This post in long overdue! As you can tell, I haven't been updating as much and I'm going to make a goal to update my blog once a month. This post isn't so long, but I wanted to at least put up some photos.
At the end of January, my school took us on a 3 day trip to Eilat, the southern most part of Israel. It is the beach/vacation/resort area of Israel. It is much less religious than Jerusalem and it is more difficult to find Kosher food there. On the first day we went hiking and camel riding. The second day was more hiking and then we went on a boat cruise at sunset which was really fun. The third day we went to an Oceanarium, which is like a really elaborate aquarium. It was part person made aquarium and then they built a viewing room in the ocean and you could go in a building underwater to view what was actually in the ocean. That afternoon we were supposed to go on another hike (too much hiking!!), but it was forecasted to rain so we went ice skating at the mall in Eilat instead. The mall had a very futuristic look to it and it was very English friendly, as in all of the store names were only written in English and not Hebrew! I appreciate the English, but would prefer the Hebrew be written next to the English as well, considering we are in Israel.
Here are some photos.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Snow Day in Jerusalem!
Today is a snow day in Jerusalem and everything has shut down, including public transportation and taxis. Substantial snow is rare here and the city is not well equipped to deal with it. I was excited to take some photos before everything turned into brown slush. Here are the photos!
I would've loved to see the photo below for myself, but it would have taken me almost 2 hours (one way!) to walk to the old city and I wasn't willing to do that. So I did the next best thing and took this photo from someone else on facebook...
Monday, January 7, 2013
Day Trip to Hevron
These past few weeks, a group called JAM (Jewish Awareness Movement) came to Israel for a young adult trip. Because I know some families who work for JAM (it is run out of Southern California), I had the opportunity to go on some of the JAM day trips. I spent two Shabbosim (plural for Shabbat) with them, one in Ramat Beit Shemesh and one in Rahavia. Ramat Beit Shemesh is a very American suburb of Jerusalem, and appeared to be mostly comprised of families who had made Aliyah (immigrated to Israel) from America. The next Shabbat, in Rahavia, was very neat because we got to go to the Kotel (Western Wall) on Friday evening right as Shabbat was starting (Rahavia is about a 30 minute walk to the Kotel). It was PACKED, mostly from all of the Birthright groups who were there. Birthright is a free 10 day trip to Israel for Jews ages 18-26.
My favorite day trip I went on with JAM was to Hevron. This city is in the West Bank and mainly Palestinian families live there though there are 80 Jewish families that live there as well. There is a waiting list for Jewish families who want to live in Hevron. There is also a Yeshiva (Torah school for men) in Hevron which several hundred men learn in. The living conditions are extremely basic and Jews who live there on an ideological basis. It is the biblical burial site of 6 biblical Patriarchs and Matriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and their respective wives Sarah, Rebekah, and Leah. Our tour guide lived in Hevron and I really wished we could have spent more time with her to ask her questions. For over a thousand years the land has been controlled by many different people (not in any particular order): Crusaders, the Ottoman Empire, Arabs, Jews and the British. Here is a small scale present day map of Hevron which is divided into Palestinian controlled H1 and Israeli controlled H2.
Here is a larger scaled map:
It was unnerving to be in Hevron because the tension is so high. The best representation of the tension was when our tour guide was competing with a Muslim prayer call (played over the loud speakers) in order to speak to our group. We rode to Hevron in a bulletproof bus and along the way passed land controlled by the Palestinian Authority with signs that warned Israeli's and Jew's to stay away. In Hevron there are IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) EVERYWHERE, you couldn't walk 100 feet without seeing a solider with a gun strapped to their back. While we were there, there was an unclaimed bag, so we got briefly stuck in the cave/burial site of the biblical patriarchs and matriarchs The package was unclaimed and was going to be burned for safety reasons because they didn't know what the package contained. I'm not entirely sure if they ended up burning it, but they kept making announcements over the loud speakers in Hebrew that I couldn't understand. I'm very glad I had the opportunity to go to Hevron with JAM because it would not be safe to go alone.
My favorite day trip I went on with JAM was to Hevron. This city is in the West Bank and mainly Palestinian families live there though there are 80 Jewish families that live there as well. There is a waiting list for Jewish families who want to live in Hevron. There is also a Yeshiva (Torah school for men) in Hevron which several hundred men learn in. The living conditions are extremely basic and Jews who live there on an ideological basis. It is the biblical burial site of 6 biblical Patriarchs and Matriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and their respective wives Sarah, Rebekah, and Leah. Our tour guide lived in Hevron and I really wished we could have spent more time with her to ask her questions. For over a thousand years the land has been controlled by many different people (not in any particular order): Crusaders, the Ottoman Empire, Arabs, Jews and the British. Here is a small scale present day map of Hevron which is divided into Palestinian controlled H1 and Israeli controlled H2.
Here is a larger scaled map:
It was unnerving to be in Hevron because the tension is so high. The best representation of the tension was when our tour guide was competing with a Muslim prayer call (played over the loud speakers) in order to speak to our group. We rode to Hevron in a bulletproof bus and along the way passed land controlled by the Palestinian Authority with signs that warned Israeli's and Jew's to stay away. In Hevron there are IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) EVERYWHERE, you couldn't walk 100 feet without seeing a solider with a gun strapped to their back. While we were there, there was an unclaimed bag, so we got briefly stuck in the cave/burial site of the biblical patriarchs and matriarchs The package was unclaimed and was going to be burned for safety reasons because they didn't know what the package contained. I'm not entirely sure if they ended up burning it, but they kept making announcements over the loud speakers in Hebrew that I couldn't understand. I'm very glad I had the opportunity to go to Hevron with JAM because it would not be safe to go alone.
Monday, December 24, 2012
The Absence of Christmas
Christmas Eve is here and that means the majority of the Western World is gearing up for one of the most popular holidays in the west, but here in Israel it's just another Monday. Nothing closed early tonight and shops will not be closed for Christmas tomorrow. No one will wish we a Merry Christmas and I will not see a single Christmas decoration hanging in the streets of Har Nof. The main cultural difference between the U.S and Israel in December is the lack of Christmas in Israel. There are Israeli Christians who celebrate Christmas (though they are a minority) and Jesus's biblical birthplace is in Bethlehem (in the West Bank). If not for Christmas posts on facebook, the day may have come and gone without me realizing it, which would have been unthinkable in the U.S.
One of my favorite things about being in Israel is time runs on a Jewish calendar. Shabbat is the weekend, and even those who don't observe often times have the day off of work (it is the only weekend day in Israel). Sabbath Observant Jews don't have to request to leave work early (in Jerusalem at least, I can't speak from first hand experience for other parts of the country on this) because the work week ends to give them time to get home for Shabbat on Friday evening. I've started to take the "Jewish week" for granted in my time here and no longer think about the strain I watched several of my friends go through while trying to re-arrange their work schedule to accommodate Shabbat and Chagim (holidays). Every Shabbat I try to not let myself forget this and to think about how lucky I am that I didn't need to worry about requesting time off from work or school to be able to celebrate the holiday. Also, during Hanukah, I was often wished a "Chanukah Sameach" (Happy Chanukah) as I checked out of the grocery store. And on Fridays, it is common to hear "Shabbat Shalom" as a common greeting as everyone gets ready for Shabbat.
To all my friends and family celebrating Christmas, I hope you have a Merry Christmas and to all my Jewish family and friends, I hope you have a nice day of eating Chinese food and going to the movies. :)
One of my favorite things about being in Israel is time runs on a Jewish calendar. Shabbat is the weekend, and even those who don't observe often times have the day off of work (it is the only weekend day in Israel). Sabbath Observant Jews don't have to request to leave work early (in Jerusalem at least, I can't speak from first hand experience for other parts of the country on this) because the work week ends to give them time to get home for Shabbat on Friday evening. I've started to take the "Jewish week" for granted in my time here and no longer think about the strain I watched several of my friends go through while trying to re-arrange their work schedule to accommodate Shabbat and Chagim (holidays). Every Shabbat I try to not let myself forget this and to think about how lucky I am that I didn't need to worry about requesting time off from work or school to be able to celebrate the holiday. Also, during Hanukah, I was often wished a "Chanukah Sameach" (Happy Chanukah) as I checked out of the grocery store. And on Fridays, it is common to hear "Shabbat Shalom" as a common greeting as everyone gets ready for Shabbat.
To all my friends and family celebrating Christmas, I hope you have a Merry Christmas and to all my Jewish family and friends, I hope you have a nice day of eating Chinese food and going to the movies. :)
Monday, December 17, 2012
Hanukkah Break
This past week we had less class because it was Hanukkah break. Last Sunday-Tuesday we had half day Hanukkah classes and then we didn't have school on Wednesday-Sunday and then today we resumed normal classes. Wednesday and Thursday I stayed in Jerusalem and did some site seeing and on Friday I headed to Kochav Yair, about an hour north of Jerusalem. I stayed with our family friend's family who were very friendly and welcoming. It was really nice to leave Jerusalem and see another part of Israel. Kochar Yair is a Modern Orthodox community, which was very different from the Charedi (Ultra) Orthodox part of Jerusalem that I live in. Both Modern and Ultra Orthodox Jews (btw within these two groups are many sub groups) keep strict kosher, Shabbat, taharat ha-mishpachah (family purity laws) and believe in the divinity of the Torah. However, these two groups (again, and many sub groups) differ in their Hashgafah (world view). The differences arise in terms of philosophical issues (i.e. how much or how little to be a part of the secular world, the attitude towards college education, the state of Israel, what areas of Judaism to put an emphasis on, be it learning, prayer, spirituality, rationality, acts of kindness, etc.) and practical observances (customs, traditions, way of dress).
Then on Sunday, the school planned a birthday Tiyul (trip) for me. Just kidding! We really did have a day trip, but it just happened to be on my birthday. Everyone surprised me with a birthday crown (I felt like I was in preschool!) and sang to me on the bus which was very thoughtful! First, we went on a short hike in Beit Shemesh, then we went to these underground caves that you had to crawl through. I didn't crawl through because I knew I'd get claustrophobic and be stuck in the tunnel with a lot of people crawling behind me. Also, at this site we saw an open cave where Pigens used to live (see photos). Then, we went to a sort-of-Kibbutz near Ashdod called B'nei Drom ("Sons of the South") that specialized in making olive oil. I call it a "sort of" Kibbutz because our tour guide didn't speak English very well and he was trying to explain that this was different than a regular Kibbutz, but I couldn't understand what he was saying. I think he said that some people that work on the Kibbutz don't live there, which is different than a traditional Kibbutz where everyone who works there also lives there.
After that we went to sand dumes, which was awesome to see and run down in person. I've only ever seen a sand dume in the movies or a photo and they're SO neat to see in person. We were then supposed to go to the beach for a bonfire and dinner, but when we got to the beach, there was a giant sign that said no fires and a police car sitting in the parking lot. So, instead we drove down the road and had a bonfire on the side of the road, which was sort of ridiculous because we were literally just like 100ft back from a highway. But anyway, the bon fire was nice and we had dinner and smores. Sidenote: in the U.S it is very difficult (impossible?) to get kosher marshmallows because of the pig gelatin used in them, but they have kosher ones in Israel. I've eaten a lot of non-kosher marsh-mellows in my life and there wasn't much of a taste difference between a kosher marsh-mellow and a non-kosher marsh-mellow which was good. The trip reminded me of birthright because we toured Israel all day in a coach bus which is exactly what we did on birthright for 10 days in a row(minus Shabbat).
Other interesting tidbits about Israeli society.....You can parallel park either way on the street, regardless of which way the traffic is flowing (photo included below). The chapstick situation in Jerusalem is deplorable. They only carry blistex and this brand called Labello, which comes in a tube which resembles a glue stick and just isn't that great. They're missing out out the two best brands( aquaphor and natural ice). Luckily, I brought 2 aquaphor chapsticks and 1 natural ice one which will tide me over until my parents send more. I think it would be a good business opportunity to sell quality chapstick under the table here. Also, the street lights are different. Instead of changing from red right to green, they change from red back to yellow and then green.
Here are some photos.
Then on Sunday, the school planned a birthday Tiyul (trip) for me. Just kidding! We really did have a day trip, but it just happened to be on my birthday. Everyone surprised me with a birthday crown (I felt like I was in preschool!) and sang to me on the bus which was very thoughtful! First, we went on a short hike in Beit Shemesh, then we went to these underground caves that you had to crawl through. I didn't crawl through because I knew I'd get claustrophobic and be stuck in the tunnel with a lot of people crawling behind me. Also, at this site we saw an open cave where Pigens used to live (see photos). Then, we went to a sort-of-Kibbutz near Ashdod called B'nei Drom ("Sons of the South") that specialized in making olive oil. I call it a "sort of" Kibbutz because our tour guide didn't speak English very well and he was trying to explain that this was different than a regular Kibbutz, but I couldn't understand what he was saying. I think he said that some people that work on the Kibbutz don't live there, which is different than a traditional Kibbutz where everyone who works there also lives there.
After that we went to sand dumes, which was awesome to see and run down in person. I've only ever seen a sand dume in the movies or a photo and they're SO neat to see in person. We were then supposed to go to the beach for a bonfire and dinner, but when we got to the beach, there was a giant sign that said no fires and a police car sitting in the parking lot. So, instead we drove down the road and had a bonfire on the side of the road, which was sort of ridiculous because we were literally just like 100ft back from a highway. But anyway, the bon fire was nice and we had dinner and smores. Sidenote: in the U.S it is very difficult (impossible?) to get kosher marshmallows because of the pig gelatin used in them, but they have kosher ones in Israel. I've eaten a lot of non-kosher marsh-mellows in my life and there wasn't much of a taste difference between a kosher marsh-mellow and a non-kosher marsh-mellow which was good. The trip reminded me of birthright because we toured Israel all day in a coach bus which is exactly what we did on birthright for 10 days in a row(minus Shabbat).
Other interesting tidbits about Israeli society.....You can parallel park either way on the street, regardless of which way the traffic is flowing (photo included below). The chapstick situation in Jerusalem is deplorable. They only carry blistex and this brand called Labello, which comes in a tube which resembles a glue stick and just isn't that great. They're missing out out the two best brands( aquaphor and natural ice). Luckily, I brought 2 aquaphor chapsticks and 1 natural ice one which will tide me over until my parents send more. I think it would be a good business opportunity to sell quality chapstick under the table here. Also, the street lights are different. Instead of changing from red right to green, they change from red back to yellow and then green.
Here are some photos.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Happy Hanukkah!
Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah so I thought I would post a photo of one of the many Menorah's on display around Jerusalem. This one is on Ben Yehuda street.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
My First Week
Hi everyone,
I've been in Israel for over one week! It's hard to believe. I was having a tough time adjusting when I first got here, but feel so much more adjusted now. Though I'm still figuring out where things are, which buses to take where etc.
A few days ago, I went to Ben Yehuda street (a famous street with a lot of shops, restaurants etc.) and tried to pay 10 Agarot for a beer that cost 10 shekel. That's the equivalent of trying to buy a beer in the U.S for 10 cents. I felt ridiculous, but the man didn't seem too phased by it, so I feel better knowing I'm not the only one to do that. I was confused because the 10 aggarot coin is larger than the 1 Shekel coin. And the 10 shekel coin is the same size as the 10 aggaront coin, only it looks different.
Channukah starts this week after Shabbat on Saturday evening. It's very cool to be in Israel pre-Channukah because Channukah is the "it" thing here, not Christmas. On the main streets they have lit of Channukiahs on the street lamps, I'm used to seeing Christmas trees and Santas on them, so it's neat to see Channukiahs so normalized! Also, they sell yamulkes in the grocery store in Har Nof (though I assume this is a year round thing and not just special for Channukah).
This week is an "in-Shabbat", so the school hosts us for Shabbat which I think will be really nice.
Here are some more photos ( I don't know why I can't get it to hyper-link):
http://insightsfromisrael.shutterfly.com/pictures/13
I've been in Israel for over one week! It's hard to believe. I was having a tough time adjusting when I first got here, but feel so much more adjusted now. Though I'm still figuring out where things are, which buses to take where etc.
A few days ago, I went to Ben Yehuda street (a famous street with a lot of shops, restaurants etc.) and tried to pay 10 Agarot for a beer that cost 10 shekel. That's the equivalent of trying to buy a beer in the U.S for 10 cents. I felt ridiculous, but the man didn't seem too phased by it, so I feel better knowing I'm not the only one to do that. I was confused because the 10 aggarot coin is larger than the 1 Shekel coin. And the 10 shekel coin is the same size as the 10 aggaront coin, only it looks different.
Channukah starts this week after Shabbat on Saturday evening. It's very cool to be in Israel pre-Channukah because Channukah is the "it" thing here, not Christmas. On the main streets they have lit of Channukiahs on the street lamps, I'm used to seeing Christmas trees and Santas on them, so it's neat to see Channukiahs so normalized! Also, they sell yamulkes in the grocery store in Har Nof (though I assume this is a year round thing and not just special for Channukah).
This week is an "in-Shabbat", so the school hosts us for Shabbat which I think will be really nice.
Here are some more photos ( I don't know why I can't get it to hyper-link):
http://insightsfromisrael.shutterfly.com/pictures/13
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