Let the VACA begin

This Shabbat was a very special one since it held the celebration of the birth of a new baby into my family. My mother’s 2^nd cousin Reuven Garber threw a party to welcome his daughter Enat’s newborn into this world. Let me just say that it was a party that I will be talking about for days. I arrived to my cousin’s house in Kiryat Ono on the heels of destiny. I caught the last bus out of Jerusalem to Tel Aviv and then the last bus from Tel Aviv to Kiryat Ono. I remembered the way to their house by memory since my phone died. They happened to arrive 2 mins before I showed up at the door. I got ready for Shabbat and went to shul while they had a meeting with friends. When I got home, a beautiful dinner was waiting for me to eat without me even asking. I was able to read and finally get some real sleep(12 hours) I woke up to find the party beginning right before noon. It consisted of Reuven and his wife Chaviva, his 3 daughters and their husbands, his sister Leah, 6 grandkids, plus 25 some older people that were friends and the grooms family. The party was a catered event with food, drinks, and tons of fun. I only spoke Hebrew there and it was a great way to practice(even though at times I sat and said nothing) I was able to talk with Leah and learn so much about my family that she knows(where my grandma’s grandparents were from and the lineage down to me) The kids got to meet me again and get comfortable enough to play with their American cousin. I was even invited to the Pesach Seder which I am so excited to celebrate with them. It was amazing to be with my family and feel at home.

I had to leave from their place ASAP since it was Sarah’s birthday that night and we were all going out to our bar downtown together. It was so much fun to just sit around a table and laugh for a night. We threw away any issues and just had fun in honor of Sarah. It was the usual gang plus Aviva, Shoshie, Haley and her friend. The night had cake, dancing, singing, and of course picture taking. It was a great way to start off the week. I needed to get my act together the next day since Max and I had an oral presentation in our Holocaust class. We were discussing the issue of Polish-Jewish Relationships during the Holocaust. We spent the day researching and reading books all about it and how the different groups of leaders, mass, and clergy had different treatment of the Jews. We presented the following day and I talked for 30 mins alone(suppose to talk for half of that). Besides the time factor I think I rocked the presentation. Then things started happening quickly, Michal and Maddison left Israel since the program was over, Leslie Klein had her birthday celebration with her parents, I got offered a job to staff Pilgrimage(6 week trip in Israel for American teenagers), as well as Judy coming to Jerusalem to kick it. The week was so exciting I had no time to sleep. I had to begin to clean my apartment for Pesach. I cleaned my room, washed the floors, sold my chametz, and even taped off the drawers that we could not use since the utensils are not kosher for Passover. Max and I had dinner 3 nights in a row since we wanted to eat up all the food we had before having to throw it away. I got the opportunity to talk with both my mom and josh online during the week. They are both doing great from what we discussed. I miss them both a lot and am wary to take a summer job since it means I won’t see them for even longer. My mom surprised me with the information that she might have the time over summer to come visit me here which is the best thing I could have heard. The week just kept getting better and rushed since on Thursday morning, I left for my cruise to Greece. I am going with the gang plus Mark Mason(Arizona) and Ben Shapiro. We are going for 5 days and 4 nights and I am stoked. I have been waiting for it for a month now and it is finally here. I will see sights, be with friends, and relax…what more could I ask for!!

Flash Forward

I believe this week is the official 2 month marker of my program here in Israel. It is crazy to think that I have done so much in that time but it feels like it has flown by so quickly. I am so lucky to be here and I am reminded of it all the time. This week I attended my first “Discussion of current events in Israel” led by new found friend Ari Solomon. He holds them weekly where a group of us International students get together with our Israeli madrichim(counselors) and talk about what is going on in the state right now. This week was a hot topic one since it was just announced by Bibi(PM of Israel) that over 1,000 new homes were planned to be built in the area of the settlements in the West Bank. This caused a huge Balagan in Israel and incited the “Day of Rage” by the Arabs. There were riots in east Jerusalem as well as a call to the temple mount to defend it. Protests were held all around campus calling for the immediate cease of the invasion. It seemed like this could be the spark the will light the powder keg.

On a happier note this week held the Tekes of Katja Edelmen(Nativ 27) for entering basic training for the unit of the Israeli Army called Oketz(police dogs). It was held down in Sde Boker and was attended by family and friends. Her parents flew in from America; JP, Elkana, and Judy all attended to support her; It was a very momentous occasion for her and another step in her support of this country. It was a long day for as soon as it was over back in Jerusalem was a reunion of old friends since Abby and Lauren(Nativ 27) were here on alternative spring break. We all went out to Timyul Shilshom(bookstore turned into a café) and grabbed some coffee while catching up. It was great to see them and hear all about their exciting college lives. I had not seen either one in 2 years and it was a nice surprise. Afterwards I received even better news as JP called me up and wanted to sleep over since he planned on staying in Jerusalem for the night. I am always excited to get the opportunity to spend time with him since it is seldom. When he arrived I took him out to the bar downtown where Alex was DJ-ing for the night. He felt awkward in his army clothes and would have rather changed but I told him that all the girls think it is sexy and he should keep it on. We got a beer together and just relaxed not worrying about life or the army. We stayed up late reminiscing about fun times we had in the past and how stupid we were back then. He left super early in the morning and I had a coffee appointment with my Wheelnik Leah who was leaving Israel that day since her program USY High was over. She told me about how incredible her time her was and how she was sad to go. I told her that she would be missed and all the memories she will take with her. The time comes always when we have to move on to the next phase in life.

Back in America, Spring break is beginning for some universities at this point. I was lucky enough to have Syracuse be one of them and that meant that Bettina had time to talk to me. She was staying with Ari in Manhattan and we were actually online at the same time which never happens. We talked for hours until she forced me to go to bed since it was 4 in the morning. We got to catch up about everything. I told about my time here, what i had been up to, and all the exciting tales of my adventure. She shared with me her time at the Olympics, being home for a little, Internships at Cuse, and of course volleyball and skiing. It was great to talk to her sicne I have definitely missed her a lot here. It’s funny if you think about the fact that I was abroad for a year, then she went abroad, and now I am back again abroad. For some reason fate keeps putting us on the opposite ends of the world. It was reassuring to know that she is doing well and having a great time right now in life. It makes me reflect and be secure in the fact that my life is fantastic and I am lucky to be here and have family here that cares about me.

Peripheral...Ha Kol B'Rosh

Unfortunately, this week did not start off to hot(forgive my pun since I actually had an 101 fever). I woke up Sunday and felt as though my body was a kernel of corn that was in the microwave waiting to pop. I could truly feel my mind slipping away going on vacation for a while however, I could not let this happen since I had my first test in school. After only 4 classes(a total of 6 hours of learning), I had a test in Holocaust about foundational information about the event and the events surrounding it. I was in no mood to study or read the assigned book but I knew I had to pull myself together since class is important to me. I loaded myself up on drugs and pushed my way into cram mood where I would be able to hold onto the information long enough to regurgitate some of it. That took up most of my week but after it was done on Wednesday night, I got a message from Shoshie Askren that she was in town. We got together that Thursday morning for some coffee and catch up. I was actually late to the rendezvous since when I was a block away on Karen Ha-yesod who else decides to drive at that exact moment but Mr. Vice President Joe Biden. Not sure if it was worth the 20 mins on a bus to see him. I got to hear all about her experiences in Thailand and her plans for Grad school. It was a pleasant talk shared between us as friends. I finished the week and got myself ready for the Masa Shabbaton in Arad.

As another perk of being a part of Face-2-Face we get to participate in MASA functions. This weekend was a shabbaton in Arad(Southern desert community in Israel). It consisted of visiting communities(Bedwin, Jewish, kibbutz, urban) in the periphery(not Tel Aviv and Jerusalem) and learning about the different kinds of life they live. The shabbaton had students coming from J-Ru, Tel Aviv, Kibbutz Ketura and Lo Tan, as well as some MASA representatives. It took us to the south to see it first-hand. We met some modern say Bedwins that live in a city not in the desert as nomads herding sheep. We visited Kibbutz Cramim which works together with its Arab neighbors to build more ecologically sound structures. Then in Arad we met the local young adult population which is small to say the least. While there I met a girl named Simone(26 years old a running joke between us) who just graduated from University in Canada with a Masters in Exercise Physiology. She is not here at Lo Tan to study Ecology and basically how to save the world. We had dinner together at a host family and I learned that she is also vegetarian as well as allergic to certain wheat products. We seemed to share a lot in common and really bonded over the 2 day adventure. We hung out at night getting to know each other as well as walked together to the Ethiopian Shul in the morning. We ate lunch at the hotel and then went to an artist quarter to learn about one style of portraying their lives through art. We even got a nice hour walk to the lookout point that reveals the beauty of the desert and on a clear day the mountain of Masada. As a group we took over the program, we did everything together and walked as an elite troop. It was a great bonding time for us to have together since we only see each other once a week and this gave us the opportunity to get to know each other a little better. The shabbaton was long and felt like it was going on forever but eventually we got back to Jerusalem around 11 and I was beat but decided to go hang out with the gang(by now you should know them (Alex,Max,Adam,Michal,Talkia,Danielle,Sarah). We all shared our respective Shabbats which included family up in Zichron Yaakov, Friends in Jerusalem, and camping in Tel Aviv. It was great to be back and feeling as though I learned a lot and could take some of it with me. I got my regular 7 hours of sleep since I had a meeting on Sunday with Yoni Kaplan my academic advisor. Once again another week has gone by and I can hardly believe I am living in Izzy!!

OLD school meets NEW school

The concept that the weekend starts on Thursday night is not a new one to me since last year at Arizona I made sure not to have class on Friday. So as soon as my last class concluded at 6pm I jumped for joy and made my way back to my place to get psyched. Mandy and her girlfriends came to visit and we began with dinner at the local pizza shop that I love. It is literally a 2 minute walk out of the Cfar and I know the owner now since I have gone so much. He makes everything fresh in the morning and you can taste the difference. They loved the fact that I spoke Hebrew with him since they are just learning it and it is a novelty. I had to show them a great time so we began the night at a local party in the Village that actually transitioned into another party in the next building. It was crazy how we all just migrated like a flock of geese. Eventually the “pre-party” finished itself and it was time to go out into the city. I took them to my old stomping ground Triple Bar that has changed its name yet again. We went in with a large group so I got all the girls in for free after talking to the bouncer in Hebrew. It’s a lot of fun there since it is on a rooftop and there is a bar and a dance floor. The girls laughed a little when I told them that this was the dance club since apparently in Tel Aviv the dance clubs are huge with 300 people not our normal crowd of 75. They had fun though they said and the next morning they left with smiles and assuring me that I had a place to stay if I ever needed it.

I decided to spend this Shabbat downtown since I was invited to dinner at Josh Goldberg’s place (Nativ 26) as well as invited to lunch at Rabbi Frank’s. Now the only question was where to stay so of course like a creature of habit I called up Arya Donay and asked to stay by him. I was in luck since they were coming back to Jerusalem and spending Shabbat at base. It was fate that I was there since I have not slept at Beit Nativ since I was there 2 years ago and guess which room Arya had. That’s right my old room and which bed did I get, of course the top bunk which was mine as well. It was scary funny how that worked out. I loved being there since I got to see everyone. Both Michally Lehat and Maddison Gan were there to hang out with. Jules Gutin and David Helfand were staying there for the weekend so we all went to Kol Rina together (I got to sit next to Jules on my right, a solider with a Tavor on my left, and a Chassid with a Strymel behind me…only in Israel). It was uplifting services that I truly cherished and then on to dinner. When I got there more friends came out of the woodwork. Tamar Rohatiner (Rothberg) along with Mordy Greenspan and Zack(Nativ 25). It was an amazing dinner with great company that really made me happy. I walked back to Beit Nativ to go to bed and actually get some sleep for once. Woke up the next day and made it to shul to see Josh Grob get an Aliyah(funny cause he is making aliyah now). Went with Rabbi Frank to visit an elderly British women who was just released from the Hospital so that Adam could make Kiddush for her(It was so elegant how she composed herself I am still amazing thinking about it). We then went to his house for lunch which was all vegetarian(loved that fact) and had a great time with his friends, neighbors, wife, and 3 kids. I ended the Shabbat with a walk to the Kotel with Tamar. We took our moments to appreciate what we have in this world. A nice walk back filled with discussion took us into the time of separation between Shabbat and mundane. I did havdallah to the beautiful Shabbat in the heart of Jerusalem and once again made my way back to Beit Nativ. I got to talking with Arya and he actually had some free time(rare). We went to grab some falafel. I have seen him a million times in LA and we know each other but this was the first time we actually had a personal conversation that I must say was special. It seemed like the perfect way to end my weekend.

PURIM

The holiday of Purim is one that is brought to our tradition by the ancient rabbis and connects to the average college student in 1 big way. Let’s remember our ancestors’ suffrage by drinking so much that we forget. I realize that the halacha was established to drink wine to celebrate our triumph over annihilation but I don’t think the rabbis were talking to college students. To us any excuse to party will be taken and blown up to the max. Needless to say, Sunday night the city of Jerusalem was bumping to the tunes of grogers, screaming, and hip-hop. I began my adventure at the closest shul to campus Ramat Tzion in the French Hill. It was adorable to see people of all ages celebrating there; families, elderly, children, students, and even babies. Adam, Alex, and I all decided to wear black shirts and painted whiskers on our faces to resemble cats(the idea was Adam’s of course). Hearing the Megillah read was beautiful and even interactive as each time a new chapter was read questions would be asked to the kids. Spirits were high and the feeling of a connection to our ancestors was felt in this holy land. Once the Megillah was finished and the obligation was over, the true aspect of Purim came out. The parties were ubiquitous in our fair city. There were huge ones at the convention center, medium ones that took over street blocks, and little ones that were in people’s homes. Everyone seemed to be having a good time celebrating the holiday.

Now in the second week of school, I find myself in a comfortable place that gives me structure. I have settled on all my classes and are loving them(most anyways). I have a routine as to what my week looks like. I am regularly attending class, having dinners with friends, and seeing people when they come to visit. I am also involved in a weekly discussion group with Israelis and non-Israelis called Face-2-Face. It has really given me the opportunity to learn from Israelis and how they perceive life. This week we had rabbis from Chassidic, Dati Leumi(Israeli Modern Orthodox), and Conservative. In brief, I learned a lot about their respective practices and how within each one there are people who would like to bridge the gaps as well as others who are not so found of that idea. I would like to take a moment to discuss the Conservative rabbi I met. His name is Rabbi Adam Frank and is in charge of the congregation Moreshet Israel(it is located at the Fuchsberg Center in Downtown Jerusalem). This man I believe truly is the future of the movement. He is an idealist that believes in the foundational pillars of the movement and articulates them with passion and reverenve. I see all my values and beliefs emulating from him gives me strength.(read his blog http://adamfrank.typepad.com/)

I got an exciting phone call this week from 2 of my favorite nativers this year A-Lev and Max. They informed me that the program was having some seminar in Jerusalem and they had a night free in which they wanted to hang out with me. Of course I jumped on that train enthusiastically. I went downtown with the guys(Adam, Alex, and Max) to grab some dinner and drinks. Aaron organizes a Nativ beer-pong event and invited Adam and I to join. Of course I said yes since I had to see him and it didn’t matter the function to me. It was adorable to watch these KIDS play their little games and be marveled at the whole drinking atmosphere. For us it was a cute trip down memory lane to what being a freshman was like. It took us no time to kick their butts and then we left to allow them to enjoy their time with the rest of the group. It is great to see that they are doing well and having fun, they are great friends. After school on Thursday I spent the evening cleaning up my apartment since Mandy(Arizona)was sleeping over and bringing friends so my place had to be cleaned. The weekend was going to start with a bang

Something new, Something old

For any disbelievers there is such a huge difference between Ulpan and school and even bigger school in Israel and school in America. I started my spring semester this week and it has been totally different. I am taking 6 classes 3 of which are undergraduate works at Rothberg and 2 which are graduate classes in the Hebrew University with Israeli students equaling 20 units in total: Hebrew Gimel, Belief and Ritual in Islam, Jewish &Non-Jewish relationships during the Holocaust, Bible Literature and their interpreters, American Folklore, and Evaluation Theory of Programs. They all seem super interesting and I am looking forward to all the classes. My advanced Spring in Jerusalem group seems really interesting. I am part of a seminar called Face 2 Face which is put on by the Hillel house here and is a weekly discussion group of Israeli and Abroad students that come together to discuss hot issues in Israel. I am really taking advantage of all learning opportunities that are being provided here for me. I am a very lucky guy to be here on an amazing journey. I am ready to obtain my books, workload, and be a student again. It is crazy that I am only beginning my semester on Feb.21st whereas my friends back in America are already doing midterms. Here we go, I look forward to everything this semester has to bring me. I am throwing my preconceived notions out the window and letting life take me for a ride.

In the midst of my first week of school which was hectic enough getting lost at Hebrew U and dealing with introduction classes that then jump into the material 45 seconds later, I got an incredible surprise. My best friend here Jason Teitelbaum had a couple of days off the army and decided that he would come to me in Jerusalem and stay for the time instead of going back to his kibbutz. Needless to say I was beyond excited to actually spend some quality time with the busy solider. He arrived on Tuesday in uniform and all to the smiling faces of all the girls at school. I felt like I got a shiny new bike that I could show off to all my new friends. He was just happy to be free for a couple days and sleep in a bed without having to wake up at the crack of dawn to patrol. We had the best time together, I took him out for some real food, he met tons of the Rothberg friends I have made, we stayed up eating popcorn and laughing about all the stupid things we used to do together. It was so refreshing to be able to hang out with him since he gets only a couple days off a month. I know I am very lucky to be able to call him my good friend. The 3 days he was here my friends pointed out that I disappeared since I spent all my time with him. I am thankful to be here and be able to hang out with my friend JP.

Thursday night was very special this week since Adam decided that a group of us should go to Moadon Hayekev (winery club) in Halon. If anybody has a free night in Israel I highly suggest that you do this since it is an experience of a lifetime. I actually went with a group of Nativers 2 years ago and it has been stuck in my mind forever. This time I went with a new group to the same unbelievable event. The restaurant provides great food, tasty wine, and hours of music and dancing. People who don’t know each other tear down the wall to enjoy a pure fun time. The night carries on and everyone just gets happier and happier. We were able to sleep at one of Alex’s friend in tel aviv since it was too late to get back to Jerusalem. However, I did want to go back to Jerusalem for Shabbat since I had plans with Joshy. We put on a potluck with Ilana Knobel and her roommates. I must say that my cooking skills are truly advancing here. I am learning to make new dishes that apparently taste good. It will be a relaxing Shabbat at the cfar with some friends. I am excited though for right around the corner this weekend is the Holiday of Purim. Shushan starts Sunday night and the city is going to light up, I cannot wait for it!!!