Driving by Consensus

My family's idea of a good vacation is taking a road trip and going camping. In the last couple of months we haven't been on any extended road trips, but we have had several long drives together. We all pile into our minivan and head off. Often there is some squabbling over who sits where, but it's pretty much guaranteed that my dad drives. After too many times of someone offering him driving advice, he started to joke that we should just drive by consensus. "So, everyone, should we pass this car? How about making this right turn? Do we all agree that we should drive faster?" As my mom points out, it's only funny if you've grown up in communal housing where everything is decided by consensus (but if you have grown up in communal housing, it's hilarious.)

I recently took the defensive driving course at Hampshire in order to be certified to drive the 12-seat college vehicles. It was a two hour course taught on Sunday night, a little like a mini driver's education class focused on the specific challenges of driving large vehicles. We watched a movie, discussed what we learned, and then we had to take a test to show that we knew the material. Being Hampshire, we took the test by consensus.

Dancing around the Classroom

One of my classes this semester is on African Diaspora formation, identity, and culture. It is my tutorial class, which means that it is really small (only 8 students) and we are all first years. The class that meets next door to us is on protest traditions in American music. Earlier this year, our classes combined to sing the Black National Anthem together. Because this class is on music, they often play music, loudly. Our professors are friends, and the music is rarely distracting, so it hasn't been a big deal. However, last week, the music they were playing was very loud and kept interrupting us. Not to be outdone, we decided that we were going to battle, and put on a speech by Marcus Garvey. A couple minutes into the speech, the other class's music is off, and we turn off Garvey and congratulate ourselves on our victory.

Less than a minute later, the two teachers come dancing into our class with the radio over their shoulders. And then the rest of their class follows, dancing around our classroom to the tune of African resistance music. Needless to say, our class lost the battle, and we also couldn't stop laughing.

This is Hampshire in a nutshell.

So much to say!

It seems like I'm just starting to get the hang of Hampshire, and it's already time to register for spring courses! (Thankfully, I have a super-good registration time... unfortunately, it is 6:20am.) I've only been at Hampshire for a couple of months, but I'm already building a life here, and really like what I'm doing.

My classes are all on fascinating topics, and it amazes me every day that I'm actually able study what I am: women and economic development, middle east politics, Arab nationalism, genocide, human rights abuses, Africa, diasporas, Haiti, religion, imperialism, and so much much more! Next semester I am going to be doing an independent study on Jewish texts through a feminist lens, and I can't wait!

I am also a signer (Hampshire-speak for one of three people who run a student organization) for Aliz: Queer Jews and Allies, involved in the Jewish Student Union, and play ice hockey for Mount Holyoke, and spend a fair amount of time hanging out there. I also have a great work-study job on campus with wonderful people, who happen to feed me all the time. I've been going back to Boston to see family quite a bit, and I will be back again in two weeks for Thanksgiving vacation!

Starting Hampshire College (and then coming back home)

And now Amherst. What a long journey is has been to get to Hampshire College, but I'm so glad I'm here! (And so glad I had that journey!)

This past week has been orientation, non-stop and all the time. While I've been learning fascinating things about Hampshire's academic structure, student life, educational philosophy and a bunch of arcane policies during orientation, I can't wait for classes to start! Unfortunately, the first day of classes was this past Wednesday, Erev Rosh HaShannah. I went back to Cambridge for Rosh HaShannah, so I have to wait until this upcoming Monday to start my classes.

I was at college for less than a week before going home! I'll blog again when I've actually done some stuff!

And the summer flies by...

Jerusalem. Istanbul. Ankara. Tel Aviv. Bahad 7. Eilat. Taba. Cairo. Alexandria. Ein Gedi. Tiberias. Majdal Shams. Katzrin. New York. Boston.

These are only a couple of the places I've been to this summer. I last blogged before I left for Egypt. I traveled to Cairo overland from Jerusalem. I left on an overnight bus to Eilat, and then spent the day getting an Egyptian visa at the consulate in Eilat. I crossed the border the next morning into Taba, and then took a long, long bus to Cairo.

And then promptly fell in love with Cairo. And then promptly fell out of love with Cairo. It was a never-ending cycle the entire time I was there. There is something so compelling about Cairo that is hard to pinpoint, but it is also such a overcrowded, dirty, overwhelming and exhausting city. I loved seeing old synagogues, mosques and churches. I'd never been in a majority Muslim country before that was as religious as Egypt (Jordan and Turkey, at least the parts I visited, were pretty secular.) It's amazing to see huge prayer mats set up on the subway and in other public places for the afternoon prayer. But after a few days of Cairo's charms (of which there were many, my favorite being the fresh-squeezed sugarcane juice), I decided to do what the Egyptians do, and went to Alexandria for a much needed break.

In Alexandria I visited the Alexandria Library, walked through the markets, enjoyed the beach, and searched in vain for the one synagogue there. Then it was back to Cairo to visit the Pyramids, do some frantic shopping, and visit some friends studying Arabic there for the summer.

My trip back to Israel just seemed like it would never end: I caught a 9am bus from Cairo that got into Taba around 4pm (with just one break!). While I had a great time in Egypt, I definitely felt relief at being back in Israel again. Twelve hours later, 2 buses, one train, and one missing wallet adventure, I was at Ben Gurion Airport waiting for my family to arrive!

The next two weeks can basically be summed up as: it was lovely to see them, and lovely to have them in Israel with me. We stayed in Tel Aviv for the first week and a half and did some day trips from there. We then spent Shabbat in Jerusalem, a night in Ramallah, and a night in Tiberias. Every place was different with my family. But after two and a half weeks, they left to return to Boston, and I stayed in Israel.

I spent my remaining two weeks in Jerusalem and in the Golan. I marched in Jerusalem Pride, did lots of shopping, and hung out with friends. Then I went backpacking in the Golan. I hitchhiked around, camping near the Kinneret or in National Forests. I spent some time in Katzrin, Tiberias, and a lot of time in small towns and kibbutzim along the Kinneret, but my favorite town was Majdal Shams. Majdal Shams is a Druze town, home to Shouting Hill, and was a fascinating mix of Israeli and Syrian (with some delicious food thrown in!). I loved doing what other Israeli teens do during their summer vacations, and I loved being able to see and experience Israel in a new way. I didn't love having my sleeping bag stolen, or the people who played loud music late at night, or the sketchy man who gave me a ride into Tiberias one day. But there were so many more wonderful people who gave me rides, offered me hospitality, and helped me when I needed it.

Next up: a one week road trip down to North Carolina to visit some friends and family, and then Hampshire College!

Adventures in May and June (and July!)

I’ve been up to a lot in the past two months. In May I took a trip to Akko and Haifa with Devora and Jayne. We explored the Old City of Akko, spent Shabbat in Haifa, and then on Sunday I went to some museums while Devora and Jayne went horseback riding. It was a lovely trip.

In the beginning of June I finished ulpan in Jerusalem and went to Turkey for two weeks. I was primarily in Istanbul, but I also took a short trip to Ankara. Turkey was an absolutely fascinating country, and it reminded me a lot of Israel. Both are countries that are deeply struggling with the role of religion in public life, that are both very modern and ancient, and that don’t really belong to one continent. I loved going to all different types of mosques in Istanbul, and I also visited some historical sites. I tried to visit the Jewish community in Istanbul, but they didn’t let me into the synagogue.

The day after I got back from Turkey was Tel Aviv Pride! It was lots of fun, although it did make me miss Boston and Boston Pride. Right after that, I started Sar-El. Sar-El is a program for foreigners who want to volunteer for the Israel Defense Forces. For the past three weeks I’ve been living on an Israeli army base, wearing a uniform, eating in the Hadar Ochel (dining room) with soldiers, and helping out on the base. My group fixed electronics, cleaned the dining room, and did some painting. We also just spent time hanging out with soldiers and getting to know them.

Now I’m off to Egypt! I plan to spend a couple of days in Cairo, and then I’d like to go to Alexandria, Luxor, and Aswan. But I have to be back in Israel by the middle of July, because my family is coming to visit! I can’t wait!

Ice Cream in Ramallah Makes Me Happy

Ramallah is fast becoming one of my favorite cities (although nothing can rival Jerusalem. Not even San Francisco.) The first time I went was with Devora on a Friday, which was a huge mistake. We had gone on Friday morning, thinking that this would give us some time to see Ramallah before Shabbat started. However, we never connected the dots; the majority of people in Ramallah are Muslim, and therefore their day off is Friday. Almost nothing was open, there were very few people outside, and to top it all of, it was raining.

I went back a couple of weeks ago to get a visa for Jordan. I had tried first to get a visa at the Jordanian Embassy in Tel Aviv, but they stop issuing visas at 1:30pm, which didn't give me enough time to get to there after ulpan. They suggested I go to the consulate in Ramallah. I was a little skeptical, because the Jordanian Embassy in Tel Aviv was unable to tell me the address of the Jordanian Consulate in Ramallah. There advice was just to "ask anybody." However, not seeing a better solution, that's what I did. I got off the bus, walked into the nearest building, and asked for someone who spoke English. In less than five minutes I was on my way, with the address to the Jordanian Consulate conveniently written down for me in Arabic.

My experiences in Ramallah have all been wonderful. I've never had any problems. (However, I've also never spoken Hebrew or done something that identified me as Jewish.)

I went to Ramallah a couple of days ago for ice cream. I had spent a good part of the afternoon exploring the Underground Prisoners Museum in Jerusalem (it's very nice - I highly recommend it.) It was the day that my family would have left Israel, if they had gotten here in the first place. I was feeling pretty down, and so decided I'd go to Rukab's in Ramallah for ice cream as a pick-me-up. I ordered delicious caramel and chocolate with mini white chocolate chips ice cream, and sat down to enjoy my ice cream and my book.

Then I figured I was already in Ramallah, so I might as well take advantage of the four shekel falafel (it's 12 shekels in Jerusalem.) I also picked up some Betty Crocker cake mixes for my birthday, which I have yet to find in Jerusalem.

After walking around in circles for a good half hour, looking for the right bus station (Ramallah has four bus stations - who's idea was that?!) I asked a police officer for directions. He smiled apologetically to me, and said he didn't speak English. So I asked him for "servees Al-Quds" (roughly translates as "Jerusalem Bus.") When he realized I didn't understand a single word of his directions, he gestured to me to follow him, and he walked me directly to the correct bus station. I thanked him profusely ("shuckran! shuckran!") and hopped on my bus back home. The Kalandia checkpoint was nearly deserted, and it took me less than five minutes to get through (last time it took almost an hour.) I was soon back at my house, still appreciating the kindness of the people in Ramallah, and the delicious ice cream.


*If you came here via Google and are looking for information on the Jordanian Consulate in Jordan, here are specifics: I took Arab bus #18 from East Jerusalem. It leaves all the time, and costs 6.5 shekels. It goes directly to Ramallah from Jerusalem (about 45 minutes), but on the way back it stops at the Kalandia checkpoint where everyone has to get off the bus and go through security. It can take anywhere from five minutes to more than an hour, and make sure to bring a passport or driver's license (not a teudat zehut, as Israelis are not allowed to go to Ramallah.) After going through security, there should be another bus right outside waiting tot take you to Jerusalem. Make sure to hold onto your ticket so you don't have to pay again. The Jordanian Consulate is located on Jerusalem (al-Quds) street, up a hill, and across from the Arab National Bank. Just ask anyone for directions. :D

My friends do cool stuff with me (or I hate volcanoes and love Yom HaAztmuat)

The big news in my life is that the gigantic cloud of ash, which closed down European airspace for a week, also prevented my family from visiting me. They were going to come over their school vacation, and school and job schedules means they can't reschedule. I know that I had been really looking forward to sharing my life with my family ever since I got here. We're all pretty bummed. Thankfully, I have some pretty awesome friends who have been putting up with my complaining, and also trying to cheer me up and keep me occupied with other things.

We found out the day before Yom HaZikaron that they weren't going to be able to make it. I was actually on Skype while sitting in the laundry room at Hebrew University, doing massive amounts of laundry. It was one of those days where everything is too overwhelming to handle, and I had to call Devora and have her explain to me how to use the machines. While doing laundry, I ran into my friend Jayne, who said that she was going to the Yom HaZikaron ceremony at the Kotel and that I should come too. Being that I was very much in the mood for mourning, I agreed. As soon as my laundry was done, I hopped on a bus to drop it off at home. But I was running late, and at 7:45pm, I was just leaving my house. The ceremony started when the siren went off at 8pm, and I was still on King George Street. I made it to the ceremony a little late, and as a result ended up standing in a crowd of haredi men. This was great because I had lots of personal space, but not so great because I was in a crowd of haredi men. After the ceremony I met up with Jayne, and we also ran into Alanna, Rebecca and Noam, which was lovely. Not wanting to go back to an empty house, I spent the night on Devora's floor in her dorm room, which brought back many memories of missing the last bus back to Ramla.

The next morning Devora asked what my plans were for Yom HaAztmaut. Yom HaAztmaut is unique because it is the only secular happy holiday in Israel. Originally, I was waking up super early to meet my family's 5:20am flight to Ben Gurion, and then we were going to barbeque on the Tel Aviv beach all day. Since that was no longer an option, I told Devora that I was going to "sit in my room and cry all day." She told me that wasn't an option. Instead, I had a lovely breakfast with Jayne, and then went back to my house and took a nap (I had to prepare for the festivities!)

Erev Yom HaAztmaut was EPIC. First I went to a house party at Ahuva's with lots of falafel, the vegetarian response to barbecuing. We all migrated towards Ben Yehuda Street, where the party was in full swing. Lots of students from the March of the Living were there, and they were celebrating with copious amounts of silly string, shaving cream, and light up hammers. There were multiple bands playing on stages set up all around downtown, and it was clear that Jerusalem was ready to celebrate! It was a little overwhelming, so Marc and myself headed out to find some quiet. We met back up with Ahuva, Alexis and Dev just to see the first fireworks over Gan Aztmaut (Independence Park). Marc and I joined Alanna and Rebecca on their roof for the second round of fireworks around midnight.

And then the amazing thing happened. We discovered that there was a huge party happening in the shuk. The shuk where I buy fruits and vegetables, the shuk where little old ladies push their shopping carts into me, the shuk where shopkeepers yell out their daily produce prices. For one night, the shuk turned into a party. I almost didn't get to experience it, because it was 21+. Luckily, I have a college ID card that doesn't have my birthday on it, and because it was in English, the bouncer let me through.

I'm really not sure how to describe the party. It was exactly like a regular club, and yet so completely different. There was a band, speakers, and a bar set up. But yet in the next alley over, you could clearly see old vegetable boxes and such. In one alley a couple of guys were doing army drills (probably in an attempt to impress the people they were with.) The dominant language was Hebrew, and the shuk party was obviously where the Israelis went to celebrate Yom HaAztmaut. I had a blast.

After the shuk party, Marc, Alanna and myself headed over to Ben Yehuda Street for ice cream. Around 4am we decided we should probably head back to our respective houses and get to sleep, although Marc and I took a detour to sit by a fountain near my house and people watch.

I woke up in the middle of the afternoon, not feeling so great, so I ended up not going to any barbecues. Around 8pm, my doorbell rings. Not in the mood to deal with people who want donations to their yeshivas, I ignored it. And then it rang again. And again. Finally, I got up to answer it, and was greeted by Devora and Jayne holding a pint of ice cream! Chag HaAztmaut Sameach, and Happy 62nd Birthday, Israel!

Bomb sirens in Israel

I envisioned that during bomb sirens in Israel, people would rush for cover, screaming, in total terror. That didn't happen. I've heard them only twice, both when I was living in Ashkelon (which is only about 10 kilometers from the Gaza Strip.) They sound like a fire alarm that just goes on and on and on, and permeates everywhere. Both times, they were very effective. It took me probably 30 seconds to process that I was hearing the siren, stop what I was doing (cooking one time, on my computer the other), and get into the nearest bomb shelter. The entire time my brain was screaming "Find shelter! Find shelter! Drop everything and find shelter!"

During my first siren, I was cooking breakfast. I decided that turning off my stove was necessary, but that putting on shoes, locking my apartment, and putting on pants (I was wearing boxer shorts) was not. I raced out into the hallway, where the lights flash when the siren is on, and down to the shelter. I arrived completely terrified, and was greeted by all the veteran residents chatting calmly on their cellphones. It was pretty obvious I was new to Ashkelon.

One siren also goes off on Yom HaShoah, and two go off on Yom HaZikaron. These are drastically different than the ones signaling an incoming rocket. They sound different- the ones for Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaShoah change pitch, and are almost calming. They also inspire a different reaction. Everyone stops. Buses park, people get out of their cars, and everyone stands still for the duration of the siren. It's pretty powerful to be walking along a busy street in Jerusalem, and then to just have everything stop. It's not something I'll forget.

Now I know how to buy SIM cards

Yesterday I went to the Central Bus Station, which is also a mall, to get a SIM card for the cell phone my family is going to be using when they visit (27 days!) and I conducted the entire conversation in Hebrew. I was very excited about this, because for the previous SIM card I bought, I just randomly picked one and had no idea what the rates were, as I didn’t know any of the Hebrew vocabulary about cell phones. Now, I can ask in Hebrew about rates for calls in the network, out of the network, at night, during Shabbat and holidays, and price of text messages. It’s pretty cool.

As I was walking back from the Central Bus Station I realized I could just walk through this huge park on my way home. (It turns out the huge park is actually the grounds of the Knesset. Amazing.) I got sidetracked, and ended up sitting in the grass for two hours doing my ulpan homework and basking in the sun. After two hours, I realized I had an ugly red rash on every part of me that was touching the grass. Apparently I’ve developed an allergy to grass. Good to know. But I am not going to let it deter me from spending as much time as I can outside in Jerusalem. Especially with my new Hebrew knowledge.

Reason 84758392 why I love living in Jerusalem

Part of my homework from ulpan today was to write a letter to put in the Kotel. It was a gorgeous day outside, and I had the afternoon free, so I just walked down to the Kotel, and wrote my letter while sitting on a bench maybe 35 feet from the actual Kotel. You can’t beat that.

I also explored the Arab Shuk in the Old City for the first time. It definitely did not feel like Mahane Yehuda, the shuk off of Yafo Street in Central Jerusalem that mostly sells food. This shuk was almost all knick-knacks for tourists, and I got asked multiple times if I spoke English and if I would just “take a look at my shop, just a look.” One man asked me where I was from, and when I responded that I live in Jerusalem, he immediately switched to Hebrew and asked me if I really lived here. I responded in Hebrew that yes I really live in Jerusalem. He seemed very surprised to see someone there who wasn’t (obviously) a tourist.

Also, my new favorite Hebrew word is: רקונסטרוקשוניסט. We were talking about what we did last Shabbat, and in the middle of a whole slew of Hebrew I just inserted “Reconstructionist.” And then I also inserted “Egalitarian.” I also recently learned the verb לפסבק. See if you can guess what it is.

Live in Israel! Make Jewish Babies!

So, a little background: Jews in Israel almost unanimously think that Jews from the Diaspora should move to Israel, marry a Jew, and have Jewish children. And they are not shy about sharing their opinions (on anything!) Also, Judaism doesn't have missionaries, and it's not permitted to proselytize. So, instead, some Jews try to make other Jews more halachically observant, because they believe that if all Jews observe the all miztvot, than the Moshiach will come.

There is a woman in my ulpan who is Orthodox, a Baal Teshuva who grew up Reform. She is in her twenties, has two young kids, and has been living in Jerusalem for the past five years. I like her a lot actually. She is very interested in how observant I am (or, alternately, how not observant I am), and has invited me over for Shabbat, as well as suggesting other Judaism-focused activities for me. Recently, during our hafsakah (הפסקה) we were talking about cleaning for Passover. The conversation morphed into what food has chametz in it, and she mentioned of that in Jerusalem it's illegal to sell chametz during Passover. I responded that that must be hard for non-Jews, and she responded that non-Jews shouldn't be in Jerusalem.

I guess I made a face, because her very next question was:
"So, how important is marrying Jewish to you?"
I hesitated, and made a little mumbling sound.
"But, you do want to raise your kids Jewish, right?"
Finally, I just blurted out "I'm gay. So I don't know how much the whole marriage thing will be in my future."
Not even skipping a beat, she responds that gay marriage is legal in California, so I could just get married there and then come and live in Israel*. And besides, my kids would still be halachically Jewish.

I had no response.



(*Gay marriage actually isn't legal in California. Marriage in Israel is complicated, so sometimes people get married outside of Israel and then get the marriage recognized here.)

All About Me

I'm originally from near Boston, MA but this blog primarily chronicles my adventures when I'm not there. I started it the summer before my senior year of high school, and I'm now on a gap year before college.

I graduated high school a semester early in January 2009, and then embarked on a solo train trip across the USA. In August 2010 I moved to Israel, where I first participated in a MASA-sponsored program in Ramla, then I moved to Ashkelon, and I now live in Jerusalem and study Hebrew in ulpan. In fall 2010 I'm off to Hampshire College in Amherst, MA.

This blog is partly written for me, and partly written for my family and friends. If you're someone else, I hope you enjoy it too!

IKEA Mania

Oh, Egged. Only you:

It is our concern that you arrive at IKEA second store first! Egged will operates bus routes to and from Me’ayan Soreq (IKEA). Two existing bus routes, No.84 from Tel Aviv and No.12 from Rishon le-Tsiyon suburbs, along with two new bus routes (No. 22, No.13) will travel to/from IKEA in Rishon le-Tsiyon starting upcoming Sunday, 7 March 2010.

Really? Is the second IKEA in Israel really this big a deal? The last time I remember them offering special bus service it was to Hebron for Parshat Chayyei Sarah. 

What I've been up to...

Since the last time I blogged, I have:

Moved to Jerusalem! I now live in Jerusalem! It's so cool! Everyday when I leave my apartment I fall in love with the city all over again. I love my neighborhood, I love being able to walk to my ulpan, I love having friends nearby, and I love the diversity that exists in Jerusalem. I ventured into Mea Sharim (a Haredi neighborhood) to look for mezuzot for my dad, and the differences in ways of life within Jerusalem are striking. I love it.

Traveled to Jordan (Aqaba and Petra by way of Eilat.) I went with Devora, because we'd never been to Jordan and figured that we only had a couple of days of vacation left, so why not? We left from Tel Aviv at midnight on a night bus, and arrived in Eilat before sunrise. We crossed the border right after it opened and arrived in Aqaba. From there we took a bus to Petra, where we spent the next two days. We stayed at a lovely hostel in Wadi Musa, saw Little Petra, saw regular Petra, did some hiking, took hundreds of pictures, ate some of the best falafel I've ever had, and met a lot of really fascinating world travelers. Early Thursday morning we took a bus back to Aqaba from Wadi Musa, spent some time in Aqaba, and then crossed into Eilat to catch our bus back to Jerusalem before Shabbat started. The rocks of Petra are gorgeous, and I'm so glad we went.

Started ulpan! I LOVE it! I'm in a class with such dedicated people who really, really want to learn Hebrew and are very motivated to. My teacher is amazing too- she is very committed to the class and really cares about helping us learn. She has done a bunch of really fun activities (we wrote postcards to each other the other day), she has lots of very useful props, and most importantly, she doesn't just translate words into English. She makes sure we understand the Hebrew, not the English equivalent. This is very important because out of the 17 people in my class, only 4 of us are native English speakers, and only a handful more speak any English at all. We have students from all over in our class- America, Latvia, India, Russia, Estonia, Jerusalem, Israel, France, Columbia... the list goes on. There are actually quite a few native Arabic speakers in my class, which surprised me, but it makes sense. There is also a ton of religious diversity, both in that there are Jews, Christians and Muslims, and in variety of level of observance and practices. I'm learning so much from this ulpan.

Went up North for a Shabbaton with Devora where we went ATVing, rappelling, and spelunking, and stayed in Tzfat for Shabbat. It was through Jeff Seidel's Jewish Student Information Center, and I must say I was not very impressed by the Jeff Seidel part of the weekend. It mostly consisted of him pushing alcohol on 18-22 year old students. Sketchy. It was originally supposed to be a ski trip, but there was no snow! I enjoyed ATVing a lot though, and it was good to finally see Tzfat. After Shabbat, when everyone else went back to Jerusalem, Devora and I went camping by the Kinneret. We asked the bus driver to let us off somewhere where we could camp, and he left us by the side of the highway on the outskirts of Tiberias. We found this nice picnic area right by the side of the Kinneret and set up camp. It was amazing to wake up and look outside the tent and see the beautiful Kinneret on one side, and the lush mountains of the North on the other.

Now I am in the United States. One of my family members has been in the hospital, and I flew back to the U.S. for a couple of weeks to lend and hand and offer support and just be here.

Whoa, where did winter come from?

I'm moving to Jerusalem February 1! I won't bore you all with all the details, but I'm living in a lovely apartment with two other women. It's a great location, and I like my roommates. However, I am not a fan of the weather. It's cold in Jerusalem!

The average temperatures for right now are in the 40s and 50s (F). Ashkelon is about 5-10 degrees warmer than Jerusalem, and Ramla is about 5-10 degrees warmer than Ashkelon. Thus, in the past month I've had to adjust from temperatures in the 60s to temperatures in the 40s. And by adjust, I mean that today when I walked to the grocery store I wore long underwear (top and bottom), two sweatshirts, a vest, a fleece hat, a scarf, and gloves. And super warm fuzzy socks.

I don't remember being this cold in America, where it was definitely colder. But it doesn't matter, because I get to live in Jerusalem!

Sderot

This week I went to Sderot, and it was, well, boring. The most interesting part of my trip was actually in Ashkelon, where I was asked (in Hebrew) if I spoke Russian by this nice older woman. I don't speak Russian, and she didn't speak English or Hebrew, but I still managed to convey to her when her bus was going to arrive, and walked her to the right platform. I felt very proud that I could actually do that, as when I first got the Israel finding the right platform and bus was a very hard ordeal for me.

There really wasn't much to do in Sderot, and what was going to be a half day trip turned into a two-hour trip. I looked at the bomb shelters. I looked at more bomb shelters. I looked at numerous plaques declaring that such and such "was a gift from the people of Italy", "generously supported by the Jewish National Fund", "made possible with the help of American donors", or "built in partnership with with Jewish community of Pheonix". Besides the obvious financial support from outside sources, Sderot looked like any other small town in Israel. There was a huge shopping mall, some falafel shops, a bunch of parks, a library; it actually reminded me a little bit of Ramla. There were also a bike lanes in some parts of Sderot, which took me by surprise, as I have yet to see bike lanes anywhere else in Israel. I was kind of hoping that I'd be able to see Gaza from Sderot, but I wasn't able to. After walking back up to the highway, I caught a sherut back to Ashkelon and walked home.

Nefesh B'Nefesh Aliyah Flight Arrival Ceremony

About two weeks ago I woke up at 5am, jumped out of bed, and ran to the Ramla Central Bus Station to catch the 5:30am bus to the Ben-Gurion Airport. I was the first one at the bus station, and once I got on the bus, I realized that I could have walked about half as much and just caught the bus on Herzl Ave. But that didn't really matter to me, because I was so excited! I was going to greet new olim (immigrants) who were making aliyah on the last Nefesh B'Nefesh (NBN) charter flight of the year! I didn't really know what to expect, except that I had been told that there was lots of singing, dancing, and joyous tears. I also couldn't find anyone who wanted to wake up that early, so I went by myself. The bus dropped me off right in front of the terminal, and there were NBN signs pointing me in the right direction. I entered the terminal, and was greeted by a NBN staffperson who I had met the previous week at a presentation about student aliyah. She got me signed in, and then I proceeded through security.

NBN had taken over the terminal. There were hundreds of chairs set up facing a stage with a podium and huge projector screen, and there were hundreds of people milling around, helping themselves to the free pastries and coffee and chatting about why they were there. There were people of every age, people who had made aliyah before NBN was founded, people who hadn't made aliyah, yeshiva boys and seminary girls, kibbutzniks, Orthodox families- every part of Israeli society was represented (there were people with dreadlocks next to people with peyos.) There were also a bunch of people from the press interviewing different people. There was also a small minyan davening Shacharit in the back of the terminal, although it was men-only. I've gotten used to people praying in seemingly random places, but I don't think I'm even going to get used to non-egalitarian davening. I got some food, and then just sat around for 30 minutes. We were told to get to the airport before 6:30am, but the flight didn't land until 7am, and the first olim weren't off the place until around 7:20am. Around 7am, all 500+ of us were herded toward the area where people normally go through customs. Israeli flags were passed out (although many people brought their own) and anticipation reached a climax. There were about 30 soldiers already out on the tarmac ready to start greeting the new olim, and we started to climb on the banisters for better views.

And then people catapulted themselves over the barrier and starting running for the tarmac; shouting, singing, waving flags, crying, and greeting the first busload of olim off the plane. There were people holding signs saying "Welcome Home!", "Bruchim Habaim!", and my personal favorite "Welcome Home Saba and Savta!" ("Welcome Home Grandma and Grandpa!") which was held up by some adorable young children. The first batch of olim off the bus looked stunned. Some immediately joined in the dancing, and some just looked like all they wanted was to do was find the nearest bed. There was a three person band playing Shalom Alcheim, and on of the security guards even joined the band. Occasionally they switched to another patriotic song such as Am Yisrael Chai, although they never played the Moshiach song or the Nachman song, which I appreciated. And we just kept dancing, and dancing, and dancing. Whenever a guest spotted an oleh they knew, there was frantic shouting and then hugging. Bus after bus of olim from the airplane kept arriving, and we kept celebrating. Someone pulled out a shofar and started blowing it. I sat on top of a police barricade and took picture after picture.

At one point a special El Al vehicle pulled up, flashing lights and beeping. We all became quiet, and an El Al staffperson stepped out, pulling a woman in a wheelchair with a man following them. When they were lowered to the ground, the woman turned around, and started waving. She was the oldest olah on the flight, at 86 years old. At 86 years old, she was giving up everything she knew to move to Israel with her husband. I was amazed. (The youngest oleh was 2 months old.)

More olim arrived, and NBN staff helped families with children carry bags and strollers and make sure that none of the kids got separated from their parents. NBN charter flights are only for olim, and so they are specifically tailored to the needs of olim. Paperwork for Israeli identity cards and olim identity cards are processed in the air, olim can bring pets on the plane, there are bigger baggage allowances, and NBN staff are on board to answer questions and make sure everything runs smoothly. 210 new olim arrived on the flight, which included 40 children, 81 singles, and 13 IDF soldiers.

After what seemed like hours of celebration, but was in actuality less than an hour, all of the olim had arrived, and we all moved inside the terminal to listen to some speakers. The founder of NBN spoke, the Minister of Development in the Galilee and the Negev spoke, the Minister of Immigration Absorption spoke, and so did some other people who I don't remember. They mentioned that Israel has a very high proportion of citizens who weren't born in Israel, that NBN and the new olim were helping Israel expand in the North, and that Israel was very glad to welcome home the 210 olim on the flight. One of the Ministers was born in Tunisia, and is an oleh himself (I think he was the Deputy Prime Minister.) He mentioned that only in Israel do heads of government wake up at 5am to welcome new immigrants at the airport. There was a ceremony where a couple of the olim were handed their new Israeli identity cards, and the soldiers stood up and looked patriotic. Then there were announcements about how guests were not allowed to accept bags from the new olim before they went through customs, and where olim should go after customs so NBN staff could arrange their free taxi ride to any location in Israel, courtesy of the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption.

Then we all stood up and sang Hatikva. It was one of the most resounding and heartwarming versions that I have ever heard.

Getting to Kalanit Mercaz Klita

I don't have a car in Israel (which is probably a good thing, as I am not a very good driver and neither are most Israelis.) It is rarely a problem, because public bus and train transportation is very comprehensive in Israel. I can easily get from one end of the country to the other (buses depart from Eilat, the southernmost city, and Kiryat Shmona, almost the northernmost city every hour if not more frequently) and traveling by public transportation is very cheap. However, moving without a car presents a challenge.

I chose to move in two trips, as I had the three suitcases I came to Israel with, bedding, a bag of kitchen stuff, a bag of books, and a basil plant. I took the train from Lod to Ashkelon (it's about 45 minutes) and then a taxi from the train station to Kalanit (about 15 minutes). The first trip was horrible. It was very hot outside, and I walked about a half an hour with four bags before I got to the train station. I was hot, sweaty, and not in a very good mood. I had left time for security to go through my bags, but I had assumed that they would just glance at them, and not bother going through all four of them. I was wrong. After being asked to produce a Teudat Zehut (Israeli identity card) and producing my Massachusetts Driver's License, they asked me for a Darkon (passport.) When I produced that, all three of the guards took turns staring at it (probably because none of them could read English fluently.) After asking me multiple questions about my visa (which is rather self-explanatory "Hi, I'm on MASA, which means I'm between ages 18-28 and I'm Jewish"), they finally started to go through my bags. By this time the chance of making my train was very little, which meant I was going to be late for moving into Kalanit, I was really hot, and I was also very much stressing about moving to somewhere I had never been before.

When security finally let me through, I ran to the elevator, and arrived at my platform just in time to see my once-an-hour train pulling away. I promptly sat down (on my bags) and started sobbing. I'm sure I scared the two little kids drinking shoko b'sakit next me to- I was definitely a sight to behold. At that moment I hated Israel, I hated Israelis who wouldn't hold the train for me, I hated the weather, I hated public transportation, and I definitely hated security guards.

But! It wasn't my train! I had gotten the times wrong, and 10 minutes later a train pulled up and announced "Ha'rekevet leRehovot, Yavne, Ashdod v'Ashkelon al mishpar shalosh." That was my train! I jumped up, all thoughts of hating Israel aside, and got onto the splendid air-conditioned train with padded seats and views of the gorgeous countryside. And I ate a bar of chocolate.

The second trip was actually quite lovely. I moved after it was already dark outside, so I didn't get all hot and sweaty. But the biggest difference was the security guards. One stopped me outside the station, and when he asked for my Teudat Zehut and received my Driver's License, his only reaction was to switch to English. However, because I was in a much better mood, I wanted to use my Hebrew. As soon as he learned that I was carrying all this stuff because I was moving from Ramla to the Ashkelon Mercaz Klita, he was nothing but smiles. He helped me carry my stuff to the ticket booth, and then had another guy carry it to my platform. When I asked if they wanted to search my bags, they just smiled. That trip, I felt like all of Israel was smiling with me.

New Adventures in Ashkelon

My program in Ramla ended yesterday, and I have officially moved to Ashkelon. So far, I really like it! Ashkelon is located right next to the Mediterranean, although I don't personally live that close to it. But as bus rides around the city cost 1 shekel each (about 25 cents) I'm sure I'll be exploring it soon! I live in the Kalanit Absorption Center (in Hebrew: Kalanit Mercaz Klita b'Asheklon.) I've spent the last day setting up my apartment, exploring the Mercaz Klita and exploring Ashkelon. The Mercaz Klita is like a really big apartment building, or rather, buildings. There is a large courtyard, laundry room, some common areas, and a huge and very nice lawn outside with a tennis table and benches for hanging out in. My apartment consists of one large room that has two beds, a huge dresser, two desks/tables and three chairs. Connected to that room is a little kitchenette and a bathroom. It was originally meant to be a double, and I'm sure it would be cramped as a double, but it's positively spacious for me!

Living in the Mercaz Klita has a lot of benefits. There are three different staff people who have various jobs (one is the director, one is the "house parent" and I'm not sure what the other one does) and they are all very nice and willing to help me adjust to living here (whether by showing me where the bus stop is, letting me borrow a broom, giving me maps, or just greeting me with a much-appreciated friendly smile.) There are also three security guards who each work seven hour shifts. I've only met two of them (and it's unlikely that I'll meet the one that works from 11pm-7am) but they are also very nice. I introduced myself to the afternoon security guard yesterday and had a whole, complex conversation in Hebrew with him, which was very exciting!

The Ashkelon Mercaz Klita is also specifically for people 18-35 (out of the 200+ people who live here, only 3 don't fit into that age group) so there are lots of social opportunities. Both Oztma and Magen David Adom (MASA programs) have groups living here, and I've already met some of the participants.

The other benefits that come with living in the Mercaz Klita come when you tell people that you live there. Today in the supermarket when a woman found out that I lived in the Mercaz Klita by myself (she was incredulous: "Ainlach mishpachah b'Israel? Ain?") she invited me over for Shabbat. The bus drivers are nicer to you when you ask if a certain bus goes to Kalanit, the people on the bus are nicer, and everyone just is nicer to you. Today after I was food shopping, while waiting for the bus, I opened up the bread and the hummus and ate some (I was hungry, and forgot that Israelis don't really eat in public.) Two older women were staring at me, and when I asked them why, their only response was "Behtai avon" (it translates as something like "Bon Appetite.") Likewise, when I got on the bus the driver saw the half-eaten baguette and the hummus with scoop marks in it and had to tease me about it too. But very nicely.

I'm not sad about my program ending partly because I was ready for it to be over and was tired of Ramla, but mostly because more than half my group decided to stay in Israel. The majority of them are doing Magen David Adom, but one person is making aliyah and me and another person will be in ulpan in Jerusalem. Hopefully some of them will be visiting me in Ashkelon and making use of my spare bed!