsman only had like 4 days left in Israel she came all the way to Jerusalem to see me! We walked around the shuk and got humus and caught up on our past year. I am so excited for her to go back to camp and she was so excited for me to be here! So much good. It was so great to see her!

From Boston, to Brooktrail to Brandeis to TBS to Kaslman I have seen a lot of people from different parts of my life. It's pretty cool...I think I could get used to this....

Cat Sitting!!

So I got my first job in Israel Cat sitting the lovely Merlin the cat!! Merlin belongs to an HUC cantor and I had the lovely opportunity to stay in their beautiful apartment all last weekend. Merlin and I had a fantastic time sitting on the porch together and I got some reading done while Merlin soaked up some sun. It was a lovely bonding experience. Something that was really unique about Merlin's home was the plethora of beautiful Judaica and other art. It made me realize how much I love Judaica as an art form (surprise?) and that I really want to explore Jewish art while in Israel. I also have decided that I really want my own Havdalah set. Anyway it was a fun experience to see another home in Israel. Also I have realized that I have only been around mainly 22-28 year olds since being in Israel which makes me miss people of other ages, animals and children so  hopefully I can pet or babysit again soon!

End of the Era of Ira!

 

The past two weeks I was living in an apartment with two HUC students: Baily and Ira. Bailey will continue to live with me the rest of the year but Ira just left to move into his new apartment! We are sad that The Era of Ira has come to and end but we still have ulpan everyday and will be in the same program all year long, so not too concerned. The three of us ended the era by hosting a Shabbat dinner last week for our pre-ulpan group. It was great! We had tons of food and had lovely quality time together. In just a few weeks Bailiy and I will be welcoming Rena who will be our third roommate. She is a friend of mine from URJ Camp Kalsman and we are excited to share the apartment with her and to host many festive holiday meals and parties throughout our year together.

First Trip to the Kotel!

 

Last week I had the afternoon free and decided to meet my friend Ben and his birthright group in the Old City. At that point I had already been living here for a week and hadn't yet visited the old city which I thought was ridiculous. I met up with Ben and then went with his birthright group to the Western Wall. One of the holiest places (if not the most holy) for the Jewish people.  A special tradition surrounding  this holy site is that people write notes to God (often people who don't even believe in a God) and then stick them in the wall. I happened to bring some of the notes that my students at Temple Beth Shalom had written and stuck them in the wall. Then the neatest thing happened.  I was able to call my pre-school in Needham while they were at camp and they were able to live view me at the Western Wall! It was so neat to know that they could see me even if I was so far away! Hopefully that made their experience slightly more tangible that their notes were able to be hand Evered to the wall. It's amazing to be at the Western Wall and think how my grandmother brought her father there so many years ago and here I am, living in Jerusalem talking to my students who are 2-6 years old 2000 miles away.  it is a true example of the global Jewish community and how it develops from generation to generation. It is nice to know that I can come back here as often as I want, and each time I go I have a little but of Needham, MA to bring along with me.

Book Fair!

On my way to Jenny's Apartment in Tel Aviv I ran into this amazing outdoor book fair. What was even neater about it is how extensive its children's section was and how it used the space and the books to create community and a environment for learning. There were book shelves lined up around the perimeters filled with picture books. Near these shelves were blackest and be a bag chairs set up and families were sitting together either reading to children or just spending time talking together. It was a  beautiful evening and there were many many young families who had gathered at this festival just to spend time together. It was really lovely to see. There was also a pirate puppet show and many children, parents and grandparents were gathered around the theater. It was a relaxed atmosphere and many toddlers and babies were there as well. I appreciated this free, family friendly, comment activity that was centered around books. Everyone there appeared engaged and I saw many children reading with their parents or independently.  I had never thought about bringing the library outside but it might be a nice thing to try this summer! 

Tel Aviv Pride!

After class on Thursday I made my way to Tel Aviv for Friday morning's Gay Pride Parade! I spent the night at Jenny and Dan's and then the next morning we woke up for the festivities. It took about 40 min to walk to the parade and we could definitely feel that we were getting closer as time passed. We began to see people dressed in rainbow, flags were being held and displayed from buildings. There was a tangible buzz that filled the air of excitement and joy. Everyone was happy, it was a perfect day, hot and sunny but not too hot. We finally found the parade and jumped right in. Unlike the Boston pride parade where you watch floats go by from the sideline, in Tel Aviv everyone marches together! The streets were packed, there was lots of music and Dan, Jenny and I danced our way to the beach. The parade ended at the beach by the beautiful blue Mediterranean and the dancing continued. We then went on a search for more music and eventually found a stage where there were going to be musicians playing later in the afternoon. I decided not to wait around but to head back to Jerusalem early so I could go to Shabbat services with my group. Tel Aviv pride overall was a wonderful, joyous and fun experience. I didn't see a single protester and in fact, it felt like a giant party! In August, Jerusalem will have their own pride parade which I've heard is very different. I'm eager to go so I can see how they compare. I already have found many differences between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and I am so glad these cities are so close so I can continue to explore them both throughout the year!

Flea Market Fun!

On the way to the shuk on Thursday Ira, Bailey and I stumbled upon a neat flea market. It felt like it was filled with everything that could be found in a Jewish grandmother's basement. It's incredible how each of us were drawn to things that reminded us of people and objects we knew. There was quite a bit of old Judaica and art but also lots of clothes. We had a good time exploring and now we know of this market that happens every Thursday!

My Apartment!

So I have gotten a few requests for pictures of my apartment. So far I LOVE my apartment. It is in a great central location close to class (7 min) and no more than 20 min walk to anywhere I really want to go. We have a large common space and three nice sized bedrooms and 1.5 baths. Very lovely. I ale have two wonderful roommates Ira and Bailey who are also in the pre-ulpan with me. Bailey will be in the apartment for the whole year but after pre-ulpan Ira will move out and my friend Rena will move in.  Right now Ira Bailey and I have really enjoyed living together. It's been a fun week shopping at the shuk and finding a bunch of food/clothing/knick kancks in various cupboards, cabinets and treasure chests (!) around the apartment.  This apartment has been an HUC apartment for "generations" so its fun to see the eclectic tastes of past students.  I feel really excited to have found such a gem of an apartment and I'm excited to live her for the next year!

SOOOO much storage space!

There is a treasure chest on the left side behind that single chair : )

Ira!

First Day at Gan Illanot!

As part of our Israel experiences every student is asked to take part in a volunteer project somewhere around jerusalem. I had heard that HUC had a Gan (directly translates to kindergarden but is for ages 3-6) on it's campus! I have been excited about working there for months. So as soon as I got to Israel, I wasted no time and popped in the HUC head of student life's office to see how to make this happen. Monday I had a meeting with the director of the school and Tuesday I had my first day! 

 The Gan is called "Illanot" meaning sprouts or baby plants. I am working in a class of six year olds which at first felt older than what I was expecting but then I realized how wonderful of an opportunity this is because they developmentally able to speak Hebrew pretty clearly and also able to understand that they need to talk slowly in order for me to understand them. Pretty quickly I made a few English speaking buddies who enjoyed being my "teacher" to translate for me. However I was pleased with how much I was able to understand, and talk to the kids on day 1. Most of our conversations were simple. About names, ages, colors etc. yet, I felt like I was talking and connecting pretty much for the entirety of the two and a half hours I was there. 

One of the highlights of my afternoon there was that that afternoon a representative of the Teva museum came and brought some reptiles with her (just like TBSCC!) I learned the word for snake in Hebrew (Nahash!) and kids got to hold a snake and touch a very large snake skin. She taught us a lot about snakes and then we got to pretend to be one. One of the teachers "hid" and then the group held on to a rope and slithered quietly down the hallway outside on to the playground where we found the teacher who was being the "mouse" we then circled around the teacher many times as to simulate a boa constrictor and then pretend to eat the teacher! It was a neat exercise that helped kids learn about how snakes eat in a kinesthetic way, yet also just felt very non-american to me. I am still learning this schools teaching philosophy and I am so excited to learn though out the year how their philosophy and values are displayed throughout their everyday teaching. So excited to go back this Tuesday!

Choco-B'Sakeet: Such a Treat!

So later in the day Sunday my roommates and I decided to go grocery shopping for the week. Together we walked and I had my first real grocery store experience. Overall it was lovely! I also decided to buy myself a treat just because I survived my first 24 hours in Israel. Not only did I survive them but in fact everything is going amazingly well for only one day here. One of my favorite treats is Choco-B'Sakeet, which translates to chocolate milk in a bag, yum! In my life I had had chocolate milk in cartons and in boxes but not until I went to Israel had I ever had chocolate milk in a bag! Children and adults alike love this snack. It is quite refreshing and satisfying on a warm Jerusalem day.

This is a fun snack that you can even make back home in America! All you need to do is put chocolate milk in a bag. Ziplock-it, and then put tape on the zip just to be safe. You can cut or corner off and then just drink the milk. It seems kind of funny at first but it is what the Israeli's do! You should try it at home!

 ( I bet it would be a fun project to do while you babysit EKB : P)

First day of Ulpan: I survived!

It's crazy to think that less than 24 hours (I guess it was about 18) after I landed in Israel it was time to have my first day of Ulpan. I walked to HUC with my roommates and fortunately was awake enough to so some real Hebrew learning! We are using the same book I used last summer which is such a good review. Our teacher talked pretty quickly and I definitely didn't understand every word, but I got the main meaning of most of what she was saying. It was so exciting to have all the Hebrew rush back into my head so quickly. People told me that it would come back fast but I was still surprised that I even remembered how to write all the letters in script! I think this will be an excellent way to get into the mindset of both Hebrew and being a student again.

After class I decided to wonder to the Momila Mall down the street from HUC. There I bought myself a new notebook for class and asked the person where to find one al in Hebrew. It was quite a momentous moment! I am so excited to continue to practice Hebrew whenever I have a chance but we will see, a lot of Israelis enjoy practicing their English with Americans. Momila is a great, easy to get to mall and it was such a nice place to simply people watch, soak in the sun and start to take in the fact that these places, this language and this culture is going to be mine to explore for the the next year. It still doesn't feel quite real but it's only been a day. A wonderful day though, looking forward to the many more to come : )

Safely In Jerusalem!

The traveling is done and I have arrived in Jerusalem! Both my flights were easy. I slept most of the way from Boston to Germany (I had a whole row to myself!).  From Munich to Jerusalem, I sat next to this interesting girl from Montreal who is traveling to Tel Aviv to learn about start-ups in Israel. We are going to get dinner next week when her group spends the day in Jerusalem. It was neat to be traveling on Shabbat because I got to meet people who were visiting Israel for a wide variety of reasons, most of which were not related to Judaism at all. I also met some German med-students on the van from the airport to my apartment. They are here for a medical conference and were interested in learning a bit more about Shabbat and Kosher laws etc.  We also had the chance to talk about German vs. US health care for awhile. These conversations reminded me how much I love traveling and how excited I am to be meeting so many new and interesting people though out the next year.

My apartment is lovely. It seems to be in a great location and I have a lovely room with a big closet. I have a pretty view of lovely buildings, no Boston sky line but I'll take it : )

I met my roommate Bailey as soon as I got here. It was great to finally meet in person! Together we met some other HUC students for dinner and had a really lovely evening eating outside and getting to know each other a bit. When we got back to the apartment I got to see my friend Stephanie who had been living in my room for the past year. It was great to see a familiar face and have the chance to catch up.

First day of class is today! I'm excited to see HUC's campus and to get this Hebrew learning rolling!

From Boston with Love

So yesterday was the last day of pre-school and one of the classes sang, "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow" and indeed it has! It's 6am  and then sun is blaring though my windows and I am wide awake ready for the last day in Boston before I head to Israel, via Germany, this evening.

As I reflect upon this last week I am floored by the over pouring of love I have received from both my work, Temple Beth Shalom, community as well as my personal, Moishe Kavod House community. I am so grateful to have so many caring, kind, thoughtful people in my life who have been my cheerleaders and supporters over the past one to seven years here in Boston. I know that I am continuing school right now because I care so much about the concept of community and I'm excited to continue to build community both socially and professionally wherever my journey takes me.

As I pack for Israel, I have two objects that I am so excited to bring with me. They are both siddurs which is the Hebrew word for prayer book. Each one is used by a community and a variety of members of the community signed it. My Mayim siddur, "Shira HaShemesh" is a siddur that was originally made by a group of fourth graders at TBS two years ago. This siddur has original art work and is very kid-friendly in a way that it is truly an inspiring example of project-based learning in action. My students, toddler through teen, all signed it as well as many co-workers and parents. It was amazing to see my former three year olds who are now in kindergarten write their names! One of my current students wrote her name for the first time in my siddur! The messages were thoughtful and personal and I am so excited to have such a beautiful and meaningful artifact that represents my time at TBS.

My Moishe Kavod House siddur is one I expect to pray with often. The siddur itself is called, "Chaveirim Kol Yisrael" and I have always loved it because it has both english translation as well as transliteration and I have been in many situations where I have been in more traditional services but since I couldn't read Hebrew I couldn't follow along. The Moishe Kavod House became a place of comfort because I could read and participate in services right away. Who knew that an accessible and beautiful siddur could lead to so many lasting and important friendships? So my friends Amira and Nathan did the most amazing thing by having everyone at the retreat sign and write notes in the siddur. I have no idea how they did this because I was also at the retreat and had no idea whatsoever that they were scheming this the whole time. Luckily for them I made a run to CVS both days and I know they used that time well, but still, the siddur itself is so very thoughtful and the notes are incredible. Thank you to all of you from the bottom of my heart for being part of my journey here. I am excited to carry you with me in my heart, and many of you with your written words across the Atlantic with me tonight as I begin my new adventure in Israel as I start HUC. I know it will be incredible, yet I know it will be different from these past few years and when things are more challenging I will look to both of these siddurs to ground me and to remind me that being a part of, and creating beautiful thoughtful Jewish community is exactly why I am sending myself on this adventure in the first place.

Shabbat Shalom and Next time from Israel!!