Before I talk about my Rosh Hashannah, I want to first talk about one of my favorite prayers. Aveinu Malkeinu, which means "my father, my king" is sung in a minor key. The tune is beautiful and I think that it captures the true spirit of both Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur, which is on Saturday. The translation of the whole chorus is: Hear our Voice, Lord our G-d, pity and be compassionate to us, and accept--with compassion and favor--our prayer. I know it sounds cheesy and very religious, but it also captures exactly how I feel on these holidays.
Unlike the last time I was in Israel, I went to services on Rosh Hashannah. Oh, but don't worry. The awkward experiences were still present.
My friend and I called some host families and invited ourselves over for dinner. Both were in the same area, but one family was definitely more welcoming than the other. Wednesday night, we arrived at the Family's apartment only to discover that no one was dressed. We were early, but not so much so that there was reason for the father to be strutting around in his boxers. The oldest daughter, around 4, was combing her hair in her underwear and her 1 year old sister was waddling in just a diaper. The kids I can at least understand. It's hot, they just bathed, there was some kind of tantrum. But neither the mother nor the father were dressed and my friend and I waited over half an hour for them. When they were finally ready, we crossed the street to the shul. Ten minutes later, services were over. Fastest Erev Rosh Hashannah Service ever. We could have gotten there late, but I don't really know because the women were put in a separate room where you couldn't see or hear anything. Literally. We faced a wall. At dinner, we blessed and ate all the things you are supposed to eat. That's fine, but it just took forever. Like over an hour to bless the apples, honey, dates, pomegranate seeds, 2 types of latkes, sweetened beans, carrots, and the head of a fish. Once dinner actually began, there was total silence. Except for the 1 year old screaming "abba, abba!" The father knew no English and the mother stopped talking to us at a certain point despite my Hebrew speaking skills and my friend's ability to understand Hebrew. By the end of the evening, the mother whispered to the father that we should do After-meal blessings so that we could leave. My friend and I were happy to leave these quirky parents.
Shacharit, morning services, probably began around 9, but my friends and I arrived at the conservative shul well after 10. And we were not even close to being the last ones. Some couples arrived after the Haftarah. It was a one room synagogue obviously built as a place of learning. There are benches along the perimeter with tables partnering up with the wooden seats. Bookshelves stuffed with the Tanach, prayer books, and commentary sat towards the door. Oh yea, this as also an American-based synagogue. Israelis are either very religous or not at all so the in-betweens are usually Americans or other Jews who have made Aliyah. Because it was an American-based synagogue, there was English translation in the prayer books and the cantor translated some of what he was saying into English. Services ended a little after one and we walked back, ate a quick lunch, and went to the chof (beach).
In my opinion, there is nothing halachically wrong (kosher) about going to the beach on Rosh Hashannah. I didn't go swimming because I felt that that wasn't appropriate, but I saw nothing wrong with going to the beach on Rosh Hashannah. Although it was the first cooler day in a week, it was still pretty hot out so the beach breeze felt nice.
For dinner, the girls the I went with and I ended up in the same neighborhood as the night before. This time, though, the family was much more welcoming. The mother was 35 with 5 kids ranging in age from 2 to 9 and those kids were adorable. Food-wise, dinner was the same, except that we had dessert at the end. The Mother seemed genuinely interested in getting to know the 6 strangers she brought into her house. The Father still didn't say much, but he spoke to us a little.
For the second day of Rosh Hashannah, I went back to the shul alone. The people I went with the day before wanted to sleep. There were less people there and less children. If I understood the rabbi correctly, then I think he talked about the history of the Shofar. Of course, there were a few words (ok, more than a few) that I didn't understand so he could have been saying something else about the Shofar.
It was a very melodic (and English-translated) service so I will be heading back there for the fast on Saturday.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
Jerusalem to Tel Aviv
I had my interview for my internship: working with seeing-impaired children. But, for all I know, I could be working at some illegal underground operation. Besides the fact that it took me 15 minutes to find the office, my boss-to-be spoke very little English so she decided that it would be a good idea to conduct the interview in Hebrew. It's not that I couldn't understand her, but I would like to know exactly what I'm getting into, not just bits and pieces. She showed me around the school I will be working at and the kids are adorable and the staff seems nice. My boss said that in addition to helping with the babies, I will also be helping with the physical, occupational, and speech therapies. I am excited for that since it may involve a final decision in my career choice.
I somehow found my way out of the building and into a taxi where I was driven back to the hostel in Jerusalem to wait on the bus for an hour. We were supposed to go to the Jerusalem Mall, but we were cornered in by two very small white cars. My Madricha (counselor), who has a great Australian accent, eventually called the police to come tow the car, "but that could be in three weeks for all I know". We finally got moving, but our time at the mall was shortened before our tour of the Fence. Now, I'm sure the tour guide was a great guy, but...A) He spoke monotonously B) Had no accent to make fun of like the other tour guides we have had C) talked as if he was gonna die at any moment and D) Called settlements neighborhoods, which they are, but he refused to acknowledge that they were also settlements. This tour was given on the bus and there was A/C, we hadn't gotten a lot of sleep the night before because the tour of the Kotel Tunnels we took the night before didn't end until almost 1 am and we had to be up at 7 am. So, a lot of people fell asleep as we reached Gilo, The 8 Meter wall, and the best view of the Old City and the Dome of the Rock.
We then continued onward towards Tel Aviv to our new home, Beit Leni, where we would begin three weeks of Ulpan. We had taken a placement test a few days before, but I am convinced they just put names in a hat and placed us randomly. There are 6 levels and both my good friend and I were placed in level 4. She moved down a level and I moved up only to find out that that level was still learning past tense, which I have learned only a million times so I am currently in the highest Hebrew level. Woohoo! Go me.
My room at Beit Leni is temporary housing, luckily, because although it's spacious, there's nowhere to put anything, if that makes sense. I changed the set-up of my side so that I could at least have a head board, but my roommate's bed in basically in the middle of the room. We have a "kitchen", but no oven and the water here isn't the best. I'm not talking about taste, I'm talking about stream. I was in the middle of taking a shower (a cold one because the hot water button, called a Dood, wasn't working) and the water decided to stop working. So I basically had to somehow wash my hair without water. The water came back 2 minutes later and this happened for the rest of my shower. Needless to say, it was not fun.
The Madrichim planned events for us this week so we wouldn't be bored at night, which is really nice of them, but sometimes it's nice to relax after sitting in ulpan for 5 hours. A teacher came to talk about Rosh Hashannah (RH) through various texts. And, not that I'm bragging or anything, but we spent a majority of the time on my comment. There were passages from Jewish texts. One said something like, on RH you stand before G-d in order to be judged. It is a day of sorrow and seriousness while in contrast, the other text said that RH was a joyous occasion full of dancing and eating. So we discussed the difference and like all conclusions when it comes to Jewish texts, we found none. The Madrichim also got us into a dance club that is apparently relatively new in Tel Aviv. That was fun because, while I've briefly met most of the people on the program, it was nice to mingle and actually remember people's names. The only annoying thing about the club was the they had flashing lights and it felt like I was having a seizure. On the upside, though, there was an outside where you could have conversations in a normal tone.
I will post my Rosh Hashannah in the next post, but I didn't want to make this too long. So there's your update!
I somehow found my way out of the building and into a taxi where I was driven back to the hostel in Jerusalem to wait on the bus for an hour. We were supposed to go to the Jerusalem Mall, but we were cornered in by two very small white cars. My Madricha (counselor), who has a great Australian accent, eventually called the police to come tow the car, "but that could be in three weeks for all I know". We finally got moving, but our time at the mall was shortened before our tour of the Fence. Now, I'm sure the tour guide was a great guy, but...A) He spoke monotonously B) Had no accent to make fun of like the other tour guides we have had C) talked as if he was gonna die at any moment and D) Called settlements neighborhoods, which they are, but he refused to acknowledge that they were also settlements. This tour was given on the bus and there was A/C, we hadn't gotten a lot of sleep the night before because the tour of the Kotel Tunnels we took the night before didn't end until almost 1 am and we had to be up at 7 am. So, a lot of people fell asleep as we reached Gilo, The 8 Meter wall, and the best view of the Old City and the Dome of the Rock.
We then continued onward towards Tel Aviv to our new home, Beit Leni, where we would begin three weeks of Ulpan. We had taken a placement test a few days before, but I am convinced they just put names in a hat and placed us randomly. There are 6 levels and both my good friend and I were placed in level 4. She moved down a level and I moved up only to find out that that level was still learning past tense, which I have learned only a million times so I am currently in the highest Hebrew level. Woohoo! Go me.
My room at Beit Leni is temporary housing, luckily, because although it's spacious, there's nowhere to put anything, if that makes sense. I changed the set-up of my side so that I could at least have a head board, but my roommate's bed in basically in the middle of the room. We have a "kitchen", but no oven and the water here isn't the best. I'm not talking about taste, I'm talking about stream. I was in the middle of taking a shower (a cold one because the hot water button, called a Dood, wasn't working) and the water decided to stop working. So I basically had to somehow wash my hair without water. The water came back 2 minutes later and this happened for the rest of my shower. Needless to say, it was not fun.
The Madrichim planned events for us this week so we wouldn't be bored at night, which is really nice of them, but sometimes it's nice to relax after sitting in ulpan for 5 hours. A teacher came to talk about Rosh Hashannah (RH) through various texts. And, not that I'm bragging or anything, but we spent a majority of the time on my comment. There were passages from Jewish texts. One said something like, on RH you stand before G-d in order to be judged. It is a day of sorrow and seriousness while in contrast, the other text said that RH was a joyous occasion full of dancing and eating. So we discussed the difference and like all conclusions when it comes to Jewish texts, we found none. The Madrichim also got us into a dance club that is apparently relatively new in Tel Aviv. That was fun because, while I've briefly met most of the people on the program, it was nice to mingle and actually remember people's names. The only annoying thing about the club was the they had flashing lights and it felt like I was having a seizure. On the upside, though, there was an outside where you could have conversations in a normal tone.
I will post my Rosh Hashannah in the next post, but I didn't want to make this too long. So there's your update!
Friday, September 3, 2010
Round 2
I am in Israel! After two years of wanting to come back, I have finally made it. But it doesn't seem real. I feel like I'm in a dream and that I'll either wake up soon or go home in a few days. It's amazing being back here. I kind of know the cities, kind of know the language, and definitely know the culture. I sort of know where I am and I am excited to being a new adventure of exploration in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
I got to Israel on Monday and stayed with my friend's cousin. I walked around the Mamilla Mall, which is right near the Old City, near the Zion Gate. It was cool that I was able to navigate where I was because I had been to the Old City many times before. I went to a falafel place for dinner only to find out that they had run out of falafel, pita, and shwarma. I wasn't a happy camper, but no worries because the next day for breakfast, we made shakshuka and we ate it with hummus and for lunch we went to a hummus place. After lunch, I went to the youth hostel to begin the program, Career Israel, where I will be doing an internship. At the hostel, I saw Mara, who used to work at Umass and we caught up while I filled out the necessary forms. Between awkward conversation, dinner, and "get-to-know-you" activities (not ice breakers), I met a bunch of people who seem friendly. I told the group of people I was hanging out with that it was my birthday so after all the mandatory activities, we went out to Ben Yehuda street.
The past two days, we've been touring Jerusalem. The tours have been ok. It's hard to pay attention that long when you're hot, sweaty, thirst, hungry, and in the hot sun. We went to David's Tomb and the place where the Last Supper was held. I had been there before so there was no new information, but after a break of ice coffee (which is actually a cappuccino or a freddo) and a walk through the Arab quarter, we ended up at the Holy Sepulchre (and yes, I had to look up how to spell that). That is the place where Jesus was buried before he was resurrected. Also, the center of the world is supposedly there. So of course I had to "feel the energy" of the center. For dinner that night, we drove to Ein Kerem, which is somewhere in the mountains and it was beautiful, especially since we went at sunset. At the restaurant we were at, we ate Israeli-Indian food. I'm still unsure of what that is. There was 8 Israeli salads with fried potatoes and meat. It was a delicious "festive" dinner, as the Madrichim described.
Today, after our Hebrew Placement test (Shmuel would be proud), we toured Nachlaot, which is a 36+ neighborhoods ranging from extreme orthodox to chabad to secular yeminites. The buildings were very fresh, but they too ranged from old to new. The tour guide got yelled at by an Orthodox lady because we were not dressed appropriately (which was true) and we were on private property (not true). Either way we left and he explained that for every person who is not welcoming, there is one who is and pointed to an apartment explaining that the guy used to be a Floridian surfer turned religious and is happy to invite people in for Shabbat. And speaking, of Shabbat, Jerusalem is about to shut down and so I must get ready.
I got to Israel on Monday and stayed with my friend's cousin. I walked around the Mamilla Mall, which is right near the Old City, near the Zion Gate. It was cool that I was able to navigate where I was because I had been to the Old City many times before. I went to a falafel place for dinner only to find out that they had run out of falafel, pita, and shwarma. I wasn't a happy camper, but no worries because the next day for breakfast, we made shakshuka and we ate it with hummus and for lunch we went to a hummus place. After lunch, I went to the youth hostel to begin the program, Career Israel, where I will be doing an internship. At the hostel, I saw Mara, who used to work at Umass and we caught up while I filled out the necessary forms. Between awkward conversation, dinner, and "get-to-know-you" activities (not ice breakers), I met a bunch of people who seem friendly. I told the group of people I was hanging out with that it was my birthday so after all the mandatory activities, we went out to Ben Yehuda street.
The past two days, we've been touring Jerusalem. The tours have been ok. It's hard to pay attention that long when you're hot, sweaty, thirst, hungry, and in the hot sun. We went to David's Tomb and the place where the Last Supper was held. I had been there before so there was no new information, but after a break of ice coffee (which is actually a cappuccino or a freddo) and a walk through the Arab quarter, we ended up at the Holy Sepulchre (and yes, I had to look up how to spell that). That is the place where Jesus was buried before he was resurrected. Also, the center of the world is supposedly there. So of course I had to "feel the energy" of the center. For dinner that night, we drove to Ein Kerem, which is somewhere in the mountains and it was beautiful, especially since we went at sunset. At the restaurant we were at, we ate Israeli-Indian food. I'm still unsure of what that is. There was 8 Israeli salads with fried potatoes and meat. It was a delicious "festive" dinner, as the Madrichim described.
Today, after our Hebrew Placement test (Shmuel would be proud), we toured Nachlaot, which is a 36+ neighborhoods ranging from extreme orthodox to chabad to secular yeminites. The buildings were very fresh, but they too ranged from old to new. The tour guide got yelled at by an Orthodox lady because we were not dressed appropriately (which was true) and we were on private property (not true). Either way we left and he explained that for every person who is not welcoming, there is one who is and pointed to an apartment explaining that the guy used to be a Floridian surfer turned religious and is happy to invite people in for Shabbat. And speaking, of Shabbat, Jerusalem is about to shut down and so I must get ready.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
NYC = J'lem?
This past weekend, I traveled to New York for a friend's birthday party. She lives in a mostly Jewish part of New York. Both on Friday during the day and at night, I saw people with yarmulkes and tzitzit haning out from their shirts. These were not the ultra-orthodox, they were simply Jews heading to services to welcome the Sabbath. For dinner that night, my friend made falafel and pita. While they tasted good, none of which were as delicious as the cheap off-the-street delicacy.
As Saturday arrived, we walked through much of Manhattan and I spied a community of Jews. They were not walking together and they didn't know eachother, but when one Jew passed another, there was a slight nod between them. An acknowledgement. I also heard Hebrew and understood bits and pieces. I would turn around and glance at the couple behind me thinking, I know what you're saying. You are an Israeli and I am an American, but your Hebrew is the bond between the two of us.
Also while in NYC, I heard ambulances whirring and as they passed me I could see the glittering gold Hebrew letters. We passed synagogues whose names were written only in Hebrew. We passed restaurants and food stands where a certified kosher poster was planted on the window or register.
Finally, on Sunday, there was an Israel Parade. I didn't go because I had go back home, but I would have gone had I known about it sooner.
I felt as if I was in Jerusalem for just a moment. There was no Old City, no Ben Yehuda Street, and no Zuni's, but there was a bustling population of Jews getting ready for Shabbat. There was a sense of community and pride among these people, a unity that will never be broken. I could suddenly feel an emptiness. I was not in Israel and I will not be for at least another year. While people say they fell in love with the country they studied abroad, they don't fully understand the feeling I have unless it is a country of their heritage or some other meaningful relation. It's easy to fall in love with exoticism, but it's hard to feel as if you belong there and as if you could stay there forever joining the foreign community.
I feel I belong in Israel because it is the Holy Land of the Jews. The first time I landed in Israel, when I went on Birthright, I felt that sense of wholeness. Israel has more meaning for me than any other country other than the United States. I belong in Israel because I feel comfortable with the whole culture. I feel comfortable speaking, acting, dressing the way an Israeli does. I severely yearn for the Holyland once more
As Saturday arrived, we walked through much of Manhattan and I spied a community of Jews. They were not walking together and they didn't know eachother, but when one Jew passed another, there was a slight nod between them. An acknowledgement. I also heard Hebrew and understood bits and pieces. I would turn around and glance at the couple behind me thinking, I know what you're saying. You are an Israeli and I am an American, but your Hebrew is the bond between the two of us.
Also while in NYC, I heard ambulances whirring and as they passed me I could see the glittering gold Hebrew letters. We passed synagogues whose names were written only in Hebrew. We passed restaurants and food stands where a certified kosher poster was planted on the window or register.
Finally, on Sunday, there was an Israel Parade. I didn't go because I had go back home, but I would have gone had I known about it sooner.
I felt as if I was in Jerusalem for just a moment. There was no Old City, no Ben Yehuda Street, and no Zuni's, but there was a bustling population of Jews getting ready for Shabbat. There was a sense of community and pride among these people, a unity that will never be broken. I could suddenly feel an emptiness. I was not in Israel and I will not be for at least another year. While people say they fell in love with the country they studied abroad, they don't fully understand the feeling I have unless it is a country of their heritage or some other meaningful relation. It's easy to fall in love with exoticism, but it's hard to feel as if you belong there and as if you could stay there forever joining the foreign community.
I feel I belong in Israel because it is the Holy Land of the Jews. The first time I landed in Israel, when I went on Birthright, I felt that sense of wholeness. Israel has more meaning for me than any other country other than the United States. I belong in Israel because I feel comfortable with the whole culture. I feel comfortable speaking, acting, dressing the way an Israeli does. I severely yearn for the Holyland once more
Monday, May 4, 2009
Home Sick
I'm sure no one is reading this, but I feel the need to get some things out.
Lately, I have been missing Israel so much that it hurts. I know that's weird to say when I was "only" there for four months. What right do I have as a tourist to say that I love a country so much that my heart aches? I don't know all the cons (nor all the pros) about Israel, but I feel at home there. I feel a sense of belonging. A sense of pride and hope. A feeling of happiness and a feeling of joy.
What I feel about is Israel right now is not just a "I'll go back to Israel at some point" type of phenomenon where I'll go back in 30 years. This is a feeling so strong that if someone gave me 2000 dollars right now, I know exactly what I would do with it. I literally ache for the holy land. I'm not sure how long the honeymoon period is, but I know that it's at least four months so my emotions may just be a result of not being able to finish that.
I think that this feeling has become stronger in the past few weeks because of the series of Jewish holidays that occurred over the past week: Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Rememberence Day), Yom HaZikron (Remberence of Fallen Soldiers), and finally Yom Ha'atzmaut (Israel Independence Day). These holidays have such an impact on Jews all across American that it must be an amazing experience to be in Israel when those holidays occurred.
It also feels like I was never in Israel. I am forgetting a lot of my Hebrew because I am not exposed to it daily. I miss the smell of fresh hot pitas wafting through the air and every place that claims to be the best falafel in town.
I have grown-up while abroad, but some of my friends who did not go abroad, well, did not mature as much and sometimes as a result it is hard to talk to them. I don't care about the daily drama that happens everyday at college. I don't want to hear about who's not talking to who or who did what to who. Let's move on to something in the world that matters.
In addition, many of my friends who I haven't seen in a almost a year are starting to come back from their experience and I feel that despite the fact that I went abroad that everyone forgot. Like my experience is undermined by theirs. I want to hear about their trip to London, Hawaii, or where ever it may be, but that doesn't mean that I don't want to talk about my trip.
So, the thing to do now is start looking into programs for after college. I know my mom and dad won't be happy, but Israel is a place that has become a piece of my heart. I can't just let it be.
Lately, I have been missing Israel so much that it hurts. I know that's weird to say when I was "only" there for four months. What right do I have as a tourist to say that I love a country so much that my heart aches? I don't know all the cons (nor all the pros) about Israel, but I feel at home there. I feel a sense of belonging. A sense of pride and hope. A feeling of happiness and a feeling of joy.
What I feel about is Israel right now is not just a "I'll go back to Israel at some point" type of phenomenon where I'll go back in 30 years. This is a feeling so strong that if someone gave me 2000 dollars right now, I know exactly what I would do with it. I literally ache for the holy land. I'm not sure how long the honeymoon period is, but I know that it's at least four months so my emotions may just be a result of not being able to finish that.
I think that this feeling has become stronger in the past few weeks because of the series of Jewish holidays that occurred over the past week: Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Rememberence Day), Yom HaZikron (Remberence of Fallen Soldiers), and finally Yom Ha'atzmaut (Israel Independence Day). These holidays have such an impact on Jews all across American that it must be an amazing experience to be in Israel when those holidays occurred.
It also feels like I was never in Israel. I am forgetting a lot of my Hebrew because I am not exposed to it daily. I miss the smell of fresh hot pitas wafting through the air and every place that claims to be the best falafel in town.
I have grown-up while abroad, but some of my friends who did not go abroad, well, did not mature as much and sometimes as a result it is hard to talk to them. I don't care about the daily drama that happens everyday at college. I don't want to hear about who's not talking to who or who did what to who. Let's move on to something in the world that matters.
In addition, many of my friends who I haven't seen in a almost a year are starting to come back from their experience and I feel that despite the fact that I went abroad that everyone forgot. Like my experience is undermined by theirs. I want to hear about their trip to London, Hawaii, or where ever it may be, but that doesn't mean that I don't want to talk about my trip.
So, the thing to do now is start looking into programs for after college. I know my mom and dad won't be happy, but Israel is a place that has become a piece of my heart. I can't just let it be.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Back to the Grind
After a nine-month vacation, I have this thing called, uh, school. Honestly I did so little work in Israel I almost forgot how to sit in class and take notes in a lecture of hundred people and have daily homework. Although, we had a snow day and half last week.
Seeing everyone has been really nice. It makes you realize how much people like you and miss you. People who I have barely exchanged two words with came over and hugged me and asked about Israel. I feel like a freshman all over again, though. I mean sure I know my way around campus and I know how things work, but since a lot of my good friends went away for the semester, there aren't that many of my close friends around. Plus, there are a gazillion new faces and people who I never seen. When I went to the dining hall for the first time, it was a bit overwhelming. Of course, it didn't help that I went to the one way across campus and wouldn't recognize anyone anyway. When people ask me how Israel is I just say "awesome!!!" but that word doesn't encompass anything about Israel. I have found that people who have been to Israel or have been abroad understand my experience better. They tend to ask better questions after the "how was Israel?" part.
I'm still on Israeli time meaning that time doesn't exist. I haven't been late for class, yet, but I'm not fast-walking to class anymore nor am I constantly looking at my watch seeing how much time I have left. I'm also not looking at the clock so much in class, although I think that's just due to the fact that I had three hour classes in Hebrew and my longest one here is only two hours.
The two things I majorly miss are real Hummus and Pita and waking up in Haifa and seeing the Mediterranean Sea as I walk to class. Instead, I wake up to door alarms, freezing snow, and the oh so wonderful smell of the dining hall.
There's so much more I want to say, but it's hard to put it into words. It feels like I was never in Israel last semester while at the same time it is so obvious that I wasn't here. I've only been one for a month, but that time seems longer than a month in Israel. However since being in Israel, I feel that I can explain that Israeli-Palestinian conflict better than before. It is also really nice that when we talk about Israel in Hebrew class, I can picture the exact place. For example, we were talking about Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem and I could picture the exact location and I even know how to get there from the Old City. What's also really cool is that one of my friend's, who is a sophmore right now, wants to go to Haifa U. during the summer and wants to know everything about it so it's been fun explaining things to him, especially when I had the same worries, like food.
I am so jealous of my friends in Israel right now because I wish I were there. But at the same time, I'm glad I'm not. All my umass friends that are there now are all at Hebrew U. They are not neccessarily best friends with each other, nut they do have one another to rely on. I'm glad that my experience was one of a kind. Not many people go to Haifa and the city is just so different from Jerusalem. (I also really don't like J'lem). I was the only person who had my experience from here. I made lots of friends, only a few of which I still talk to, but all in all, I'm glad I went when I did and where I did.
Seeing everyone has been really nice. It makes you realize how much people like you and miss you. People who I have barely exchanged two words with came over and hugged me and asked about Israel. I feel like a freshman all over again, though. I mean sure I know my way around campus and I know how things work, but since a lot of my good friends went away for the semester, there aren't that many of my close friends around. Plus, there are a gazillion new faces and people who I never seen. When I went to the dining hall for the first time, it was a bit overwhelming. Of course, it didn't help that I went to the one way across campus and wouldn't recognize anyone anyway. When people ask me how Israel is I just say "awesome!!!" but that word doesn't encompass anything about Israel. I have found that people who have been to Israel or have been abroad understand my experience better. They tend to ask better questions after the "how was Israel?" part.
I'm still on Israeli time meaning that time doesn't exist. I haven't been late for class, yet, but I'm not fast-walking to class anymore nor am I constantly looking at my watch seeing how much time I have left. I'm also not looking at the clock so much in class, although I think that's just due to the fact that I had three hour classes in Hebrew and my longest one here is only two hours.
The two things I majorly miss are real Hummus and Pita and waking up in Haifa and seeing the Mediterranean Sea as I walk to class. Instead, I wake up to door alarms, freezing snow, and the oh so wonderful smell of the dining hall.
There's so much more I want to say, but it's hard to put it into words. It feels like I was never in Israel last semester while at the same time it is so obvious that I wasn't here. I've only been one for a month, but that time seems longer than a month in Israel. However since being in Israel, I feel that I can explain that Israeli-Palestinian conflict better than before. It is also really nice that when we talk about Israel in Hebrew class, I can picture the exact place. For example, we were talking about Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem and I could picture the exact location and I even know how to get there from the Old City. What's also really cool is that one of my friend's, who is a sophmore right now, wants to go to Haifa U. during the summer and wants to know everything about it so it's been fun explaining things to him, especially when I had the same worries, like food.
I am so jealous of my friends in Israel right now because I wish I were there. But at the same time, I'm glad I'm not. All my umass friends that are there now are all at Hebrew U. They are not neccessarily best friends with each other, nut they do have one another to rely on. I'm glad that my experience was one of a kind. Not many people go to Haifa and the city is just so different from Jerusalem. (I also really don't like J'lem). I was the only person who had my experience from here. I made lots of friends, only a few of which I still talk to, but all in all, I'm glad I went when I did and where I did.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Home Sweet Home
Sorry this has taken awhile to get up, but I've had issues with what and how to say some things, which I'll get to in a minute:
I left Israel on the 6th very early in the morning after a really good weekend with my family, whom I never met before. I heard stories and names but finally seeing faces was good because now I know who these people are. My cousin waited with me in line for baggage security and we said good-bye after that. While waiting in line for regular security, I met up with someone on my program and we waited together for the flight home. The 12-hour flight wasn't too bad. There was someone next to me who went to Tufts so I had to ask him if he knew my brother and we ended up playing Jewish Geography, my favorite game ever, and we ended up talking for a bit at the beginning and the end of the flight.
I have seen a few of my friends this week and talked to family and family friends. Everyone asks the same question: How was Israel. There is no way to answer that. How does "good" or "awesome" or "amazing" or even "once in a lifetime experience that I would never give up" begin to capture my experience. Sure, it was all those things, but it was also so much more. There is no way to describe being abroad. I can say how much I had fun and how I had a great time, but it doesn't explain the feeling of connection that I felt to Israel. It doesn't explain my view. It doesn't explain feelings for Israel. It doesn't explain my experience at all. I can tell you all these things, but in order for you to get a feeling of what I experienced, you yourself have to go abroad.
Traveling in a foreign country is so much different than actually living there. Besides the fact that as a traveler you go to tourist places so people speak English, you know you don't belong there. You know that you will be leaving in a few days. You know that you don't have to assimilate there. Living there, even as a tourist, you need to learn the language a little bit. You need to know the culture and accept the practices. You need to try to assimilate into the culture. You can't live in Israel and keep American culture. You'll be miserable. You need to accept that there is no time and that everything is just so much more relaxed. You have to accept that it normalcy is getting your bag checked just to go food shopping. Or being scanned just to see a movie. When you do realize that these are all aspects of Israeli culture, it becomes normal to you and you are partly assimilated. The other part is becoming fluent in Hebrew.
Although I did not become fluent, I learned a lot more than I realized. In September, I could understand about half of the Hebrew that I heard. When I went to my cousin's house, they speak very little English so I had to use Hebrew and I realized that I could understand most of what they were saying. I wish that my Hebrew class had smarter people and that we did more speaking instead of only grammar. Now that I'm home, I forget that I can speak English to people. I can say "go ahead" instead of mumbling weird noises and gestures. But I still forget that I can do that. When I got to the airport it was a bit overwhelming to hear so much English. I mean sure all the international students spoke English, but there were only a few conversations going on at a time. In the airport while waiting for baggage, almost everyone was speaking English. But there were so many conversations going on at once that it was overwhelming. It felt like I was in a bubble for four months and within my bubble there were my friends who spoke with and there were a few air holes, the Hebrew that I understood. Leaving the plane, though, my bubble popped and I could hear and understand everyone again. I didn't have to put all my focus and attention into understanding the passport controller. He had no foreign accent when speaking to me.
Israel has at last became a place that I can relate with. After birthright, Israel was just a place that I finally been to after much hype, but it was still a lande that was far away and hard to feel connection with. But, I think after being there for four months and meeting people who live there and becoming friends, I have made a connection with Israel. It doesn't seem like a country that is across an ocean and half. I care about what is happening in Gaza and other issues. It's not like I didn't care, but it was this tiny country that you couldn't even find on a map. How are you supposed to feel patriotic about a place that you barely know? That's like being best friends with the President(-elect). Sure I know his name and heard all these things about him, but I've never met the guy. I feel that I need to be his best friend, though, because everyone says that he's such a nice guy. That's how I felt with Israel. I had to support Israel, not because I didn't believe in Her, but because, well, and I'm afraid to admit this, but because everyone else did. It was what I learned to be "the right thing". However, by studying and living in Israel I have become more passionate about Israel as a whole. I can defend Israel, I hope.
On a different note: I think going abroad gives you a chance to grow up. Sure college does the same thing, it's kind of the purpose, but I think that going to a different country and living on your own, not being able to rely on your familiars to help you makes you depend on yourself makes you grow up. With no one on my program that I knew, I had to step outside my comfort zone and take the chance at embarrassing myself and doing stupid things. I think that it was good that I didn't know anyone. There was no one to fall back on and I could be who I wanted. I think that as a result of all these things, I have changed since going abroad, I don't know if it's "more grown-up" change or "different" change. Either way, I did and I am proud of myself that I went to Israel for four months away from everything that I knew. I honestly thought I would get more homesick more often than I did, but I had so much fun that by the time I realized how much fun I was having, it was almost time to go home.
I hate that time passes so quickly when you're having fun...
I don't know if I will continue with this blog or not, but if I do, then I won't be writing as often. But stay posted!
I left Israel on the 6th very early in the morning after a really good weekend with my family, whom I never met before. I heard stories and names but finally seeing faces was good because now I know who these people are. My cousin waited with me in line for baggage security and we said good-bye after that. While waiting in line for regular security, I met up with someone on my program and we waited together for the flight home. The 12-hour flight wasn't too bad. There was someone next to me who went to Tufts so I had to ask him if he knew my brother and we ended up playing Jewish Geography, my favorite game ever, and we ended up talking for a bit at the beginning and the end of the flight.
I have seen a few of my friends this week and talked to family and family friends. Everyone asks the same question: How was Israel. There is no way to answer that. How does "good" or "awesome" or "amazing" or even "once in a lifetime experience that I would never give up" begin to capture my experience. Sure, it was all those things, but it was also so much more. There is no way to describe being abroad. I can say how much I had fun and how I had a great time, but it doesn't explain the feeling of connection that I felt to Israel. It doesn't explain my view. It doesn't explain feelings for Israel. It doesn't explain my experience at all. I can tell you all these things, but in order for you to get a feeling of what I experienced, you yourself have to go abroad.
Traveling in a foreign country is so much different than actually living there. Besides the fact that as a traveler you go to tourist places so people speak English, you know you don't belong there. You know that you will be leaving in a few days. You know that you don't have to assimilate there. Living there, even as a tourist, you need to learn the language a little bit. You need to know the culture and accept the practices. You need to try to assimilate into the culture. You can't live in Israel and keep American culture. You'll be miserable. You need to accept that there is no time and that everything is just so much more relaxed. You have to accept that it normalcy is getting your bag checked just to go food shopping. Or being scanned just to see a movie. When you do realize that these are all aspects of Israeli culture, it becomes normal to you and you are partly assimilated. The other part is becoming fluent in Hebrew.
Although I did not become fluent, I learned a lot more than I realized. In September, I could understand about half of the Hebrew that I heard. When I went to my cousin's house, they speak very little English so I had to use Hebrew and I realized that I could understand most of what they were saying. I wish that my Hebrew class had smarter people and that we did more speaking instead of only grammar. Now that I'm home, I forget that I can speak English to people. I can say "go ahead" instead of mumbling weird noises and gestures. But I still forget that I can do that. When I got to the airport it was a bit overwhelming to hear so much English. I mean sure all the international students spoke English, but there were only a few conversations going on at a time. In the airport while waiting for baggage, almost everyone was speaking English. But there were so many conversations going on at once that it was overwhelming. It felt like I was in a bubble for four months and within my bubble there were my friends who spoke with and there were a few air holes, the Hebrew that I understood. Leaving the plane, though, my bubble popped and I could hear and understand everyone again. I didn't have to put all my focus and attention into understanding the passport controller. He had no foreign accent when speaking to me.
Israel has at last became a place that I can relate with. After birthright, Israel was just a place that I finally been to after much hype, but it was still a lande that was far away and hard to feel connection with. But, I think after being there for four months and meeting people who live there and becoming friends, I have made a connection with Israel. It doesn't seem like a country that is across an ocean and half. I care about what is happening in Gaza and other issues. It's not like I didn't care, but it was this tiny country that you couldn't even find on a map. How are you supposed to feel patriotic about a place that you barely know? That's like being best friends with the President(-elect). Sure I know his name and heard all these things about him, but I've never met the guy. I feel that I need to be his best friend, though, because everyone says that he's such a nice guy. That's how I felt with Israel. I had to support Israel, not because I didn't believe in Her, but because, well, and I'm afraid to admit this, but because everyone else did. It was what I learned to be "the right thing". However, by studying and living in Israel I have become more passionate about Israel as a whole. I can defend Israel, I hope.
On a different note: I think going abroad gives you a chance to grow up. Sure college does the same thing, it's kind of the purpose, but I think that going to a different country and living on your own, not being able to rely on your familiars to help you makes you depend on yourself makes you grow up. With no one on my program that I knew, I had to step outside my comfort zone and take the chance at embarrassing myself and doing stupid things. I think that it was good that I didn't know anyone. There was no one to fall back on and I could be who I wanted. I think that as a result of all these things, I have changed since going abroad, I don't know if it's "more grown-up" change or "different" change. Either way, I did and I am proud of myself that I went to Israel for four months away from everything that I knew. I honestly thought I would get more homesick more often than I did, but I had so much fun that by the time I realized how much fun I was having, it was almost time to go home.
I hate that time passes so quickly when you're having fun...
I don't know if I will continue with this blog or not, but if I do, then I won't be writing as often. But stay posted!
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