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!